Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was out fishing the other day and my girl decided to handle my snake and when she put them back she left the door open a hair and they got out, i found one, but i cant find the other one. any tips tricks or whatever to find a ball? i have turned my house upside down and i cant find my girl. this really blows.

Did you try checking the back of your fridge, the motor there is pretty warm and makes a good hiding spot. I had a ball get out once and thats where I found it. Good luck with everything.

This time of year it is hard due to the heat and humidity. I would turn on your air and cool your place down that should send the snake looking for a warm spot. If that doesn't work you might have to wait and set up a trap by placing a prekilled mouse or rat out at night but be sure to drag it around so the snake gets the smell. Good luck!

dump the girlfriend- lol - just kidding.

I have found more than one snake under/behind the fridge, by the dryer, and basking on my end table under the reading lamp....

start there- and good luck!

~Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

I say look behind the fridge...mine got out and was gone for 2 days and on top of the motor is where she was

Here's what's worked for me on the few occasions animals have escaped.
Think like a snake. They don't like to venture out into the open. Crawl around the floor, or look at everything close to the wall near where you keep them. They usually do not go far in one night. Methodically ( and as quietly as possible) look in and behind everything. I mean EVERYTHING,furniture, shoes, boxes ( even if they are closed) files, between/ behind leaning books if there is a book shelf .. they can curl up in the smallest spaces. Use a flashlight and look up and under furniture, and pull it (gently) away from the wall to look behind it. I found an animal when I rechecked, in a calm manner what I had frantically 'searched' earlier. Have your dizzy girfriend help you.
If you still can't find it, you can try dropping the temp in the room with A/C and set out a heatmat with a hide and a f/t prey near the wall, near where they escaped from. Turn off the lights, shut the door, and leave it undisturbed for a few hours at dusk/ night. Quietly check scan the room with the flash light and see if it has been coaxed out.I actually did this- We went out for dinner after I set it up. I joked with the hub when we got back that "I'll just open the door and there she'll be"... I opened the door and there she was!
Some people have had luck sprinkling powder on the floor and looking for slither tracks, or placing tape upside down along the wall ( which I would think is a pain to get off)

When you find it, get it it's own enclosure. They really shouldn't be housed together unless you're breeding them.

Good Luck.
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"There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness"
COLD BLOOD.........WARM HEART

I agree. If you lower the temps and set out a heat pad w/hide it sends a HUGE heat signature that the snake can see. They will gravitate towards this usually like a Sidewinder missle pinging the heat from a Mig 29....bang! . I would start looking right by where it got out, it has been my experience they usually hole up in a tight warm spot nearby. Expand your search from this point. Also, I would check all floorboards for places the snake can get into the wall or outside and investigate if you can find the snake in these spots.

For future reference, and hopefully after you got your snake back into its cage, I would begin to close up any small holes the snake can get into the wall through. I have literally snake-proofed my whole house as best I can. You'd be surprised at the small holes, liked where the baseboard water feed and return lines go into the wall for instance, you need to look at every crack. I swouldnt cover and fill them until you resolve the current lost snake situation, but I have covereed all holes like this in my place.

Good luck and keep us posted.

tape works great
comes off easy enough with olive or peanut oil
good luck
ck

I think trying to find them during the day is at a loss. Its in the middle of the night, or the early hours of the morning, or after everone has been out of the house all day when you just come home. They like quiet and dark.

I lost two of my ball pythons once and I layed flour down across all doorways and thresholds, around the fridge and washer and dryer, against the walls and what not. Went to bed and the next morning checked all places I had laid the flour.

They will crawl through it and leave a trail. It vacuums up easy and works like a charm!

Hope this helps!
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Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)

thanks for all the tips and advice, and i was seriously thinking about dumping the girlfriend beth. i have been trying with no luck so far. how long can they live without food? im worried that when i find her she wont be alive. they have thei own enclosures but my setup has one dooor on the side that heads into both cages and when she left that open thats how they both got out. i found my male in a file folder but no luck with my baby girl yet.

My best advice is to look a couple of times and then wait -- eventually she'll come out or you'll stumble across her wrapped around a bottle of soda in the pantry -- it may take several weeks or even months but she'll likely be fine.

You don't really want to crank the AC -- if she isnt out roaming she's likely got a spot she likes - and dropping the house temp will just make her sick. Chances are she's found someplace warm already anyway. I would suggest you make sure you double check your garbage disposal before you run it, close your toilet lids and plug any large drains she could get down - if you have a dog door or holes in your walls, screens, loose baseboards, etc. you need to be sure those are closed off as well.

She'll show up they always do.

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Tosha
JET Pythons

thanks tosha, how in the world did the snake end up in the ceiling? yeah i am just worried that she found a way outside the house and that she is gone forvever!! but i gona keep loking and hope she turns up, she was my first ball and i was really attached to that one. the other to but its always different with your first