Burmese python rescue help.

:O I would nix the veggie oil. I can't imagine it would change from BPs to Burms, and I know oil of any kind is not good to use on them. Hopefully a keeper with Burm exp will offer thoughts on dealing with the mites.

Yeah hopefully more will come. This particular clinic didn't seem necessarily "involved" with reptiles if you know what i mean. They were really nice and particularly "attractive" women if you will, i feel like that kind of spaced me out from asking questions that i should have been asking. Either way i would really enjoy some more input from the forums because they didn't seem like they knew what they were doing when it came to snakes anyways. They literally said to me "We don't get many of these here" not sure if they were meaning the fact that it was a burm or the fact that it was a snake. Either way obviously under-educated. Hoping for more information.

Do not put vegetable or mineral oil on your snake. Yes, it will suffocate the mites but it also softens your snake's scales so they slough off.

Provent-A-Mite is effective but with a big snake like a burmese python you could need several cans, which can get pricey. You can make an effective mite spray using NIX or RID head lice treatment - look for the 2 oz bottle where the active ingredient is 1% permethrin.

Mix the NIX/RID with a gallon of warm water, pour some into a spray bottle, and spray your snake's enclosure and paper bedding substrate. DON'T SPRAY THE WATER BOWL. Once everything dries you can put the snake back in. Some people spray their snakes with the solution but I never have. You can also pre-treat paper and let it dry so you can just replace soiled paper with treated paper when the snake makes a mess.

If you want to give your snake some instant relief then a lukewarm bath (about 85*F) with a drop or two of dish soap to decrease the water's surface tension will drown the mites on the snake.

The oil is controversial. Some experienced keepers recommend it. Shaw, of HLH Reptiles has a video where he describes how to use oil to treat a snake for mites I have contacted him before with questions.


In addition to spraying the enclosure, P. 82, of The Complete Boa Constrictor, by Vincent Russo suggests the following:

Soak animal in a shallow tub of warm water. Tub should have a tight lid.
During soak, spray top of snake with a solution of Nix - this is a commercial lice treatment for people. (again, this is a boa book, so it is possible the Burms have special sensitivities, but I haven't come across any such info. - there have been other threads on mites on BP.) Soak snake for one hour, and repeat one week later. This should kill all mice and eggs.

IIRC, The Barkers at VPI have a good paper on mites on their site. Somewhat academic, but good reading, and useful for the larger picture.

I suspect the vets want the burm on white paper toweles so you can detect any other possible problems (indicated by body fluids), and so you can see better any lingering mites after treatments.

Edit timed out. Obviously, should read:
"This should kill all mites and eggs."

WOW!!!!!! Thanks bcr229 and distaff!!!!! Thats the best information ive heard since acquiring this animal! Thank you for all the help and info!!!!!

I'm going to chime in here, but feel free to disregard and go with others recommendations. Prevent a mite works, but I much rather use Natural Chemistry mite spray. It is a completely non toxic formula that you can spray directly onto the snake and its enclosure. Especially with a snake that has an RI, you have to be very careful about what the snake is inhaling. In the midst of an infection the pulmonary epithelium is irritated and inflamed as is.

As a toxicologist I much prefer the natural chemistry option. It massacres mites just as well as provent a mite.

Getting the measurements tomorrow for an 18 foot L shape vivarium for this amazing animal. Had him out for the first time today (i've found hes actually a really sweet guy, just a little cage aggressive). I've also been calling around to find rabbit breeders near me, and with close to no luck at all the battle continues. I was looking at All of the ways you all have so generously commented about getting rid of mites and have decided that i am going to do all of them through the course of time of course(except vegetable oil, boy that would've been a disaster if i would've followed through with what the vets told me). Also i STILL have reason to believe he has an RI as i can hear him breathing. A second vet visit will be as soon as i get the 80$ to take him for a professional wellness checkup as the closest high quality, reptile knowledgeable establishment is almost 4 hours away from me. I WILL WIN THIS BATTLE FOR THIS ANIMAL TO BE A HEALTHY HAPPY SNAKE IF ITS THE LAST THING I DO!!!!!! :love::love::love:

Thought. Again, applying my BP exp here. But when my girl is out in too low humidity sometimes she starts to whistle for a little while. It might be too soon for this question but... How's your humidity looking?

I don't know what the cost is to purchase f/t rabbits from the major suppliers. I will say, if you are looking locally, that rabbit breeders are everywhere, they just frequently keep a low profile. I'm in NM. I have eight lovely rabbits to butcher this week, and would happily hand a bunny off to a needy burm, but I'm sure you can find someone much closer.

The typical stuff, like asking around, Craig's List, etc... We are in state fair season, So local breeders will be showing and selling their rabbits there. California Fryers, New Zealand Whites, and Florida Whites are standard "meat" type rabbits. All rabbits are edible, but the breeders of the meat types will have the most practical mentality about the usual end of a rabbit's life.