immediate help needed

[BCollie]

Excuse any spelling mistakes, I have a snake wrapped around one hand so I'm typing with the other
I just went into my house to see my foster cat starting at something on the ground. I looked closer and there was my $130 King Snake, tail rattling, striking at the perplexed cat. The cat, thank goodness, did not kill him. She's such a good girl. She probably saved his life, I don't think I would have found him if she hadn't been watching him.
I immediately picked him up and thought "oh my god I left his enclosure open"
Went to check and it was closed. I have no idea HOW he got out, he's been living in there for almost 2 weeks and has tried his hardest to escape, to no avail. He is nowhere near big enough to push the top open.
Help! What do I do?? I'm afraid to put him back in his enclosure for fear of him getting out again

[BCollie]

I cannot find any hole that he may have slipped out of. I am stumped

[EL Ziggy]

Hey Adri. I'm glad you found him, it really hurts to lose a snake. Is he in a glass tank with a secured screen top? If he got out once he'll definitely get out again if you don't find and seal his escape route. Best wishes.

[millertime89]

Pics of the setup?

[BCollie]

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3947/14932714214_bb0738a2df_b.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3948/15529755636_9edbbfd35a_b.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3952/15367326848_a97b344aec_b.jpg

He is NOT small enough to fit through the crack in the middle of the screen top, I made sure of that when I first got it. he slithered along the crack but couldn't get through

[millertime89]

Probably pushed up on an edge. You need clips or weight to hold it down.

[Obsidian_Dragon]

What's securing the lid down? I have 4 clips on all of mine.

You can stack heavy books on top to make sure things stay down if you need to, for now.

ETA: Get outta my head, miller. ;)

[BCollie]

He's just a baby, there's no way he could lift up that heavy screen top

[Mikoh4792]

He's just a baby, there's no way he could lift up that heavy screen top

That is most likely how he got out. He doesn't need to lift the screen up all the way, just push it slightly to make an opening. You need clamps/locks or weights to keep it closed.

[CosmicOwl]

He's just a baby, there's no way he could lift up that heavy screen top

You'd be surprised. Many a keeper has lost a snake because they didn't think the snake could do that. Snakes have massive strength for their size, and it's just a matter of getting their head under something and leveraging the gap apart. I'd make sure there are absolutely no gaps between the lid and the tank. Once you've done that, I would find a way of securing the lid. Some people use clips, others use straps or bungee cords. You can also just weigh the lid down with books or scrap wood.

[BCollie]

I will make sure to do that...but what if that isn't how he got out, and ends up getting out again? I'm terrified of losing him :(

[EL Ziggy]

I'm thinking he got out through the top, unless there's a hole somewhere in the tank.

[toddnbecka]

You do need to secure the lid/s, but the new screen clips don't actually have much tension on them. I'm using Oasis Tera Tie Down straps, 2 on each screen top, ordered them from Amazon. In the meantime a couple of bricks on the corners should contain your new wee Houdini.

[sharthun]

I'm thinking he got out through the top, unless there's a hole somewhere in the tank.

I agree. Looks like he could squeeze through the slot in the middle.

[BCollie]

Sharthun, he didn't get out there, I'm positive. That was a concern of mine when I saw the big gap in the middle of the screen so I set him down on it. He tried to go down into the tank through it but couldn't.

I put some books on the 4 corners of the screen, tomorrow I'm going to go buy more screen clips...I really hope that's how he got out(pushing up a corner of the screen) because if not then he's probably going to get out again and next time I probably won't have so much luck finding him.

[BCollie]

I will also see if I can get the Tie Down things to fit my tank

[sharthun]

Sharthun, he didn't get out there, I'm positive. That was a concern of mine when I saw the big gap in the middle of the screen so I set him down on it. He tried to go down into the tank through it but couldn't.

I put some books on the 4 corners of the screen, tomorrow I'm going to go buy more screen clips...I really hope that's how he got out(pushing up a corner of the screen) because if not then he's probably going to get out again and next time I probably won't have so much luck finding him.

Trust me, snakes can squeeze through the tiniest openings. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

[Obsidian_Dragon]

They're surprising little buggers.

http://36.media.tumblr.com/db04f5307434b76fb13c006a23a0c1c3/tumblr_nbpdkkmyPk1qdg59lo2_1280.jpg

[EL Ziggy]

Trust me, snakes can squeeze through the tiniest openings. Better safe than sorry. Good luck.

^^^Copy that.^^^

[millertime89]

I've got an escape artist, you would be surprised what they can do to get out. I finally got mine in a locking cage because he kept getting out of everything else. And by locking I mean an Animal Plastics cage with a key and a gap in the glass big enough that only a baby corn snake could get through. (My escape artist is a juvenile retic.)

[BCollie]

Help!! He got out again, and this time I can't find him! I saw him in his enclosure last night, this morning there was a shed in there...I looked through the bottom of the tank and didn't see him buried in the substrate so I took EVERYTHING out and tore apart the enclosure....he's gone! The top was weighted down with books. What do I do?!

[EL Ziggy]

They usually don't go too far. Close off the room if you can and check any nearby heat sources. You can try setting a pinky inside a bottlenecked container and see if he comes out. Best wishes, I really hope you find him.

[Cmwells90]

Honestly, follow your cat again, they've helped me find loads of snakes that have escaped, check warm dark places first, usually anything close to the cage. Honestly if there are no holes in the glass (Which I imaigine you would have spotted by now) and you had the lid weighted down, then the gap in the middle is the only option, to the snake that's his only way out and he'll do whatever to get out if he can. I've lost many snakes because I thought I was smarter than the snake and it couldn't possibly get out, so always better to be safe than sorry.

[EL Ziggy]

The weighing down with books method never worked for me either. They will find and exploit any weak spot.

[Cmwells90]

The weighing down with books method never worked for me either. They will find and exploit any weak spot.

That's true, remember they have nothing but time to find a part of the lid that will lift up for them.

[BCollie]

I found him...he's alive and unharmed...will post details after I stop shaking

[Obsidian_Dragon]

I'm glad you found him!

(I'm now having nightmares about my garter escaping because I stuck a branch in her cage last night. This is going to be a long work day.)

[drumcrush]

I'm glad you found him!

(I'm now having nightmares about my garter escaping because I stuck a branch in her cage last night. This is going to be a long work day.)

I stuck a tree in my garters tank that reached the top, I've been pretty nervous too lol no escapes so far:p

[shaunyboy]

He's just a baby, there's no way he could lift up that heavy screen top

you would be surprized how strong a snake can be even a young one

the only way he could have got out was by pushing the top up enough to squeeze out

until you get clips.lay some heavy books on the top to weigh it down



cheers shaun

[Bloutitt]

My kenan was Houdini use to perplex me on how he got out! I'm 100% certain it is that slit in the middle I had a similar lid on my corn's enclosure! He did it once I changed the top and haven't had a problem since.