Escape!

[blindfireak40]

Well, Vermicelli's gotten out. Any bits of advice or information that may lead to his retrieval? My door's been shut the whole day, hopefully he stayed in my room. There are big animals outside :(.

I've already comandeered a space heater to keep the temps in there up, and to try and draw him out perhaps. Any other things I might do?

[Ch^4]

Look in every dark nook, corner, and cranny (i.e., under/behind the couch, under the fridge, etc.). Look in warm locations.

Try setting up a hide box with a freshly thawed prey item on a plate inside. This may lure your snake back.

I hope that helps and good luck...keep us updated!

[NennaMeerkat]

I was gonna say food as well to lure your snake out. I bet that will get it out of hiding. Keep us posted!

[blindfireak40]

Duly noted. Do you think he would have left my room? My room would have plenty of places to hide, and a shut door. He probably could have squeezed under the door, but it leads to a wide-open hallway. Does it seem likely he's still hidden somewhere in my room, or do you think he would have braved the hallway?

[TeaNinja]

impossible to tell, he's Certainly Capable of sliding under the door and braving the house. To be safe i'd start from his cage and work my way through the room checking EVERY single little spot (being careful not to smash him if he's wedged somewhere) and work your way through the whole room and if you still see no signs of him, check outside your room, but if he's found some nice unfindable shelter, luring him out with food is the only thing i can think of.

the little BRB i used to have YEARS ago escaped from his cage, and he was gone for alittle under a week, then one day i sat down at my computer and looked down and he was wrapped around the base of the chair.

i bet he'll come out when he's hungry. (one of the reasons food lures work so well)

[Sapphyr]

Sorry to hear, hope you find him soon. :c I know I'd be a wreck if I lost my little Xybe.

On that note, Tea, absolutely love that BRB story. I think's kinda cute how you just looked down and there he was, wrapped around your chair! It's cute and funny that he just happened to pop up underneath you.

[Lankyrob]

I would go against bumping the temps up for the whole room - it could make him too comfortable and hence not come out. How about putting a heatmat in a dark, hidey area - WITH A THERMOSTAT!! - and not heating the rest of the room - if you put a hide on top of the mat with a warm prey item in it he is likely to smell the food and find the perfect warm location to hide up while he digests all in one place.

Good luck for finding him.

[blindfireak40]

On the heat-mat hidey idea, would a heat blanket work and be as safe? I have one of those, with a controllable temperature level.

[Will0W783]

I think the heat blanket would be fine.

[blindfireak40]

Well, he hasn't taken the bait yet. I hate to ask this, and I sure hope to god it's premature, but has anyone had trouble with dogs eating snakes? :(

[Sapphyr]

Well, he hasn't taken the bait yet. I hate to ask this, and I sure hope to god it's premature, but has anyone had trouble with dogs eating snakes? :(

I've personally never heard of it... but I know a friend who's dog 'ate' his juvenile iguana, and I know that's worse than a little corn snake.

I just now looked it up.. and all I can say is, some people flat out sicken me. If you want to know what I'm talking about, I'm not going to link it since it may upset people and it has profane language, but if you want to know, go to Google, type in 'Dog eats snake' and click the first link. What little brats...

[blindfireak40]

Well, that video is certainly reassuring as well as disgusting...our dogs are all in kennels if we aren't home, and we certainly would have noticed carryings on such as that. I think he's still alive, and hopefully safe...It'd kill me if I accidentally smushed him looking for him :(

Oh well, guess I'll just keep tryin' with the mice. How long will the mouse be good to leave out?

[NennaMeerkat]

I wouldn't leave it out for more than 24 hours...

[blindfireak40]

And refreezing is a no-no?

[serpentshideawa]

Looo in boxes as well i had an escape artist that was found in boxes when he managed to get out

[Lankyrob]

Dont refreeze the prey, chuck it out.

Just to try to reassure yuo - my first corn escaped when we first got him. He was about 8 inches and no thicker than a pencil - i found him because i heard the cats meowing in the night - panicked cos i thought they were attacking the snake but NOOOOO the tiny little snake was attacking the cats!! Cats 0 - Snakes 1!!

keep up with the putting the mice out overnight - it is a waste of mice unfortunately but you want your guy back so a price you have to pay.

