Mites!

[Pazzoman]

Hey Everyone,

I recently got a job at petsmart. Just wanted to know if there is some kind of cloth or trick/tip to daily detect mites on reptiles. Recently a snake was returned because it had mites, personally i think it got the mites with the owner who purchased it, but to be safe it is in quarantine, and al the cages were washed.

So what should i look for when new reptiles are in?

[Tsubaki]

Inspect eyelids and cloaca see if you can find any, also check if scales are smooth, if there's a mite under one you would be able to see. Let them crawl through a white piece of cloth and closely inspect it. Check if you can find any drowned ones in water bowls, especially if the animal took a sudden 'liking' to soaking... It's not a 100% detection, so if you find nothing doesn't mean they don't have any. I think returning a snake because it has mites, is a very strange reason btw..

[millertime89]

Also check around the nose and vents as mites like to hide in there. If you had a snake returned because of the mites, there's a good chance the rest of the snakes at the store will get them now too unless you guys are very good about mite treatment.