Urgent Info Needed For Ball Python With Tics!

[BedroomEyzOfBlu]

We bought a WC Ball Python about 2 months ago from a reputable pet store for a cheaper than normal price on this species because it was WC. The store gave no guarantees of it's survival because in the previous 4-6 weeks before our purchase, they were unable to get it to eat.

Within a week of purchase, we had it eating just fine - 2 mice as a matter of fact. We've found it takes a mouse (or 2) about every 2 weeks. Yesterday, we were doing some maintenance and pictures in our "animal room" and I was holding it and doing some visual body inspections since it really was the first time we had it out of it's tank for any length of time as we wanted it to settle in before handling it too much.

When we bought the snake, it had a "scar" like mark on it's head just behind it's right eye and another on it's side which we assumed were either scratches or scars from hunting and living in the wild. A few weeks after that, I noticed a lump growing in the shape of a tear drop where this scar was behind it's eye. It has since shed and I saw that the lump had dbled in size. I thought that it could be scar tissue or just an odd growth. The growth appeared to be covered with the snakes own skin. Yesterday, I went to have a close look at the lump and it was totally gone with a little scratch type scar where it had been. While examining the snakes body, I noticed this odd looking "grey" scale mid way down it's body. Now due to it's shape and colour - I had a gut feeling this was not part of the snake but in fact a parasite/insect of some kind. I took a pair of tweezers and lifted the back end of the "scale" only to be horrified to find tiny legs moving at the front end of it!!! Here is a pic of it before removal

Sure enough, it was a dam tic! After squeezing the tic, cutting it in half to ensure it's death (while still attached to the python), we carefully removed the head and rest of the body. The tic was full of blood that appeard to have a colour and consistency of engine oil that had not been changed in years - black and yukky. Upon examining the snake further, we removed another tic 1/2 the size of the first one and suspect a few other marks on it that are quite small (but do not seem to belong where they are in the patterns of the snake) to in fact be more tics.

Is there anything we can purchase to administer to the python either directly or indirectly through food (a mouse host) that will kill off the rest of the tics in the python? I'm worried that they are breeding on / in him. I also need to know if pythons can carry lyme (not sure on the spelling) disease and if that is true, should we get tagged in the future by it - can it pass it on to us through the bite? And one final question, the python is on a substrate of potting soil and moss combined - can they breed in this substrate or do they require the snake as a host to breed - aka - do they breed in it's internal systems (blood, organs, etc).

We are in Ontario Canada so if anyone can answer these questions or give us any good advice on this situation, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure if there are any vets in our area who deal with snakes.

Thanks in advance,

BedroomEyzOfBlu
Rosana

 

[Schlyne]

Order some Provent a Mite, (try searching online, I'm not sure where you can pick it up in Canada) and use as directed by the instructions. It will kill ticks and mites (which is another possiblity with a wc ball). If you can find an exotics or a reptile vet, I would get a fecal done as well, to make sure you're not dealing with interal parasites as well It is also possible for the snake to have ticks on the inside of it's vent.

Btw, I would completely sanitize your tank and replace the substrate with fresh substrate at this point, in fact I'd switch to newspaper or paper towels until you get rid of the ticks. Since you did not notice the ticks right away, you may have tick eggs in your substrate at this time.

Reptile Relief may also work if you can find it. Try to find a reptile safe product before you try some of the other solutions....reptiles are far more sensitive to toxins than mammals.

 

[BedroomEyzOfBlu]

Wow thanks Schlyne - I knew it couldn't be good news finding those. I'll do a santizing first thing tomorrow and put down new bedding as suggested. I'll phone around to some vets in the area and see if they have such a medication for it. How would this be administered?

Rosana

 

[Schlyne]

Provent a mite is acutally a spray. You remove the reptile from the room (and any feeder insects or pet arachnids) and spray down the tank and substrate. When the smell has completely evaporated, you can replace the reptile. The Ivermectin ingredient in the spray will chemically kill off any ticks or mites. (And I wouldn't replace the pet arachnids or feeder insects in that same room for quite a while. I acutally keep my inverts in a different room from my reptiles).

Reptile relief works a little bit different, it's more of a liquid that you apply to the reptile topically (while staying away from the eyes!). Reptile relief will also take care of mites along with ticks.

I've never used reptile relief, but I've used provent a mite to deal with an outbreak of mites on one of my new snake arrivals before

I believe ZooMed makes some kind of product as well, but I've never used it and I have no idea how good it is.

This isn't the best info out there, but it's the best I can find on reptile ticks right now.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=17&cat=1831&articleid=2433

As for mites (which you haven't described, and may not have a problem with) this is the best link I've ever seen.
http://www.vpi.com/9VPITipsAndTechs/thewaragainstsnakemites/Mites-KnowTheEnemy.htm

 

[BedroomEyzOfBlu]

Thank you again for the great information - I'm also going to call some of the pet stores that carry more exotic pets (snakes, T's, scorps, etc) as one of them has to carry one or both of those products. Wish me luck and thanks again.

Rosana

 

[Mushroom Spore]

And one final question, the python is on a substrate of potting soil and moss combined - can they breed in this substrate or do they require the snake as a host to breed - aka - do they breed in it's internal systems (blood, organs, etc).[/B]

Get rid of that substrate IMMEDIATELY. Ticks are not internal parasites, but feed and then drop back onto the ground to breed and do their thing. If the snake didn't have parasites before, it could well have got them from the potting soil and moss, which are probably full of other nastiness as well. If not, then it's only because they are full of pesticides which are just as horrible.

Newspaper or paper towels are your best bet now, something that the ticks will show up against, that they cannot breed or dig in. Once this is cleared up, either buy some reptile carpet (at least two pieces, so you can switch out when one needs cleaning) or aspen (not cedar or pine, they are poisonous) shavings. The aspen does a fantastic job keeping humidity up, I've found.