Snake found with massive tick on tip of its nose in Florida Everglades, video shows
Snakes eat ticks, but the notorious blood-suckers occasionally get the upper hand in Florida’s Everglades and the results can be sickening.
An example was posted Aug. 30 on Facebook, showing a snake with a swollen tick the size of an olive dangling from its nose.
It was one of nearly 10 ticks feeding on the snake’s face, including one dangling from its lower lip.
“Today, we encountered a mudsnake covered in massive ticks,” wildlife trapper Mike Kimmel wrote in his Facebook post. “It’s a stark reminder of the challenges wildlife faces in the wild.”
Click here to see his video, which contains strong language.
Kimmel, known as “the Python Cowboy,” was out with a group hunting invasive pythons when they found the mudsnake.
It’s the second time in a month Kimmel posted video of an Everglades snake being preyed on by disease-carrying ticks.
On Aug. 1, one of his hunting parties spotted an invasive Burmese python on a nest of eggs, and it had more than 100 ticks on it, according to a Facebook video. The snake, which was euthanized, was weak due to being heavily preyed on, Kimmel said.
The hunters decided to help the mudsnake rid itself of the ticks, the video shows. One man held it, while Kimmel plucked nine ticks from its face.
The snake recoiled with each pluck, some of which caused bleeding.
“Ticks can cause a lot of harm to snakes and other animals, leading to infections and even impacting their health,” Kimmel wrote.
Red-bellied mudsnakes are non-venomous and can reach about 54 inches (4.5 feet) in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They are docile and don’t bite, but “may release foul-smelling musk” to avoid harassment, the state says.
Kimmel’s video has been viewed thousands of times and gotten hundreds of reactions, including suggestions Kimmel add tweezers to his hunting gear.
“I’m surprised the ticks stay on them right on the front of its snout,” Kevin Gemlich wrote on Facebook.
“Grooooossss,” Anthony Mango posted.
This story was originally published September 3, 2024 at 7:24 AM with the headline "Snake found with massive tick on tip of its nose in Florida Everglades, video shows."