Something in the air or mites?

[Jackrabbit]

Last night both my girls (a stimmie and a diamond) were displaying behaviour out of the ordinary. both were roaming their respective enclosures much more than usual.

the diamond was going under the newspaper and coming out upside down in the most peculiar of places. Normally she sits either in her hide with head sticking out or under the spot light (even when it isn't on).

this morning she was still roaming around but I watched her spend sometime with her head underwater for a while, which immediately made me think of mites. If she has them I can't figure out how as she hasn't been out of her enclosure for the past week and I don't handle any other snakes the same day.

None of the others appear to have any problems but I haven't checked closely yet. On a black snake how do you see the mites? they're black too aren't they?

Any ideas welcome.

PS I should add that I didn't feed the diamond on Monday as I usually would. Maybe she was looking for it.

 

[Smithers]

Check the bottom of water bowl,...if the snakes been soaking there maybe some that have drowned. I have read the mites waste is white so you may find lil white dots on your snake to confirm if you have them.

Here's a thread that may be of help

 

[wokka]

Perhaps it is just winter and the lower temperature. I notice my bulls always look lousey at the end of winter and both wild or captive rodents are more likely to have mites in winter .Maybe the lower temperatures help external paricites travel form host to host.
It is always tempting to nuec the animals with chemicals but i find as summer returns my cattle start to shine and there is no sign of lice or mites which were obvious a few months before.

 

[Jackrabbit]

good news no sign of mites on her or in the water.

She might have just had a little discomfort as there was a massive poo inside her hide when I got her out. she happily ripped the rat off a tail when offered last night.

 

[Smithers]

Perhaps it is just winter and the lower temperature. I notice my bulls always look lousey at the end of winter and both wild or captive rodents are more likely to have mites in winter .Maybe the lower temperatures help external paricites travel form host to host.
It is always tempting to nuec the animals with chemicals but i find as summer returns my cattle start to shine and there is no sign of lice or mites which were obvious a few months before.

Had the same thing with koi they'd get more ailments in the cooler months,..ick (whitespot) and lice, come to think of it we get colds n flu during winter so maybe the cold inhibits the immune system....no idea, just a thought.

 

[-Peter]

Depends on where you are, Sydney has just had a lot of rain and a sudden temp increase. This always gets some of my animals mobile.