My first escape- good ending

Last night I held my little spider Ivy, just about 200g. I put her away after about 15 minutes and did my normal stuff and went to bed. Today was feeding day so I defrosted her f/t rat pup and went to feed her. But as I opened her little tub I noticed the front side wasn't clipped on and even before I opened her tub I knew she wasn't there! I didn't panic, but I probably looked like this --> :O while telling myself I'm an idiot for not double checking her cage. (I'm usually almost obsessive about double, triple and sometimes even quadruple checking cages I've opened recently :oops:)

So I started digging aroung the nearest most likely places (I've had my adult male crested gecko get out twice {my mom's cat is the culprit there...}and I just have this instinct on where to find them). Well 5 minutes later I find her coiled up in a mesh tarp that is bunched up under my bed- so she had only gone about 6-7ft from her cage. I was incredibly relieved, she only spent the night outside her cage.

And to make me feel better, I put her in her tub and offered her the f/t rat pup just to see, and she took it like nothing had even happened :D She seems perfectly fine so I'll just keep an eye on her and be thankful for my good luck!

- I must admit: I was really scared, she is so small it would be easy for her to get into something. I kept worrying about having her get crushed or if I couldn't find her soon that she'd get a RI or get injured/killed by one of our 3 cats. :hokitty:

Hi,

I am glad it worked out. Scary. By the way I hope you are not really feeding a 200 gram ball python a Rat Pup. You need to be feeding Weaned or small rats by now. Ivy can easily be eating a 40 to 50 gram rat each week. :snake:

Good Luck,
Bill

There's absolutely no way she could eat a weanling yet. It is probably my scale that is a bit off (has a line every 25g). She has a big fat lump in her belly (the food is as wide as she is at the thickest), perhaps I should call these rat crawlers since they have opened eyes and are somewhere between a fuzzy and a weanling in size.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jessandyballs

Hi,

I am glad it worked out. Scary. By the way I hope you are not really feeding a 200 gram ball python a Rat Pup. You need to be feeding Weaned or small rats by now. Ivy can easily be eating a 40 to 50 gram rat each week. :snake:

Good Luck,
Bill

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And because they can does not mean they need to, animals that are overfed will fast no doubt about that.

40-50 grams is what I feed adult male, females get 85+ grams rats weekly. Doing so result in animal feeding with consistency and growing at a steady rate.

Nothing wrong in feeding rat pup at that size.

Whatever.....

I have a 1500 gram Spider het for Albino that is a year old. No fasting with this girl. And I will fax or send copy of her feed card. She eats once a week. Don't shoot the messenger, just trying to help. I fed a 25 gram rat pup to a 130 gram pastel tonight and she barely shows. Not sure what you are looking at but I believe you. Must be a really thin 200 gram ball. You should change her name to Courtney Love....LOL. :banana:

Bill

Oh yeah, she is starved alright. :rolleyes:

Quick photo I had taken after she had finished eating:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...s/100_2981.jpg

Normal:
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...s/100_2791.jpg


You shouldn't assume things and attack my husbandry skills.

She looks awesome! FWIW, I can't think of a single animal in my collection that I offer prey that's 25% of their body weight. You're doing just fine! :gj:

Glad you found her so quickly!

Thanks! I'm just counting my blessings and now I'm going to be super paranoid about checking the darned cages!

wow nice spider!!! love that pattern :bow:
and i honestly have on idea wut i would do if one of my pythons got out ;_;...
wait i do.. i'd probably cry a bit, the start looking while crying =p

Hey,

I was just thinking. I never had a snake escape. I think they are all too fat.....LOL.:O You know what they say about opinions.....

Regards,
Bill

Rabernet never said your snakes are fat, just that she didn't agree with feeding a snake that much (which I agree with).

If anyone owes an apology it is you, for assuming that my animal was underfed and thin because I don't feed as much as you do.

oh mylanta!

what happens in a thread, stays in a thread. how hard is that?

to the OP, i'm glad you found your snake! i had an escape the other day too, and needless to say i was crying and frantically turned the entire room upside down! did i mention it was only a hatchling corn snake?! but i got really lucky, and i found him!

so i can definitely feel you on that one, it sucks when you have an escape, but as long as they get found again, it's A-OK!

Yeah... Had some jerry springer action going on here....


I can't imagine searching for a baby corn!!!! To me that's like looking for a needle in a hay stack!

I agree with Rab on that one Brittany. That little spider is quite a lovely snake and yes, a very nice weight.

Glad you found (I think it is a her?) her so quickly!

Nothing worse than that sinking feeling when you find out you left a tub open. :D

Bruce

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bad-one

I can't imagine searching for a baby corn!!!! To me that's like looking for a needle in a hay stack!

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I lost a baby milk snake... a whopping 25g. Found her across the room sleeping in a kleenex box. :)

bruce

Quote:

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I lost a baby milk snake... a whopping 25g. Found her across the room sleeping in a kleenex box.

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Now that is just crazy :weirdface It is good to hear that many escapees do turn up :)

I've split the off-topic tangent and moved it to the Quarantine Room.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=105988

If someone wishes to follow that rant and does not have access to QT, simply send a PM to any of the admins (names in red) and they'll fix that up for you.

Good thing you found her, she is beautiful by the way! I just got mine recently too, she is around 110g :D

Rat pups are fine at that age. 45-50g small rats is what I feed my almost 2 year old Axanthic male and the 2 other (insert description for 7-8month BPs here) BPs.

While I'm at it, what do you call a 6-8 month BP? Basicaly any BP under 1 year old thats not a hatchling anymore? Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jessandyballs

Whatever.....

I have a 1500 gram Spider het for Albino that is a year old. No fasting with this girl. And I will fax or send copy of her feed card. She eats once a week. Don't shoot the messenger, just trying to help. I fed a 25 gram rat pup to a 130 gram pastel tonight and she barely shows. Not sure what you are looking at but I believe you. Must be a really thin 200 gram ball. You should change her name to Courtney Love....LOL. :banana:

Bill

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jessandyballs

Hey,

I was just thinking. I never had a snake escape. I think they are all too fat.....LOL.:O You know what they say about opinions.....

Regards,
Bill

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OK...now BG sees where your feeling got hurt Billy.

Really, just because someone doesn't see things your way, there is no need to get all bent about it. Relax..... BG is just having some fun with yah. You seem just a leeetle high strung there Billy BG's boy.


ps. BG will send you an autographed pic if that will help. At least you can throw darts at it or burn it when you get mad.:D

All arguments put aside... :rolleyes:

I'm super-happy to hear that you found her. She looks like a happy, healthy (and now thankful) :D little Spider.

:gj: