INFECTIONS IN AN EASTERN RATSNAKE () AND A TIMBER RATTLESNAKE ().

INFECTIONS IN AN EASTERN RATSNAKE () AND A TIMBER RATTLESNAKE ().

This report describes infections in colubrid and viperid snakes. A captive eastern ratsnake () was presented for a large intraoral mass associated with the mandible. The mass was debulked and histologic examination revealed severe, granulomatous stomatitis with intralesional fungi exhibiting morphologic features consistent with . PCR and sequencing of affected tissues confirmed . Because of declining health, the ratsnake was euthanized and postmortem examination identified a disseminated infection involving the skeletal musculature, lung, kidney, mesentery, and mandible. A wild-caught timber rattlesnake (s) was presented for cutaneous lesions, weakness, and lethargy and later died. Postmortem examination revealed a mass-like structure in the esophagus characterized by high numbers of -like fungi associated with extensive granulomatous inflammation; the snake also had cutaneous mycosis suggestive of ophidiomycosis. This is the first report to document the unique morphologic features of in tissues and the presentation of schizangiellosis in snakes. Schizangiellosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for nodular lesions involving the oral cavity and/or the gastrointestinal tract of snakes.