You BP-keepers sure are lucky! Of the snakes I've ever had escape (all of them many years ago) all 4 were more active types that sure didn't follow
that rule about staying close by, much less "a few feet away", lol. But I got three of them back quickly, the exception- my very enterprising adult female
bull snake (Tara*) that hibernated for 6 months under a kitchen cupboard, where I suspected she was, by process of elimination, but where I couldn't verify
until she made a dramatic appearance on my kitchen floor one night in May, about 10 pm. I was SO relieved & happy to have her safely back. When she
was first given to me, she had a bit of an attitude (hence her name Tara bull snake, pronounced "terri-ble" snake", lol) but by the time she disappeared,
her mischief was a thing of the past, except for the escape; it was her first & last big adventure, she settled down & produced some feisty offspring for me,
with her unrelated mate, Fulla ("full o' bull snake") and both lived good long lives.