I received my ribbon snake "Dasher" Christmas of 2005. He was a present hence why he was named after one of Santa's deer... and the fact that ribbons dash crazy fast. A week before I went off to my first year of college I went to sleep not knowing that I did not close the tank lid all the way (this is why you always use sliding lids with locks for these guys!). Of course he escaped and I woke up the next morning with a snake somewhere in my house. We tore my entire room apart and concluded after a week of searching that he had gone down the heater duct and most likely burnt to death in the guts of our house. My mother never gave up for looking for him! An entire month passed and I was visiting home one weekend when I heard my mother screaming my name. She found Dasher on her closet floor and luckily acted fast! He was squirming very vigorously in her hands and we put him back in his tank with a fresh clean bowl of water. I swear he drank that water and laid in the bowl for a few days after that. Needless to say my family was relieved that he was safe and they were relieved that there was no longer a snake slithering around in our house.
We learned our lesson and now have a nice lid that locks and he's been happy ever since... until...
I was driving home from college for winter break a few months ago and Dasher was in his tank on the floor in the back. I arrived home to find that I had forgotten to close the tank top and lock it and Dasher had gotten out sometime within the hour drive home. I proceeded to rip my entire car apart fearing the worst, that he had gotten out and climbed out of the car somewhere on the ride home. When riping the trunk apart I saw him for a split second. I ran back and forth all over the car trying to see him. I even tried baiting him with a fish but nothing worked. I got a hold of him once but he started to bury himself back in my car and I had to let him go for fear of harming him. I eventually got him and quickly put him back in his tank.
Lesson learned! You REALLY have to watch out for these guys! I did lose him both times out of pure carelessness but once they are lost its a pain to catch them. Never give up on looking for them though!
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Rachel
1.0.0. Cuban Knight Anole
1.0.0. Ribbon Snake (Dasher)
0.0.1. Red Eared Slider (Timmy)
0.0.1. Yellow-Bellied Slider (Winston Sunshine)
0.0.1. Red-Bellied Slider (Lil' Devil)
0.0.1. African Dwarf Frog
0.1.0. Deer Mouse (Darla)
0.1.0. Black Mouse (Pepper)
1.0.0. Tabbie Cat (Cuddles)
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