[blindfireak40]

Thanks for the reassurance, Rob...my guy's bigger than that, and all our animals are locked away at night, so I've come to the realization he's probably still alive somewhere. Just gotta find where :)

If he left my bedroom (not likely, but definitely possible), and that's where I'm putting the mice, will he be willing to leave whatever hidey-hole he's got himself in and come find the food? Will he be able to smell it from half the house away?

[Lankyrob]

He should smell it - my snakes get real active when i start defrosting prey in the kitchen and they are the other side of the house in the living room. Even when the rats are still frozen but out of the freezer the snakes react.

It may take a while but eventually food is going to be at the forefront of the snakes thoughts. Can only advise to persevere.

[blindfireak40]

Mmmm'k. Excellent news! (Not THAT excellent, but good nonetheless) I went through my room today, and carefully checked under the furniture that I had moved the first night he was gone, and saw absolutely NO corn snake pancakes, so he is still safe and at large. Trying night #2 of food luring tonight, We'll see how it goes. Would it be advantageous to move the plate to different locations in the room or house?

[NennaMeerkat]

Refreezing is a no-no anytime you give a snake frozen then thawed food. Bacteria and all that.

[Lankyrob]

I personally woud keep the bait and the heat source in one place, or maybe set up more than one if you have the available equipment?

[blindfireak40]

@Neena I kinda figured, but thought it couldn't hurt to see if it was possible.

@Rob: Thanks, good to know. I've thawed another mouse, time for the second night of mice on my floor!

[blindfireak40]

Well, I'm not sure but I think I smell fresh poop in my room somewhere! Good sign!! Now I just have to find the little dork lol

[blindfireak40]

Nevermind. This was the smell. Do you think it's a regurge or is it just rotten?

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/DSCN5062.jpg
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/DSCN5061.jpg
http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/DSCN5060.jpg

[NennaMeerkat]

Looks rotten, but I have never seen nor smelled snake regurg.

[Sapphyr]

The fact that the bodily fluids have leaked to the bottom and soaked the belly fur would probably hint at it sitting for too long and thus beginning to rot. I can only make this guess by the fact that I've had my fair share of experience with rodent corpses and them sitting for some amount of time.

[TeaNinja]

i hope he comes out soon. he'll get hungry eventually.

[Reptile_Reptile]

try putting flower on the floor so when he slithers around at night you can track his movements

[TeaNinja]

try putting flower on the floor so when he slithers around at night you can track his movements

unless you've got carpet ;)

[Sapphyr]

unless you've got carpet ;)

Could always vacuum up the flour after... but that'd be a heck of alot of flour...

[NennaMeerkat]

Maybe putting out things that are noisy like little bells, tin foil, ect. If you put it out in particular areas you think the snake is likely to go/be then you can actually hear where he is. Bet you could go to a "dollar store" and pick of plenty of cheap noisy things.

[CanadianEryx]

Or you could try baking soda on the floor if you have carpet. It will leave a clean fresh carpet once you vacuum it up. First, though, you may want to find out if it is safe for Vermicelli 'cause I have no idea!

[Toxik]

My corn escaped the first night I got her. Found her a week later behind a loose baseboard, so be sure the tiniest spots are checked everyday.:)

[blindfireak40]

I'm getting mixed messages on the baking soda thing, from the research I've done. I may try the flour thing downstairs, it's all hard flooring, but if he made it all the way downstairs he may have hidden in the heater vent :/...we have floor vents down there, but ceiling upstairs.

Thanks everyone for your anecdotes, advice, and support. I'm worried sick about the little guy, but you all are helping immensely to allay my fears and keep me from panicking. Thank you :)

[blindfireak40]

OH MY GOD!!! I FOUND HIM!!

This is about the silliest story ever, I think. He has a plastic log in there, that's hollow. It has a hole, a molding defect, on one side. I just walked into my room, and there he was, chillin' by his water dish. I watched him as he looked at me, slithered across the log, up to the hole, and squeezed his way in. The dork's been in his cage the whole time.

At least I purchased a much more secure cage through this experience :P

[NennaMeerkat]

ROTFL Most epic and funniest story ever! Oh well at least he is safe...the little bugger. I would love to see the picture of this log thing he has been hiding in.

[blindfireak40]

I will...as soon as I get him out of it XD

[Sapphyr]

LOL Nice~ Well I'm glad to hear he's safe and sound, granted he caused alot of worry, little devil! I think it's funny how it sounded like he stared at you like,"... What?" xD

And I can't really imagine what it is you're talking about. Pics would be lovely!

