I have soaked snakes in an iodine solution (that was about the color of weak iced tea) per the recommendation from a fellow herper to help when I had a mite outbreak on a couple of my snakes. Was told it helped to kill the mites on the snake, as well as helping to heal the bites. Perhaps he/she was put in iodine for the same reason - to remove parasites? The solution I used did not stain my snakes though, as one of them was my albino boa and he stayed the same pinkish/yellow color.