The most hopeless escape case *ever*

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Originally Posted by masonhall

Just hold out! I thought all hope was lost because there was a hole in the floor right next to her cage but no! We found her!


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?an3b5s

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Thank you!!!

:)

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Originally Posted by Salamander

I have all that done already and the floor looks like we had a blizzard inside.

Haven't seen so much as a tiny ruffling of the flour.

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Lost my 4.5 ft ball in my classroom. offered a huge amount of extra credit for the student that found him (i teach high school) Had 4 classes of kids searching for him for 4 days during all free time. we powdered the room but found nothing. looked EVERYWHERE I was starting to think that a kid had stolen him but there I was one day and looked across the room and he was 5 ft off the floor stretched across a shelf.

dont give up he will turn up

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Originally Posted by lizlopez

Lost my 4.5 ft ball in my classroom. offered a huge amount of extra credit for the student that found him (i teach high school) Had 4 classes of kids searching for him for 4 days during all free time. we powdered the room but found nothing. looked EVERYWHERE I was starting to think that a kid had stolen him but there I was one day and looked across the room and he was 5 ft off the floor stretched across a shelf.

dont give up he will turn up

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Do you really think my fat lazy slob can climb that well, too?

He really is a klutz at climbing.

Then again, he's great at lock picking so maybe I underestimate him.

Thanks so much for the continuing infusions of hope.

You ALL are truly a blessing to me.

Shari

I keep checking this thread to see if he's been found good luck.
Mine was lost for two weeks. I was really worried because it was winter here in Canada and it was like 60-65 in my room the whole time and also the worst part is the cold air intake vent I would stick my head in it everyday. But One night I got home at 3am sat on my bed and there he was in the corner with the just been busted look on his face.

Best of luck. :/

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Originally Posted by Kyle1989

I keep checking this thread to see if he's been found good luck.
Mine was lost for two weeks. I was really worried because it was winter here in Canada and it was like 60-65 in my room the whole time and also the worst part is the cold air intake vent I would stick my head in it everyday. But One night I got home at 3am sat on my bed and there he was in the corner with the just been busted look on his face.

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If he comes back, he is gonna be SO busted.

I'm going to ground him for life.

[after I hug the bejeebers out of him and cry a whole lot]

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Originally Posted by HeadSetJones

Best of luck. :/

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Thank you.

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Originally Posted by Salamander

Do you really think my fat lazy slob can climb that well, too?

He really is a klutz at climbing.

Then again, he's great at lock picking so maybe I underestimate him.

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I've heard of people with BP's that can climb door frames. It's easy to underestimate them. Don't for a second think that you'll have to find them down load.

Quite the opposite actually, a lot of times they can get up easier than they can get down. Their only way down tends to be falling, in which case you'll probably hear him.

Been checking in daily, looking forward to the "He's back!" announcement. Fingers crossed for you.

As everyone has said, do not give up on finding that snake. My male normal escaped from a tank twice. He was able to find out how to push up on the lid and get out. He did this twice! I finally put him a in a secure tub and have not had any escapes so far. I guess he was trying to tell me that he really didn't like being in a tank. Both times he escaped I found him in my base board heating in my bathroom, and at the exact same spot the second time too! These snakes are very crafty at escaping. You will find him, just hang in there!

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Originally Posted by Jeo123

I've heard of people with BP's that can climb door frames. It's easy to underestimate them. Don't for a second think that you'll have to find them down load.

Quite the opposite actually, a lot of times they can get up easier than they can get down. Their only way down tends to be falling, in which case you'll probably hear him.

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Ooooh boy.

That puts a whole new spin on things.

:O

The good news in your post is, that if my worst fears are true and he's fallen down into the wall somewhere, he could conceivably get back up again.

