OMG! What a scare!

[radstusky]

If you've ever lost a snake, you'll know what I'm talking about. I usually see my JCP come out every night, but haven't seen him in the last couple of nights. I figured he was hiding behind this fake wall at the back of his cage (see below). Finally tonight I thought I'd double check and he wasn't in his cage at all! :eek:
I started to panic and was thinking great I'll be up all night looking for him!
I had just moved him recently into this new cage:
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4920.jpg

Well, I started to look around, and luckily there he was curled up in front of the gerbil:
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4958.jpg

I think he was thinking about making a meal of the poor gerbil I have to say. So I am sooo thankful I found him! What a close call! For the snake and the gerbil. Actually if he had eaten the gerbil I guess he wouldn't have been able to get back out of the cage. I do have a lock on the front of the cage, which I've just reinforced to make doubly sure he can't get out again!

[TeaNinja]

lol, that's good that he didn't dissapear.

[NennaMeerkat]

LOL Poor little guy just wanted some din din! Thankfully your gerbil wasn't on the menu. Maybe you should give him some food early? Hee hee. Glad you found him!! Hope he doesn't escape again.

[KrazyKat]

Oh thank goodness u found him safe & sound!! And what a typical place for him to be hanging out:p

I had a baby ghost corn escape once, it was the most awful couple days. Ended up finding him on an all nighter stake-out under a boot in one of my closets - phew! Then I could breath again! I swear, if I ever have another snake escapade experience I think it will be the death of me! lol

[TeaNinja]

i had a baby BRB escape on me yeaaars ago and i ended up finding it days later wrapped around the base of my computer chair.

[stephanbakir]

Thats called luck!!! Wow!

[radstusky]

Thats called luck!!! Wow!

Well, unfortunately my luck has apparently run out. This morning I checked his cage and he's gone! :confused: I really don't know how he made it out! Maybe between the two panes of glass? He could be anywhere by now, but I'll look as much as I can before going to work. :(

[curtisass]

I had a young monocled cobra escape once. Found it under the mini fridge! Guess it found a warm spot. When I slid the fridge off the shelf to look for it, the little guy fell at my feet!

[KrazyKat]

Well, unfortunately my luck has apparently run out. This morning I checked his cage and he's gone! :confused: I really don't know how he made it out! Maybe between the two panes of glass? He could be anywhere by now, but I'll look as much as I can before going to work. :(


OH NO!!:eek: I'm so sorry, that really sucks! It looks like the only means of escape that I can see...it's so small though! But It wouldn't surprise me - my corn fit through the tiny hole that my thermostat wire was running through in the lid. Those little buggers can really squeeze through the most impossible looking spaces:(

Hope u find him very soon!! What bad luck indeed:no:

[radstusky]

OH NO!!:eek: I'm so sorry, that really sucks! It looks like the only means of escape that I can see...it's so small though! But It wouldn't surprise me - my corn fit through the tiny hole that my thermostat wire was running through in the lid. Those little buggers can really squeeze through the most impossible looking spaces:(

Hope u find him very soon!! What bad luck indeed:no:

I don't think he could fit through those holes. My guess is that he squeezed through the two panes of glass in front. The diameter of his body is about the size of a quarter now, so I definitely didn't think he could squeeze through that opening. Obviously I was wrong though!

I'm at work now, I couldn't search for him all day. I think it'll be best to wait until tonight and I'll make a trap for him with a rat inside a 2 liter coke bottle. I also might try pouring some flour around so I can see if he moves from one room to the next.

Last year I had a corn snake escape and we never found her :(, so I really don't want to repeat that scenario! I'll let you know how it works out.

[stephanbakir]

Not sure what the coke bottle is for, unless you cut the top off and inverted it. Easiest way to make a snake trap is to build a cage with a hole on the side and wrap the opening of a sock around the opening, then cut the toe out of it. Snake goes in and gets into the cage and can't find his way out. There are TONS of other ways though.

[radstusky]

Not sure what the coke bottle is for, unless you cut the top off and inverted it. Easiest way to make a snake trap is to build a cage with a hole on the side and wrap the opening of a sock around the opening, then cut the toe out of it. Snake goes in and gets into the cage and can't find his way out. There are TONS of other ways though.

Yes, I was thinking of cutting the top off and inverting it. Of course, the gerbil there is another ready-made trap too!

[stephanbakir]

Ft rat inside the bottle right ?:) otherwise the snake will catch it in another room lol.

