So I was having a crisis earlier last week, mites on our Maui. The situation is in hand, so I thought I should actually introduce myself. I am technically the snake grandma…it(not sexed) was an impulse buy to some extent by my 15 yo daughter. I am not a newbie herp handler, but it’s been about 10 years since we last had a reptile. My older kids had a menagerie…we have had several beardies, anoles, an unfortunate fosted leopard gecko, and kings, corns, garters, and pythons. We currently have one fat cat, one neurotic cat, a weird hound, and a 18 yo+ rescue fish…and a new mite infested baby ball python. I say he was an impulse buy because I wasn’t consulted…but she works next to the pet store and had been “visiting” for two months while she paid him off. No clue on genetics. They listed him as a fancy morph(?) He appears regular to me except the odd tail. Anyway…happy to find a community of people that are not Reddit or FB! I don’t have great photos, but here’s Maui!
It is looking like a super pastel to me. @armiyana can probably confirm/correct that lol. A lot of the time, pet stores are required to keep feeding charts and that is usually the id they came with. So if you are lucky, you may be able to find out the sex/morph but I wouldn’t get your hopes up about that.
What type of fish do you have? I am assuming a koi or goldfish?
Anyway welcome! Does your daughter plan on joining us here? Sounds like she a bit of learning when it comes to acquiring animals . He is a lucky snake for ending up in such a good home!
The store kept feeding records. The kids… " including managers" are not super comfortable with the snakes. I think that’s probably how the mites were missed. I think my daughter is the “reptile enrichment” at the store. It’s a box store that just opened last summer. Seeing as we had no other reptiles, and I sanitized everything before we used it…there is no other option for the mites. We are happy to have a new kid in the house!
That isn’t a phrase I am used to hearing lol. I think my parents would kill me if I got another reptile or animal in general. It has been almost a year since I have even heard a not so pleased “fine” . Can’t wait to watch you build a reptile army. It always starts with one.
The photos make this little one look a little too dark, but it could be a muddy colored super pastel. The thing that really catches my eye is the paradoxing at the tail. So could be something else going on here too.
That’s a really neat little guy though! Hopefully you can get the mites resolved quickly.
I would personally recommend finding a good reptile vet in the area if you aren’t too familiar with treatments and such. Otherwise there’s plenty of threads here on the topic too
I am not seeing super Pastel. Paste maybe. Do to the color/lighting of the hide and paper towels, the head and body are not washed out, just a light brown. But that tail, does look like paradoxing, and definitely adifferent pattern. But i cant put my finger on it.
His colors are a little off because he needs to shed, and he had a betadine bath on Sunday. I will get better pictures once he’s shed and feeling better!
And for everyone who asked, we have a reptile specialist vet who gave me the information on the baths and mote control. She is taking a slow process with him because he is so tiny. Very dilute ivermectin wash day 1, betadine day three and all other days just a Dawn and warm water soak. Yesterday we found one dead mite on the towels and nothing in his soak. He is in a temporary tank with the toweling and hide. Waiting a full month to set up his bigger space to be absolutely sure we have the mites gone. His tail is very cool! Happy to be here with other folks who are so supportive.
We won’t be starting an army…been there, done that! Maui is my daughter’s and he is going to live with his uncle when she leaves for college…unless they allow “emotional support snakes” in the dorms in Minnesota We are downsizing to an RV when she leaves. He can definitely visit and have weekends at grandma’s when we are home!
. He is a lucky snake for ending up in such a good home!
. Can’t wait to watch you build a reptile army. It always starts with one.
We are downsizing to an RV when she leaves. He can definitely visit and have weekends at grandma’s when we are home!