Please help!

Alright I am about to lose it. I raise a handful of snakes and one of my little ball pythons has gone missing.. Two actually escaped but I found one. The other is nowhere to be found. :tears:

Here is my situation

The snakes have their own room in my garage. It is fairly sealed, but not very well apparently seeing as how I am missing one snake. I actually have two garages that are divided in the middle. Bad news, they are PACKED with stuff. boxes, tubs, etc so many hiding spots it makes me sick. I have been searching for about 6 hours now. The one snake that I found was only about 8" from its tub, behind another snakes tub. But I don't know how long they have been gone. I check the room frequently throughout the day, but don't inventory cages every time so this snake could have been missing for as long as a day and a half now.

Since I couldn't find him, I decided to try some common methods I found online. I set out two space heaters next to hide boxes with bowls of water near to them hoping he will go to the heat. I cut the top off of a two liter bottle and put a thawed rat in there hoping he will smell it. Bad news is, he ate Saturday so likely isn't very hungry. I bought 10 lbs of flour and covered the floors, shelves, benches, etc to see if I can track him.

So at this point, I am just looking for any other methods that anyone may have used to find their escape artists. Thanks in advance! call text or reply to email with ideas!!! 505-379-1917

And by the way, my name is Jeremiah. Sorry for not properly introducing myself first, I am just trying to get some answers fast!

they are usually fairly close. I would start to open boxes and look if the other stuff did not work. Also I know my water heater is in my garage....if your is...or anything that is warm....take a look around there. Good luck

Still no luck today! Cleaned out one garage and didn't find a trace. Tried flour on the floors, a rat in a bottle, heat lamps and a box, etc. Any other ideas? My garage is detached from my house so I don't have a water heater or furnace in there. DO have a couple deep freezers which I keep checking. Still open for ideas please give me whatever you can think of

When one of ours got out, it took 5 days for her to appear and she was in a cold area.

Lesson is: Relax, you've only been at it one day, slow down and think. Second, check EVERYWHERE not just where you think they will be, they have an uncanny ability to climb places, look both high and low, warm and cold.

Try to look through things, and then remove it from the room so there is less stuff to go through.

Good luck.:please:

Ball python- WTF! I get out to this crowded cold garage!
There's powder all over the place and a dead rat in a bottle!

Lmao your neighbours are gunna think your nuts...

Anyways... I hope you did something to the racks you have so yo don't have any future escapees...

Good Luck I hope you find him soon one of mines got out 3 weeks later I heard a noise as I slept and bam she was in the middle of my basement floor

I heard a guy lost his for one yesr once and found it but I searched for 2 sleeepless nights and no luck best bet is to relax and keep your ears open and hompe for the best

I hope you find him soon! The only time we every had an escapee, we found her about 4 feet from her cage, in between a bunch of picture frames. We looked everywhere besides where we thought she would be. Maybe you could post a pic of the area you keep your snakes so we could all take a look. We may see something you missed. Keep taking deep breaths, and I know it's hard, but try to take it easy. The more worked you are, the less likely you are to find your missing baby. I read in the forums that something like 95% of missing snakes are found. I'm sure you'll find him.

Is there any way he can get out of the garage, or into your house? Do you use your garage as a garage? Strange, I know, but in some parts of the country they're used as rooms. Here in WI, we use them as garages due to the crazy weather. :cool:

Think like a snake... warm, dark, and tight fitting. Good luck, we are all here for you!

Well did a little late night hunting tonight to no avail. Woke up at 4:00 trying to "think like a snake" lol.

I am pretty sure my neighbors wont think I am crazy. I live in the city next to an old couple (both 82) and they have been here so long that they are grandfathered out of the city farming zoning laws. Up until about a year ago when he got too old to take care of his animals, there was pigs, rabbits, goats, sheep, horses, chickens, etc. A mini farm. So not much they can say about my snake collection lol.

The snake that got out only got out because the rubbermaid failed. He is one of three little baby breeders I picked up about 6 weeks ago and I still had them in quarantine to make sure they are healthy before I put them in my rack.

