A mom's question about hygiene

I am a snake novice, but love my son's new ball python.
We got her from our favorite, local pet shop.
We got her home and have been handling her,
and in my son's case, kissing her, since.

Is there any risk with this?
Do we have to clean ourselves and change clothes every time??
Do I have to tell my son to stop stroking her with his cheek??

I've been washing my hands, and have had my boys wash their hands before eating.
But should I have them always wash their hands after handling her?

And if so, does that mean we can't have her sitting on a desk or table without having to clean that too??

I would try not to put the snake near your mouth. You don't have to change clothes when holding them, but it is good practise to wash your hands before and after handling. As far as surfaces go, treat it as if any animal was on the table. I would wipe the table off with soap and water.

Welcome to BP.net!

Though the chance of contracting salmonella from your new ball python is rare, there is still a small chance.

Washing your hands before and after handling is a good practice to get into.

x2 on keeping the snake away from your face. In the infra red spectrum, your face is one of the hottest parts of your body. Ball pythons use the heat sensitive pits along their upper lip to map out the world around them using heat signatures. 99 times out of 100, nothing is going to happen, but that 100th time may end up being slightly painful, and very scary.

I suggest you take a look at the following:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...p-w-pics-*DUW*

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...Basics...*DUW*

With any reptile and amphibian there is the risk of getting salmonella. But the chance of it is very, very small (you have a higher chance of getting it from the food you eat). It is a good practice to wash your hands before and after handling, but if you forget every once in a while, it will be okay. Like I said the chance of getting salmonella from your snake (especially your snake that is indoors) is very very low. And the chance is lowered even more if you routinely clean it's cage :gj: I've handled snakes my entire life but just recently got my own, and never once got salmonella.

I'd say don't let them on anyone's face and keep a 1 dollar bottle of hand sanitizer next to the cage to use both before and after handling. Make sure it's dry on your hands before you touch the snake.

There isn't a high risk, but these are very simple precautions that will lower it even further.

No snake kisses? common :P

Lol :P
I wouldn't let a snake near your face until you trust it 100%

While common sense cleaning practices will keep you safe, I feel the need to say I don't think or worry about salmonella. I give my snakes kisses all the time, have done it for going on three years with no ill effects that I can recall. Sure I could be a lot more careful, but truthfully I don't worry overmuch about it. I figure with all the stuff you see in the news about contaminated food and such, if I'm going to get it, it's a lot more likely I'll get it from food than from one of my snakes.

Now, this does not mean I make it a habit to lick my snakes under any circumstances. And if I clean a tub where one made a mess, that snake gets a quick wipe down with unscented non antibacterial baby wipes and the kisses get held off until another day.

As far as surfaces go, I wouldn't follow your snake around with a can of Lysol, but I'd want to wipe the table off before I sat down to eat where the snake was laying.

Bottom line, use your own good judgment, and you should be fine.

Gale

Welcome and like many others have mentioned, overall sanitation is the way to go. My snakes have been around kids a lot and the rule I have is either use hand sanitizer or wash hands right after handling the snake. Personally, I worry more about passing something between snakes and scrub more going between my quarantined snakes and my regulars. Adults are less susceptible to getting salmonella to the extent they notice it than children are. The younger the child, the more diligent I've always been about making sure they wash up afterwards. However, it's always a good practice to get into if for no other reason than it shows your son and any other kids the correct behavior. This also includes any friends he has over who handle or even pet the snake.

To lower your risk even more, make sure the snake's cage is kept clean. Don't only check once a week or every other. If the snakes poops, it should be cleaned up as soon as it's noticed. Think of it this way, the salmonella bacteria are shed in the feces. If the snake is left to slither through/over it repeatedly, that raises the risk.

As for surfaces, I keep the snakes out of the kitchen and if they slither on a table we eat on, that gets a quick wipe down afterwards.

The face thing is kind of up in the air. The biggest risk is the snake gets startled and bites. Before you worry too much, however, this is on a snake by snake basis. I have some snakes that I'd trust anywhere including in my face, and others I'm always watchful around. Chances are, if yours is being handled this much, kissed, etc. and hasn't bitten yet, you've probably got a relatively calm one. Just keep an eye on him and talk to your son about learning to read the snake's mood. Unlike dogs/cats, snakes don't growl or hiss when they are getting edgy. They tend to jerk more and try to get away. If he learns to read his snake, then he should be alright. Like someone else mentioned though, I wouldn't encourage licking the snake. Granted, I've had some of mine in my mouth (don't ask why...) but it's not a practice I'd recommend. As for kisses, I'm pretty sure that Ceti, one of my girls, thinks I'm crazy because I insist on kissing her on the head. If your keeping the enclosure and the snake clean, this poses minimal risk.

I've been dealing with snakes for over 10 years and have only seen one case of salmonella from a reptile. The owner didn't keep the cage clean and got sick as a result. To this day, I'm still convinced if he had kept the environment clean, there wouldn't have been an issue. Pork on the other hand.... ;)

Thank you, everyone!
that's all very helpful - now I know what I need to look for/worry about.
She's so awesome, I dont think my son (or me for that matter) can stop kissing her, but we'll wash up before and after, and make super sure to keep her tank clean.