No electric, lost snake, cold, what a morning!

[lusciousdragon]

Just wanting to complain about my morning. I woke up with a really bad cold with a fever and a headache. I am really flat out SICK. We had a big storm roll through during the night which knocked out our electric. So I didn't sleep well either, it sounded like a tornado was going on outside.

I check on my snakes with a flashlight in the dark to make sure their temps were fine. It isn't all that cold, but I'm a worrier. Somehow one of my tubs in the rack was slid out. I have no idea how that happened. I panic and check the two hides. Nope, of course my only male got out and fell like 4 feet from his tub. He was in there last night when I checked on them before going to bed. I am wondering if my around 16 inch long BP could have some how pushed his tub open or if the cat opened it. No idea. I know the kids didn't do it because if they were going to sneak in the middle of the night to play with snakes they would have opened their own snakes' tubs and not mine.

So I go searching my snake/craft room with a flashlight in the dark and find him up under a big rolling plastic shelving thing. He is terrified and is blindly stricking at the flashlight beam. I would too, I bet that is really scary that big light shining on him. I can't roll it out to get him because his tail is up under one of the wheels. I have no idea what to do. I can't wait on him to move as I have 4 daycare children arriving any minute whom I have to feed breakfast to with no electric in the dark along with my own two children. So I shut the door and tuck a blanket underneath it so he can't leave the room

I go deal with kids for an hour. Electric turns back on yay! So I leave the babies in their playpens and get the other kids set up with some toys and head back up stairs. Of course he is no longer under there and I find him back in a corner with lots of heavy craft stuff all around him. Pulled everything out gently and carefully to not crush him. He let me pick him right up and put him back in his tub. He was icy cold poor thing and covered in dust bunnies.

Blah what a yucky morning. I think everything is back as it should be now. Just no good starting the morning being sick with no electric and a lost snake.
Has anyone had their snake tubs magically open before? How did that happen? I know I didn't accidently leave it open. Is it possible for them to open their tubs or for a cat to stick his foot under the rim of the tub and pull? That sounds like something my cat would do.

[JLC]

It's not physically possible for them to push their own tubs open from the inside...unless there was already a gap large enough for them to wedge a nose into. Wouldn't take much of a gap to allow that to happen though, so be sure to double check. Glad you found him and got him back into his home safe and sound. One night of cool temps probably won't hurt him, but keep an eye on him for the next couple of weeks to watch for any signs of RI.

Sorry you had such a rough morning! I hope you get a chance to slow down and baby yourself...drink some hot broth and take a good long nap!!

[NoLaHeRpEr]

Glad you were able to find him! I used to have a 1x2 that would go in front of the tubs, with a lock on the top and hinge on the bottom, so no one could open my tubs when I was away. Now that it's only my wife and I , and she won't even touch the snakes, I don't have anything to worry about!

[lusciousdragon]

Glad you were able to find him! I used to have a 1x2 that would go in front of the tubs, with a lock on the top and hinge on the bottom, so no one could open my tubs when I was away. Now that it's only my wife and I , and she won't even touch the snakes, I don't have anything to worry about!

That is a good idea. Do you have a picture?