Quarantine question?

[Solinger]

This has been such a hot topic here lately and me being a new reptile owner I was hoping to see if my set up is adequate in your opinions.

We have two snakes and a wild caught western fence lizard in our house. All of the animals are in different rooms and have their own equipment that is kept on the shelving near their homes.

Willy Wonka the corn snake is in a bedroom as is Mike Teevee the western fence lizard. Our Ball Python is in my office and the door is almost always closed to that room. The lizard is being released at the end of the month back where we found the little guy but we will be getting another snake in September at the Sacramento Expo.

Are different rooms enough to keep everyone safe and ok? We aren't planning on any future additions for the next few years with the exception of the new snake in September. We haven't had any issues but what do we know

[FatBoy]

Seperate rooms are fine...make sure to wash hands between handling.

[Hulihzack]

Sounds like a good QT to me

[Solinger]

Thank you! After reading the sticky this weekend, specifically frankykeno's reply I was thinking that I had gotten myself in WAY over my head. I love my snake but don't want to section off parts of the house to accommodate everyone's pets!

Being a wild caught adult the lizard is a little spooked when handled so we only do that weekly while out back cleaning his cage. He is a "look at only" type pet for the most part.

The corn snake is my daughter's and since he is little and moves fast her and I are the only two that handle that one at all.

The Ball Python is new to us and with the tougher husbandry required with the weak feeding response we have been getting until recently no one was allowed to handle her except me when needed. I am pretty confidant there has been no cross contamination due to handling.

I was mainly concerned for any air born issues that may have been present. I am petrified of mites so I look for them obsessively.

On the subject of mites... If my snakes stay inside and we don't introduce new animals how likely is an outbreak? Cage cleaning is thorough always and all bedding comes in a sealed bag. Any new plants or furniture is always washed before being used.

Do snake mites exist in household items? Maybe from distributor warehouses or stores? I figured that without a supply of snake blood they would die off before ever making it to my home if that were the case.

[NorthernRegius]

...

I was mainly concerned for any air born issues that may have been present. I am petrified of mites so I look for them obsessively.

On the subject of mites... If my snakes stay inside and we don't introduce new animals how likely is an outbreak? Cage cleaning is thorough always and all bedding comes in a sealed bag. Any new plants or furniture is always washed before being used.

Do snake mites exist in household items? Maybe from distributor warehouses or stores? I figured that without a supply of snake blood they would die off before ever making it to my home if that were the case.

Since I deal mainly in Pythons, I've got it easier than folks dealing with different species of snake. Still I quarantine all new snakes for a minimum of 30 days. It's just the safe thing to do. Sounds like you're doing what you need to do for your herps.

You can pre- treat for mites, spray down the new cage & let dry before the new snake goes in. Mites can come from infested natural bedding, drift wood (a big culprit) things like that. So avoiding those type items are helpful.