Worst nightmare - escaped snake!

All, I could really use some tips and positive vibes right now. About 30 minutes ago I discovered that our Bredli's lid wasn't fully on. My husband forgot to close her lid after misting her tank last night. She is not in her cage. I have no idea where she is and I am praying that a dog didn't get her last night. So far I've blocked off and gone through our room where we keep the snakes with no luck. I'm about to go through it again inch by inch before moving on to the rest of the house.

If she were a ball python I'd be less concerned, as they tend to pick a spot close by and just sit there. Does anyone have any advice as to how to try to track her down? Any idea how far she might go? She is only about 100 grams, so slender but long. Tonight is feeding night and I know she's hungry, so I'm hoping maybe the scent will draw her out?

ARRRGH this is basically my worst nightmare. I am so bummed out and pretty upset with my husband, as he had a crappy attitude last night while misting and obviously wasn't paying attention.

Positive thoughts heading your way. Wish I could help with info. - I don't own a Bredli. Maybe they go down? Maybe they like up? Mine seem to gravitate toward closets - even if the space is bone chilling cold. I actually worry more about forgotten mouse traps than my three dogs. They sniff the snakes all the time, and are like...meh.

Good luck!
Keep us posted.

Good luck and I hope you find her quick. I've never had a carpet get out but I would probably check things up high that they could perch on. It's amazing how they can hold onto things with their tail. So if your checking things like drapes, don't just check the curtain rod but also check the fabric all the way down.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by distaff

Positive thoughts heading your way. Wish I could help with info. - I don't own a Bredli. Maybe they go down? Maybe they like up? Mine seem to gravitate toward closets - even if the space is bone chilling cold. I actually worry more about forgotten mouse traps than my three dogs. They sniff the snakes all the time, and are like...meh.

Good luck!
Keep us posted.

---

I would triple check the closet. They're semi arboreal so there's a chance she could've went up on the hangers, even inside a hanging shirt or something like that. Good luck! Hope you find her soon!

So sorry about your nightmare...I'm with the others here...look up! I hope you can draw her out with the scent of food, but hiding may be too seductive?

I used to play "hide & seek" with my snakes in a safe & fairly empty room, one at a time for exercise: I once found a rat snake inside a coat hanging in the closet
and the only thing I saw was the tail tip coming out from a buttonhole! :D The snake was having fun hanging out with the coat vertically inside...LOL.

Don't know what kind of dog you have or how much you can control & trust, but dogs or cats (ON LEASHES) can often help us find "lost" snakes. Good luck!!!

Yeah....I know the feeling. It sucks. Definitely sending you some positive vibes. Hope you find her. As others have said, keep us posted.

Sorry your Bredli got out for a stroll Willow. I'd look upward more than downward when searching for a carpet but exhaust all your options. Maybe try keeping the lid off of his enclosure and leaving a meal in there overnight. I hope you find her SOON.

Thank you everyone. So far no luck. We are tearing our room apart piece by piece. I've also checked the kids' rooms. I will get to the upper half of our closet next. I'm hoping she stayed in our room because it's warmer than anywhere else in the house by far. We are leaving the lid of her tank off, too.

This is the state of our room right now. Not a good place for a snake to escape. 1,000 hiding spots.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...174471a8c3.jpg

Sent from my H3123 using Tapatalk

One of my ball pythons, Whiskey, got out the other night while I was at work. I absentmindedly forgot to secure the lid to his tank and the little 165 gram Houdini took full advantage of that. My wife texted me about half way through my shift and said that one of my snakes was out, and in our master bath. He had slipped into a little 2 inch wide gap under the bathroom cabinet. Every time my wife approached him, he'd pull back into his hiding spot. I asked her to rolled up some towels and placed them under our closet door and bedroom door and I would search for him when I got home later that night. My thinking was that when the room was dark, he'd come out to explore - I, luckily was correct. When I got home he was "strolling" along the tiles near the toilet. I easily picked him up, gave him a quick once over, placed him back in his tank, and made sure to secure the lid and went to bed. I did a through exam later in the morning and he was fine.

My advice would be to make the room(s) as dark as possible, and maybe the little bugger will come out. Good luck.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skeptiball

One of my ball pythons, Whiskey, got out the other night while I was at work. I absentmindedly forgot to secure the lid to his tank and the little 165 gram Houdini took full advantage of that. My wife texted me about half way through my shift and said that one of my snakes was out, and in our master bath. He had slipped into a little 2 inch wide gap under the bathroom cabinet. Every time my wife approached him, he'd pull back into his hiding spot. I asked her to rolled up some towels and placed them under our closet door and bedroom door and I would search for him when I got home later that night. My thinking was that when the room was dark, he'd come out to explore - I, luckily was correct. When I got home he was "strolling" along the tiles near the toilet. I easily picked him up, gave him a quick once over, placed him back in his tank, and made sure to secure the lid and went to bed. I did a through exam later in the morning and he was fine.

My advice would be to make the room(s) as dark as possible, and maybe the little bugger will come out. Good luck.

