Escapee Snake and Animal Control...

[puckett26]

*Warning, Long Post*
I havent posted here in a while but I have been trolling the forums, but I have an interested story to tell.
Heres a little background, I moved into my apartment at the end of August. When i was signing the lease I told the Property manager that at the time I had 7 Leopard Geckos, 2 Fat Tail Geckos, 4 Ball Pythons, 3 Corn Snakes, 2 Bearded Dragons and 2 Kenyan Sand Boas (I have downsized to just the Balls, corn snakes and beardies). She said that it was ok as long as they wouldnt be roaming the apartment freely and they were in tanks. So we move in and a month or 2 later we get a new Property manager thats an animal lover. Upon finding out I had the beardies and snakes she came up regularly to see them and hold. She even went as far as when the apartment does its yearly pest control, she took all our animals in her office till it was safe to go back in!
Ok now to the story...well to make this short, about 2 1/2 weeks ago I was feeding the corns (which are babies about 5-6 months old) and didnt put the lid back on. About 48hours later when i go to check on the snakes I noticed he was gone. Me and my wife tore apart the house looking for him with no luck. I set up a hide with heat mat and everything. Well about a week ago the property manager came and said that the lady down stairs called the regional maintenance number in the middle of the night because she seen a snake under her stove. I guess he got into the walls/floor somehow. She said she had no issue with the snakes but her bosses might. She then proceeded to show the maintenance guy the other baby corn so he knew what he was looking for. They then caulked the "suspected" holes in our apartment and the ones in the old ladies apartment in order to trap him where he was. We heard nothing about it over the last week, I figured he had died. Well about 2 hours ago she had found him and brought him to us in a bucket. He was still alive but looked a little rough. She was pretty broken up over it and was crying. She left and we set him up a bin stuff (we switch to a rack system). About 45 minutes later animal control shows up. I'm thinking to myself oh crap I gotta get my game face on . She tells us that she needed to check on the animals to make sure they were being taking care of correctly. We obliged. Well we show her the escapee corn first then the Ball pythons. She goes off on rant about how the bins were unacceptable because the snakes need lights and a heat rock. So I then had to sit there and explain to her why she was wrong about the heat rock and I showed her the heat tape. She didnt believe me so she pulled a bin out and touch it. She was then like "OH...ok thats ok then!" She said that doesnt explain the light and I then explained the meaning of nocturnal animal and that the lights in the room provided enough light for their day/night cycle. Once again I got an "OH...ok thats ok then!" She then went over to my beardies and said they need UVA/UVB correct? I said yes lady that is a Power Sun bulb, it provides both. Want to guess the response I got this time? "Oh...ok thats ok then.
She then advised me to take the corn to the Vet (which I planned too already) and she told me I had very nice setups lol. So I guess its now up to the apartment owners if I have to remove my snakes (I refuse to, they will have to kick me out ). But it just amazed me that the ever so mighty animal control officer had no clue what she was talking about. I was proud of myself because the look on her face when i started running facts off to her. Thought you guys might find this interesting. Ill post pics of my snakes and my rack when I get home today. Thanks for reading

[kc261]

You got lucky that the animal control officer was one that was willing to admit she didn't know as much as you did about how to keep your snakes.

Glad this (so far) has a happy ending, and I hope the owners of the apartments don't make trouble for you.

[Kaorte]

Just goes to show you that even "experts" sometimes have no idea what they are talking about.

[Elise.m]

Cool story. Sure glad you got a nice animal control officer!

[redstormlax12]

Just goes to show you that even "experts" sometimes have no idea what they are talking about.

So true. Look at the so called "experts" on that monster quest. Too many "experts" know nothing about what they claim to be "experts" in. If these people are "experts" then most of us on this forum should get an automatic PHD.

[zantedeschia]

Is your little one okay?

[kurtkoils]

They don't know much at Petsmart either. I buy frozen there, and their reptile "expert" asked me what kind of snake I had. When I told her I had a BP, she started rattling off some very false information about how Balls are notoriously good eaters. Haha. I told her that I have no problem feeding mine, but that all of the research I've read says that she is wrong. She also claimed that her Ball was 7 feet long and eating rabbits at 1 year old. I told her that I didn't think we were talking about the same animal and she told me that I needed to do some more research to make sure I was keeping my snake correctly. Haha. It's funny how some "experts" are.

[j_h_smith]

Animal Control Officers are NOT retile experts. Most don't even know dogs and cats that well. Forget about reptile husbandry. I wouldn't trust any of them to give advise on any reptiles.

Jim Smith

[puckett26]

Yea they are definately not experts on every different type of animal, but you would think they would atleast send someone out with a clue, lol. The little corn has gotten very very skinny, to the point were it looks like he will have trouble taking down a pinky. I seen him drink some water which was a good thing. He is very very jumpy and skittish now. I'm taking him to the vet today to see what they say.

[singingtothewheat]

They don't know much at Petsmart either. I buy frozen there, and their reptile "expert" asked me what kind of snake I had. When I told her I had a BP, she started rattling off some very false information about how Balls are notoriously good eaters. Haha. I told her that I have no problem feeding mine, but that all of the research I've read says that she is wrong. She also claimed that her Ball was 7 feet long and eating rabbits at 1 year old. I told her that I didn't think we were talking about the same animal and she told me that I needed to do some more research to make sure I was keeping my snake correctly. Haha. It's funny how some "experts" are.

Those people are nuts at petfart and petpoo. They don't have a clue. I went in to buy mice once and had to sign a form saying I wasn't breeding/feeding. I saw they had a ball python and asked just what exactly she fed them. All I got was a hateful look. lol