HELP! Insects in shed skin

cc4npg · #1 (**permalink**) 11-15-2004, 02:00 AM

alright, somebody out there has got to know what kind of bug is on my snake.

I've got a red tailed boa, had him for several months, vet checked, no sign of ticks or mites. He's the only one I've got and only gets frozen food such as pinkies (mice/rats). He recently shed and I always check to make sure both eyes are part of the shed skin. This skin had other organisms on it. These are easy to see with the eye, black in color, hard shell, round, no visible legs sticking out the sides and one was crawling on my arm (it crawled similar to a lady bug).

I've looked at pics of mites and ticks. It doesn't look like either one. What else would be stuck to the shed skin of my boa? There were at least 4 of these that I saw. I don't want to go through the arduous (sp?) task of cleaning for mites if this isn't what they are. I stress these were very easy to see, not microscopic. Thanks in advance.

CC
cc4npg@hotmail.com

reptilemama · #2 (**permalink**) 11-15-2004, 02:03 AM

Small black dots that crawl sure sound like mites to me. They can be carried in on substrate, like mulch. I'd go ahead and treat just to be on the safe side.

python04slayer · #3 (**permalink**) 11-15-2004, 07:43 AM

Sounds like mites to me too. If you think treating mites is a pain then you should invest in some Provent-a-mite, Its easy to eliminate the mites and is relatively cheap and readily availbileat www.pythons.com

cc4npg · #4 (**permalink**) 11-16-2004, 01:11 AM

Provent-a-mite... is that just for the enclosure or for the snake also? Visited the web site and many thanks to your replies. I wonder though, how did I get mites if I never take him around any other reptiles, the substrate came right from a bag (can they be on it anyway?), and all he gets is frozen food? Do they spring up after the snake defecates? This is my first snake. I've done some research about them but I'm still learning. We've had him about 6 months now and he's as sweet as he can be.

CC

reptilemama · #5 (**permalink**) 11-16-2004, 01:14 AM

Yep, they can hitch a ride on substrate even when it's bagged. That's part of the reason I use newspaper. You can either spray the substrate with provent-a-mite before you put it in the cage, or bake it on the lowest temp you can get for half an hour or so- just don't catch it on fire.

Advertisement