BIG shame on me.

I brought my girl out last night to watch tv with me, well, shame on me for falling asleep while holding her. I'm so angry at myself and honestly don't know what to do. I've torn the living room apart, mainly both sofas and moved the fridge out, and can't seem to find her. I live in a duplex, and alone currently, my roomates are out of town, so all the main floor doors are closed. I'm about to loose my mind, and don't know what to do. I'm goin to bed at this point without finding her, sadly (3am).

I just don't know where else to look. She's about 700g, I've looked in both sofas extensively, pulled the fridge out.... What do I do!?!

I'm so depressed right now, and she's my only baby. :(

Just keep looking, don't count out any small spaces. They usually curl up in the first hiding spot they can find and don't move from there! Stay close to where you were, search high and low and in spaces you might think are too tight for her to fit!

That's exactly what I thought. I've ripped apart the sofa I was on, and the one directly behind me, and she isn't there. I'm so suprised considering there's plenty of places for her to hide, and it's not far from where I was.

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Originally Posted by flatsix02

That's exactly what I thought. I've ripped apart the sofa I was on, and the one directly behind me, and she isn't there. I'm so suprised considering there's plenty of places for her to hide, and it's not far from where I was.

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She may find someplace warm (think of anything that radiates heat especially if this goes on for another night or two). Consider putting flour down across the doorways and sections at night so you can see if she moves from one area to another.

There are numerous other tips which I can't remember but if you search online you can find them, or people here will mention them. You say the doors are closed but are you sure she can't squeeze under them? I would want to make she can't wander further away at night. If she hasn't eaten in a few days I know some keepers have various prey tricks they use (dead prey in a box with a small hole etc...) but not sure how well those work for finicky secretive BPs.

Do you have a washer and dryer? Check warm dark places! I had a female ball hide in a wall once... because the socket cover was off one of my plugs!

Also.. Try your best not to stress. Stress doesn't help the situation.. its only going to make it more frantic. I know you lost your baby and you want nothing more than to find it, but you can't change what's already happened. So, focus on warm dark places and search till you can't search anymore. And when you least expect it, you'll find her.

From bad comes good though, and the good thing is that you've learned a lesson. I hate that you had to learn it like this, and I wish you nothing but the best. I hope you find your girl and I hope you find her soon.

It happens to the best of us. When I got my first BP I also fell asleep with my BP curled up in the hood of my hoodie. When I woke he was gone. I ended up finding him in the kitchen between the blinds and the window.

Look in warm, dark places. BP's tend to look for warm places to hang out (usually also dark, or where they don't feel exposed).

Good luck finding her!

My male normal got loose a few months ago due to my stupidity of not latching the lid appropriately on his tank. He got loose at night in my bedroom while I was asleep. Luckily he couldn't fit under my door and I always keep the door shut when I go to sleep. I found him in my bathroom that is in my bedroom. He was hiding in base board heater all curled up. I was very fortunate that he did sustain any injuries. Most of the time these snakes can be found very close to their enclosures. Please don't beat yourself up, it happens to the best of us. Do not give up searching, you will find your snake. Good Luck my friend!

take your heatpad n her hide,put it near where u think she gone,wait for a few hours n try check the hide.bp sometime go to hot spot,so this trick sometime work,just try it 1st n see the result......

Don't rule out ANYWHERE. My girl got out once and I found her about 2 weeks later hanging out in a drawer in my computer desk. It was absolute hell trying to get her out of there! She would puff up her body every time I opened it to try and get her out to the point were I couldn't even get her out!

Just don't give up! ;)

Don't discount the rooms behind the closed doors. Most interior doors have a gap under them. It may not seem like much of a gap if there's carpet there, but carpet squishes and ball pythons can squeeze themselves under some amazingly tight spaces.

A "trick" that might help. In the early morning and/or evening hours, spread a bunch of plastic grocery bags all over the place, especially along the walls, behind furniture, etc....then find a nice quiet activity that you can do, like reading a book or playing a game with the sound muted. Your mind can drift, but your ears will stay alert for the slight rustle of plastic.

Don't forget to look UP, too. They can and will climb. My first ball python escaped twice. The first time I discovered the escape in the morning, so she'd been out perhaps all night. Around the corner from her enclosure was the kitchen...I was looking through there and in the pantry, a bunch of cans and junk had been knocked off the shelves and were all over the floor. I don't know HOW she got up on those shelves, but she did. Eventually I found her around another corner hiding behind a box at the back of a storage closet....both had closed doors. Her second escape had similar timing...found out in the morning...and couldn't find her anywhere that time. Later that day I was sitting at the computer, actually typing out my "I can't find my snake" post....and I heard rustling and bumping around in the room nearby...found her slithering along the wall behind some pictures that hadn't been hung up yet.

Don't give up!!!

I can't really say much other than think like a snake. I've got to be the luckiest out of everyone here! My guy got out of his tub, crawled UP my bed, and woke me up as he was balling up at the end of the covers next to my feet!:banana: good luck!

Gosh! I know you are stressed. I sure hope you find your baby soon.

