I've read a few posts lately about panicky owners searching for their ball pythons, I just wanted to make a short list of things to remember in cause your buddy gets to it.

1. Look in places that give off heat.
-although ball pythons like tight, Secure feeling places, look in places that actually give off heat. Clothes don't give off heat. Neither do blankets. They reflect your body heat off of you, back to you. Snakes don't have body heat to give off, so you need to look near heaters, including water heaters, heat lamps, microwaves, computers, fridges, etc.

2. Look in tight places.
-as I said before, ball pythons like to feel secure. After looking near heat sources, look in places you couldn't imagine your Ball python fitting. They will find a way into that tight spot.

3. Look within 5-8 feet of their enclosure, then move further out.
- Depending on how long they've been missing, they may have not gotten far. Even if they've been out for a while, there is a chance they're still in your home.

4. If all else fails, set a "trap".
- this one may require you to stay up overnight. Place out a heat lamp (10-12 inches off the floor) , and a defrosted f/t rat on a paper plate. This may make your house stink like rats, but what a price is that to have your snake back?

5. If you have a hardwood or laminate floor, sprinkle flour.
-this one is a little messy, but has worked wonders. Sprinkle flour out on your floor( I get a little crazy with it and sprinkle a thin layer all over the floor through my entire house).

6. This is the most important thing - don't give up hope!
- it's not as easy to find a snake as it is to find a lost cat or dog. Unless you live in a herp friendly neighborhood, it will likely be a bad idea to post up "lost snake" posters all over town. I make it known that I own a snake, so that my neighbors know if they find one, to come to me, and not kill it or call animal control.

7. After you locate your friend, locate the problem.
- find out how he got out. If you left the tank open, make sure it's closed and secure when you leave the room. Not sure how? Post to the forum and someone will have suggestions for you.

If you recently lost a ball python (or found one that didn't belong to you), or have any other suggestions, please comment. There is nothing worse than the feeling of not knowing where your snake is.

happy scales.