<--Stupid!!

[TekWarren]

Ok so I thought I'd share an idiotic mistake on my part. I fed most of my balls this weekend including the het albino female. Now this girl is currently the smallest ball I have being only a couple months old. I have her in one of the normal rack tubs anyway and have been using spacers/shims under her tub to close the small gap above the tub so she wouldn't be able to squeaze out. I think the gap is maybe around 1/8" or so its not much at all and not an issue for the larger balls...but I do know how these animals can squeeze themselves into tight places. Ok anyway I fed her sunday night along with some of the others. Well last night I worked on some rat tub cleaning and before heading to bed did the usual check of each tub. When I came to her tub my stomach dropped to my toes as I noticed I hadn't replaced the side shims under her tub only the front and back shims. I pulled out her tub and confirmed my worst fear...she was GONE! I think I said oh sh.t before I even pulled the tub and my wife figured it out shortly after. So we start tearing apart the room and are praying this little girl didn't leave the room since we had the door open most of the day since it was a suprisingly hot one...we also have a somewhat newly adopted cat and one of our dogs is jack russel (no need for explanations). Our animal room is also our computer room where our computers currently are and also where I work on customer (side job) computers, so I naturally have some junk odds and ends in the room on the bottum shelf of the setup the rats are on.

To make an already long story short after tearing up the room I found her inside an older computer I had striped out a while back and had not brought myself to throw out yet. I took a huge sigh of relief when I saw that little rascal hanging on that case half inside it. For those of you know how much 100% het albino females cost (and this being my first step into albinos) you can imagine the sick feeling I got when I thought my "investment" and one of my pride and joys had gone missing. I was most concerned that the cat may have gotten her.

I will admit the fault is none other than my own for not double checking the security of her tub and furthermore I should have had her in something with a locking lid untill she put on some weight and girth. I haven't had an escapee in years...but it only takes one time to bring back the realization that attention to detail simply cannot be laxed!

that's my story for the day.

*additions: just to note it is not common practice for us to leave open access to this room to our free roaming pets unless its a very hot day such as yesterday and the ambient room temps start to get high and even then the dogs/cat are not allowed in and know it. We actually don't allow any other animals into the room just for precaution.

[Smulkin]

Glad you found her!

I know the feeling too well though not with such a 'spensive snake. The way your stomach drops at that realization is just worthy of a carnival ride no one should have to get on.

[TekWarren]

You couldn't have said it better! I was real close to cancelling the Tinley Park trip this weekend!



wew...the lessons learned...long time keeper or not!

[Smulkin]

I hear ya.

First cleaning when we got back from the beach held a similar sad surprise - an empty sterilite - bungees still strapped down tight and all on that one - a regular locked-room mystery

[daniel1983]

glad you found her! Getting an more expensive ball python in the collection sure does make you feel like a noob worried about every little detail, doen't it? Before my new girl arrived, I would maybe check in 3-4 times a day to see how things are....now it is like every 15-20 minutes...ha...I can only imagine how I would be if it were a $1000+ snake......I'd just have to pull up a chair I guess.

[TekWarren]

Your exactly right Daniel! I'm even paranoid now about locking up the house better when we take the dogs out for a walk or something...but ya definately have to keep your bearings and try not to get to wigged out with "higher end" animals. I wonder if more prominent breeders who have more exposure to such animals get over this point?

[jglass38]

Glad you found her! I have had a couple escapes and they are nerve wracking. They always seems to head to the same warm place so it has become easier to find them. Having a secure snake room also is helpful. The cats cant get in and the snakes cant get out!

[Eddie_Z]

I am really glad you found her. I have only had one escape incident but it was enough to torment. Just a really terrible feeling. Glad everything worked out well!

[iceman25]

Been there done that Glad you managed to find her!

[TekWarren]

thanks for the kind words everyone! ...and shared experiences LOL I guess it doesn't matter the "value" of the animal so much as knowing it hasn't been injured or killed. I have to be honest though...one of my first thoughts was in the ball park of: missing snake...$500+...wife Some of you should get that picture! Although she was cool about it and while I was freaking out for 2 minutes she had gone and got a flashlight and already started looking.


I was thinking about this incident today and trying to come up with a cool name for her based on her escape and taking refuge in a computer case LOL...but nothing came to mind and then I was busy the rest of the day. For some reason I have NOT gotten into the habbit of naming my reptiles, I've only ever named my very first ball but none after...no special reason though.