Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Over the weekend I had a yearling escape. I read on here a while ago about using upside tape on the floor to catch escapees, so I tried it,

WELL this morning I woke up to find my snake wraped up in duct tape!! As I was already late for work I removed the tape and set her up in a clean enclosure with paper towels, a water bowl, and a hide with wet paper towels in hopes she rubs the glue off. The hide is right over the UTH so hopefully the warmth and moisture gets the glue off.

Anyone have any other suggestions to get the glue off (aside from not losing any more snakes)? Unfortunately she just shed last week so she's not due to shed again for another month.

I didnt pull any scales off, but around her neck looks like there is a good amount of glue. It has that look when a snake has dried shed on it and the skin wrinkles.

I would put the snake on damp paper towels. The tape had to injure the skin and will trigger a shed. Next time dont use duct tape. . .bad news! Out of curiosity how big is the snake?

Good Luck,
Ian Daviss

The snake is a very well fed '06 baby roughly 2 feet. And as far as next time.....there better not be a next time....lol

I've used electric tape to catch escaped snakes... And then Olive or vegetable Oil to get the tape off... Works like a miracle. The Oil dissolves the glue.
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Nicholas Bertrand

My daughters baby corn snake (which we had about 3 days) escaped and I think I know where its hiding. I put flour lines out all around the house and there was some messed up coming out of the attic space in my daughter's room (unfinished bookcase next to snake cage). I'm going to try some 2" clear packing tape today and hope that it comes back out tonight. We're leaving water out for it in hopes that it will come searching. She just ate when we got her Thursday and she's spending time in areas that mice like to inhabit. So I don't think any baiting will work.

I read that vegetable oil will release them from tape traps. So I've been researching others who have been using tape. Glad to see that it has worked for you guys.

I use vegetable oil to get any kind of glue or adhesive on my hands and it works every time. I've never had to deglue one of my snakes, but I imagine it would be safe to use. I imagine mineral oil might also work well. Just rub it on, let it sit a bit and then gently rub with a paper towel to get it off.

VEGETABLE OIL

use the smooth kind, not the chunky kind. The same trick that you use for chewing gum in a kid's hair. You can also try mineral oil.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host