A question I can not find info for

[beth wallbank]

I was emailed tonight to ask if tortoises could carry snake mites. With searching in every book, and over the net, I cant seem to find an answer. Any clue? Ive never encountered it with my guys, nor have I heard of anyone else with them. Thanks in advance.

[Gary D.]

I have seen wood mites from substrait and mulch enter a collection. They do not pose any harm to the animals, simply exist with them and logically on them. So depending on how the question was presented to you, affects the answer. If a person had a mixed collection which was rife with snake mites, It's quite likely that if if that person sold a tort to another, some hitch hikers could tag along as well, infesting the new owner's mixed collection. Now if the question is will snake mites thrive on a tortoise, I do not know.

GD

[Tim and Julie B]

When I was sharing warehouse space with an idiot that will remain nameless. He constantly get mites and even though my reps were in another room I had to treat my things twice but both times I never saw a mite on my turtles and torts. So in my limited experiance I would say no but it would be possible that the mites would lay eggs in the substrate. Although mites usually do that near a food source. Hope that sort of helps...not really a definate answer though. :) TB

[Vengeance]

From what I understand mites are a host specific parasite so mites that effected a snake would not effect a turtle/tortise. But as the example was made if there were snake mites in your tortise substrate and you brought that substrate in contact with your snake or in the same area, you may run into problems. Now ticks I think are diffrent, I don't think they are host specific.