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Snake mites? Popping sound? Help please :[

Flweep

Flweep

New member
Ok..
I'm really freaking out.
I was holding my snake for the first time today.
And I noticed he was making a popping sound.
Then I read it could be he was shedding, so I took him out again and It didn't look like it. Then he bit me so I put him away... (first snake bite yaaay)

Ok, but i'm worried he has snake mites cause I noticed litttle tinnyyy black dots as he was crawling on me. :l

I can't tell if they were on my hand before or after I held him.
But I can't see any on his skin. I just CANT!! I don't see ANYTHING wrong with his skin.
And when I touch the little black dots they dont leave like, a trail of blood or anything like people say they do. They just...... idk. They crumble into peices i guess.

What do I do?!?!?
How do I know if it's snake mites, dirt.. and what do I do about the popping noise?

I'm so stressed and frusturated right now. AND im going camping tomorrow for 3 days. So can you guys please give me some answers..

ALSO, there's no reptile vets around here for at LEAST an hour, and I don't have money to take him there.

:nope:
 
If they are snake mites, follow these directions for treating:

http://lllreptile.com/info/library/care-and-husbandry-articles/-/dealing-with-snake-mites/

Mites are tiny black dots that MOVE. That is the key. My jungle corn, Rio, is COVERED in tiny black dots and I always freak out when I glance at him and then have to stare-- but his don't move. You can also check the water bowl. THey will try and drown the mites and you'll see specs in their bowl.

Not sure about the popping noise... gas maybe?
 
Ok, and i'm sorry for posting two topics but I'm kinda freaking out here.
This is my first ever snake and I'm worried.... :[
 
Was the popping in conjunction with pooping? If so, I'd highly suspect gas release. My one bearded dragon definitely farts when he poops. I'd guess snakes probably can do the same thing.

If there's no foamy discharge from the mouth or rattling when he breathes, it's probably not an RI. RI's often are more common in colder months, too, due to temp changes and drafts.

I'd do the three W's... wait, watch, worry. See how it goes in a couple days.
 
I've never seen them myself, but mites (that have been feeding) are apparently the size of a poppy seed. If you take some specks that were on your hand and put them on a damp/wet paper towel, you might see red if they were mite droppings. Look for mites on the head around the eyes and in that crease under his chin. Has he been soaking in his water dish a lot lately?

Popping could be the start of a respiratory infection or he could be shedding soon, which you may or may not be able to see. Are you able to see any mucus around his nose?

Just for future reference, don't put him away right away if he bites you. Wait awhile before putting him back or he learns that biting gets him what he wants....away from you and back in his house.
 
Ok. So I don't see ANY kind of mucus, or foam or bubbles around his mouth/nose.
He was kind of.. yawning? I guess? But I don't know if he was just trying to bite me or not. Because he was doing it kind of next to my finger like.. "I'm gonna bitee-.. ah nevermind."
Anyways..
I don't know if he was just farting. haha. Because after he pooped on me I held him a second time, to see if he was shedding, and he was still doing it. But it wasn't like.. too often I guess? He was sniffing around and stuff, but I would only hear the popping every once in a while.

And about the mites. I don't see ANY on him. And they are definitely not the size of a poppy seed. WAYYYY smaller. He was soaking in his water bowl last week ish, and I saw two black specks in there.. I took them out and they did the same thing. Just.. crumbled. and kinda flaked into smaller peices....
So.. is it dirt/dust? 'cause the aspen I have kinda has some like.. dusty dirt stuff in it? I don't know how to describe it.

:l I'm confusedddd.
 
OK YOU GUYS.
I found out where the little black specks are coming from!!!
So he has this stick for climbing on... and I have to move it to get it out. So when I grabbed the stick all these little black things got on me. It's probably just dirt and stuff.
I got it from outside, but I baked it and rinsed it and stuff.
SOO.
I think mites is out of the picture.

So i'm still confused about the popping. I guess I'll have to wait and see if he starts shedding.
Let's hope for that!
Because I really don't think there's anything wrong with his mouth/nose
When he bit me I kinda got a look into his mouth and it looked normal. There was no slimy icky stuff.
So lets just hope its either farting or he's gonna shed soon! lol.
 
One thing: DON'T EVER put a snake away when it bites you. You're then telling it to bite you if it wants to be put away.
 
Ok ok ok.
I won't put him away next time.
Do you think he'll start biting me next time I hold him?
Oh dang. xD He made me bleed too! (only a little, lol)
Little bugger! haha
 
He shouldn't. Trust me, corn bites are relatively nice. I had a 6 month sized albino cali king and a very young tegu bite the same thumb and I have scars from each.

Don't put him away right when he does, wait about ten minutes so he doesn't associate biting with getting his way. Just make sure you clean the wound well.
 
My adult female snake will sometimes bite when I hold her. She will be slithering between my hands and point her nose down on my hand...thats when she opens her mouth and tries to eat me! I can usually catch her before she clamps down for an actual bite.
 
when I took my carpet python in for a suspected RI, the vet said that they don't always exhibit mucus/discharge around nose/mouth, but that whistling, funny breathing, popping/crackling and yawning can all be symptoms of respiratory infection.

Double-check your temperatures and reduce humidity if you can, especially if you are going to be gone.
 
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