Royal Python-Python Regius & Other Snakes

I haven’t posted much recently, but thought I would post this article I’d written on an external pest which although small in the ‘right’ circumstances can have a hugely detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of our snakes.
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External Parasites - Mites

What’s White and Black, and Red all over……. Sounds like a childhood joke, however this can be used to describe the life cycle of an annoyance that can cause harm to our snakes through infection and infestation, especially if they are kept in poor conditions and have not been looked after with the due care and respect all living things should be afforded. The answer of course is the ‘Mite’.

The microscopic snake mite - Ophionyssus Natricis, starts out so small it would be hard to see with the naked eye, an adult female reaches about 0.5mm. Hatchlings are a whitish colour, turning a black by the time they are adults, finally appearing dark red once full of the host snakes blood. The ideal conditions are present in the snakes vivarium, warm, dark and humid, and these tiny, fast and rapid breeding pest’s can quickly spread throughout your home in a matter of days, the ventilation in the viv. presenting one way into the wider world. Eggs are laid on vivarium furniture and the resident snake, anywhere that’s warm and dark, in fact, that offers the right incubation. While it is unlikely for them to feed on non reptilian hosts, they are more than happy to hitch a free ride assisting in the rapid spread of infestation and causing unsuspecting keepers to inadvertently infect their collections. Wild snakes are naturally host to mite’s and tick’s. This doesn’t create a problem in the wild where snakes roam freely becoming host for a while, moving through the natural environment and shedding removes the majority of ticks and mites, before becoming host once more to others.

In captivity snakes have no escape from these pests, kept in enclosures these pests remain in close proximity although they are fast and do travel, lunch is always available and the ideal conditions lead to quick infestation. Shedding does not bring the relief found in the natural environment. Generally infection will occur through cross contamination, which can occur from pests on wild caught reptiles bought into the pet trade, and/or unsanitary conditions encouraging parasites and disease to manifest.

It is essential to follow a strict level of cleanliness and hygiene to minimise transporting these pests into your collection. Mites will tend to center around areas where the skin is thinnest. If an infestation is sufficiently serious for you to see, you may spot them under the belly scute’s, around the eyes, nose, heat sensors etc.
These pests can prove difficult to exterminate and there will be numbers of mites at various stages of their life cycle at any one time in various locations.

If you are of the opinion it is ok to use chemicals, remember the chemicals that will kill them can kill or certainly harm the snake. Mites can also be killed by heat however the heat required would also kill the snake you were trying to free. Mites can be drowned but although possibly the preferred method, this method can still be faltered as in order for your snake not to drown at least his head will need to be out of the water, some mites will be able to escape the drowning by climbing to this area, - some Mites live their whole life on the head anyway, particularly in the heat pits and eyes.

To successfully get rid of mite’s you must treat both the snake and the environment surrounding several times over several weeks. These pests can present a real danger to your snake in large enough numbers so effective treatment is a priority, don’t think that simply cleaning and disinfecting the enclosure/environment will eradicate the mites. It will ‘wash’ away loose and exposed mites and their faeces and will disinfect the bacteria left behind or lurking in the vivarium. However, it is unlikely to get rid of eggs, larvae or laying females hidden in deep crevices etc, which if you are unprepared and discontinue treatment too soon, will lead to a returned infestation. Let the snake soak in tepid water in a lidded container with airholes. There are solutions you can use, but only do so on strict guidance and instruction of a qualified reptilian vet. After bathing check there are no mites dead or alive on the snake, remove any signs by gently rubbing with a cotton bud paying attention to the belly scutes, eyes, heat pits and between body scales as this is where they are more likely to be missed. Keep the snake in an enclosure unaffected by the mites. Throw away all the substrate in the vivarium and any porous furniture, vacuum any dust remaining and thoroughly clean the enclosure paying attention to any cracks and grooves that may harbour eggs etc maybe but scraping with a blunt instrument. Thoroughly clean any light fittings, water bowls and heat mats. Disinfect the vivarium to kill of any bacteria that could be spread around by the mites. Rocks can possibly be boiled and certain wood furniture baked keeping check it doesn’t burn, if you need to salvage/reuse it. I have read of people that seal the ventilation of the tank and introduce flea collars/pest strips into the environment for a period of time, but again this may be something you may wish to discuss with your vet and is not something I have personally tried. Should you decide to use this method, although it has been known to use while the snake is present I would certainly advise against it, these have been know to be instrumental in the death of snakes so bear this in mind. Vacuum and clean around the vivarium possibly removing any curtains for cleaning. This cleaning routine should be repeated daily and certainly a thorough weekly clean over the next few weeks. During this period refrain from using cosmetic substrates, keeping to a basic covering of newspaper or kitchen roll, this makes it easier to clean and spot any recurrence. If you own more than one snake and they are housed in the same area, you are likely to need to treat your whole collection. Certainly take precautionary measures to minimise the spread if you expect to come into contact with other snakes. Whether you are visiting a friends collection, a reptile show or pet shop it is better to wash and change after to avoid unwittingly starting an infestation. Mites do travel and can go a number of days without starving during part of their life cycle, don’t assume because you haven’t handled an animal you haven’t transported or spread mites.

The life cycle of the mite is relatively small at 1 – 2 months, but at any time there will be mites at different stages of their life cycle, it is important to repeat to minimise the risk of return including the environment which may be harbouring the mites. There are reptile treatments and sprays available but even these can struggle to work effectively against mites hidden in the snakes crevices, plain water often being just as effective. Much of the above is of course common sense. If however you are unfortunate enough to get these unwelcome visitors I hope this has maybe clarified some points and confirmed the appropriate action. Always remember if there is any doubt as to your snakes health consult a qualified reptile vet and never use unfamiliar substances on your snakes.


Gary Young