I'll be going to a reptile expo soon with the intent of getting my first Ball Python. I've done a lot of research and have his habitat set and ready to go, but I was wondering if you all had any tips on what to look out for as far as health is concerned.

Preferably looking for a young male <100g, and have some specific questions to make sure I'm getting a healthy snake...

1.) When people say "Look for mucous in the mouth/nostrils", is that something that will be apparent without actually looking IN their mouth? / Pictures?

2.) I know to listen for wheezing sounds, but have also heard they shouldn't whistle from one source, and that whistling is normal from another... any clarification?

3.) Snake mites look really nasty and I definitely don't want to have this new snakeling put up with that, so - How difficult is it to actually tell if they are infested (say, even in the early stages) and how difficult would it be to treat given I have no other reptiles that it could spread between.

--- And also, for my curiosities sake, how do they keep their heat pits clean? It seems like in a natural environment they would likely be shoving their face through dirt/possible mud as they follow into rodent burrows, and their tongues don't strike me as particularly capable of cleaning them.

Thanks a lot, such a wall for a first post, sorry!