Infectious dermatitis in a ball python (Python regius) colony

Seven wild-caught ball pythons (Python regius), including six gravid female s and one male, were obtained from Africa and were housed in a government a nimal facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Upon arrival, the snakes were found to be infested with ticks (Aponomma latus), which were m anually removed. Four weeks following arrival, vesicular skin lesions began to appear on the snakes. Despite treatment of all affected female snakes w ith amikacin (5 mg/kg i.m., every 3 days) and cefotaxime (25 mg/kg i.m., ev ery 3 days), the condition progressed and five of the female snakes died 7 wk after arrival. The remaining male and one female improved after an incre ase in environmental temperature, with ecdysis followed by healing. Physiol ogic stress, ectoparasites, and shipping may have predisposed the snakes to sepsis.