Snake escape - could use some hints.

[Entomancer]

So, there was a local reptile show this weekend.

Amongst the new things I purchased was a young Milk snake.

I brought them home, and soon began getting the newcomers settled in. The first one I took care of was an adult Taiwan Beauty snake, because I brought it home in a pillowcase, and it was getting a bit agitated. Prior to this, all of the purchased animals were in their containers on my bed.

I had removed the lid of the deli cup that the Milk snake was in to check on it, and I thought I had closed it again. This occured soon after arriving home.

After I came back into the room where the animals were sitting, the Milk snake was gone. I thought I had closed the container, but a part of the lid didn't snap shut all the way, and the snake took advantage of the opportunity. I immediately began searching for it, but I could not find the snake anywhere.

That was on Saturday night. I spent more time searching on Sunday, but to no avail. One concern I have is that the house has central heating, and so there are a number of vents. If the snake decided to crawl into one of the vents (it is more than small enough) it would be trapped, because it is not long enough to climb out. If this is the case, it is likely already dead, because it would be unable to escape the heat to thermoregulate.

Does anyone have any tips? I'm in school right now, so I don't have time to tear the house apart searching for it, and so I thought I'd come here to see if I could get any advice from the other people here who are more experienced snake keepers than I.

One thing I will be trying later is luring the snake out with food. I have to go get more mice today, and I was going to try and use the scent of a pinky mouse in a soda bottle to lure it out of wherever it may still be hiding.

Any ideas?

 

[bigjej]

This has happened to me a number of times and most of the time I found the snake. Once it was after 4 weeks and the snake was found outside on my front door on a NY January day. Unfortunately it died a couple of days later - probably from the rapid temp change. Anyways the first thing you should do is keep all the lights on in your room as it will be less likely to venture around. Then look in all the warm spots, especially tight ones - under radiators, in the vents, under the bed, in each shoe in your closet, behind book cases. Try a pinkie in a soda bottle - I've read about it but never had luck with that one. Try making a nice spot for it by placing a small hide on a heat mat in a corner of the room where you think it most likely to be. GOod luck.

 

[Entomancer]

I did that with a Garter snake once. It went straight for the heat pad and was secured within hours.

I'm going to do the pinky trick and the heat pad trick today. I just hope it doesn't run into my dog while nobody's home.

 

[R1pp3R]

Make a couple of traps by taking stickey tape and rolling it up in a ball place these in several locations against walls preferably at night, then check on all in morning.
If the snake try to move over these it will get stuck.
Actualy masking tape works best.

Good luck finding your snake.

Sent from my GT-P7300 using Tapatalk HD

 

[findi]

Try tying a string to the pink's rear leg...snake will not likely be able to back off if it eats the mouse. Heat pads a good idea as well. Talcum or other powder placed on floor may reveal tracks. Good luck, Frank

 

[Moonfall]

Be careful with tape and strings. Good way to end up with a dead snake. One of mine got out once and found the warmest, darkest place she could. The heat under her tank. It was secured with gorilla tape. I found her glued to the tape, scared but alive. Olive oil helped get her free. She lived a while after that then died suddenly.

I would check warm places for sure.

Don't use a string though, when the snake swallows the pinky it will also eat string. Thrashing and trying to get away could really damage the innards or the mouth, and if you got there to cut it loose, there would still be string in the gut. Bad idea.