[serpentshideawa]

I know you have to be feeling relieved that hes safe and im glad he is that is an amusing hiding place

[blindfireak40]

This is the whole thing, and the hole he crawled through, compared with a quarter (USD)

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/DSCN5063.jpg

http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g439/blindfireak40/DSCN5064.jpg

[CanadianEryx]

Absolutely incredible!! I'm so glad Vermicelli is safe and sound. Now to get him out...

[Sapphyr]

Ahhhh. Wow! He sure can squeeze into tight spaces if he can get in there, even for a baby! Maybe he's the next Houdini.

[blindfireak40]

He very well could be! lol

Well, he's out now, I think I unfortunately put him through a little more stress than I should have, but he didn't musk or strike, and calmed immediately after I got him back in my hands. So I think he'll be alright. We'll know for sure when I try to feed him on Sunday :)

[NennaMeerkat]

I would suggest getting some caulk and plug up that hole! Once it is plugged you can put it back in. Unless you want him to have that hiding spot...

[blindfireak40]

The log is no more. I will be purchasing a replacement that is NOT hollow lol

[NennaMeerkat]

Seriously caulking it up is an easy easy thing. You could even stuff a lot of TP or paper towels in there. We had to do the same thing with out bearded dragon because crickets would run and hide and he couldn't get to them. Bet it would work for your snake as well.

[blindfireak40]

Duly noted :)

I still kinda feel like spoiling him with a new one anyhow :3

[NennaMeerkat]

Its always fun to spoil our pets, and even snakes like new things to slide around on and such :)

[blindfireak40]

Very true, very true! My girlfriend might get him something for Valentine's day lol...we'll see :D

[Sapphyr]

I know that statement all too well. I spoil my dogs rotten and try to spoil my repts as much as I can, too. Reptile things can pile up in price, though. ;c I say this because I loooove to decorate. Especially jungle habitats. Simply fun~ but with all the things I'd need to have my imagination pop out into my reptile's enclosure, I'd have to put forth alot of money.

[CanadianEryx]

Looking for new decorative items for your reps? Try the dollar store you guys. Nothing beats what you can buy there. Just remember to wash them well before you add them to your viv (3% bleach and water solution and rinse extremely well or boil for 5 minutes or use the cleaning stuff you can get from the rep store and follow directions). There's really no need to spend tons of money on things that you can purchase at the dollar store just as easily! Unless, of course, you are just rolling in it!!

[Sapphyr]

Neh, I don't mean decorate as in cheap little cups or mini vases or some sort. I mean making an enclosure look like you took a chunk of the rainforest, desert, what have you, and put it in a cage. I'm picky when it comes to my own imagination. :c

[CanadianEryx]

I guess you don't have the dollar stores that we have up here. It is absolutely amazing what you can now for a buck or two! I look forward to seeing pics of your final scape!!

[Steph]

YAY! I'm glad you found your snake :D

[Damion930]

Lol that's awesome glad the lil bugger is safe

[NennaMeerkat]

I guess you don't have the dollar stores that we have up here. It is absolutely amazing what you can now for a buck or two! I look forward to seeing pics of your final scape!!

Trust me the only dollar stores we have here are filled with things that come from overseas and end up being defective, have misspelled words, or are unintentionally suggestive. I would post some examples but don't want to get this thread off topic.

The good news is large chain pet stores, while may not be a good place to purchase the actual reptiles, have somewhat cheap decorations. You can sometimes find fish decor that works well enough for snakes.

[Lankyrob]

Glad that your snake is "back" - it is amazing how small a gap the little buggers acna get through!! I personally would make that hole a little bigger (adult corn size) and stuff it with sphagnum moss - perfect humid hide - slight pain to clean every few months but ............

[Sapphyr]

I guess you don't have the dollar stores that we have up here. It is absolutely amazing what you can now for a buck or two! I look forward to seeing pics of your final scape!!

I'll probably have it done when I get a job. I was looking to spend my first few paychecks, get it out of my system. Gonna really love spoiling my BRB, and I'm really looking forward to decorating my Golden's 100g vertical enclosure.~ More space to make it look more jungley. Kinda of looking forward to deckin' out the beardies tank, too. Would be interesting to do a desert scene.