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

As everyone has said, do not give up on finding that snake. My male normal escaped from a tank twice. He was able to find out how to push up on the lid and get out. He did this twice! I finally put him a in a secure tub and have not had any escapes so far. I guess he was trying to tell me that he really didn't like being in a tank. Both times he escaped I found him in my base board heating in my bathroom, and at the exact same spot the second time too! These snakes are very crafty at escaping. You will find him, just hang in there!

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This may sound crazy [and you will pardon me because I *am* losing my mind, here] but I called a pet psychic/remote viewer guy and hie said Alice is just fine, inside furniture somewhere *not* 'very warm', he's not hungry [great..tapewormy wild mice] and is very very happy where he is.

[that little revelation infuriated me...I'm dying here and he's livin' large]

He told me not to bother ripping the furniture apart [which I did, anyway] because he's only going to come out when he's good and ready.

He also told me to not seal up the holes I've found because he's using them to come and go as he pleases.

He said the mouse offerings were pointless as Alice was not needing fed and that it would be 'weeks' until he decides to show up.

I was very skeptical until, in mid-sentence about the snake, he suddenly asked who the 'brown haired man near me' was [hubby] and then asked what was 'going on with his business".

[nothing great, actually...the economy has crushed it]

I mentioned neither thing to him.
Totally talked only about the snake.

[?!?]

Then he told me some sort of scary but good news about that.

When you call these people, you get *one* topic or you're charged extra.
I specifically stuck to the snake issue.
He brought up hubby and also told me about my 'way with animals' which was weird, because if that were actually working right now, why would I be calling him?

I'm not sure how much it was worth beyond the cost of the call, but I feel more optimistic, now.

And it does jive with Alice's recent, increasing annoyance with his lack of 'leg room'.

[because a 40 gallon breeder tank isn't enough for "The Midnight Slider", apparently]

One question.

If he's using the holes to come and go as he pleases, why haven't you seen tracks in the flour yet? I doubt your Alice has learned to levitate.

I can understand being desperate, but I'd take anything that guy said with a grain of salt. Actually, with the whole salt shaker. I could have done just about as good a job at predicting as he did.

Your a woman, and obviously not a child i.e. chances are you are married or involved.

Dark hair? Ummm, there are only so many shades of hair color, blonde, grey, black and brown. So, better than a 50% chance dark would be correct.

Going on with business ? Umm the sucky economy has done a number on pretty much everybody's business.

Way with animals ? Umm darlin you are a girl who likes snakes, if anyone has a way with animals it's a wierdo like you. Just sayin.

Inside furniture. So, pretty much in any room of your house. That's not hard to figure out.

Not hungry. Well, it's a well known fact pythons can go years without eating, so again, not hard to get.

Not warm. Ok, well since his tank is the warmest spot in the house, duh.

He'll come out when he's ready. Pretty much the same thing we have all said.

It will be weeks before he comes out. Well yeah, we all said the same thing.

Bottom line hon, I know you need reassurance, but someone like that is not the place to seek it. A lot of us can relate, we've been there. We can tell you our experiences, and do our best to help you out. We will be happy to listen when you want to talk. Give you a figurative shoulder to cry on. Tell you what you need to hear. That is what we do.

Gale

I don't think it's that hopeless! I live in a house that sounds eerily like the one you have, ancient and full hiding places and even random holes in the bottoms of the walls. The basement is pretty much a cave and the attic is, well, what you'd expect in a house that is nearly civil-war era. :O

I had my bp Spot escape once for a little over two weeks, I found him three rooms over in the bottom shelf of a closet with a conspicuously large lump in his belly :rolleyes: but NONE of the tactics I tried worked, not the flour or scenting the room, he just appeared when he was ready :rolleye2: I was so afraid he'd get inside a wall or under the floor and I'd NEVER find him!

Also I don't know if it's been suggested yet, but what if you laid plastic bags everywhere or in possible locations? Then when he moves it would rustle them and you'd pretty much hear it across the house.