Tomorrow morning I will post a picture of the room that I keep them in quarantine, but for now I am going to attempt sleep! Thanks to all for the help and advice!:sleep:

heck this mat seem odd but look up high to. I had one that was loose( I use to let them roam a little once in a while ) and i had forgotten about it ( dang 3 fire calls in a row ) and I happen to be doing my head count and spot cleaning and bang I get nailed in the head by the scale. Here I am with a small bleeding knot on my head looking up at one of my het pied bps she had gone from the floor to over 6 ft in the air on top he one cage ( that I still not figure how she got ther esince the cage was 2 ft tall (straight on top of my rack ( like i have it now) but I didn't see how she got up there. shewas tryingo t push stuff around to get to the warmth that was beeding though from the light in the cage below. needless to say I poped it bck inthe cage andwas go happy.
:snake:

Camera seems to be broken so I can't take pics of the room I have my snakes in. I have been looking high and low, going through every box, bag, crack and crevice and still can't find this little snake anywhere.

Does anyone know of anything I can put out to attract him other than the hide box with a heat lamp? I tried putting out a couple thawed rats but that didn't work either. Anything else?

Still no luck searching today. I got a call today and someone gave me an idea I would like to run past you guys and see what you think. I tried the thawed rat to attract him, and no luck. But this guy suggested I take a live rat, tie a string around its middle and the other end to a brick. Then let it have a little lead to run with. Maybe it would be like fishing. I know I would have to use a cotton string so if he did eat the rat he could digest it without harm. But the downside to this idea is that the rat will likely chew through the string fairly quickly.

When that happens, I will have a rat loose in my garage. Which at that point, I can put out a little bread, and if it disappears the rat is still alive, if it doesn't maybe the snake ate it and I know he is still there. What does everyone think???

I am just stressing big time about this little guy getting outside and freezing to death or having one of the neighbors dogs get him. Plus he is my het pied match for my female so I don't want to have to look for another one of those!

Hi,

The string and brick thing is a bad idea all round I think. The rat could eat through the sting in zero seconds flat so all you would do is have two animals loose instead of one. :(

You could put the live rat in a cage with a heated hidebox nearby. Actually having him eat the rat and then go hide and not move for a couple of days would probably make it harder to find him.


dr del

Sorry to keep posting over and over. Update for today, I gutted the entire second side of the garage. I searched through every box, in every crack and crevice and nothing still! I need more ideas. I hate to just give up looking for the little guy. My snakes are like my children.

Please if you have any suggestions, throw them at me. I am trying just about everything and anything now. :(

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

The string and brick thing is a bad idea all round I think. The rat could eat through the sting in zero seconds flat so all you would do is have two animals loose instead of one. :(

You could put the live rat in a cage with a heated hidebox nearby. Actually having him eat the rat and then go hide and not move for a couple of days would probably make it harder to find him.


dr del

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Okay I will pass on the live rat and brick idea then. So maybe I should get like one of those wire rat cages and a live is what you are thinking? Then maybe he could get in and eat it and then go hide? He may be starting to get hungry. He eats every Saturday so he is a day late for his meal. We don't really have a mice/rat problem in my garage so he will need food eventually.

Decided to get some wire cages and tomorrow I will pick up some hoppers and hope the little guy sees/smells them, crawls in and eats one and can't fit to get back out. Wish me luck!

If you have any appliances in your garage like a washer/ dryer or refridgerator, anything with a motor or compressor that would generate heat, look in and behind those areas as well...

Im really not sure what more can be said to help you out. Did you look the hardest right around the area of the tub he was in? You say you put down flour but you have seen no tracks right? It sounds like he went somewhere and hasnt moved much if at all. When you look again, get on your hands and knees and crawl around. From that view look for anything he may have been able to climb up on. Anything he may have gotten under. I hope you find him. Its really stressful to have one of your snakes escape but you need to slow down and be calm when looking or you will miss something potentially important.

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Im really not sure what more can be said to help you out. Did you look the hardest right around the area of the tub he was in? You say you put down flour but you have seen no tracks right? It sounds like he went somewhere and hasnt moved much if at all. When you look again, get on your hands and knees and crawl around. From that view look for anything he may have been able to climb up on. Anything he may have gotten under. I hope you find him. Its really stressful to have one of your snakes escape but you need to slow down and be calm when looking or you will miss something potentially important.

