Well to break the story down to a simple and less reading material. here the blunt of it and proof even the experience keepers can and do screw up.
We Purchased a fire pewter ball python from a friend, ( the only egg from the clutch) firefly x cinny. Well we had him less than a month. When my wife told me to watch him as she ran downstairs to get paper towels to clean his tub. Well as a result ( we both forgotten I was doing Farmville and looking for wok via craigslist. She came up saying she got the paper towels ( I figured she got Lucky as well) she went into the other room and proceed to clean the other snakes ( she forgot were she started as Lucky was still in QT( which is in the office ) So we both lost track. Well I go and check tubs 5 days later and asked my wife if she took him to work cause he was not in the tub. She says no and we both start to panic some. ( I have stripped the house 3+ times looking for him figuring he hiding in the house ( even went into crawl space. cause we found an opening in the floor that led straight down. I even purchased an endoscope to look inside the wall for him with no luck) So fast forward to this evening I coming home from helping my friend as I do every week( I clean his rodent tubs and helping him with what I can and to get our feeders. I pull up into the driveway and checked the mail, put trash can back and go to open front door and toss the mail in so I got both hands free for rodent transport cages. Well as I walk in front of the truck I see this thing on the ground ( figuring some kids left trash in the yard again) then realize here was our snake Lucky, I snatched him up ( bending over and end up smacking my head on the door as I lost my balance) to take him into the house. Then I proceed to put him into his tub ( and put lid must be taped down on it and tape the lid down (this way we know when he gotten him out ). I call my wife at work ( like I promised I would once he was found ( not caring what her boss would say plus as I was told too)

Well the short of it is even after 3-4 weeks a ball python can be found. This guy has lived up to his name several times. He survived almost 4 weeks on his own ( he just clearing 2 months old) , he was a week with almost freezing temps( at night ), who know how many rodents, and other wild life he encountered, and I just happen to pull up and find him with I did. I guessing an hour later he be dead cause after I calmed down made my calls and fell down the steps. I went to get the rodents(I had forgotten in the truck in my excitement) and seen 3 kids and a cat in the front yard. If I came home earlier I would of missed him coming from his hiding place into the front yard. ( I am betting he been l this time between the siding and the house walls. and todays warmer temps made him hungry and went searching for food) He now on a 30 day QT to make sure no RI and and I purchasing a proper 32 quart tub for the rack he in so he has no more chances for trips. Plus if I am asked to watch a snake again it must be placed into my hands .I Hope this gives anyone that got a missing snake hope when they read this.