And yes, as Nenna said, our dollar stores aren't too great. The ones specifically around me are filled of just little things that are cheap, poorly made, and generally things people wouldn't want anyways. It's the kind of place one of my friends would go to 'cause her family is really at a low, but I'm not getting in to the cause of it unless you ask via private message.

Like.. It'll have beaded necklaces, some cheap soaps, cups, dishware, etc. Just random items you'd find around your house. Clothing hangers, wash cloths, extremely easy to break kids toys, etc.

I just find it's better to avoid Dollar Stores here. I'm willing to go the extra step, anyways, to spoil my repties. Normally just go to Petsmart, Walmart, and other similar stores to get my things. Petsmart is generally expensive, which is why I don't intend getting everything from there, but some fish tank decorations at Walmart work really well and are decently priced.

[Tommyg]

a couple of my snakes got out on me when i first got em. i searched the house for a week then gave up. i was convinced my dog ate em. the day after i stopped looking i found em both. one under my computer desk and one on kitchen counter. so i suggest stop looking and see if it pops up.

[infernalis]

Oddly I once found my big Pueblan before I knew it escaped.

Also had one of my garter snakes scooting through the living room before I knew she was "liberated".

The all time most astounding escape was "Kyle" a little male garter snake about 18 inches long. He busted out of his Viv and then climbed up on a stack of totes then busted into a mouse colony and went straight for the pinkies.

I guess he followed the scent to the food source.

[Sapphyr]

Oddly I once found my big Pueblan before I knew it escaped.

Also had one of my garter snakes scooting through the living room before I knew she was "liberated".

The all time most astounding escape was "Kyle" a little male garter snake about 18 inches long. He busted out of his Viv and then climbed up on a stack of totes then busted into a mouse colony and went straight for the pinkies.

I guess he followed the scent to the food source.

LOL! That's some determination right there on Kyle's part!

[blindfireak40]

Wow, Kyle's a brute! I hope he sired plenty of equally BA baby garter snakes lol

[infernalis]

Nah actually Kyle is a little guy. He was given to me by a lady who has a jerk for a husband. He threatened to kill her snakes, so she packed them up and shipped them to me.

Had I not caught him in the act, I would never have believed it.

He was like a fox in a henhouse.

[blindfireak40]

He must've thought he'd died and gone to heaven lol

[Sapphyr]

Nah actually Kyle is a little guy. He was given to me by a lady who has a jerk for a husband. He threatened to kill her snakes, so she packed them up and shipped them to me.

Had I not caught him in the act, I would never have believed it.

He was like a fox in a henhouse.

Oh wow D: I would have smacked the living day lights out of someone if they threatened to harm any of my animals.

[infernalis]

Oh wow D: I would have smacked the living day lights out of someone if they threatened to harm any of my animals.

She's a sweet lady, but spineless.

She met the guy on the net, as soon as they hooked up, he moved her away from Ohio to Georgia so she would be far away from any friends.

The typical "control freak" move.

We offered to let her stay here, He would never think to look for her in NY, but she declined.

[Sapphyr]

She's a sweet lady, but spineless.

She met the guy on the net, as soon as they hooked up, he moved her away from Ohio to Georgia so she would be far away from any friends.

The typical "control freak" move.

We offered to let her stay here, He would never think to look for her in NY, but she declined.

Ahhh. That's a real shame. Sometimes it goes over smoothly, sometimes it doesn't. Really terrible what he put her through. :c

Me and my man are actually an online based relationship, for now. We've been together for almost two years now and plan on moving in with each other in the next 3 years, at least. He wants to finish college first before trying to leave his parents', which I understand. We've both agreed on moving to Ohio, though he sometimes flip flops between this and staying in Michigan, just a few hours away from his parents. I'm fine with either, I don't honestly care, I'm happy if he's happy. Anywho, I've recently been considering a hognose, but I always check with him to make sure he's good with it. Just want it to be something we can both enjoy, not just me. I personally view it as selfish if I got it and he wasn't ok with it, but that's me.

Hey, if he decides 100% on Michigan, I can try and work for BHB Reptiles! :D

We honestly just want to get away from our parents though... His father is a mega control freak, which we're a little intimidated by... and my mother is... kinda a control freak... Not as bad as his but me and her have had our good deal of arguments. She really hates not being in control of something. :l