Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was making a 3 hour drive home from a reptile show yesterday with my new 850g male 100% het albino Ball. About halfway into the hurricane like rainstorm of a drive I noticed my snake wasn't in the plastic container he came in.

I immediately pulled over, and in the rain proceeded to take everything out of my car. Nothing. When I got home I literally emptied the entire care (seats and all). Everything but the dashboard. I have no clue where he is, if he isn't up in the dash. I called 2 mechanics today, they wouldn't help me remove the dash. They didn't want to "put their men at risk". Whatever.

I don't know how to take my dash apart because its an 05 Xterra, it doesn't just "come apart easily". I'm not sure if it could have escaped from car through the dash. If it still "is" in the car...i have no clue where.

What should I do? I dont think it can survive too long in the coldish NJ nights I feel horrible. My next step is to put down some duct tape traps. I'd rather have to deal with removing the tape than dealing with a dead snake.

any advice?

He probably went into your seats. Put them in a warm room. You could buy a space heater to put in your garage (provided there are no flamables - gasoline - paint thinnner that might explode) to warm it up so he won't freeze to death if he is still inside your car. My money is on the seats.
Best of luck.
Joe

I doubt he escaped throught the dash. There is a firewall between the engine compartment and the inside of you car and there are very few ways to go from one side to the other and all of these will have some kind of seal or grommet. I would bet he would be inside or under the seats as well. You can try the old method of leaving flour on the ground and looking for tracks. I wouldn't do the duck tape, you might end up with a dead snake that way too.
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when life hands you lemons, make super lemons, bumblebees, etc...

plastic container? they should have gave you a bag and im sure with a good knot he would have never got out? man good luck that really sucks!!! and if you got it from the pensalvania show im sure you werent to thrilled with that show either? damn sounds like a horrible day. best of luck and please keep us posted.

Turn your heater on high and wait. Outside of the garage of course, don't need to kill by carbon monoxide poisoning. If it is in the dash it will be forced out when it gets too warm. Go with the flour not tape. Good luck.

Get what ever he was feeding on (mouse, rat, etc). Put it in a well ventilated plastic container. Place the container in your car at night. Wait about 40 minutes and check. The snake will hopefully be at the box trying to get to the prey. Its worked for me.
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Jesse Jeffcoat
Gopher Hill Herps

Try putting a rubbermaid tub, the size you'd use for a lay box for that size snake, with a hole in the top on the floor of your car. Place a heating pad under it and a fresh killed food item that it is used to inside. You can plug it in with an extension cord through the window, just be sure to roll the window up tight against it. Do NOT use duct tape. Imagine the snake back in the dash, stuck with a wad of tape. You'd never get it out unharmed.

I am a mechanic in NJ and would be more than happy to help. Vinnie