Escape at school!

I know this might sound strange, but I had the same thing happen to me... 19 years ago. I took my ball python into the art room my senior year to do some live studies of it. 3 days later, the lid is off and my snake is loose in the highschool. I was just a stupid kid at the time. Had I known then what I know now, none of it would have ever happened. I suspected that someone stole her, but could never prove it. 5 months later she magically showed back up on the floor of the art room. To this day I don't know if she escaped or was stolen then returned.

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Originally Posted by olstyn

Cecil is right once again. We don't have to lump you in with those people - you've done it to yourself. The cause isn't the important factor; it's the end result. Loose snake = hysteria and/or media problem. It doesn't matter that somebody who shouldn't have had access caused it; had there been a lock on that cage, it wouldn't have been possible.

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Hysteria and media problem with a ball python and rosy boa? I'm not keeping burms or retics in my classroom. My students handle my snakes on a consistent basis and these snakes are puppy-dog tame (Note: the rare, lone biter female Rosy Boa does not get handled). The parents are fully aware of my classroom animals (Open House was a blast). Again, the rosy boas are kept in glass cages with pin locks. My ball python I have since taken home to place in my racks. And the Hog Isle Boa is kept in a Neodesha cage with screws that keep the heavy glass sliding doors from being opened. I think you're mistaking the idiots who keep reptiles, and negatively get in the news, with the educated responsible herp keepers like myself and others.

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Originally Posted by olstyn

How many escapes at home is "far more?" Sounds like you're pretty lax with securing cages to me. I've had ZERO escapes, ever. No, I don't think I'm perfect, but it's part of my routine when finishing up with any of my reptiles to double check that cages are properly closed/secured before I do anything else. It's a simple step that keeps my animals safe.

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I've had 5 escapes at home: 2 can be attributed to keeping part of my collection with an inexperienced ex-girlfriend, and 3 can be blamed on my curious kitty. And yes, I thought I had cat proofed my racks after the first escape, but underestimated how smart my cat is.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5212/5...72f7c6b5_z.jpg

Fortunately she hasn't figured out how to get by my bungee security now.

Curious olstyn... how long have you been keeping reptiles? Unfortunately we can read all we can about proper care and husbandry, but nothing beats experience. I'm highly confident that I won't ever have another escapee, but that's certainly not a 100% guarantee.

Why are you fighting locking your cages so hard?

I have been keeping for 25 years. 100s of snakes at a time for many of those years. Never once have I had an escape from a locked enclosure.

When I have more time ill post some stories that have been printed about balls being dangerous. One story has a photo of a normal bp and says pythons grow to 20 feet or more. You want to blame the media? Fine. I blame them as well but why even give them anything to sensationalize in the first place???

You want 100%? LOCKS!

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Originally Posted by cecilbturtle

Why are you fighting locking your cages so hard?

I have been keeping for 25 years. 100s of snakes at a time for many of those years. Never once have I had an escape from a locked enclosure.

When I have more time ill post some stories that have been printed about balls being dangerous. One story has a photo of a normal bp and says pythons grow to 20 feet or more. You want to blame the media? Fine. I blame them as well but why even give them anything to sensationalize in the first place???

You want 100%? LOCKS!

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this^^^ X2

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Originally Posted by MarkieJ

Hysteria and media problem with a ball python and rosy boa? I'm not keeping burms or retics in my classroom. My students handle my snakes on a consistent basis and these snakes are puppy-dog tame (Note: the rare, lone biter female Rosy Boa does not get handled). The parents are fully aware of my classroom animals (Open House was a blast). Again, the rosy boas are kept in glass cages with pin locks. My ball python I have since taken home to place in my racks. And the Hog Isle Boa is kept in a Neodesha cage with screws that keep the heavy glass sliding doors from being opened. I think you're mistaking the idiots who keep reptiles, and negatively get in the news, with the educated responsible herp keepers like myself and others.



I've had 5 escapes at home: 2 can be attributed to keeping part of my collection with an inexperienced ex-girlfriend, and 3 can be blamed on my curious kitty. And yes, I thought I had cat proofed my racks after the first escape, but underestimated how smart my cat is.

Curious olstyn... how long have you been keeping reptiles? Unfortunately we can read all we can about proper care and husbandry, but nothing beats experience. I'm highly confident that I won't ever have another escapee, but that's certainly not a 100% guarantee.

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About 10 years now, and like I said, zero escapes to date. Once again, I find myself agreeing with cecil - it's not that I'm worried about what happens with an escaped BP, as we all know they're harmless - it's that the media hears "escaped snake" and turns it into "man-eating monster" even if it's something small and harmless like a BP or a rosy boa.

I am trying corn starch powder in front of the doors tonight. I will try and update you tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

No luck :(

I will try again soon. I might be able to try tomorrow depending on the cleaning schedule. Also, I still have the two rats :(

How long has it been missing now?


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Tonight marks a week.

This sucks, but don't give up. Howabout a heat pad along the wall with a towel underneath with a tight hide box ontop?