Ball Python stuck in toilet

[Tugstendragon]

Hey all,

Hoping to get some advice. My ball python has found a hole at the back of the toilet and made it her new home. The toilet is too close to the wall for me to get her out. It has been 24h and she hasn’t come out. I had managed to get her a third of the way out with offering her some mice but then she went back inside again. I have put her favourite hide in the bathroom on a heating pad and cooled the room down to try and get to come out but no luck. I also heard that they like tubes so I have also put a cardboard tube next to the toilet but again that did nothing. I’m wondering if anyone has some advice on things I could try to get out and how long I should wait until I just remove the toilet (which would be my last resort). Any tips or tricks or advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!! (Also kinda time sensitive)

edit: I also left her water dish in there too

Thank you,

[jmcrook]

Remove toilet and extract snake


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[XpensiveWino]

Get toilet off and get your snake to a proper secured home.

[Tugstendragon]

Thanks,

Im just worried when I take off the toilet she will go into the sewer pipe, should I risk it anyways?

[Toad37]

Thanks,

Im just worried when I take off the toilet she will go into the sewer pipe, should I risk it anyways?

This is going to be a 2 maybe 3 person operation. One to lift the toilet, one to cover the hole (very quickly), and one to grab the snake should it shoot out. And use this as a learning experience. I'm assuming you were letting your snake wonder about? Or maybe she escaped? Either way when you have your reptiles out you shouldn't let them wonder in a room that you're not 100% sure there's nothing that they can get into like this.

[Tugstendragon]

Yeah I thought I checked it well enough but obviously not. I feel such an idiot right now, I just put her in there a few minuites while I switching her to a new tank and of course that’s all the time it took. Thanks for the advice.

[Toad37]

Good luck and keep up posted. You can get a plastic tub with a locking lid on it for future endeavors. They come in handy for things like switching tanks or even when her tank needs a deep clean and you need to put her somewhere for a few minutes. It doesn't have to be as big as her tank since she won't be in it for long periods of time. Just something small and easy.

[redshepherd]

When I'm cleaning enclosures or need my snakes somewhere else, I put them in a plastic latch tub. Just a little one is fine for a ball python.

[Craiga 01453]

A pillow case also works well for storing the snake while you clean the enclosure

[303_enfield]

First, plug the hole with a towel or something. Now, me I'd take the tank off first (unless a one piece toilet). Turn water off, flush, remove tank lid an use a sponge to remove water left in tank. Disconnect the water line. Use a screwdriver to undo the two (three on some models) brass bolts. Put towels down on the floor or tub. Lift tank an place on towels. Now, see if you can get the snake.

If no. Remove water from bowl an put a towel in it. Lift the plastic caps up on the base of the toilet so you can see the nut. Loosen both side a little bit first. Then undo them an remove the nut from the stem. Now, before you lift the base you're gonna want old towels an or cardboard. Why? The base has a nasty, sticky wax seal an you don't want that on anything. I would put some cardboard next to the base an rock the toilet forward sliding the cardboard over the 4"pipe. 10 to 1 the snake is in a camber you still can get too.

Before you do anything you might want to go to Lowes, Home Depo or your local store. You'll need a new wax ring an toilet base bolts(stems). Might as well get the rebuild kit with the new washers, bolts, gasket like this:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fluidmast...87d2f612ac6bca

If your snake is in a chamber that can't be reached. Lock the base up an wait.

Good luck! If your near OC, Md I have tools.