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I did tear the room apart looking for him. No luck. I floured the floor for one night, then I started cleaning both garages looking high and low. I have checked all appliances. I am going to try to live rats in the wire cages for a few days and see what we get. Prayers go out now and hope the little guy shows up. If not, oh well I guess. Its my fault!

I feel your pain... I lost my first bp. She still missing and I have to finish moving out tomorrow :tears:

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Originally Posted by Danounet

I feel your pain... I lost my first bp. She still missing and I have to finish moving out tomorrow :tears:

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Sorry to hear that! Maybe you will be fortunate and the landlord will find her tomorrow right after you leave and call you!

Our BP got out of his Exo tank once...as we started ripping the place apart it dawned on me how fearful they are of heights, so I looked under the tank...and there he was. All nice and warm and in tight quarters. Good luck.

Thanks for the info. Sadly no luck under all my tanks.

Yesterday I went and bought 3 small wire cages. Put a live hopper in each one, and made sure the snake could squeeze in if he wanted, and placed them in the snake room, and the two garages. One of my rats disappeared last night. I don't know if it somehow got out, or if the snake got it and got out. I tried to make sure he could barely get in, then once full, couldn't squeeze out. Either way, the plan failed. I either have a fat snake that is no longer hungry, or a stupid rat running around my garage. I put out some bread so I can see if it disappears then that means the rat is just out in my garage.

So I am irritated. I am going to just have to wait it out I guess. I have tried everything to find this little guy, but it looks like he is either gone for good, or until he doesn't want to be anymore. I guess we will see. Maybe he will just pop up in the next few days or weeks

WOO HOO!!!:D

I found the little guy this morning. We had a TON of rain yesterday evening, flooded my garage (hasn't rained that hard in years) and I went out this morning to check on all my other snakes. Happened to glance underneath my work bench and there he was all covered in mud, balled up real tight and so frozen he seemed to be in a daze.

So i rushed him inside, gave him a warm bath, scrubbed all the mud off of him and out of his mouth and put him back in his cage. :banana:

So I am sealing every little crack and opening I can in that room today, that way if anyone manages to escape their cages again, they won't be able to leave the room.

Thanks again everyone for all the support and ideas!:sweeet:

Hi,

Glad you found him. :)

Make sure to keep a closer eye than usual on him for a little while to make sure he doesn't catch an RI or anything from his adventure. :gj:


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

Glad you found him. :)

Make sure to keep a closer eye than usual on him for a little while to make sure he doesn't catch an RI or anything from his adventure. :gj:


dr del

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Will do! Do you think I should do anything special for him to make sure he doesn't? Or just keep things normal like I do for the rest of the group?

Hi,

I'd keep things normal but make a few preparations in case you need to get him to a vet.

It's better to have laid aside a little extra cash for cultures/ treatment and then never need it than to suddenly be scrabbling for it in a hurry.

If you don't already have a good exotic vet picked out maybe have a look for one and think about how you would get him there.

And I hope you will be wasting the effort and the little guy is fine. :D


dr del

Dr Mike is the best exotic vet I know of in my area and he is about 30 mins from my house in a little town that I actually grew up in so I am set there. I have an emergency credit card for my snakes alone so funds are covered. As for transporting him, he is cake. Only 18 inches long and weighs just about 180 grams now. I have a couple big snakes (albino burm and a large red tail) that are part time models so I am use to transporting them to photo shoots so taking the little ball pythons around is easy.

Do you think I should quarantine him from my others? In case by some chance he picked up some parasite or something? He seems perfectly healthy by looking at him. I checked him good for mites, fleas, tics, etc. But internal parasites I don't know.

Hi,

I don't think there are any internal parasites you really need to worry about but I could very well be wrong.

I would only really quarantine him if he started showing signs of an RI since stress is one of the possible triggers and moving him to a QT tank could increase his stress and possibly trigger what we are trying to avoid.

But this is a fair bit out of my knowledge zone so hopefully someone else can chime in with the real skinny. :)


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

I don't think there are any internal parasites you really need to worry about but I could very well be wrong.

I would only really quarantine him if he started showing signs of an RI since stress is one of the possible triggers and moving him to a QT tank could increase his stress and possibly trigger what we are trying to avoid.

But this is a fair bit out of my knowledge zone so hopefully someone else can chime in with the real skinny. :)


dr del

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Well either way thanks for your input!