Lost baby python! I'm freaking out! Help!

I got two new baby ball pythons, and I put them in these great racks, but they got out I think 24 hours ago. I found the girl in my hallway, and I realized the boy was missing.

I have never had this problem before with these racks or snakes in general, and I can't breathe. I've had 20 snakes. Never one got out! My family would freak out if they found out one got out.

I have a huge house, and I've seached the whole upper floor, can't find him. He is only 15 inches long! I feel like such a loser because he got out! I should of been more careful and checked him more often! I was just trying to give them space for the first day.

Please... Help

i would check closets,under clothes, under furniture, inside shoes, behind dressers. i have same problem once.. good luck finding him

UPDATE!

I found shedding in the attic room, but I think he went into the actual attic. There is no way I can get in there. I'm going to have to set out some traps or something. Any ideas?

I can't think of any 'traps' that wouldn't hurt it. But if you could set up a heat source and a hide, he should find his way there and stay, at least long enough for you to check every half hour or hour or so and get him. Or set out a f/t rodent for him to find and a hide.

theres a thread on how to make a safe trap for your snake on here i dont know how to post it here.. type how to catch your escapee snake on the search bar

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-Escapee-Snake

i think thats it

Update:

Thanks for the quick replies.

I think I'm going to have to announce that he is a goner. There is no way I can find him in the attic, since it is dark and impossible for me to get around. I have put three traps with pinkies in them around the upstairs area where I think he is including one in the attic.

I never have felt more guilty about anything... :tears:

aw dont give up just yet

He might come down or he might not. Sometimes people find their snakes after years of them being missing. Hopefully he'll get hungry, smell the pinkies, and get himself trapped so you can find him. Don't give up too soon. Keep checking the traps and if you see him wedged in somewhere just be gentle wriggling him out or take whatever he's hiding in and put it in his tub/tank if possible so he can get out on his own.

Thanks, but I don't know what I can do... I just hope that he goes quickly and peacefully if I don't find him, and I hope my dogs don't find him when I'm not watching. I swear to god that if I do find him, I will become the most helpful person in the world to everyone and never do anything bad again. I will rebuild my racks so they are perfect, and donate/volunteer to my local shelter more than I do now.

I'm just am so thankful that I at least found my girl. I made a whole new bin for her just now, and I feel like setting the rack I had on fire. I never have been so happy to see her. :happycry:

If only I can find my boy... I feel like I lost a piece of my heart. :tears::tears::tears:

Thanks everyone for your support, sorry that I'm a blubbering mess.

get in that attic if possible, follow the trap in the link, you have to TRY.

I did, and I went as far as I could (farther than I've ever gone) without fear of being killed. I put a trap down, and I'm thinking of putting another. I'll try going in again. The main problem is I have all that pink fluffy stuff in the attic, so he could be anywhere, and it is so big that I can't even come close to reaching the back.

Any tips on navigating through an attic without being killed or is it pretty safe you think? I'm a dummy when it comes to attics. All I know is that I never go in them.

Thanks everyone.

how would you die?

Electricity. There are so many wires back there, plus I have no idea if there are any drops or if it is meant to support my weight.

The wires are not exposed. You can't get shocked by bumping into one. Just stay on the trusses (the 2x4 or 2x6 beams that run length wise across) and you won't fall thru. The pink stuff is fiberglass insulation. Try not to get it on you. It can irritate your skin.

Walk on the beams. They're more than sturdy enough to support your weight. If you think they won't freak out too badly, get a family member to help. After all, who wants a dead snake in their attic? If your house is wired at all properly being shocked isn't an issue. Wear rubber-soled shoes and pants and you'll be fine. Use multiple flashlights, get a big floodlight. If you're going to go digging through your insulation, wear gloves and long sleeves. You don't want your skin getting irritated, it's not fun. Don a mask if you think you need to. Check warm places first, then anywhere he could be hiding. I would dig through the insulation as a last resort.

I would do ANYTHING to find this guy, so I'm going to go dive in right now, thanks for the advice. If I don't update soon, then I'm dead, ha ha.

My problem is I just can't see the beams to well, and there is also tons of air conditioning ducts.

My family would freak out to the point where they might faint. They are terrified of loose snakes, even though this baby could never hurt them. I'll have to keep going at it alone, I guess. If I hear screaming from downstairs, then I guess my family did end up finding him.

Thanks.

P.S Where do you think a baby ball would go, after it sheds, in an attic? Also, my baby girl is just running around her enclosure without even thinking about the hide. Should I worry or just leave her be? She has had a very traumatic day.

He'll probably be somewhere warm and tight. While you're up there shuffling around looking for him, set out a hide. You might get lucky and he makes a break for it while you're not looking. Take a flashlight and just be careful. Keep your phone on you in case something happens and you need help.

Back from the attic. I now have lost any original fears of going inside the walls. I felt like I was in a tree climbing through branches looking for a needle in a haystack.

What I have learned is that there is no way I can shift through all that pink stuff. There must be like a hundred or more pounds of it. Also, he has left his original area of entry into the attic.

