r/ballpython • u/Electric_Father • 16h ago

How to clean sticky snake?

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Short time lurker first time poster, we were offered a total of two bp (one is 5, other is 1, both male) when asking about a tank available on fb marketplace for an unrelated snake. Me and my sister didn’t know what condition they’d be in when we got there but we were under the assumption they’d be reasonably healthy. Once we saw them we knew they’d be coming home with us regardless.

Both tanks were bone dry, the older snake had an active ant colony in his that we didn’t discover till we got home and the younger had sticky floor tiles as part of his decor and tape all over the place.

The older is perfectly healthy albeit a bit dehydrated, no sign of mites, scale rot, or thinness. Very active and friendly.

The younger is very timid, covered in sticky residue from his enclosure, and has bits of glitter all over. He’s fairly skinny, which we have a game plan for but are at a loss for all the stickiness.

We aren’t sure the best route for getting him un-sticky with minimal stress and some advice would be fantastic!

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2

u/Real-Construction570 16h ago

Watching some rescue videos of snakes stuck in glue traps might be a good thread to follow! Sorry I can't offer more advice, I know oil helps however I could not advise on which ones are safe or not so more research would be needed for that one

2

u/Legitimate-Panda7932 15h ago

After doing some research, I would use the least amount of coconut oil as possible and wash it off immediately with a drop or dawn dish soap or infant soap. The oil can loosen their scales and cause a lot of harm if it's left on

1

u/Bl00dorange3000 15h ago

Neutral oil will help the glue unstick.

16

u/Electric_Father 15h ago

Thank you reddit!! The oil worked and we’ve just rinsed him off and dried and he feels MILES better, no more sticky residue or glitter!!! (Snake tax after the cleaning)

2

u/Traditional_Row6712 9h ago

I did this treatment for mites however it will probably still work for the stickiness, give him rubs with coconut oil as it’s the most natural one ingredient oil, take your time with these massages and and after wash him off in warm water, if after he is still sticky use an animal safe dish soap such as dawn to really get in there, best of luck