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Originally Posted by dragonsong93

I don't think it's that hopeless! I live in a house that sounds eerily like the one you have, ancient and full hiding places and even random holes in the bottoms of the walls. The basement is pretty much a cave and the attic is, well, what you'd expect in a house that is nearly civil-war era. :O

I had my bp Spot escape once for a little over two weeks, I found him three rooms over in the bottom shelf of a closet with a conspicuously large lump in his belly :rolleyes: but NONE of the tactics I tried worked, not the flour or scenting the room, he just appeared when he was ready :rolleye2: I was so afraid he'd get inside a wall or under the floor and I'd NEVER find him!

Also I don't know if it's been suggested yet, but what if you laid plastic bags everywhere or in possible locations? Then when he moves it would rustle them and you'd pretty much hear it across the house.

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I'm totally deaf in one ear and have only about 60% hearing in the other.
I'd only hear him going over plastic bags if they had firecrackers in them and possibly not even then because there are 11 rooms here and the walls between them are 12" thick cedar logs.

The logs are so sound absorbing that I can't hear somebody blowing a car horn right outside so hearing a snake rustling plastic bags is probably not gonna happen.

The holes are situated in such a way that I can't even get any flour back where they are.
[I can see them by smooshing my cheek against against the wall and looking back along the logs to where they are but cannot reach them, even with a stick]

I've nearly killed myself dragging furniture around and hunting through endless boxes, bags, clothes and every accessible crack and cranny in this place.

I have no desire to wind up in the hospital so I can only wait to see if he shows up on his own, now.

He has lots of 'food' running through the walls and apparently all the roaming room he really desired so unless a wood rat grabs him I'm sure he'll be perfectly happy on his slitherabout...well, until the bitter winter cold comes, anyway.

I suppose it's my fault for assuming he had something like a reciprocal emotional connection/affection for me.

He doesn't.

He's a snake and is happy running loose.

Only I am suffering.

I don't know about prices or practicality, but if they make cheap motion sensing lights you could try putting them up inside. That way at night when your BP is active and a light suddenly turns on you will know.

Again, I have no idea how expensive these things are, and even to myself the idea seems a little dumb :) but if you're desperate...


Edit: http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CNYBEPMCMAA
They make some pretty cheap ones I guess.

As an alternative to the flour trick, I'd imagine paper clips would work really well. lay a bunch of them completely flat and check to see if they get moved. Best part is, for clean up, you just need a magnet.

It's also go the advantage of being reusable in other rooms if you rule one room out.

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Originally Posted by mackynz

I don't know about prices or practicality, but if they make cheap motion sensing lights you could try putting them up inside. That way at night when your BP is active and a light suddenly turns on you will know.

Again, I have no idea how expensive these things are, and even to myself the idea seems a little dumb :) but if you're desperate...


Edit: http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CNYBEPMCMAA
They make some pretty cheap ones I guess.

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Those would pretty cool to have regardless of the snake.

It would be nice to not knock myself silly every time I walk into a dark room.

[this psycho place doesn't even wall switches in most of the rooms...gotta feel my way to wherever the lamps are to turn them on]

:D

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Originally Posted by Jeo123

As an alternative to the flour trick, I'd imagine paper clips would work really well. lay a bunch of them completely flat and check to see if they get moved. Best part is, for clean up, you just need a magnet.

It's also go the advantage of being reusable in other rooms if you rule one room out.

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I still have no way to get them 8 feet back into a tiny wall space.

You really can't imagine what a nightmare of endless, inaccessible "tunnels" this place is.

I couldn't either until this little jerk got loose.

When winter comes, I bet he'll change his mind about how neato it is, being "Easy Slider".

The only thing I can think of if he is in your walls is that once fall or winter roll around he might come out seeking a heat source. Depending on if it gets cold where you live.

But don't give up hope! And remember, just because he wasn't in a spot last time you looked doesn't me he won't be tomorrow (Although I'm sure you have been re-checking everywhere):D

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Originally Posted by mackynz

The only thing I can think of if he is in your walls is that once fall or winter roll around he might come out seeking a heat source. Depending on if it gets cold where you live.