[KrazyKat]

Last year I had a corn snake escape and we never found her :(, so I really don't want to repeat that scenario!

I'm so sorry for your loss:( When C.S. Lewis (my ghost corn snake..and yes, C.S is pun intended lol) escaped, I was driving myself crazy, tore apart my apartment (as delicately as I could to avoid accidentally squishing him, of course). There's so many horrible thoughts that go through your mind..I took a day off work, and searched for hours - it felt hopeless. When I found him the second night on my flashlight stake-out, I'll admit I cried like a little girl, I was so happy and relieved. I really hope the same happens for u very soon!..minus the "crying like a little girl" maybe:p I think I can get away with it, but you... Well, just don't tell anybody;) jk

I'll let you know how it works out.

PLEASE do, I am seriously crossing my fingers for u! I hope u find the little escape artist very soon!

[radstusky]

Ft rat inside the bottle right ?:) otherwise the snake will catch it in another room lol.

Yes! I only have FT rats.

I'm so sorry for your loss:( When C.S. Lewis (my ghost corn snake..and yes, C.S is pun intended lol) escaped, I was driving myself crazy, tore apart my apartment (as delicately as I could to avoid accidentally squishing him, of course). There's so many horrible thoughts that go through your mind..I took a day off work, and searched for hours - it felt hopeless. When I found him the second night on my flashlight stake-out, I'll admit I cried like a little girl, I was so happy and relieved. I really hope the same happens for u very soon!..minus the "crying like a little girl" maybe:p I think I can get away with it, but you... Well, just don't tell anybody;) jk



PLEASE do, I am seriously crossing my fingers for u! I hope u find the little escape artist very soon!

I considered taking today off from work to tear my apartment apart looking for him, but with so many places to hide, I was afraid I'd just come up empty handed. I'm pretty sure that wherever he's hiding, he won't be moving around during the day. Maybe I'll have to try a stake out like you did! If I do cry like a little girl (doubtful I must admit), I definitely won't post about it on here! ;)

[forza_inter]

good luck man

[KrazyKat]

I considered taking today off from work to tear my apartment apart looking for him, but with so many places to hide, I was afraid I'd just come up empty handed. I'm pretty sure that wherever he's hiding, he won't be moving around during the day. Maybe I'll have to try a stake out like you did!

You know what, thinking back - I would have to agree with you! Like I said, I spent hours searching, to the point I was exhausted, and came up empty handed and feeling hopeless. I swear I checked every shoe and boot in that closet too - but he must have snuck in there when it got dark and he felt safe to venture out and find a better hiding place maybe..who knows! But I would definitely recommend flashlight search, since snakes are most active at night, that'll probably be your best chance at catching him out of his hiding place (that he's probably very proud of having found for himself right now!:p). But like Stephan said, there are LOTS of methods u can try, I was just lucky this worked for me without even trying anything else. Best of luck!!:)

If I do cry like a little girl (doubtful I must admit), I definitely won't post about it on here! ;)

Good idea:p I wouldn't judge though;)

[Aaran]

Dude seeing how your in boston i hope the poor guys doesnt get to cold:no:

[shaunyboy]

If you've ever lost a snake, you'll know what I'm talking about. I usually see my JCP come out every night, but haven't seen him in the last couple of nights. I figured he was hiding behind this fake wall at the back of his cage (see below). Finally tonight I thought I'd double check and he wasn't in his cage at all! :eek:
I started to panic and was thinking great I'll be up all night looking for him!
I had just moved him recently into this new cage:
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4920.jpg

Well, I started to look around, and luckily there he was curled up in front of the gerbil:
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4958.jpg

I think he was thinking about making a meal of the poor gerbil I have to say. So I am sooo thankful I found him! What a close call! For the snake and the gerbil. Actually if he had eaten the gerbil I guess he wouldn't have been able to get back out of the cage. I do have a lock on the front of the cage, which I've just reinforced to make doubly sure he can't get out
again!

great story mate

your snake looks like he's thinking.....


" when does this fast food joint open,i've been waiting for here ages "

cheers shaun

[radstusky]

I have good news, moments ago I found him!! :) He was hanging out on a water bottle near his cage. What a relief!

I went all out to try to find him, although none of it mattered. I poured flour on the floor near doorways to be able to track his movements, and I made 4 traps for him each baited with a FT pinky mouse (I have a bunch left over so thought this was a good use for them). Well, 5 traps if you count the gerbil cage I guess (gerbils are useless pets btw).

