Lost and Found

[Minkness]

So, it's feeding night for me. I've pulled the f/t feeders, thawed them out, and I'm ready to feed. I go to feed one of my more voracious hoggie males first. I notice he's not out and about as usual so I search his little 5 gallon tank....not a lot of places to hide and I realize fairly quickly...he's gone....now, this is the same one that somehow got lost in my car the same day I got him....

Needless to say I begin the search effors immediately. I pull all the tanks I can to look behind them. Pull all the stuff tucked under or behind things, looking along floor boards and in my closet. (Mind you, my room is pretty messy and cramped at the moment). Almost in tears and shaking, I stop and think. Ok...his tank is on this shelf. Where can he get to from this shelf? I have a tub of mouse supplies and a milk crate of reptile supplies on the bottom of the shelf unit right next to his tank. I pull out the tub firat since it's the closest to his tank. Nope, no snake. Right as I push it back onto the shelf I look over to pull out the milk xrate....and there he is, head poked out and looking at me like "food? I smell food..." so, afraid he might pull back in and get away from me, I try to baite him out like a fish...remarkably it worked! He's now back in his tank and really pissed off at me. He dropped the feeder and is now refusing to eat in his little tantrum. I'll offer again in an hour or so and see if he takes it. For now, enjoy this pic...

[Jim Smith]

I'm glad that you found him so quickly. I've have two escape and I was fortunate like you in that I found the second one within a few moments. I've been through the long drawn out process of looking for an escaped snake and it's a real pain in the butt.

[Klaire]

I am so pleased for you that you found your little cheeky bugger! I definitely know the feeling of shaking and being nearly in tears. When i first got my jcp i had only had her for 2 days. While i was waiting for her proper enclosure to arrive i had to keep her at my fathers in a huge 6ft tank outside (it was outside because it was too big to move inside and she was only going to be there for another couple days) anywho i went over there every morning to see her/change her water etc and one morning i lifted her hide where she had always been since i got her and she wasn't there my heart stopped but i didn't let myself freak until i checked the rest of her hides substrate etc after ripping everything out and checking everything precisely my heart sank and i knew at that moment she was indeed missing i was frantic searching everything like the lawn mower anything that i saw i tore apart after hours of searching and because the tank was outside i was convinced she had wandered too far from the patio into the backyard and was gone for good. at that moment i let myself break down i had only had her 2 days and i loved her loads distraught and as a last attempt i put her hide on the ground near the tank with a thawed pinkie under it with her heat lamp turned on above it hoping she would smell the food and feel the warmth and go to her favourite hide i decided to go home i came back to my dads the next day to check the hide as i lifted it up my last hopes sank that i would ever find her. she wasn't there. i went home and didn't visit my dad for about 3 days. on the 5th day i went and visited my dad around 6pm he was looking with my little brother for some ghekos in the front yard (my little brother loved to catch them then let them go) i said to him i always see them near the light out the back so i went out the back and turned my flash light on my phone on instead of the patio light so i wouldn't scare any potential ghekos near by as i shon it upwards to the roof i scanned along the walls where i usually see them sitting and as i scanned across the top of the door frame there she was with her head resting on the frame! i couldn't believe my eyes i quickly grabbed a chair from inside put it near the door stood on it and grabbed her from sitting ontop of the door frame i could not believe she was sitting on the top of the door frame for 5 days going on 6. i felt so worried for her as it had been quite cold the last few nights so i went to the vets checked her over and she was fine. needless to say i was so thrilled that i had my girl back and i could now take her home and put her in her new proper enclosed tank that had arrived after she went missing and have it be put to use.

So my little point to my lost & found story is look up as well! most people look on the ground/underneath things etc like i did. sometimes they can be where you least expect. i'm just so lucky that on that night my father & little brother were looking for ghekos and that i helped because if i didn't i would have never looked up and found mercy. :)

[EL Ziggy]

Congrats on the successful recoveries Mink & Klaire. Great news!

[Albert Clark]

Congrats on finding the escapees! I know the feeling of both escaped snake and found snake. That is why everyone is in a tub with a securing latch or peg. It's a must.

[Minkness]

I am seriously considering tubs for my hogs, but I also like them being on display....hmmmm....it's certainly something to think about.

[EL Ziggy]

I prefer display enclosures too. For me watching my snakes is the most fun part of keeping them. I don't think it's the enclosures that are usually responsible for the escapes. I think it's mostly our mistakes in properly securing our enclosures. I've left a top off of a tub and a tank. I've also forgotten to lock a pvc cage. The snakes just take advantage of our human errors. :)

[trailblazer295]

I prefer display enclosures too. For me watching my snakes is the most fun part of keeping them. I don't think it's the enclosures that are usually responsible for the escapes. I think it's mostly our mistakes in properly securing our enclosures. I've left a top off of a tub and a tank. I've also forgotten to lock a pvc cage. The snakes just take advantage of our human errors. :)

That's why I like PVC cages. No tops to wedge open, assuming the latches are closed they can't get out and if you pull the key it's literally locked in. That said I might have a snake in a 10g tank with a screen lid in the near future. Generally I'd buy PVC cages for my snakes when feasible due to the security aspect. Also a snake might feel less exposed with only one piece of clear wall vs a tank or tub. But this option is more expensive then a glass tank.

[EL Ziggy]

That's why I like PVC cages. No tops to wedge open, assuming the latches are closed they can't get out and if you pull the key it's literally locked in. That said I might have a snake in a 10g tank with a screen lid in the near future. Generally I'd buy PVC cages for my snakes when feasible due to the security aspect. Also a snake might feel less exposed with only one piece of clear wall vs a tank or tub. But this option is more expensive then a glass tank.

I love my pvc cages. They're my favorite enclosures by far. I still have to be extra vigilant with my security protocols :). The other day I didn't slide the glass door all the way shut when changing water. And a few weeks ago I forgot to lock one of the sliding glass doors. It's a good thing one snake was in shed and the other had just eaten or I could have been in trouble.

[trailblazer295]

I love my pvc cages. They're my favorite enclosures by far. I still have to be extra vigilant with my security protocols :). The other day I didn't slide the glass door all the way shut when changing water. And a few weeks ago I forgot to lock one of the sliding glass doors. It's a good thing one snake was in shed and the other had just eaten or I could have been in trouble.

Mine are hinged so can't do that. It has it pros and cons but at least when it's closed it can't be pushed open. Heating PVC cages is more difficult due to the poor thermoconductivty of plastic which I've learned the hard way. A UTH alone wasn't enough as the cold side was barely a few degrees above room temp.

[treaux]

Hoggies are so cute. Made the mistake of holding one recently and I fear I may end up with one. Seems like they are good escape artists though.

[Minkness]

I can't speak for all hoggies being escape artists more than any other snake. My screenblid just wasn't secured like it should have been. I want all front opening enclosures eventually, but for now, though I hate to, I'll be putting my smaller snakes in tubs to help prevent escapes while I save up for a house then some nicer cages. =)