But don't give up hope! And remember, just because he wasn't in a spot last time you looked doesn't me he won't be tomorrow (Although I'm sure you have been re-checking everywhere):D

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Bitter cold Appalachian winters.

I've totally, literally exhausted myself rechecking every thing, every day.

Hubby is getting very upset.

How much did the psychic charge ya for that cold reading?
Tangential but I find it gross that 'psychics' prey on people going thru duress. Meh, they think they are helping people but its such a parasitic profession. Anyways...
I'm not a psychic but I think you'll find him. I recently found a itty bitty hatchling crested gecko in a gap and weird construction riddled old house.
Have you tried laying out plastic bags or other crinkling material and staying up late to listen? Good luck and don't beat yourself up so much.

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by Otolith

How much did the psychic charge ya for that cold reading?
Tangential but I find it gross that 'psychics' prey on people going thru duress. Meh, they think they are helping people but its such a parasitic profession. Anyways...
I'm not a psychic but I think you'll find him. I recently found a itty bitty hatchling crested gecko in a gap and weird construction riddled old house.
Have you tried laying out plastic bags or other crinkling material and staying up late to listen? Good luck and don't beat yourself up so much.

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk 2

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Not much.
It was a 'first time caller introductory price' deal.
I used up my time and that's the last they'll hear from me.

Never called one before and have no desire to call another.

As I've mentioned, my hearing is really bad and I'm never hear him going over crinkly bags.

I probably wouldn't hear him going over a mine field.

I've sat for hours out in the dark kitchen like a nut but seen nothing moving.
Out of 11 rooms, I don't even know if I lurking in the right one at any given time.

I'm getting a young cat tomorrow.

Others have had their cats find their snakes so what the heck.

Another animal hanging around here will hardly be noticed.

:)

I would absolutely suggest against getting a cat until you find your snake. Here is a recent incident of a cat finding the snake before the owner did:

The snake was gravid. It was "found" by the cat. This resulted in 2 spinal fractures, (one of which is barely hanging on by the spinal cord) and 2 punctured eggs. The snake had a very hard time passing them. She did pass them eventually, but I believe it took about a wee. Still no idea if she will recover from this, as the chance of infection, ESPECIALLY from a cat bite, is very, very high. Anyways:

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a..._9026404_n.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...26449525_n.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...39255184_n.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...026404_n-1.jpg

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

I would absolutely suggest against getting a cat until you find your snake. Here is a recent incident of a cat finding the snake before the owner did:

The snake was gravid. It was "found" by the cat. This resulted in 2 spinal fractures, (one of which is barely hanging on by the spinal cord) and 2 punctured eggs. The snake had a very hard time passing them. She did pass them eventually, but I believe it took about a wee. Still no idea if she will recover from this, as the chance of infection, ESPECIALLY from a cat bite, is very, very high. Anyways:

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I had lots of advice involving people's cats finding their snake.

It's an 8 week old kitten.

Considering my three Sight Hounds and a Dobermann, I'd think a kitten is the least of his worries.

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Originally Posted by Salamander

I had lots of advice involving people's cats finding their snake.

It's an 8 week old kitten.

Considering my three Sight Hounds and a Dobermann, I'd think a kitten is the least of his worries.

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Eight week old kittens can bite and scratch pretty badly. I personally would not be getting a kitten. But hey, who am I to tell you what to do here.

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

Eight week old kittens can bite and scratch pretty badly. I personally would not be getting a kitten. But hey, who am I to tell you what to do here.

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Well, if the kitten's out, then I'm down to simply waiting for him to show up when he feels like it.

Hubby will no longer help and there's a limit to what I'm able to lift or move, myself.

:(

Why is your husband now refusing to help?

Definitely do not recommend sending a kitten out to look for him. Especially if your house is as labyrinthian as you say it is -- if the snake can get lost, so can the kitten. Wouldn't want those two to meet. That's not to say you shouldn't get the kitten, by all means do. Just supervise and don't give free roam of the whole house just yet.