I left a hide and some pinkies in a trap near the entry. I smashed pinkie juice around it. I couldn't get into some parts of the attic, because it simply is filled with too many air vents, post and electrical wires.

I just hope that boy follows his stomach home... :please:

We can only hope. When did he eat last? Just keep checking the traps and the hides and he'll eventually start hunting down some food if all goes well. Keep checking and don't give up.

I'm going to have to say go with glue traps and plenty of them. make sure you tack or tape them down so if it does get caught up in it, it can't carry it around and get itself in more trouble.
If and when you catch it, you can use a hairdryer to warm up the glue a little (from underneath) and make freeing the snake easier.

I'll give the glue trap a try in everywhere but the attic, since that would be a pink fluffy mess, ha ha.

Also, I'm not sure how long ago it was since his last meal, since I literally got him on Saturday evening. I was trying to give him his space for one day, and I was then surprised by finding my little girl slithering along the hallway. I was like, "Is that Salona?" For a second I thought I was imagining it, then I realized I wasn't and grabbed her, transferred her to a better, bigger tub, and went absolutely crazy as I searched for the other missing boy. I have torn up the upstairs part of the house and went inside-wall/attic/roof exploring.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I have to admit though, I never thought that I could feel so much pain. I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep for months. :sniff:

All I have left of him is his shedded skin... At least I know his eyes are clear, and that my humidity is good. :worry:

[QUOTE=robinbanks;1801685]I'm going to have to say go with glue traps and plenty of them.QUOTE]

I dont think glue traps are a very good idea for trying to catch a snake i think it would probly mess up some scales. have you had you hand/finger to 1 it probably wasnt nice imagine on a snake getting his head stuck :colbert:

DO NOT DO A GLUE TRAP. Are you nuts, Robin? It's a good way to rip the scales off the snake's belly and open him up for infection and death. If the snake goes onto it head-first, he's going to get his neck stuck first, try and pull away, and hurt itself. Please don't put down any sort of sticky trap, Jenna.

[QUOTE=JaGv;1801696]

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Originally Posted by robinbanks

I'm going to have to say go with glue traps and plenty of them.QUOTE]

I dont think glue traps are a very good idea for trying to catch a snake i think it would probly mess up some scales. have you had you hand/finger to 1 it probably wasnt nice imagine on a snake getting his head stuck :colbert:

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Okay, thanks, I'll cancel that idea. I guess I'm just so desperate to find him. I'm still tearing up the rest of the house in case he didn't go into the attic.

Maybe some painter's tape or something that is less sticky might work to replace glue traps?

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Originally Posted by ReptileJenna

Okay, thanks, I'll cancel that idea. I guess I'm just so desperate to find him. I'm still tearing up the rest of the house in case he didn't go into the attic.

Maybe some painter's tape or something that is less sticky might work to replace glue traps?

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Don't use any sort of tape. It's not recommended to be used in more controlled environments like a tank or tub because serious harm can come to your snake as it tries to get itself free or you try to get it free (I think I remember somebody's snake lost an eye because of an incident with tape). Try more of the bottle traps but please no tape anywhere.

for an attic id probably place a couples shoe boxes in different spots with pinkies or something to attract the snake maybe it will find its way in 1 of those shoe boxes. just be patient

UPDATE:
I have so far eliminated all of the upstairs areas, except for the attic, and I'm going to just keep searching. Do you think it is possible he went down two flights of stairs? I mean, he was really tiny, and the stairs are pretty slippery. I thought it was unlikely, but I'd like to hear your opinions.

I might go back into the attic and just slowly check every, single area I see until dawn if I have to. Right now I just going to go make a bunch of shoe box hiding areas/bottle traps with pinkies to put around the attic while I search.

Thanks for all the support and for keeping me sane during this crazy night.

It's very possible. If you think you can get away with it, put plastic bags over doorways so you can hear when/if he moves over them. I also thought of a place where he might still be in the attic. Did you check the eaves? Where the slope of the inside of the roof meets the 'floor' of the attic? He might have gotten himself into a corner. Check near heating vents. Remember: he'll go somewhere warm and tight.

Also, check his tub again. Check all over the rack, check all the heat tape, check behind the rack and on top and everywhere. Check your female's tub. There's no telling where he's managed to go.

[QUOTE=JaGv;1801696]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robinbanks

I'm going to have to say go with glue traps and plenty of them.QUOTE]

I dont think glue traps are a very good idea for trying to catch a snake i think it would probly mess up some scales. have you had you hand/finger to 1 it probably wasnt nice imagine on a snake getting his head stuck :colbert:

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I'm going to have to say go with glue traps and plenty of them. make sure you tack or tape them down so if it does get caught up in it, it can't carry it around and get itself in more trouble.
If and when you catch it, you can use a hairdryer to warm up the glue a little (from underneath) and make freeing the snake easier.
Pathetic

not very good advice

UPDATE:
Well, after spending a long, long time in the attic putting down hides, I am coming to the conclusion that he is probably dead or close to it. That attic has to be the worse place I have ever been. It literally is like being inside the wall or roof of the house and you have to get around it like very dangerous monkey bars.

