Found my escapee! Just can't reach her. She's under the hot water heater.

My pup found my missing ball python this morning. She is curled up under the hot water heater. I sealed off the utility closet to keep her in there. I also put down a bowl of water.

Any ideas to coax her out?

Food...

Can you push her out the other end with a broom handle or something? If she's not holding on to anything you should just be able to shove her close enough to the edge so you can grab her. If she is holding onto something. . .yeah, put a warmed (or live) rodent nearby so she has to come out to find it.

Seconded food


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Hook her out with a coat hanger. If your hot water heater is like mine, she could get pretty burned on it.

Yeah if it's how most tanks are I'd turn it off and push/hook her out or wait with food out of reach so she has to get out to get it.

I did shut the heater down and drain the heated water upon her discovery. I figured removing the warm would entice her to find new digs.

Physically prying her out isn't an option as the tank sits in a metal pan so there is no side access to push her out and not enough clearance for me to be able to get my hands around her. No luck in maneuvering a coathanfer turned snake hook in on her. She found herself a right old fortress.

The utility closet also houses my hvac system. So I've turned my main house ac off as well. I took duct tape and sealed off all the nooks and crannies that would allow her into my duct work or the crawl space.

I have some live ASFs... she's never fed on one before but it's the only rodent currently available. Do you think that would be enticing or should i go buy a rat which is what she normally eats? I'lll try a cardboard box with a critter keeper and live rodent inside at the opposite end of the closet.

Otherwise my option is poke her until she gets annoyed lol

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Originally Posted by voodoolamb

I did shut the heater down and drain the heated water upon her discovery. I figured removing the warm would entice her to find new digs.

Physically prying her out isn't an option as the tank sits in a metal pan so there is no side access to push her out and not enough clearance for me to be able to get my hands around her. No luck in maneuvering a coathanfer turned snake hook in on her. She found herself a right old fortress.

The utility closet also houses my hvac system. So I've turned my main house ac off as well. I took duct tape and sealed off all the nooks and crannies that would allow her into my duct work or the crawl space.

I have some live ASFs... she's never fed on one before but it's the only rodent currently available. Do you think that would be enticing or should i go buy a rat which is what she normally eats? I'lll try a cardboard box with a critter keeper and live rodent inside at the opposite end of the closet.

Otherwise my option is poke her until she gets annoyed lol

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If she's used to rats I would go and get a rat more likely to entice her to come out.

Ack. ALMOST had her. I grabbed ger neck but she puffed up and could not be slid out. If only she wasn't so chunky!!!

Bright side is I have gotten a good look of most of her body via my video cam and she looks to need in pretty good shape. No injuries.

I have a bit of a kooky idea I'm going to try tonight. Wish me luck

Good luck! When they puff up they can wedge themselves tight!