Good luck with both cat and snake. And I'm no psychic either, but I'm still pretty optimistic that you'll find him. ;)

Do you know anybody who owns a cat they'll bring by for a visit ?

Cat's are nosey creatures, and they go over everything with a fine toothed nose. I'd bet that you can get a good idea of spots to look after one day with a neighbor's cat.

You would want an adult cat, not a kitten. Kittens have an attention span of about 3 seconds. Adult cat's attention span is at least a minute, sometimes 2 or 3. :P

I know how upsetting this must be for you. I've only ever lost one of mine for a few hours, by now I'd be in a straitjacket if this were my snake.

Gale

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Originally Posted by rebelrachel13

Why is your husband now refusing to help?

Definitely do not recommend sending a kitten out to look for him. Especially if your house is as labyrinthian as you say it is -- if the snake can get lost, so can the kitten. Wouldn't want those two to meet. That's not to say you shouldn't get the kitten, by all means do. Just supervise and don't give free roam of the whole house just yet.

Good luck with both cat and snake. And I'm no psychic either, but I'm still pretty optimistic that you'll find him. ;)

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Because he's a jerk?

The first two days, he helped some but now is of the attitude that I'm being 'ridiculous' searching for my boy night and day.

[what? I should just park my butt on the sofa, eat bon bons and expect the snake to come crawling up into my lap?]

I'm the 'animal person' here.
I've never not had pets and hubby's only had pets since he met me.

He happily pays for their needs but isn't very keen about "hands on" help.

Now I know I can never die because all my animals would be left in his "care".

Talk about the stuff of nightmares.

:O

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Originally Posted by angllady2

Do you know anybody who owns a cat they'll bring by for a visit ?

Cat's are nosey creatures, and they go over everything with a fine toothed nose. I'd bet that you can get a good idea of spots to look after one day with a neighbor's cat.

You would want an adult cat, not a kitten. Kittens have an attention span of about 3 seconds. Adult cat's attention span is at least a minute, sometimes 2 or 3. :P

I know how upsetting this must be for you. I've only ever lost one of mine for a few hours, by now I'd be in a straitjacket if this were my snake.

Gale

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No, no loaner cats available.
People know I have a Dobermann and of course, like Pits and Pythons, you just know they're born weapons of mass destruction.
:rolleyes:

I'd really like to get the kitten because it's coming from a good friend and is black with green eyes and already catches mice.

The resident rat snake helps with the mice but its 'effective time' is limited due to winter hibernation which just so happens to be when the little vermin overrun the place, seeking heat.
Plus, it can only eat so many mice.

If I do get him, he'll be confined to the downstairs bedroom until I'm sure he's big enough to deal with my dogs.
He's been raised with dogs so I know he'd have no problem with them..it's the dogs I worry about.

And yeah, I'm *thisclose* to being put in a straitjacket.

Have you tried a wire cage, set in the middle of the floor, with a live mouse in it?

Also, ball pythons can go months without food, but not without water. Water is what he will be looking for. Where can he get water? That's where you want to look for him. Leave a pan of water out next to the mouse cage.

Snakes will travel DOWN to look for water--the ground floor, or the basement, wherever they can head downward, because that's logically where water should be.

Kittens although cute is so not the way to go finding your snake as others have said. If you just want it as a pet because you want one fine, but please don't get one just to try to find your boy. I have had cats/ kittens always and on several occasions seen what they will do to a snake first hand. Trust me not something you want to see.

I hope like everyone else you find your boy soon but please stop running yourself down so much. I know its hard but I always find the more desperately I look for something the longer it takes to find it. Not saying to give up in anyway just to maybe slow down? Best of luck!

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Originally Posted by jess6905

Kittens although cute is so not the way to go finding your snake as others have said. If you just want it as a pet because you want one fine, but please don't get one just to try to find your boy. I have had cats/ kittens always and on several occasions seen what they will do to a snake first hand. Trust me not something you want to see.

