Yes, I put him on the door handle for no reason. And then the unexpected happened: russian rat snakes can defy gravity.
Okay, he's actually climbing down by pushing against both sides of the door crack using muscles left and right, all the way down his body. But still, it surprised me when he started going for the door crack and making his way down. I even offered him a hand, but he refused for awhile. (Eventually he took my hand... how sweet)