Bad Thoughts Creeping In

So there is a reptile show coming up later in the month and I've been having bad thoughts...

I don't think I am ready for another BP right now - mine just ended his first food strike - so I have been thinking a lot about colubrids. I've always liked them, my first snake was a ribbon snake, then a corn, then an eastern blacksnake (for a short time - he ate a farmers wooden eggs from a chicken coop and needed lots of de-egging - happy return to wild later)....but anyway, there are some awesome corn morphs out there...

Sooo, if one was to find it's way home - how do I go about quarantining it? I assume separate rooms of the house, preventative mite wipe down upon arrival, fecal to vet, lots of hand washing, for like 90 days?

Any other tips?
Anyone keep multiple types of snakes - issues to be aware of?

Well, mites can easily hang on to clothes and such, so I would throw on a sweatshirt or something when handling the new addition, then take it off before you enter the other snakes' room. Good luck finding a new buddy! I love garter snakes, maybe they would be something to keep in mind?

There is a sticky thread on the quarantine process, have a look and then see what other questions you have

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So my house is only two rooms and a kitchen...Even then, the snakes would be less than 40 feet apart - no doors in between...most recommendations are to keep them much further apart. I am in no rush right now either, so if this set up is too risky, there is no reason I can't wait until I'm in a bigger place :)

(this is why research comes first)

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Originally Posted by Crowfingers

So my house is only two rooms and a kitchen...Even then, the snakes would be less than 40 feet apart - no doors in between...most recommendations are to keep them much further apart. I am in no rush right now either, so if this set up is too risky, there is no reason I can't wait until I'm in a bigger place :)

(this is why research comes first)

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Do you have a reasonably insulated shed or garage? You could set up the snake enclosure in there as long as you have proper heating and some level of temperature control.

First of all, research the sellers ! Buy from a reputable breeder. That goes a LONG way in preventing any problems.

I think if you keep them on the opposite sides of your house, you should be fine. As long as you follow some ground rules.

NEVER handle your Ball Python after you handled the new snake. If you have to do maintenance or handling, always handle the BP first, and then the new snake. If you have to go back to the BP for whatever reason, wash your hands WELL and change clothes. If the new snakes actually ends up having issues, then you will also have to shower if you have to handle your BP after having handled or performed maintenance on the the new snake.

Buy a bottle of mite spray, to have on hand. Perhaps spray around the new enclosure every 10 days, even if you never see a mite. Just so they don't "travel".
If your new snake ends up with mites, you will need to treat the snake, the enclosure AND around it and be even more strict with hand washing, clothes changing and showering in between snakes.

Btw. do a bit more research into mite sprays. I'm not 100% sure about it, but I do believe I've read somewhere that some of the smaller colubrids didn't handle the mite sprays well. Again, I'm not sure, I just remembered reading about it somewhere.

Good luck with your new addition :)

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Originally Posted by FlynnTheBP

Do you have a reasonably insulated shed or garage? You could set up the snake enclosure in there as long as you have proper heating and some level of temperature control.

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I don't, just a small studio apartment. Which is why I'm not really looking at getting one yet...but I figured it would not hurt to ask some questions and get some info from breeders and such. Should only be here for another year or so.

both our BP's came with mites and now they live under the same roof as our BRB so this has been a concern of mine and I have been reading up on it quite a bit. if you control the mites, you control the primary vector for disease. the problem is, during 4 out of the 5 life stages of mites, they are invisible to the naked eye. no matter who you get them from, it's best to assume they have mites. the aim is to interrupt the breeding and egg laying cycle. you have 4 life stages in which to halt their development. they don't like extreme heat or extreme cold, they are susceptible to dehydration and are drowned easily. keeping a new inhabitant in the simplest of enclosures seems prudent, changing out paper daily, or several times a day. using a water bath (I use tupperware with a lid for 25-30, monitoring with a heat gun to maintain temperature) is a good way to kill off the mites that are directly on the snake, cleaning the enclosure while it is soaking. if you don't see any initially, don't be fooled, they can be there in microscopic form and then appear after molting as adults, as if they have come out of nowhere. I use pesticides sparingly, for the health of the snake and because lets face it, if we over use the nuclear option, the little buggers will develop a resistance.