I've never had to try this, but I've heard if you put a heat mat on the middle of the floor in the room you think she's in, and turn off all the lights. Stay out for about a half hour then she may be on the mat when you go back in. Good luck! :(

If the temps throughout the house are equal, then I would suggest looking in the small tight areas. The snake will look for security, which is usually a smaller area. I've heard of them climbing up into the folds of curtains too. So, my suggestion would be to look in the small tight areas where you snake would feel secure. As someone else said, get out a heating pad and place in in a dark corner or somewhere you think a snake would crawl to.

As someone also said, just because a door was closed doesn't mean you forget about that room. Turn your heat down a few degrees, this will usually stop the snake from being comfortable and traveling throughout the house.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

The key is the warmest area, it could be near electronics, your computer, tv, dvd player or inside them for that matter. Check every possible warm spot.

I've found a few escapees using the flour or baby powder. But it's messy. Don't worry shell turn up. I'm sorry that happened.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

I've never had to try this, but I've heard if you put a heat mat on the middle of the floor in the room you think she's in, and turn off all the lights. Stay out for about a half hour then she may be on the mat when you go back in. Good luck! :(

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Good idea! To expand on this slightly, toss his/her hide ontop of the mat. I've found that my snakes are pretty drawn to their personal hides, no matter where it is.

That plastic bag idea is also pretty brilliant. Never thought of it!

Really hope you find your baby soon. Stay chill and let it happen. :)

hey, I'm sure your gonna find her. If it were me I would check around the entertainment center, it produces alot of heat and well you never know. good luck!

maybe check the windows really well, lots of heat there from the sun

Thank you everyone for the feedback and encouraging words. Since I've been up today, I've literally torn the main floor of our house apart and havnt had any luck. Our "entertainment" center is on the window sill, which is a good 3ft off the ground, but I even tore that apart in case she decided to climb. I'm about out of ideas as to where she could be. I've moved the fridge, washer, and dryer trying to find her, with no luck. I've looked in my roomates room and bathroom even though the doors were closed, and no luck.

I'm going to give it a rest until tonight. I'm going to fill the main floor with plastic bags, along with putting her hide and heating pad in the living room. Then sit on the sofa, read a book, and hope for the best.

Thanks again to everyone for the encouraging words!

You can try to put flour on the solid floors that you have to get an idea of where she might be hanging out...

Good luck and best wishes, I hope you find her!

I'm sorry to hear about your baby... all the ideas everyone has given you are great. My only other suggestions are inside your furniture.. A long time ago I had one get away from me and I found him inside the arm of a sofa chair. I literally had to cut the fabric to get him out.. just another idea to try and check... :(

Oh man, that really sucks! I've left one of my tubs open and didn't realize it till the next day. Lucky for me he was only a few shelves down behind a tub. I would really check that couch again. It seems like they stay within a few feet of where they got lose. Couches have a lot of nooks and crannies. Good luck! That plastic sack idea is a great idea!

She will turn up just keep searching. I lost a 120 gram baby once. I found her in my file cabinet inside a folder. Check your refrigerator too! You will be surprised where they can hide.

We have had two ball python escapes, which were both related to a kiddo not paying enough attention to the snake he was playing with and the snakes wandering off. We found them both up insideof table pillars on a coffee table and dining table, which we had never even thought about having hollow pillars. It required taking both tables apart to get them out. Good luck!

Last night yield no results. :( I was in the main room of the house with plastic bags everywhere from about 2 to 5 am, and so far tonight I haven't had any luck. I feel like I've looked in every nook and cranny. I'm so depressed. :(

Look in your kitchen, especially behind your fridge and your oven. I've only had my snake escape once, or twice if you count the time I left him out. They usually don't get very far, both times I found him about a foot away from where I left him.

Your snake saw all the coverage the Bronx zoo cobra got and wants her own twitter feed. ;)

Sorry. I'm just trying to make you feel better. She will turn up. I've heard good things about the flour trick.

Thanks for making me smile a bit. I left some flour in what I thought were key locations last night, and didn't find anything this morning. I know shes coming up on 2 weeks without food, so she has to be getting hungry, and hopefully on the lookout for food one of these nights.

I've moved the fridge, stove and dishwasher. Looked in every cabinet, the closet and the pantry. I've torn the laundry room apart, along with looking under the washer and dryer. I just don't know what to do... The last time she got out (about a year ago), she went into our sofa. I've turned both sofas upside down looking for her with no results. :(

I'm so sorry to hear this! My little hatchling escaped into the couch once and we frantically searched for him until he popped out from between some springs like "hey, what are you guys doing?". I've heard that scenting your baseboards with something pre killed and size appropriate then leaving it in a box wi a hole on top of a heating pad has worked. The snake will follow the scent into the box and then eat the prey and stay on the heat pad in order to digest.

She's SOMEWHERE in the house.. Keep your eyes and ears open, you should be able to find your snake. Sometimes they just turn up in the middle of your underwear drawer one day looking at you as if nothing happened!

According to Kevin McCurley in "The Complete Ball Python a Comprehensive Guide to Care, Breeding, and Genetic Mutations" On page 31...