---

Lots of people don't know about those gaps under bath & kitchen cabinets, at least not until their snake finds out about them first! :rolleyes:
(I found out many years ago, when my adult bull snake got loose, found it & brumated for 6 mos. before coming back out.)
I'm so glad you got your snake back so quickly. :gj:

it's such a great big world for a smoll lil snek! i'm sending all the good vibes the lil one will turnup.

are there other snake enclosures in this room? if your hubby forgot to secure the lid to the Bredli, he may have forgotten to do the same to other ones. if so, the Bredli could have gotten into a different enclosure and is hanging out w/ another snake. i've heard this happen before. an owner would look for a lost snake everywhere around the house only to find 2 snakes together when it was time to clean or handle.

best of luck!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Lots of people don't know about those gaps under bath & kitchen cabinets, at least not until their snake finds out about them first! :rolleyes:
(I found out many years ago, when my adult bull snake got loose, found it & brumated for 6 mos. before coming back out.)
I'm so glad you got your snake back so quickly. :gj:

---

You're exactly right, Bogertophis. I had no clue those gaps were there. How many times does one lay down on their bathroom floor and look under their cabinets? :oops:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skeptiball

You're exactly right, Bogertophis. I had no clue those gaps were there. How many times does one lay down on their bathroom floor and look under their cabinets? :oops:

---

And how many of us are small enough to see those gaps? But for a snake on the floor, it's just about eye level. :snake: "Look! I found a CAVE!" Hey snakes, :colbert: :colbert::colbert:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ax01

it's such a great big world for a smoll lil snek! i'm sending all the good vibes the lil one will turnup.

are there other snake enclosures in this room? if your hubby forgot to secure the lid to the Bredli, he may have forgotten to do the same to other ones. if so, the Bredli could have gotten into a different enclosure and is hanging out w/ another snake. i've heard this happen before. an owner would look for a lost snake everywhere around the house only to find 2 snakes together when it was time to clean or handle.

best of luck!

---

That was the first thing I checked, and unfortunately Zelda was the only one where the lid was not fully closed. It was about a 1/2 inch gap, plenty big for her to get through.

At this point we're going to wait until it's dark and we'll also feed half of the snakes. The other half we will feed tomorrow. I'm really hoping she's still in our bedroom, as that is the safest spot for her in terms of 1) temperature and 2) other animals. Thankfully our cats have been hanging out in the cat room downstairs for the past few days, and that's pretty well blocked off. The dogs, though... I do not think they would be kind to any moving small critter. :/

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skeptiball

You're exactly right, Bogertophis. I had no clue those gaps were there. How many times does one lay down on their bathroom floor and look under their cabinets? :oops:

---

Thank you, I have checked under the bathroom vanity.

One things for certain, this lost snake is making me realize how much I need to deep clean some areas of my house. Talk about dust bunnies and random crap everywhere!

Sorry to hear she got loose, hoping she will be alright and turn up soon! Trying to entice her out with food scent at night might work. My friend lost a milk snake for four months but eventually found him again after her family got a pet rabbit. They found the milk snake had been drawn out of hiding by the rabbit scent and was right beside the rabbit enclosure investigating it. Not that he had any hope of swallowing something that big, but I guess he was really hungry after all that time without food.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Luvyna

Sorry to hear she got loose, hoping she will be alright and turn up soon! Trying to entice her out with food scent at night might work. My friend lost a milk snake for four months but eventually found him again after her family got a pet rabbit. They found the milk snake had been drawn out of hiding by the rabbit scent and was right beside the rabbit enclosure investigating it. Not that he had any hope of swallowing something that big, but I guess he was really hungry after all that time without food.

---

One thing snakes aren't is "logical". :rofl: But it's very cool that the snake was found safe & in time. (the rabbit could have killed him with a bite or kick)

Argh, I hope she turns up soon! Your post did remind me of the "What to do if your snake escapes" video from Snake Discovery, which included some tips and tricks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb3IbkDgOvI

If any of that might help at all, could be worth a try!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

One thing snakes aren't is "logical". :rofl: But it's very cool that the snake was found safe & in time. (the rabbit could have killed him with a bite or kick)

---

It was definitely a nice surprise to see him turn up! Luckily I think the mesh of the rabbit enclosure was fine enough that the two animals couldn't reach each other, a rabbit could certainly hurt a snake pretty badly.

Try turning your thermostat down and put a hide out with a heat mat under it. Check it periodically and you might get lucky. I’ve only had snakes escape when I was a kid because we housed them incorrectly. If you have a screen top get clips and put books on top for safety. It might be best to get a more appropriate snake enclosure.
I remember we found my childhood corn under the pool table. She was pretty much just sitting right out in the open. We got really lucky that she didn’t go into the vents or sump pump reservoir. Best of luck!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MarkL1561

Try turning your thermostat down and put a hide out with a heat mat under it. Check it periodically and you might get lucky. I’ve only had snakes escape when I was a kid because we housed them incorrectly. If you have a screen top get clips and put books on top for safety. It might be best to get a more appropriate snake enclosure.
I remember we found my childhood corn under the pool table. She was pretty much just sitting right out in the open. We got really lucky that she didn’t go into the vents or sump pump reservoir. Best of luck!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

---

Thank you, we do use screen clips and books. This happened because the lid got lifted during misting and was then not put down correctly.