I hope like everyone else you find your boy soon but please stop running yourself down so much. I know its hard but I always find the more desperately I look for something the longer it takes to find it. Not saying to give up in anyway just to maybe slow down? Best of luck!

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I agree, stepping away from it for a bit may be the most healthy thing in the long run. Like was said, put out food, heat and water and go about your daily life.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Have you tried a wire cage, set in the middle of the floor, with a live mouse in it?

Also, ball pythons can go months without food, but not without water. Water is what he will be looking for. Where can he get water? That's where you want to look for him. Leave a pan of water out next to the mouse cage.

Snakes will travel DOWN to look for water--the ground floor, or the basement, wherever they can head downward, because that's logically where water should be.

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There are bowls of water everywhere.
However, the walls open to the outside where a puddle forms from the downspout every time it rains.
The black snake drinks there.
For whatever reason, there is no water in the drip pan under the fridge.
At the moment, the root cellar is dry but I have no way of telling what's going on under the part of the house where the kitchen is.

The toilets don't 'sweat' and the lids are down.

I have no idea what, if anything, he's drinking.

I'm starting to despise this house.

I'll set my feeder mouse tank on the floor, just in case he decides to prefer the tame white ones to the red wild ones.

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Originally Posted by jess6905

Kittens although cute is so not the way to go finding your snake as others have said. If you just want it as a pet because you want one fine, but please don't get one just to try to find your boy. I have had cats/ kittens always and on several occasions seen what they will do to a snake first hand. Trust me not something you want to see.

I hope like everyone else you find your boy soon but please stop running yourself down so much. I know its hard but I always find the more desperately I look for something the longer it takes to find it. Not saying to give up in anyway just to maybe slow down? Best of luck!

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I'm trying to slow down.

It's my first 'lost' pet of any kind in 50 years of living so it's not something I'm familiar with.

I don't what to do about the kitten.

I want it but would have to confine it to one particular room until Alice shows up.....one way or another.

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Originally Posted by jinx667

I agree, stepping away from it for a bit may be the most healthy thing in the long run. Like was said, put out food, heat and water and go about your daily life.

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I have been slowly 'gearing down' a bit....mostly due to exhaustion

Until now, I didn't realize just how many yellow and black things are in this house.

Every time I see something like that, my heart jumps with hope...but then it's a DeWalt drill or a power block or some other kind of tool...or a yardstick.

When/why did I ever buy all this black and yellow stuff??

90% of my escaped ball pythons (it happens to all of us at some point) have shown up again in plain sight, usually in the evening, lol. Don't lose hope. Check the root cellar for sure, if there's any way down there.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

90% of my escaped ball pythons (it happens to all of us at some point) have shown up again in plain sight, usually in the evening, lol. Don't lose hope. Check the root cellar for sure, if there's any way down there.

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There's a way down there but it's guarded by some kind of huge red and black spiders with a Monty Pythonesque "NONE SHALL PASS!" attitude.....:P

When my bp got out (at my cousins apt, while she was watching him for me) he was gone for a few weeks. He was found on a shelf in a closet, curled up in some stuffed toys. He was probably about 4 feet when that happened. Another time my Savannah monitor got out of his tank, he was less then six inches long at the time. I looked everywhere for him. I couldn't find him and pretty much gave up. I found him six months later, sunning in a window. He spent the winter in a drafty attic, which was also my bedroom. Don't give up hope, you will most likely find him when you aren't looking. Good luck.

Red and black spiders? If you're in the US, that sounds like you have black widows. If so, be extremely careful. I don't think the snake would care about the spiders.

Also, ball pythons will seek a good hiding place over warmth--they really don't know enough to avoid cold. Their instincts simply aren't wired to deal with it. So he could go down into a cold root cellar, looking for water. If you have a lot of bowls of water around, though, he might not.

