Lost During Move

[PhoenixGate]

So after nearly three weeks of conflict with my former roommate and moving out, the last thing I had to move was my corn snake and ball python. I finally found a home for them, go to pick them up and what do I find? A note on top of the ball python's tank saying 'where's my -couldn't read the last word- from my roommate and no snake in the tank. I turned over the entire house looking for him, even looking into couches and underneath the kitchen sink and cupboards. Nothing. So I set up his tank on the floor without the screen top, with food under the heating lamp an water. I was hoping the psycho roommate would stay away from the house for one more night so I could attempt to lure him in.

No dice. The roommate came home, turned on the heater and all the lights, and then rummaged around to look for my snake while I wasn't there. She effectively ruined any chance of my getting Sir Giles back. I still half suspect she got someone to chuck him out the front door. I'm seriously pissed and mourning the snake, who I rescued a year ago from very neglectful owners. They had kept him for five years, feeding him one pinky mouse every other week. He was only 300 grams when I got him at five years old, and I was able to get him back up to par. He was around 500-600 grams when he was lost. I've done everything I can to recover him, but I still feel awful. The entire experience with the roommate was awful as well, and this is the worst ending I could think of for it.

On a slightly happier note, the corn snake has been moved and was fed the food I put out to try and get my ball python back. She ate the second prey item on the way over to the new house, I totally expected her to ignore it while in the car but nope. She ate like a champ again.

[ballpythonluvr]

Check everywhere! I had a big male normal once that escaped twice when I kept him in a tank. Search high and low. Think like a snake here. Especially check near anything that produces heat. These snakes will hide in the most unlikely spots so do not give up! I honestly hope no one chucked that poor little boy out the door. I would be super pissed if I found out that happened. Please keep us updated.

[HerpetualObscurity]

I would probably kill anyone who touched let alone purposefully harmed any of my animals. I really hope you find your snake and when you do press charges on that idiot of a room mate. They had no right touching your stuff, and they put the life of your snake in danger... I think that qualifies as abuse. Best of luck.

[shadowsnakes]

One trick to finding a sneaky lost snake is making flour lines on the floor near suspected hide spots. They crawl through the flour and make tracks leading right to their location. Unlike tape it won't harm your snake's skin and it cleans up easily. I hope your little lost one is found!

[Reinz]

FWIW- I let mine out to play for hours a few times a week in his own room. Since the house is climate controlled, when he is done playing he can't find a heat source, but he ALWAYS finds a dark, quiet hiding spot.
Sometimes I don't have the heart to put him up. I just let him spend the night in his new hide.

Please let us know if you find your snake.

[Bluebonnet Herp]

I would probably kill anyone who touched let alone purposefully harmed any of my animals. I really hope you find your snake and when you do press charges on that idiot of a room mate. They had no right touching your stuff, and they put the life of your snake in danger... I think that qualifies as abuse. Best of luck.

Entirely agreed. Anyone who touches my animals without my prior approval is at risk for having a meat-pudding face.

OP, I'd be interrogating that roommate if I were you, and keep looking! BP's tend not to go too far when loose.

[PhoenixGate]

I did check everywhere, underneath and behind every appliance, I shined a light in every nook and cranny in the house. I feel that if he had gotten out on his own I would have found him. Unfortunately due to the circumstances of the move I am no longer welcome on the property and technically am no longer living there. I can't do any further searches for him myself. I thought about the flor/corn startch idea even though the entire place is carpeted, but it wouldn't have done anything anyway because the former roommate is now habitating the place and has had no respect for my property in the past. She's terrified of snakes, and when I finished moving out the tanks and the corn snake she looked entirely too comfortable for someone with a snake phobia who knows there's a loose snake in the house.

I am immensely angry and upset. Even if the snake turned up now, I seriously doubt I would be contacted to retrieve it. They would either kill him or give him away. I cried pretty hard when I get settled into the shelter for the night yesterday. I think this especially hurts because I rescued him in the first place and just got him up to par. I was just about ready to spend $200 on my next feeding bill, getting him several sizes of frozen rats to move him up as he gained weight. I had probed him as well and was 90% sure he was a female, and was proud to think that one day that ball python would produce clutches for me. Now all of that is gone, and there is very little I can do except bring up the fact that she probably killed my snake in small claims court.

I'm also reearching ways to deal with the landlord. That's another long and painful story but the end result is, my snake is missing and probably dead and I'm facing possibly being forced to pay my awful ex-landlord for November's rent while I'm living in a homeless shelter, as well as loosing the part of the pet deposit I had already paid.

[Reinz]

Sorry to hear that things Suck right now.

I wish the the best for you working through things.

[bcr229]

I'm also reearching ways to deal with the landlord. That's another long and painful story but the end result is, my snake is missing and probably dead and I'm facing possibly being forced to pay my awful ex-landlord for November's rent while I'm living in a homeless shelter, as well as loosing the part of the pet deposit I had already paid.

If you don't want to share the details that's fine, but I used to be a landlady so if you're willing to share your story in the off-topic cafe I might have some ideas that would help.

[Crazymonkee]

Sorry that whole thing sucks, henceforth why I hate people

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