Then the old skin can be gently peeled off. Snakes can suffer from many ailments - mites and ticks on the skin, worms in the gut, and protozoa, bacteria, or viruses attacking the mouth, skin, and internal organs. Even cancer has been found. New specimens should be quarantined for at least two weeks so that they can be checked for parasites and disease. If the owner is not equipped to treat any diseases that occur, the snake should be taken to a veterinarian who is experienced in treating reptiles.
Ticks are arthropods an eighth of an inch long or more that suck blood and carry disease.
They can be gently pulled off with forceps and dropped in a vial of alcohol. Try to avoid leaving the head in the snake's skin. Mites are pinhead-sized, blood sucking arthropods closely related to ticks. The common snake mite almost always arrives on a snake from a pet store or other infested location. They are seldom found on freshly caught snakes.