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Originally Posted by Annageckos

When my bp got out (at my cousins apt, while she was watching him for me) he was gone for a few weeks. He was found on a shelf in a closet, curled up in some stuffed toys. He was probably about 4 feet when that happened. Another time my Savannah monitor got out of his tank, he was less then six inches long at the time. I looked everywhere for him. I couldn't find him and pretty much gave up. I found him six months later, sunning in a window. He spent the winter in a drafty attic, which was also my bedroom. Don't give up hope, you will most likely find him when you aren't looking. Good luck.

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His breeder just told me about a Boa he lost in house which he then moved out of and then back into 9 years later.

He found the now-huge Boa living in the ceiling.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Red and black spiders? If you're in the US, that sounds like you have black widows. If so, be extremely careful. I don't think the snake would care about the spiders.

Also, ball pythons will seek a good hiding place over warmth--they really don't know enough to avoid cold. Their instincts simply aren't wired to deal with it. So he could go down into a cold root cellar, looking for water. If you have a lot of bowls of water around, though, he might not.

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They're not Black Widows.

They're as big as the palm of your hand, 'fuzzy' and have black bodies with red and black striped legs.

The closest photo of one I could ever find was something like "Fisher Spider".

We check the cellar every day.

I can't check under the other half of the house, though.

There's just no way under it...unless you're a snake.

I can't even guess whether there's moisture under there or not.

Before the new floor was put down though, I went down the trap door in the kitchen into the drystone well after a rabbit that had fallen in.

If I was a snake, that's where I'd go.

About a foot of space to the floor above, soft dirt and rocks.

Just perfect.

:(

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Red and black spiders? If you're in the US, that sounds like you have black widows. If so, be extremely careful. I don't think the snake would care about the spiders.

Also, ball pythons will seek a good hiding place over warmth--they really don't know enough to avoid cold. Their instincts simply aren't wired to deal with it. So he could go down into a cold root cellar, looking for water. If you have a lot of bowls of water around, though, he might not.

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Oh, and the other issue is that my house is built over lots of underground springs which means the water table is very high.

The yard is perpetually soggy unless we're having a drought...which we never do.

When it rains really hard, the underground water rises up and floods the root cellar.

Getting water probably isn't hard for him...but I have bowls of it everywhere, anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Red and black spiders? If you're in the US, that sounds like you have black widows. If so, be extremely careful. I don't think the snake would care about the spiders.

Also, ball pythons will seek a good hiding place over warmth--they really don't know enough to avoid cold. Their instincts simply aren't wired to deal with it. So he could go down into a cold root cellar, looking for water. If you have a lot of bowls of water around, though, he might not.

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Here's one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkuhns/...1497/lightbox/

Charming, isn't it?

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Originally Posted by Salamander

They're not Black Widows.

They're as big as the palm of your hand, 'fuzzy' and have black bodies with red and black striped legs.

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Remind me to never come to your house hahaha...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Remind me to never come to your house hahaha...

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The first time I saw one was when I'd gone down there to fetch my Dobes out.
[they loved to 'den' down there in the summer]

The light switch is to the left, right at the door and I flipped the switch, happened to look over and one of those things was perched about an eighth of an inch from my thumb, visibly breathing.

I almost knocked myself out jumping backwards and smacking my head on the log door sill.

I stood outside and yelled for the dogs after that.

That is the scariest spider ever. No thank you!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

That is the scariest spider ever. No thank you!!

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Did I mention they're fast and have lousy attitudes?

:O

Boy, you have lousy fishing spiders. Mine here, while just a big and just as hairy, are very docile. I've kept two of them inside over the winter in a plastic critter keeper.

I can understand not wanting to mess with them though, most people dislike spiders even more than they dislike snakes.

One last thought, have you ever sat down in the middle of the room and just asked him out loud to come home ? I know people swear they can't hear us or understand us, but sometimes I wonder. It couldn't hurt anyway.

Gale