Trying to find this guy is like trying to find a needle in a jumbo haystack, with nails sticking out, anti-snake spray on the haystack, a million post, splinters and absolutely darkness. My poor little baby boy.

There were way to many drops into walls and the pink puffy stuff was so deep that I don't think he could of moved through it without being suffocated. Even as now that I'm out of that attic, I still feel like I'm in it being surrounded with pinky puffy air.

I miss him so much, and I pray he didn't suffer and that I'll find him within two days, because then I have to go back in and remove the dead pinkies before they stink...

I can't find anything downstairs either, but I've done some math, and there are about 20,000 places he can be.

Thank you so much everyone for the support, and I now just am going to go through the healing process and hope I'll find him.... :please:

Dont give up!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not giving up, but I feel so helpless. I don't know what more I can do. :(

was he a normal bp

Yes, he was a normal little guy, but he was special in my heart. Well, all animals are special in my heart.

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Originally Posted by JaGv

was he a normal bp

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Why would it matter if he was "normal" or not?..

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Originally Posted by tlich

Why would it matter if he was "normal" or not?..

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lol ^ i was just asking..

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Originally Posted by ReptileJenna

Yes, he was a normal little guy, but he was special in my heart. Well, all animals are special in my heart.

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how long has he been missing give it a couple more days he will pop up somewhere i had a NORMAL bp go in a hole in my wall and came out a couple days later by itself

Really? Wow, that makes me feel a lot better. :)

I pray he comes out. He has been gone I think for about 24 hours or less. I put him away Saturday and discovered him gone Sunday.

yes. and 1 more question how did or would he have a way to the attic?

He escaped from a rack that I've never had issues with until this couple of hatchlings, and he then slithered his way into a closet, then over a step into the attic closet area, which has the entrance to the walls. I found his skin shed about less than a foot away from a small hole in the wall with wires going into it. There is about no other place he could of gone, and I tore up every other place in the upstairs everywhere.

I had no idea it existed, and I plan to seal it up after giving him some time to leave it. I don't want him to be trapped.

was there any clothes in the closet.. couple of weeks ago my 20 inch normal got out of her feeding tub after i forgot i had left her in there.. but i did find her under a jacket 3hours later in my closet

No, there aren't any clothing. It is actually pretty empty.

Is this snake feeding on mice or rats? If it is on rats, I see no reason why it would go for the pinks. I suggest trying rats as well, and I have heard that pythons are crazy for chicken broth, and chicken smells.

Also, I am curious to know what temperature your attic is at? If it is not above 75 degrees, I would recommend bumping it above that.

Best of luck finding your snake!

try looking near warm areas like under a frig or stove and try dark tight spaces like under a dresser good luck and i hope you find him

I really hope you find him. When you do take him to the vet right away.. that insulation isnt good for anyone to inhale for long periods of time.

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Originally Posted by robinbanks

I'm going to have to say go with glue traps and plenty of them.

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This is quite possibly the worst and potentially most dangerous piece of advice I've ever seen given on this Forum...and you went out of your way to give it twice in the same thread? Tell me Robin, is that how you find your BPs after you let them have the run of your place? (No, I haven't forgotten that little tip of the day from you, either)

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Originally Posted by ReptileJenna

I'll give the glue trap a try in everywhere but the attic

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Glad you canceled this idea. It was a tremendously bad piece of advice.

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Originally Posted by ReptileJenna

All I have left of him is his shedded skin...

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Are you positive the shed you found was from your lost BP? Finding snake shed in a attic is not unusual. Just something to consider.

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Originally Posted by ReptileJenna

There is about no other place he could of gone

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No, Ma'am. That is just one of the many, many places he could have gone. I wouldn't be so quick to exclude other areas of the house.

Don't give up hope and keep searching.

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Originally Posted by Slim

No, Ma'am. That is just one of the many, many places he could have gone. I wouldn't be so quick to exclude other areas of the house.

Don't give up hope and keep searching.

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We had a big ol black rat snake that we named Elizabeth that lived in our cabin.. she was huge but you would be shocked that the places we would find her. Dont give up!
also.. if you have a desktop computer check around there... they give off alot of heat. Also the laundry room..
But seriously take a step back, I know its scary but take a breath and just think about where you would want to go if you were cold and had free range. I bet he is closer then you think.

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Originally Posted by Inarikins

He might come down or he might not. Sometimes people find their snakes after years of them being missing. Hopefully he'll get hungry, smell the pinkies, and get himself trapped so you can find him. Don't give up too soon. Keep checking the traps and if you see him wedged in somewhere just be gentle wriggling him out or take whatever he's hiding in and put it in his tub/tank if possible so he can get out on his own.

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Yup, that. One of my friends has an uncle that had a Burm that got loose. Years later as they were moving out they found it, still alive, curled up in one of the heating vents in the basement. Must have just been living off of any wild visitors (hey, free mouse traps!) since they'd given up finding it long ago. Don't stop looking, and remember to check EVERYWHERE, including places you don't think he'll fit. You'd be surprised.