On Reptile Mites

is there something particular to reptile blood that mites are attracted too? i’m trying to figure out what about reptiles is so special and why they do not go after other animal groups eg: how ticks will feed on absolutely anything with a pulse

additionally: I’ve read that they’re most common in snakes - is there something particular about snakes that makes them more enticing than tortoises, lizards and the like?

Good question, not sure anyone can tell you the answer, but maybe they just prefer cool beverages over warm ones? ;) The way I like iced tea over coffee, any day.

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Originally Posted by YungRasputin

additionally: I’ve read that they’re most common in snakes - is there something particular about snakes that makes them more enticing than tortoises, lizards and the like?

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I think this is a "dive into the journal articles" type of question and discover something interesting whilst drinking a nice tea type of situation.

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You can summarize it in one word: specialization. A decent number of parasites tend to have a narrow field of hosts, even down to a singular species. The mites that plague the reptile hobby for example are not the same kind that I spent a year eradicating from my chickens. Lest we forget there's even mites that specifically eat other mites that some have used for reptile mite control. The ever ongoing war for organisms to find ecological niches can lead to some astonishing solutions...

Yes, chicken mites are terrible. Northern fowl mites in my area, every winter.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

You can summarize it in one word: specialization. A decent number of parasites tend to have a narrow field of hosts, even down to a singular species. The mites that plague the reptile hobby for example are not the same kind that I spent a year eradicating from my chickens. Lest we forget there's even mites that specifically eat other mites that some have used for reptile mite control. The ever ongoing war for organisms to find ecological niches can lead to some astonishing solutions...

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good point - i was hypothesizing in my head that - if pheromones is present in blood and the mites are attracted to these pheromones and use them to hunt the snakes - maybe some company could make use of that info to create a counter-stench that could act as a repellent that could be used in conjunction with mite poisons

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Originally Posted by Wanik4

I think this is a "dive into the journal articles" type of question and discover something interesting whilst drinking a nice tea type of situation.

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that’s actually why i started the thread because i was searching and searching for info but i was only able to find things that *may* be relevant but nothing that was like a direct answer

Mites torment all species as well as plants. But mites are specialized based on species, so snake mites are only interested in snakes. Rarely, lizard mites will infest snakes and vice versa, but this is not typical. But snakes don't suffer from mites any more than any other creature. You've probably heard of scabies and mange, for example, which make many animals and people really miserable. Those are caused by mites.

There are chemicals that repel bites, mainly based on essential oils derived from some plants. However, many animals including snakes also find those particular odors repellent, so that's not a useful solution for snakes.