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Not Sure if it's Mites

C

Cornewbie

New member
I've had my corn for 3 weeks now (bought from a local Petco). I noticed something like a tiny black speck on his head. When I picked up the little guy it fell off and I think I saw it skitter but it got away. Observing him, he seems otherwise fine (he has a lot of transparent scales but he's a tiny baby of 11 or so inches so I figure that's just him being thin and tiny). Then I noticed that on one eye I think I see a tiny black rim in the socket that doesn't seem to be there on the other side. I couldn't get a picture of it because my phone has a hard time focusing on him at all for some reason. While I thought maybe it was mites, I don't have any mite treatment yet so I bleached and hot washed all his rocks and other viv items, junked the aspen substrate, cleaned the tank and reset everything for now. Should I be worried? I'm just a very nervous first-time snakemom.

I noted his behaviors here in case that helps:
-Seems fairly active in the evenings, likes to climb up into the lid rim of viv. Enjoys resting in a 3-level stone hide on the cool side. Likes to occasionally dig in substrate.
-Ate right away without a fuss yesterday, then went prowling about.
-No scales sticking up.
-Not irritable, comes right to my hand when I go to pick him up. Likes to rest in cupped hands.
-Usually rests in a loop with his head up.
 
its hard to say without a picture... mites tend to group up under the bottom jaw, they are black specks that move. Has he been soaking in his water dish? Some snakes will to try and drown the mites. Untill you know for certain, I would remove all the unnecessary decorations, and use paper towel for substrate, as you can see them easier, and its easier to clean/remove if you do in fact have mites.
 
Thanks for responding! Yeah, I keep trying to get a picture but it's so tiny a difference I sort of miss it with my bare eye and the camera is having no luck catching it. I'll swap out the substrate for towels. Only time I've observed him in his water when I was around to see it was yesterday after he ate. First thing he did was settle into it after swallowing. He didn't put his head in. I'll have to just observe the towels and hope I see something (or better, nothing!). I just wanted to make sure he wasn't in imminent peril while I sorted it out. I far from know enough but I'm hoping his good mood and so-far consistent behavior means he's not irritated.
 
I would pick up a bottle of "reptile spray" made by Natural chemistry, its an all natural mite killer that you apply to the snake, I would also pick up a can of prevent-a-mite, or "PAM", that is used to spray the enclosure, hides, ect ( you must remove the snake, spray everything, and let it air out for at least 30 mins before returning the snake). Reptile spray runs about $7.99 for a spray bottle full, you should be able to pick it up at your local pet store, PAM runs about $19.99 a can, an can be bought from reptile basics,1 can last a LONG time. They are great products to have in hand for cases like this. I have a gut feeling you have mites. Spray the reptile spray on a paper towel, and wipe the snake down with it, any mites that are on him will die and come off on the paper towel, its 100% safe to use on the snake.
 
Okay, I got a bottle of the Natural Chemistry. He wasn't too hard to rub down with it. Unfortunately is says to avoid his face and eyes and his eye is where I think I saw it. I swapped his water dish for a white one I made so I can see any mites in it. It's so tricky to keep an eye on because he's so small. Observing it super-closely today it seems less like a little speck and more like lint (I don't mean literally, but the way maybe a sock leaves lint under the corner of a toenail). I guess I'm just going to have to be very observant till something happens or doesn't. I put in an order for that PAM and should get it in a couple days. I figure I'll purge the tank and put down towels as suggested then. Better safe than sorry.
 
No, just this little guy. He seems to be free of mites except those specks in his eye socket. The problem that's concerning me is that I can't find a reliable means of getting them out of there. Every treatment, even the Reptile Relief, advises against getting it near the eyes and face. Today I followed some online instructions for giving him a little bath so that the little pains would drown but he's far too antsy to keep in a wash basin. He got his head under for a couple of seconds now and then, but I couldn't keep him in the water for more than 30 seconds at a go without feeling like I was hurting him. He's a very young corn snake that I got from Petco and because I'm not hearing great things about how they handle their reptiles now, I'm a bit afraid of over-doing it and stressing him to death.

I'm keeping an eye on his water dish (I never saw mites in there, but I was told they would show up). He doesn't seem to be ready to shed and I was told that would be a sign of infestation too. I'm hoping I've got this contained to his eye but that's all the more horrifying to me.
 
The mites move, so they will come in contact with the reptile spray in one way or another. Just wipe him down with reptile spray ( which you've done), change out the substrate ( which you've done) and I would just leave him be and observe him for now.
 
Yeah, you're right. I mean, if he were really infested he'd be irritable, refusing food or thrashing about in water I read. He's affectionate, happy to be held, eating fine and active so I'm inclined to believe it's just a couple to keep an eye on. Once I think he's visually clear (that is to say the eye specks are gone) I might give his viv a tough once over just to be sure but I don't want to do too much and stress him. Thanks for all the advice. It's been kind of a crazy weekend.
 
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