Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, so most of you know that my Lavender Cali disappeared in October. As soon as I discovered her missing, I scoured the room her tank was in, searched every usual place that snakes turn up (under the water heater, washer, dryer, fridge...), left a mouse and a heatpad out in the reptile room, lined the walls with sticky mousetraps, put plastic bags along some of the walls so I might hear her rattling through them, put cornstarch on the floor with a water bowl in the middle so I could monitor her movements, and bawled my eyes out. Since she got out, I haven't seen a single sign of her, no poop, no shed skin, nothing.

I've been continuously looking for her for these months, but I hadn't thoroughly searched the walk-in closet nearest the reptile room. I've kinda figured she'd probably be in there, in a shoe or bag, so I finally took the time today to search through it. Nothing. No sign at all. I'm feeling really discouraged. I don't even know what else to try. Heck, I even brought the cat in the house for a while (my barn cat) to see if maybe he'd lead me to her, but no luck there either, he just sat on the floor and looked at me.

I've thought about calling one of the local pest control services who have a bloodhound to sniff out "pests" and asking them if they could use it to track down my snake. I don't know how much that would cost, but at this point I'm willing to try anything.

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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake possible mix (Eddie Gein)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

You might get lucky finding it if it is in shed when escaping. ALot of times they hole up and shed out then cruise around...If it has been within a day or 2 I usually crank the heat to MAX and burn it out! You will either scare it deep into the walls and lose it forever or get it moving somewhere you can find it. Best to do this at night with the lights off and listen for things knocked over,good luck,Jeff

Finding snakes takes only one thing. Patience.

In 16 years of keeping snakes I have only truly lost one. Many have escaped, but I have found them, sometimes months later in the apartment building next door for example

If you do not find it within the first few days the chances are slim that you will find it by looking for it, but eventually you will cross paths.

It is possible that your snake is gone for good, but its just as likely shes sleeping under your feet right now. Just remember shes about, and keep your eyes out for her. and tell all of your neighbors, roomates, and guests, because you don't want someone else to find her, freak out, and kill her.

I am still bitter about the one that got away. To this day I don't know how she escaped and I moved a month after the escape. Maybe someone else found her.

Zach is right. They usually show up sooner or later. Sometimes MUCH later.

I had one MBK get out and she was missing for over 3 months. I was already looking to purchase a replacement, when one day I looked down in the shower and there she was, behind the shampoo bottle!

Another time, I was about to take a shower when I saw my female Cal King in there. I didn't even know she had escaped until I found her! I'm assuming they go into the bathroom for the moisture.
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Diego

If the room it was in has furniture in it, you might want to check the lining on the underside. When my albino got loose, she hid in the lining of my living room chair, which was right beside her aquarium. I didn't think to look there until she came out lookin for food and I saw her going back under the chair.
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~Maggie~

"Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious."
1.1 Cal Kings
1.0 Mali Uromastyx
1.0 Brooksi
0.1 Red Belly Piranha
1.0 Quarter Horse
1.0 Australian Shepherd