Try rolling tape such as duct tape backwards around a small ruler size piece of card board and lay it along base of the wall and floor. According to Kevin they will often stick to the edges of the floor when moving from place to place. if he come across the tape "trap" he will become stuck and then all you will have to do is collect him and use cooking oil to release the bond to the tape from the snake. Then clean all the oil back off with soap and water. :):snake:

hungry snake u say? try heat pad hide and a pk rat/mouse in the room all this started in

Check anywhere and everywhere. A friend of mine actually found his BP that had been missing for months hanging out in his toilet! Not in the water tank on the back, mind you. Good thing he knows the procedure. Ready, aim, fire! NOT ready, fire, aim :P

Not sure if it's been mentioned but I've heard of people lining their walls with plastic bags so you can hear them moving along them.

Maybe try to make a duck tape trap or just lay some in an area you think she may visit. You can use cooking oil to loosen the bond if she's get stuck. Also, they're nocturnal so maybe just turn off all the lights and watch TV in the dark. Maybe she'll come out. Or maybe try luring her with a mouse in a cage or box or something?

I know Im new but putting down duct tape sounds like a HORRIBLE idea poor snake!! I have seen what happens to a mouse getting stuck on a sticky trap I cant imagine why anyone would want to do similar to a snake PLEASE try anything else you WILL find him eventually

I really hope he turns up for you. Dont give up!

DONT USE TAPE

Lay some plastic bags down or sprinkle some baby powder down on bare floors

You'll either hear him or see where hes headed

Surprised it took a relatively new person to point this out, but DO NOT USE TAPE! Especially Duct tape.

Snakes that get stuck on tape don't give up and stay there, they wind up ripping their skin off trying to escape.

I'm not sure about the details of your couch, but consider that she may have found a way inside the couch(in by the springs). My girl got loose once and I found out my couch is a lot more hollow than I thought it was.

Good luck...

I cannot stress this enough : THINK SMALL.

Right now your focused on searching for a 700 gram snake that's probably 2 1/2 - 3 feet long.

Don't. Search for a 3" long piece of snake, because 90% of the time that is all you'll see.

I've had several get out on me, and without fail when I finally see them, it's about a 3" long bit of their side, which is ridiculously easy to overlook. Think of those Where's Waldo ? pictures. Or the I Spy books.

It's very important to remember they like small tight spaces, and they can smoosh themselves into some of the most unlikely places. Break out your magnifying glass, go over every inch of those couches. Not just under the cushions and under the bottoms, but look for tiny tears in the fabric to allow her to get inside the couch. Check for loose staples holding the fabric in place, she can easily squeeze into a gap like that and end up wedged inside the couch frame or springs.

When you check the entertainment center, look on, under, behind, inside, beside, between, inside out and upside down. Remember this, a 700 gram snake can fit into a cereal bowl when balled up, so if it's big enough to hold a cereal bowl, it's big enough to hide the snake. Even more likely, if she's all stretched out, she can squeeze into an area the diameter of a silver dollar, that is pretty darn small!

Keep searching, look with a fine toothed comb, she'll turn up. Look up as well as down, I remember last year someone found their missing ball python wedged into the back of a large picture frame 5 feet off the ground, and they still don't know how it got there.

Best of luck with your search.

Gale

I've total respect for Kevin and am very fond of him...but this is one area in which I very much disagree. I think the risks of injury via the tape is greater than the risks of the snake being on the lose for a little bit longer.

I must say, this is one hell of a community, thanks to everyone for the advice and positive words. I'm going to try the scent and f/t rat next. I've put her main hide on top of a heating pad by the sofas, in hope that she may come out and curl up.

Tomorrow I'll put a f/t in a box next to her hide like one person suggested with the heating pad under it, and using tape to hold the box to the floor.

It's 4:15am, and I'm just sitting here reading a book on my iPhone hoping to hear something! My main room of my house looks stupid because theres bags everywhere! Hah.

I found her!!!!!!!!!!! :taz::taz::taz: :D :D

She was where I suspected, in our main sofa, but as stated earlier, she wasn't just under or in the sofa, she was in the middle of the arm rest on some foam. I pretty much destroyed the bottom right half of our sofa to get her out.

Thanks soooo much to everyone, you have no idea how good it feels to know that all of you care so much, yet you don't even know me. :bow:

Btw, got tagged for my first time pulling her out, hah. Here's a pic of where I pulled her out from (that was a task in itself,) and my girl of course.

Home sweet home:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...2/35cb51f6.jpg

The hiding spot:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...2/ac6af177.jpg

And a good full pic of her (a few months old):
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y11...2/3633c328.jpg

Scott

Good work, glad you found her brother.

yeah!!!!!.case slosed!

So glad that you found your snake and that didn't give up!

Eee, you found her!! I've been lurk-following this thread. x.x I'm so glad she's safe and back where she belongs. :)

Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk

Yay!!! So glad you found her :gj::gj::gj::gj:

:D So glad you found her!

Congrats Scott!! What a great feeling it must be to have her back in your hands!! CONGRATS!