What a mess!

[pythrulz]

Great work massive ticks nice looking python too

 

[snakeluvver]

Omg I though they were stones or something

 

[souldoubt]

Why can snakes deal with so many tics?
Is it only pythons? Or can colubrids, elapids, file snakes and blind snakes withstand them as well?
Would that have eventually succumbed to the tics or just soldiered on till the next shed?
Anyone?
Links?
Papers?

Since the paralysis tick is native here most native wildlife have an acquired resistance to the tick toxin. It's unlikely for native wildlife to succumb to paralysis ticks however if the burden is large enough they could become anaemic. I guess some native species could possibly be affected by the toxin but a small burden shouldn't typically affect them.

Bandicoots will often carry a lot of paralysis ticks on them and we have found it to be a problem when you breed bandicoots in captivity and release them - when bred in captivity it takes a certain timeframe for them to adjust so they are treated with an acaricide before being released.

You should be able to find heaps of papers on it, there is probably even stuff on some government websites but I am also interested as to whether a tick burden would cause problems for a snakes shedding

 

[Helikaon]

they arent paralysis ticks

 

[souldoubt]

they arent paralysis ticks

they look like paralysis ticks to me, I'd need to see the legs and mouthparts to say for certain though so could be wrong

 

[Helikaon]

unless southern ixodes are different to qld ones they arent paralysis. they will be bushies. yes you would need to see leg postion, anal groove and mouth parts to be absolutely sure the body shape is all bushie, which is very common on wlid reptiles

 

[AM Pythons]

great job farma..

 

[souldoubt]

On the 4th photo down it looks like a crater, I didn't realise bush ticks left craters which was part of my basis for leaning towards paralysis tick....but then again I havent removed a bush tick.
Farma you pulled it off is it a bush tick or a paralysis tick? and for the record do bush ticks leave craters?

 

[reptilife]

good points also would it be able to shed? i ask this as the ticks would be between scales

I recently came across a Blotched Bluetongue with a similar tick infestation to this python. We removed around 40 of them including between 4 & 5 large ticks from within the ear cavities.
This old girl was in shocking condition.... had obviously failed to shed properly for a looooong time.
Once the ticks were removed, we used a sloughing spray twice daily for a few days as well as warm baths.
She eventually shed cleanly, put on weight and was released back into the reserve.
I too, wonder how long these snakes/lizards can soldier on while so heavily infested with these parasites.

 

[edstar]

Wow. Great job getting rid of them all!!

 

[battla]

Holy crap!

Nice work on removing them and what a great looking snake

 

[Gusbus]

i thought the md i found was bad, ******s all over it, did u soak it to kill any eggs

 

[snowsnake]

i dont know if its just me....but i cant look at the pics, that is really digusting !!

 

[shellfisch]

i dont know if its just me....but i cant look at the pics, that is really digusting !!

Nope, its not just you

 

[MatE]

Good work there Farma,you say you found him near a colony of bats.Dont bats carry alot of ticks?They look like cattle ticks?

 

[sarah_m]

WOW! I never realised how white my knees are
I need to get some sun on them things

Never mind your knees, your feet are positively pastey!
Good job on the snake tho.

 

[Norm]

Nice snake too! I really like the colour and pattern.

 

[Guest]

Never mind your knees, your feet are positively pastey!
Good job on the snake tho.

its shocking what a job can do to you
those glow worms (I mean toes) havent seen the light of day in 7yrs

the ticks aren't the paralysis tick Ixodes holocyus, I couldn't tell you what species they are though
I have them in a jar still, If you like I could post them to you

 

[Min.Min]

Why is it that they cluster mostly around the head??

 

[lizardman59]

good rescue farma poor thing