Effects of urticating hairs on snakes?

[Spidershane1]

I don't know if the mods will want this in the T chat or not-so-spineless wonders section, so feel free to move it if need be.

Anyway, kind of a weird inquiry...

I was doing my rounds in the animal room today & put the T. stirmi in a deli cup & set it down on top of the boas cage. As I was cleaning the T's cage, he started crawling out the top of the deli & as I was shooing him back in, he flicked massive amounts of hairs which floated down through the screen on the snake cage and settled into the substrate.
A little bit later as I was mixing some moss into the snakes substrate, my hands felt on fire. He really got alot of hairs in the snakes enclosure.

I was wondering if anybody knew if this could cause problems for my little guyana red tail? I wouldn't imagine that it could really effect the snakes skin(I'm not sure tho), but are there respitory issues to be concerned about?

Any feedback would be appreciated. I have to get ready for work now, but if I have to I will change out all her substrate in the morning & give her a nice warm bath.

Thanks,
Shane

 

[captmarga]

I would think getting urticating (I almost typed Hurticating, lol) in the eyes of a snake would be the biggest concern.

A good cleaning can't hurt!

Marga

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

I would think getting urticating (I almost typed Hurticating, lol) in the eyes of a snake would be the biggest concern.

I would disagree because I don't think the urticating bristles would be able to penetrate the scale covering the eyes or the scales covering the body of a snake. As for the tissues in the mouth, respiratory system, and within the heat sensing pits, I couldn't tell you. I don't know how delicate those tissues are and I have no idea what a snake's immune system is like.

 

[Mez]

Snakes do not have scales covering their eyes.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Snakes do not have scales covering their eyes.

Wikipedia and my own observations of the "eye cap" in shed snake skins disagrees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_scales

 

[Mez]

Surely the eye cap dosnt count as a scale?

 

[OphidianDelight]

Surely the eye cap dosnt count as a scale?

It is called the brille. Spectacle or eye cap also work. It is a scale. Lidless geckos also possess them.

 

[FrostyCakee]

this thread kinda got off topic didnt it.

anyways i would suggest i good cleaning, i mean it couldnt hurt could it. Clean it out and give yourself some peace of mind

 

[Alexandra V]

Yes, there is a scale covering the eyes of a snake. Otherwise, they'd be poking their eyes out left right and center when they went around in trees and such in the wild

As for the actual subject of the thread, I doubt it would cause any skin issues with the snake, but a good cleaning is definitely an easy insurance policy. I'd imagine that if the snake inhales enough urts it could cause problems... I don't know about you, but snorting urticating bristles doesn't sound like my idea of safe fun...

 

[OphidianDelight]

Mucous membranes are mucous membranes--they do line the inside of the boa's nasal cavities and it's a fair bet that they could become irritated by the urticating hairs. The OP had already resolved to change substrate and bathe the snake.

Also, IMO, the only post that derailed the thread was the goofy, derailed pic post; it was titled "Effects of urticating hairs on snakes" and determining the protection afforded to the eye was pertinent, since there was debate.

 

[Bill S]

this thread kinda got off topic didnt it.

Until your post, no it didn't. The discussion of whether a snake's eyes are susceptible to urticating hairs is very much on target, and the fact that there's a scale covering them is significant. But pictures of trains do not fit the discussion.

Urticating hairs might possibly be able to irritate/penetrate scales, but they'd at least be shed with the skin. I'd be more concerned that urticating hairs could be picked up by the tongue or inhaled. And I definitely would give the cage a good cleaning before offering the snake its next meal. As a "first aid" measure I would have misted the cage and its substrate just to get the hairs to settle. That would minimize the risk of the snake inhaling them. A tiny bit of detergent in the mist water would have helped break down any surface tensions and would help bind the hairs to the surfaces of the cage.

At this point it's somewhat irrelevant, since it's now two days after the event. Hopefully all worked out well.

 

[Spidershane1]

Alright guys, thanks for the all the advice. I switched out her substrate(with latex gloves on lol), rinsed the whole cage out including decorations, and bathed her for 45 minutes. I made sure to give her a thorough wipedown with a soft cloth after the bath.

For those of you interested in how she fared for your own future reference or just curiousity, I must say that I didn't notice any effects whatsoever. The scales seemed fine, as did the visible skin inbetween, with no redness, swelling, or marked irritation. Her cloaca(vent/poophole) appeared normal. Her eyes were normal. I opened her mouth and everything was the proper color with no redness or swelling. She was breathing normally & in regular intervals, with no weezing. She also is not gaping her mouth or keeping her head lifted for prolonged periods(which are signs of respitory issues).
I will monitor her closely and watch for any future symptoms.

All in all, I do not think urticating hairs have any effect on snakes, although the one hour and less than $10 I spent on new substrate was well worth my peice of mind.

Oh, and snakes do have scales over their eyes, lol. They are essential for a snakes survival because snakes cannot blink or close their eyes. They are called ocular scales and are connected to the surrounding scales and made of the same stuff. Anyone who has ever owned a snake and examined one of its molts will know how this looks. And you can even see when lubricating fluid builds up between the top scale and the scale forming underneath when the snake is in premolt. If you see a snake with blue eyes, this is whats happening.


Thanks again for everyones input

 

[Mez]

To clarify so I don't look like an idiot, I knew the eye cap/modified scale existed, just not thst it was infact a modified scale.

 

[Bill S]

.... just not thst it was infact a modified scale.

Not that much modified, actually. Clear rather than pigmented, but in most other respects it's just a scale.