Meeting Abstract

P3.112  Jan. 6  Ontogenetic Decline of Salmonella in Captive Bred Corn (Elaphe guttata) and Captive Bred Milk Snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum) CAVATAIO, A.*; TURNER, A.R.; ZALISKO, E.J.; REID, D.L.; Blackburn College, Carlinville, Illinois; Blackburn College, Carlinville, Illinois; Blackburn College, Carlinville, Illinois; Blackburn College, Carlinville, Illinois ncava@blackburn.edu

Captive bred colonies of juvenile and adult Pueblan Milk Snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum) and juvenile and adult Corn Snakes (Elaphe guttata) were tested for the presence of Salmonella bacteria on the ventral mid-length of the body and cloacal regions. Results revealed an ontogenic decline in the percentage of snakes testing positive for Salmonella species. Feeding juvenile corn snakes and feeding juvenile milk snakes less than one year old were repeatedly tested for Salmonella species every 60 +/-1 days for a total period of 240 days. The percentage of corn snakes (N = 13) testing positive declined from 69% to 11% at the end of the 240-day testing period. The percentage of milk snakes (N = 2) testing positive declined from 50% to 0% at the end of the 240-day testing period. A low occurrence of Salmonella species in older snakes was also found in additional adult corn snakes (N = 11; 18% positive) and additional adult milk snakes (N = 7; 0% positive) maintained under similar conditions in our Blackburn College colony. All animals studied were maintained separately on a pine chip substrate changed weekly or more frequently whenever feces were detected. Animals were fed appropriately sized mice or juvenile rats. All positive tests resulted from swabs of the cloacal region. All swabs of the ventral mid-length of the body were negative. All positive tests for Salmonella species were verified by API20 E test strips.