Finding a snake with a thermal device?

[Cherry4812]

Would it be possible to find my lost snake with a thermal device? I know snakes are coldblooded so I don't know if he would just blend in with his surroundings or not. I lost him in my apartment and I'm pretty sure he's in the space between my floor and the ceiling on the floor below. But I don't want to spend all my available time waiting to trap him in my apartment if he's somewhere on the floor below. I don't know what I'm going to do if he IS in the floor though... It would just be nice to know he's alive...

Oh I'm moving out of my apartment in three days, that's why I need to figure this out soon. Anyone with advice/help please let me know!

[TeaNinja]

jeeze, that's a toughy.

[stephanbakir]

If you have 3 days I'd highly advise tearing the place apart now so you have 2 days to clean up the mess, make sure the snake cant get to the locations you've checked.
Snake traps are pretty easy to make though.

[Wolfus_305]

Tear everything apart, it's surprising how small a space they can fit into.
GOOD LUCK!

[SnakeyJay]

yes good luck... Hope he turns up

[Cherry4812]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

If you have 3 days I'd highly advise tearing the place apart now so you have 2 days to clean up the mess, make sure the snake cant get to the locations you've checked.
Snake traps are pretty easy to make though.

How would you suggest to make a trap? I left bait out (a live mouse in a covered box) but there's nothing to get him to stay there. I covered the floor with paper bags so I'd hear it if he went across them but I never heard anything (I'm a really light sleeper).

[stephanbakir]

how big is the snake in question? If its small you cut the top off of a bottle and turn it in on itself, the snake gets in but cant get out.

If its a larger snake you take a box and make a hole on each side, and make a cone at each end to come in, the snake gets in but cant get out, use a live mouse as bait (not sure if f/t would work.

[Lankyrob]

Dont leave a live prey item unattended, if the snake gets into the box and the prey attacks it and you arent there then major damage could be caused, a f/t prey item will still smell like food.

[stephanbakir]

Yeh, make a small cage out of chicken wire and place in the the box/bottle. Cant believe i forgot to add that, thought it would be understood.
Thanks Rob

[Cherry4812]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

how big is the snake in question? If its small you cut the top off of a bottle and turn it in on itself, the snake gets in but cant get out.

If its a larger snake you take a box and make a hole on each side, and make a cone at each end to come in, the snake gets in but cant get out, use a live mouse as bait (not sure if f/t would work.

Can you explain more what you mean by the box trap? I don't really understand. I'll have the mouse inside a box inside the box so my snake will be safe. Thank you for the help!

[whoaxmary]

There's lot's more advice if you want to look at other threads from people who have lost their snakes - rather than wasting time waiting for more responses. I have no idea about the thermal device but I would do what is stated above, set a few traps and start tearing the place apart. What sort of snake is it? My bp is a huge escape artist, but she never moves more than a meter from her viv, but I can imagine if my corn snake ever got out it would be gone pretty fast.

[mistersprinkles]

You can't thermal gun an ectotherm, and even if you could, it would be pretty tedious and near impossible. Maybe with a FLIR imager. Even then it'd have to be warm blooded.

Missing reptiles ALWAYS return to the place they escaped from. They don't necessarily stay there, but they do come back.

As a stupid child I lost: An eastern garter, an italian laserta, a green iguana and a corn snake. They ALL came back to the exact room they were lost in, in an apartment building.