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Bad Guy Feenix Reptiles

B

BlueCrowned

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Springfield, Oregon
On April 1st I went to the PACNWRS reptile show in Hillsboro, Oregon. I purchased an albino Boa constrictor from Feenix Reptiles. The type of albino was not labelled. The animal was up for $200 but I was offered $180. She stayed in the hotel room overnight and we drove back to Springfield the next day. That night I took a photo of her soaking and sent it to my friend who is an experienced breeder. She suggested that my snake may have mites and sure enough she absolutely did--tons of them! I initially gave the breeder the benefit of the doubt but after talking with my friend about the situation I came to the conclusion that she couldn't be so infested without already having had them when I purchased her. Prior to this I had one snake who was and remains mite free. I messaged the breeder and he told me none of his other animals had mites and that was that. I can get screenshots of the conversation if requested (it's difficult because I don't use fb and downloaded and subsequently deleted it just to talk with him). Photos of the affected snake follow. I can attach further photos tomorrow.

Possibly Relevant info: I am new to snakes and mentioned this to the breeder. At the time I wouldn't know what to look for on a snake that wasn't plainly infested like she is now. I hesitated about buying and that's when he marked her down. I also replied to a post about her on his Facebook letting him know about the mites and he deleted it. I was unable to find any reviews regarding Feenix Reptiles.
 

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That sure looks like mite bites to me.

Screenshots of the conversation would be helpful to prove your side. Have you notified Feenix Reptiles of this thread being made?
 
Now that I'm on a computer, yeah, those are definitely mites. Unfortunate! Hope you manage to kick 'em quickly.

I notified Feenix Reptiles of this thread so that they can come and provide their side of the story. I would encourage you to share your side as well as what resolution you'd like.
 
Congrats on getting back into the hobby! Sorry to hear about the mites. That really sucks. They are not that hard to get rid of especially if you know how to deal with them. Maybe next time use a little due diligence when purchasing any animal. Hopefully, the snake eats right for you and is not blowing bubbles here in a day or two.
 
Um.. I'm not really sure what you mean? I'm brand new to reptiles and I've had my first snake for two or three months. I didn't know what to look for in the first place because I'm new. Not coming back, literally new.
 
We are sorry for your experience, but none of our animals are exhibiting any signs of mites. We reviewed all of our animals when you first made posts on our business page about your animal having mites. You made a point in our private messages to one another, that carrying around your snake for two days at a reptile show, openly letting people touch her, that she might have picked up mites from any of the tables you visited. We offered you a 20$ discount, because you seemed to really like the animal and she was from 2015 and we have a breeding season going and need space. We maintain our animals at a high standard and take these issues seriously. we love our animals. I do have the screen shots, but they show us being sympathetic and offering help. We deleted your open post and we private messaged you right away, I feel we have acted in good faith and are still here to help if you have any questions.
 
As for a resolution, I really just want him to own up, treat his animals and let the people who bought snakes from him recently know they need to treat theirs if they haven't started. Some small compensation to help cover the cost of the supplies I've had to buy would be nice but not necessary.
 
I only carried her the first day, and you were sympathetic but it seems unlikely that she would have such a heavy mite load the day I got her home.
 
I made my comments out of ignorance regarding mites but after speaking with other knowledgeable reptile people I have a better idea of what Likely happened. She did not get these mites at the show.
 
You came by our table both days openly carrying her. So you think the snake somehow hid the mites, from everyone at the show that reviewed her, boa experts included, and suddenly had them? If you noticed them the first night or your friend had concerns, since you were at the show the next day stopping by our table numerous times, did you not mention it then??
 
I meant the first night when I got her home. So Sunday evening. And I did NOT have her the second day. She was in the car while I picked up a few supplies I had missed. You are way over exaggerating my carelessness at the show.
 
BlueCrowned said:
It would be impossible to tell in a pic like that between the angle, poor lighting and photo quality.
Click to expand...

Sorry you had mites, but the above isn't true. Black specks show up really well on an albino snake, even if lighting isn't great...it doesn't really seem like there's anything concrete about where these mites originated from...
 
BlueCrowned said:
Um.. I'm not really sure what you mean? I'm brand new to reptiles and I've had my first snake for two or three months. I didn't know what to look for in the first place because I'm new. Not coming back, literally new.
Click to expand...

Sorry, i mis read your original post. Not that that changes anything. After seeing pictures of Feenix Reptiles snakes on his FB page, I highly doubt the mites came from him. All of his animals look well maintained, and mite free from the pics I saw. More than likely you handling other snakes with mites at the show is where you got them.
 
Andy_G said:
Sorry you had mites, but the above isn't true. Black specks show up really well on an albino snake, even if lighting isn't great...it doesn't really seem like there's anything concrete about where these mites originated from...
Click to expand...
Adult mites are quite visible but the protonymphs are barely bigger than eggs, are orange/red color, and stay under the scales for several days while they take a blood meal. They are not easily seen even on albino snakes due to their size, they can blend in with the pinkish patterning, and they're hard to remove or kill with products like Reptile Spray because they stay deep under the scales.

Also if the OP had picked up a random female mite hitchhiker at one of the other tables at the expo, which is always a risk even if you don't bring home a new critter, then a full-blown infestation wouldn't show up for 6-8 weeks. Since this snake was soaking and adult mites were found a day later it's more likely they were present when the snake was purchased.

OP I'm sorry you're going through this but dealing with mites is unfortunately something that every new keeper learns about the hard way. It seems to be a rite of passage in the hobby.

I would also suggest taking someone experienced with you if you attend another expo.
 
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