Well, it's still early so I guess I can go out for a beer now! Cheers! Thanks for everyone's concerns and help.

[KrazyKat]

I have good news, moments ago I found him!! :) He was hanging out on a water bottle near his cage. What a relief!

I went all out to try to find him, although none of it mattered. I poured flour on the floor near doorways to be able to track his movements, and I made 4 traps for him each baited with a FT pinky mouse (I have a bunch left over so thought this was a good use for them). Well, 5 traps if you count the gerbil cage I guess (gerbils are useless pets btw).

Well, it's still early so I guess I can go out for a beer now! Cheers! Thanks for everyone's concerns and help.

HURRAY!!!:D Congrats!!! SO happy 4 ya!! What a relief:) go figure he'd just turn up on his own evading all the traps:p lol

Enjoy your beer - this good news definitely deserves a drink. I will pretend to have one, and I'll raise my glass to ya!:)

[stephanbakir]

I'd solve the problem as soon as possible, 2 escapes in 24 hours is a bad sign.

[Jay]

Well, unfortunately my luck has apparently run out. This morning I checked his cage and he's gone! :confused: I really don't know how he made it out! Maybe between the two panes of glass? He could be anywhere by now, but I'll look as much as I can before going to work. :(
Once they find a way out they will continue getting out the same way. When my carpet escaped I couldn't find a hole anywhere so I watched him and He kept going to the bottom corner by his water dish, when i looked the Plexiglas was off the track 1/4 inch and he was about the thickness of a golf ball, but I guess he fit. To this day he rubs his head in that same spot at night and a few days prior to feeding day.

[radstusky]

I actually set his old cage back up really quick, it's a 10 gallon critter cage. I'm not moving him back to his new cage until I can figure out how to fix the front door. I checked and I could actually squeeze my pinky finger between the two glass frames, so I'm sure this must have been his escape route. Ironically it was when I installed the lock that this gap was spread apart more. Before I had the lock I had put tape over this gap as a temporary fix.

[Lankyrob]

Get some air tube like they use in fish tanks - slice one side and wrap it around the glass - gap filled!

[ilovemypets1988]

is there a possibility that he escaped through the gap in the glass rather than opening the viv, if so, u might want to put a draught excluder from a door on the glass (in he gap between the 2 pieces), this will also add as a glass cleaner as you open and close the glass, the soft fibres in the excluder will "wipe" the glass clean and take the dirt off lol

but either way, congrats for finding him.

[radstusky]

I fixed the problem by getting some 5/16" foam tape (weather stripping basically) at Home Depot and sticking it between the two panes of glass. Yesterday I put Leto back in the cage and it seems to have fixed the problem. I did observe him trying very hard to bust out of the cage as you can see from these pics. He's actually still trying tonight, but I'm confident he can't get out now!

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4969.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4970.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4972.jpg

[Lankyrob]

My four foot JCP still tries each day to get through the gap in the glass, well done for solving the issue.

[KrazyKat]

well done for solving the issue.

^^agreed! Good job! :) I laughed when I saw the pics, as I imagined the snake's "monologue" to himself, likely cursing and fuming as he desperately tries to find his little opening to the world outside, to no avail, his plans of escape being cleverly foiled:p

[radstusky]

^^agreed! Good job! :) I laughed when I saw the pics, as I imagined the snake's "monologue" to himself, likely cursing and fuming as he desperately tries to find his little opening to the world outside, to no avail, his plans of escape being cleverly foiled:p

Lol, I was thinking the same thing, he's like I know this is where I got out before!

The good thing is, this fix only cost about $3. :)

[stephanbakir]

The only thing I would chance is adding an adhesive to ONE side of the weather stripping, it wont stop it from sliding but it will remove the potential for the snake to push it out.
Remember that some glue will break down the polystyrene.

[radstusky]

The only thing I would chance is adding an adhesive to ONE side of the weather stripping, it wont stop it from sliding but it will remove the potential for the snake to push it out.
Remember that some glue will break down the polystyrene.

One side of the foam is sticky already. It's like tape that is 5/16" thick, and it fit perfectly between the two panes of glass. I guess with a gap that big, I should have known he could squeeze out in the first place! I really did get lucky this time, I mean that I was able to find him at all. I had a corn snake escape last year and we never did find her. :( I can only wonder what happened to her.

[KrazyKat]

I had a corn snake escape last year and we never did find her. :( I can only wonder what happened to her.

Sorry to hear that :(