Another Newbie Owner Loses Her Snake

HIMluv · 03-02-10, 02:41 PM

Forgive me if this is in the wrong place, I'm new here, and had a dire question, so I signed up.

My ball python, Zuko, is about a foot and a half long. My boyfriend and I had him for about a week when he escaped. It's been two weeks to the day since we've seen him.

Now, I have read all over the internet the best places to look, and have ripped my apartment apart. There is no sight of him. I've left his tank on the ground, open with a basking light in hopes that he would come back. Tried that for a week with no results.

He normally gets fed on Sundays, so we skipped a Sunday in hopes of making him even more hungry. So this Sunday we bought a mouse and put it in the feeding bin like normal. We put the basking light over the feeding bin, but it's been two days and we still have a live mouse (I know feeding live may be hazardous, but he's choosey and it's what he likes).

I'm starting to get very concerned. There are a couple of spots he could have gone, and I don't know where they lead. I don't want to close them off because if he's in there I don't want to trap him, but I don't want him to go in them either.

My boyfriend and I are really afraid that he found a way out of the apartment... How long should we wait with this mouse? And how long should we wait before we toss in the towel and buy another snake?

I've considered trying the bottle trap, with the mouse inside. But if a live mouse wouldn't attract him, surely the frozen one wouldn't. Right?

Please help me! I'm new to owning a snake and feel downright awful that this has happened. I just want Zuko back.

Thanks, HIMluv

Michael Roth · 03-03-10, 07:41 AM

do you have radiant heat in your apartment?

HIMluv · 03-03-10, 01:45 PM

We haveyour average AC and heater. We use the fireplace more though...
Why?

infernalis · 03-03-10, 02:18 PM

they will go into the duct work if they can, under entertainment centers, inside the sofa, in clothes baskets, boxes of Christmas decorations, under the sink, inside the back of washers / dryers, etc.....

Since they are nocturnal, the best time to find your snake crawling out in the open will be at night.

If you have wood or linoleum floors, sprinkle flour all over the floor, when you see "snake tracks" in the flour, follow them.

Wish I could think of more.

Will0W783 · 03-03-10, 02:20 PM

Ah yeah, the flour trick is always good. Baby powder also works. Thanks for mentioning that infernalis; I'd forgotten about that trick as my whole house is carpeted.

Feebo · 03-03-10, 03:38 PM

You could set up web cams everywhere at night too, that might catch it moving about. I`ve lost snakes twice over the years, I found both of them, one of them took me three days to find! Every single tiny little nook and cranny should be search every day. Mine didn`t actually go very far at all, even though one had the opportunity to slip out of a window and the other an open door. They just went straight to the very nearest hiding place they found and stayed there. Don`t ONLY search warm spots, mine, as I say, hid in the first place they found, got cold then lathargic and didn`t move. Mind you, it`s a bit warmer in the U.S. than the U.K. lol I wouldn`t be thinking about buying another snake for quite some time, that snake won`t die from lack of food for a very long time, it`s lack of water that`ll do it, maybe put water out as well as food to tempt him....

Michael Roth · 03-03-10, 04:33 PM

if you had radiant heating, the snake could be anywhere in the building. plumbers are very good at leaving holes between apartments along the radiators. that being said, if your apartment has a central ducted heating system, that could be problematic as well. The snake could be as close as under your fridge/stove/dishwasher, or as far as the furthest neighbour.

Feebo · 03-04-10, 05:15 AM

Either way, don`t give up ! Search every day with all the enthusiasm you had on the first day in all the same places you searched on the first day. He`s alive and will be for a long time. It`s difficult I know, but keep looking, they do still turn up after long periods.....

shaunyboy · 03-04-10, 06:44 AM

i got a kingsnake back after being missing for 2 weeks with the following method.i brained a f/t rat quite severley (made sure brain matter was really exposed). i put it in a hessian sack and propped around 2 to 3 inches of the sack open.i put the sack in a warm dark corner of the room.i repeated this with a FRESH RAT every night.3 nights later my escaped kingsnake came scuttling out from under the skirting boards across the floor heading for the sack.i'm pretty sure even if i hadnt spotted him i would have found him curled up in the sack come morning time.i wish you lick in finding the little guy.
cheers shaun

Feebo · 03-04-10, 07:58 PM

Sounds like a plan that

Oooh I hope he turns up it`s awful when you lose a snake

emseeKAY · 03-05-10, 10:12 PM

i was about to say what shaunyboy said lol brain a mouse or rat and let them smell it theyll come eventually! best of luck!

shaunyboy · 03-06-10, 07:32 AM

i was lucky as my wife and kids were away on their hollidays at the time.so i used to turn of all the tv's,etc so i could sit and listen for any unusual noises.i actually heard my king moving around behind the skirting boards a few minutes before he scuttled out covered in dust,fluff,bits of cob web,he was a funny sight to see,trundling along quite oblivious to all the fuss he'd caused.think he was a bit annoyed he didnt get as far as the sack and the meal he'd put all the effort into coming out for.
cheers shaun

Feebo · 03-07-10, 04:58 PM

Any signs of him anywhere?

shaunyboy · 03-10-10, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feebo

Any signs of him anywhere?

was just thinking that

Feebo · 03-11-10, 05:27 AM

Aaaaw I thought she might have found it when I saw there was an update to this thread ! Bugger. You can`t help but reeeeally feel for people with missing snakes can you? I just want to paddle across the pond to help look ! lol Well fingers crossed, he may still turn up somewhere.....