Snake on the loose

Snake on the loose

Postby Unforgiven » Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:04 am

It really is annoying that I post this as I have always taken great care and attention to detail to ensure my snakes can't escape their enclosures.

Yesterday after I had come home from work I was checking up on my baby corns, cleaning out the enclosure. When I went to look, my albino was not in his usual spot. The motley was in his normal spot. checked everything and took everything out the enclosure and nothing. I would expect the motely to escape since he always tries, but the albino has never shown any such signs.

I have thus come up with one of 3 possibilities:
1 - The motley ate the albino - I dont believe this because the motley was not that much bigger than the albino. also there was no lump in his stomach area large enough for the albino to be there. I even rubbed the snake a little to see if he would maybe regurge and nothing.

2 - My friend who came in earlier that day while I was at work stole it. For some reason I don't believe this either as if he was aiming to steal somthing he would have taken more than just the albino.

3 - The snake did indeed escape and is hiding in the only corner of my room I have yet to check. I have searched everywhere else in the room, inbetween clothes etc etc. Looked under cupboards and fridges, anywhere small enough for him to hide in. I really hope I find him soon - before the cat does.
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby sillybilly » Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:42 am

I am not suggesting your friend stole it but just replying to your post.
It is likely your friend would steal just one snake because it is less obvious and appears like it escaped.
If he stole a few things then you might suspect him.
As I say I'm not accusing him its just a thought.
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby Unforgiven » Mon Jul 23, 2012 10:22 am

The only reason I suspect him is becuase of what he said to my gf.

He was at the house visiting his gf while my gf was busy tidying up things. He left with his gf to the shop and when he came back he said to my gf "you should see what I did to my snake tank, it really looks amazing" his gf also commented saying "yes it really does look AMAZING"

So I really don't know what's up. My gf is going around to his house to check it out anyway so we will find out. I am more worried about the snake than anything else as it was REALLY cold last.
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby tranzoid » Mon Jul 23, 2012 2:09 pm

Sorry to hear about your loss, stolen escaped or otherwise! If you are going to try looking for him etc one method I have seen work is to set-up "traps" for it, left out overnight. Pretty much get some food (pinkies etc) or anything that smells like food, place this on the floor in a few places and surround the food items with masking tape with the sticky side facing up. If all goes according to plan snake comes out for a night time stroll, picks up scent tries to get food and gets tangled up in sticky masking tape, next day you find a ball of masking tape with undamaged but rather stuck snake in it. Yeah I know sounds crazy but really works
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby tranzoid » Mon Jul 23, 2012 2:11 pm

Another thing, if you have a pc in the room where you keep your snakes check in the box, last winter I had my one and only escape and he landed up there, warmest spot in my room.
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby fastback » Mon Jul 23, 2012 2:42 pm

tranzoid wrote: Pretty much get some food (pinkies etc) or anything that smells like food, place this on the floor in a few places and surround the food items with masking tape with the sticky side facing up. If all goes according to plan snake comes out for a night time stroll, picks up scent tries to get food and gets tangled up in sticky masking tape, next day you find a ball of masking tape with undamaged but rather stuck snake in it. Yeah I know sounds crazy but really works


You never use any thing sticky with a snake, that is looking for trouble.
Even masking tape, and not to mention the stress the snake goes through trying to get away from the sticky tape!

That is a big No No!
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby tranzoid » Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:21 pm

Well tried and tested and success, any better suggestions are welcome. I think however the stress of trying to get away from the sticky thing is maybe better than dying from starvation and/or cold
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby tranzoid » Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:25 pm

I should probably add the tape sticks more to itself than the snakes scales, masking tape as an adhesive is very weak, especially on hydrophobic surfaces such as scales.
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby tranzoid » Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:18 pm

Also found this site with a few good ideas: http://www.anapsid.org/escapedsnake.html , I must stress with my method that only the cream/papery type masking tape can be used. Any other form of tape such as insulation or duct tape is a definite no as pointed out already.
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Re: Snake on the loose

Postby it_bit_me » Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:18 pm

Nah people ar not clever enough to smell what strength tape your using and not one tape is the same as the other so best leave that advice. I had a venomous neonate get stuck in a small piece and it would not come off without ripping the skin. It usually ends up with having the snake shed before he will be released. If you do have this problem I hope the tape is not as strong as mine.

Any tape that can be removed with alcahol is weak enough to be removed without. Cut off as much tape as possible and dose the remaining tape generously with baby powder to stop the remaining parts from getting stuck on beter. Oil and other products are advise but no one MEDICAL product is made to remove glue, poeple remove it easy cause of the rate you shed skin at.
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