Lost baby snake

Hi guys...

I tried asking for help at a different forum first and got a rather unfriendly response. I already feel terrible about this and have been a wreck the last 3 days. I know it's my fault :(

My baby albino Nelson's escaped from his RUB on the night of the 20th. I KNEW that lid was too loose, I should have clipped it down as I've seen other people do, but I just thought, he's so small, there's no way he could get through a tiny, tiny clearance. I was wrong. Sigh... It was on feeding day too so my idea is he was hungry, he is always more active on feeding day.

I know snakes are notorious escape artists and many people have had a snake escape and found them unharmed. However, he is just a baby. He only weighs 15 grams. My apartment is full of book cases, shelves, dressers, knicknacks, a million places for a baby snake to hide. When I realized he was gone my fiance and I turned the whole place upside down, I was up until 5am searching for him, but no luck. I've checked under and behind all the dressers, inside books and things, under the fridge and oven, in the closet, etc. I have since laid flour around some traps, I left some pinkie mice around and put his tank on the floor. I've heard some people find their snake weeks later so I haven't lost hope yet. He's just so small!!! He could be anywhere. Stupid me...

If anyone else has had success please give me some advice. I feel horrible. This is my FIRST snake. I picked him out personally from dozens and dozens of breeders and choices, I picked him, I love him and miss him a lot and I hope I can find him :( He is very sweet and shy and I would hate to lose him. I've had many pets in my life and never lost one before. I'm gutted.

Here's a photo of him just for luck. His name is Spooky.
http://oi68.tinypic.com/2ch0qj9.jpg

At that size he's going to be able to hide in some incredibly tiny spaces, as well as access some escape routes that wouldn't be possible for larger serpents. Your best bet, besides getting lucky, is trapping. Funnel traps - like the ones used for minnows - work really well on snakes. Little tupperware containers, with a hole cut just large enough for him to enter and baited with a rodent that would leave a fair sized lump that would prevent him from exiting once he's fed, can also work. Placement of traps is important. Your walls basically act as drift fences so movement by your escapee will tend to follow those routes - drops traps appropriately and hope for the best. Replace bait daily or things will get stinky fast. Good luck!

I wish i had some ideas for you, but it sounds like you are doing all you can, i just wanted to send you some good-luck vibes and hope for a happy outcome. :gj: :snake:

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you find your baby soon. Have you tried checking under cabinets? I'm not sure what yours look like, but some have open spaces that a snake might like to crawl up into. Are there any vents your snake might be able to reach? You might also try placing flour or sand or anything along those lines down on the ground over night and see if there are any tracks through it to let you know which direction your snake might be headed. Best of luck :)

Sorry, disregard the flour part. I missed that in your original post.

My precious little Leucistic Texas Rat snake just turned up after going walkabout two weeks ago !!!

For some bizarre reason after feeding him about a fortnight ago I forgot to close his Viv door ( swing open one ) !!!

I went past a few hours later and noticed the door was ajar, I then looked in every nook and cranny about ten times as I couldn't believe he'd had the cheek to slither away to freedom !!!


Anyways I put a little plastic faunarium on its side ( the lid door slightly open of course ) - on the snake room floor , in the corner and placed a tiny little heatmat underneath it.

I also put a little bowl of water in as well . For the first three nights I put a df pinky mouse in to try and entice the snake back ...


Anyways two weeks later I checked early evening and it was curled up in the faunarium over the heatmat !!


So happy !!!

It's the first and only snake I've ever lost !!





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zincubus

My precious little Leucistic Texas Rat snake just turned up after going walkabout two weeks ago !!!

For some bizarre reason after feeding him about a fortnight ago I forgot to close his Viv door ( swing open one ) !!!

I went past a few hours later and noticed the door was ajar, I then looked in every nook and cranny about ten times as I couldn't believe he'd had the cheek to slither away to freedom !!!


Anyways I put a little plastic faunarium on its side ( the lid door slightly open of course ) - on the snake room floor , in the corner and placed a tiny little heatmat underneath it.

I also put a little bowl of water in as well . For the first three nights I put a df pinky mouse in to try and entice the snake back ...


Anyways two weeks later I checked early evening and it was curled up in the faunarium over the heatmat !!


So happy !!!

It's the first and only snake I've ever lost !!

---

what a relief!!! 😀
we all make mistakes, but if we don't learn from them that's where we fail. this one is a tough lesson (one i have gone through myself) but i feel it's a mistake we hopefully make only once.

That's awesome that he has returned. I hope he like his vacation! Or should I say holiday?