We are definitely in the process of switching every snake we have to PVC enclosures, though, as I prefer them.

Best of luck, hope you find her fast! God Speed!

clothes laying around and laundry...

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thank you everyone for your kind words and tips. We still have not found her. I am in the process of going through every piece of laundry to see if maybe she's hiding there.

I had a dream that we found her last night. I am trying to remain optimistic because it's only been ~24-48 hours since she's been missing, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm never going to see her again. :(

Trying to find a 100 gram snake in a well-loved (AKA somewhat cluttered) house is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Sent from my H3123 using Tapatalk

Have you taken apart any dressers? Snakes love to slide around behind them, then find their way up into or under the drawers. (be careful...& obviously
check among the contents too) Let's hope she's doing your laundry...;) I know how frustrating this is, but don't lose hope or give up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WhompingWillow

Thank you everyone for your kind words and tips. We still have not found her. I am in the process of going through every piece of laundry to see if maybe she's hiding there.

I had a dream that we found her last night. I am trying to remain optimistic because it's only been ~24-48 hours since she's been missing, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm never going to see her again. :(

Trying to find a 100 gram snake in a well-loved (AKA somewhat cluttered) house is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Sent from my H3123 using Tapatalk

---

Another helpful hint... Be extremely careful when walking around and sitting on furniture. It’s common for them to curl up in blankets you may have on the couch or floor. Also, if you have dogs/cats keep an eye on them so they don’t eat your noodle. I really hope you guys find the little dude soon! [emoji1695]Oh, if you have floor vents make sure they’re closed too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

do not lose hope. we found my tiny baby corn snake 4 or 5 weeks later rustling around in a grocery bag on my dresser.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Did you take the bed frame apart yet? And I agree about gaps under the counters and sinks. I had a small cat get stuck in that space once. In our house there is a gap that you can feel if you put your hand way up and under the baseboard of the bathroom cabinets.

Keep your head up Willow! All is not lost. I'm an optimist and believe she'll show up soon! :snake: :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Have you taken apart any dressers? Snakes love to slide around behind them, then find their way up into or under the drawers. (be careful...& obviously
check among the contents too) Let's hope she's doing your laundry...;) I know how frustrating this is, but don't lose hope or give up.

---

Only my kids use dressers, so thankfully they're a bit smaller. I've searched in every drawer, under, and behind. :/ Today was laundry day anyway, so I still have a bit to go through. I'm turning out every item before putting it in the washer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FollowTheSun

Did you take the bed frame apart yet? And I agree about gaps under the counters and sinks. I had a small cat get stuck in that space once. In our house there is a gap that you can feel if you put your hand way up and under the baseboard of the bathroom cabinets.

---

We have an Ikea bedframe with four drawers underneath. We haven't taken it completely apart, but we did remove all the drawers to look through those and under the bed with a flashlight. Also removed the mattress to look down through the slats.

It's just amazing how well a snake can seem to disappear! Hopefully soon you'll have a good story to tell about this -one with a happy ending. :please:
Snakes are just so darned good at "hide & seek"! :snake:

OMG I have the best news! Look who showed up!!! :D:D:D My husband found her on our main level. My son's tablet was plugged in and he found her wrapped around the charging brick. The outlet also happened to be right next to a heat vent. Smart snake! I am so beyond relieved that we've found her and that this had a happy ending. I checked her over and she seemed fine except for being chilly, so I let her warm up a bit at room temperature upstairs where it's warmer before putting her back in her tank. Here's to 100% double checking that lids are fully closed and secured from now on so we hopefully NEVER have to go through this again!

Edited to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone for your well wishes and advice. Hearing tricks about good hiding spots to check and stories of how other snakes have escaped for various lengths of time only to be recovered alive and well really, really helped, especially when my brain automatically turns to the worst possible outcome. :grouphug:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/4grBmJJ.jpg

That's great, I am very glad to hear that you found her!

Yay!!!!! AWESOME news!!!!! I'm so happy you found her!!!

YESSSSSSSSS! I knew you'd find her! Happy dance!!! :dance::banana::pinkele::dance::carrot:

I had a feeling and it came true!! Now if I could only win the lotto :). Congrats on finding her!

So happy you found her quickly! Nice to hear she found herself a temporary heat source too.

So happy you found her! I've been checking the forum every hour since you lost her just to seen when she'd come home! Congrats!!!

What a relief!

So happy!

Congratulations! So glad you found her so quickly...and I’m sure she thought it was a great adventure. :rolleyes:

Oh, thank goodness! I'm so glad she turned up, and none the worse for wear!

ah - warming herself on the ol' power brick i see. another item to put on "look here first" :)

so happy u found that cute lil baby.

That really is impressive that she found a somewhat warm place to hang out. (but I'd still tell her she's "grounded"!)

I know exactly what you were going though WWillow. My TP rat snake went missing for 8 weeks and you would never of guessed where he was found....In a container where we store our fresh cat litter!!! Soo glad you found your little noodle and all is ok. Its pretty nerve-wreaking isnt it!! :tricho: