Mexican Black Kingsnake Dots

KingsnakeB · 02-18-18, 10:50 PM

Hi All! I have a 4-5 year old Mexican Black Kingsnake. I wanted to snap a photo of her in shed, but accidentally left the flash on. That's when I noticed these black specs on her face and towards the back of her body scales. The same photo without flash does not show these dots. Could they be mites? I haven't noticed unusual behavior such as soaking and there are no black dots in the water bowl or on the paper towel substrate. Or could this just be a feature of MBKs that's not normally noticeable due to the black scales? I've included photos of her in shed with the flash and without flash. The photo without flash is truer to her color when looking at her.

Nation · 02-19-18, 09:15 AM

If its mites you would be able to see them with the naked eye. I doubt its anything to be worried about.

KingsnakeB · 02-19-18, 09:32 AM

I'm not sure why, but I keep getting "post denied" when I try to include the URL for the photos.

craigafrechette · 02-19-18, 11:32 AM

Tough to tell without pics.

Are there black specs in the water dish?
Has the snake been soaking?
You can also run a whiye paper towel down the snakes body. Often times mites will be visible on the paper towel if present

IDvsEGO · 02-21-18, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingsnakeB

I'm not sure why, but I keep getting "post denied" when I try to include the URL for the photos.

I upload my pics to imgur and then just link them here.

KingsnakeB · 02-23-18, 02:46 PM

Thank you everyone for your help so far! Okay, going to try this again and this time upload the photos (final got around to resizing them). First photo is without flash, second photo is with the flash. You can really see the dots around the eyes and on the back of the scales in the second photos. Is this typical of mexican black kingsnakes?

TRD · 02-23-18, 03:38 PM

Those are not mites.

Just checked my MBK, and took also a picture with flash, mine doesn't have those dots.

But yours is in shed... see if after the shed it is still there. During the shed cycle old and new skin separate, perhaps it is somewhere related. Also many snakes have sense organs on or under the head, as well as other parts of the body... there's some research into those organs, at least in the psammophiidae family of snakes. Not sure what it would be on an MBK.

IDvsEGO · 02-23-18, 03:40 PM

your MBK has freckles. thats awesome.

KingsnakeB · 02-23-18, 05:27 PM

TRD, thank you so much for taking the time to take photos of yours with flash and without flash. None of my other guys have the freckles with flash when not in shed. I'm not sure about this guy as I haven't really taken a flash photo of him where the freckles would be visible. I'll have to try once he sheds. Here's a link to another MBK on a forum from awhile ago where they're visible:
talkto.thefrog.org/index.php?action=vthread&forum=7&topic=13143]Mexican Black Kingsnake in shed - talk to the frog

KingsnakeB · 02-24-18, 02:52 PM

If anyone has any other thoughts on what the "freckles" could be (or has similar photos), I'd love to hear them!

craigafrechette · 02-24-18, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingsnakeB

If anyone has any other thoughts on what the "freckles" could be (or has similar photos), I'd love to hear them!

Granted he's a Cal King and not an MBK I'm going to get some close-up flash on pics of my boy tomorrow.

I'm curious and I'll let you know if I see anything similar.