Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My big sav managed to escape his habitat, lift a heat grate, and squeeze into the air ducts! I can see him using a mirror and a flashlight, packed into the tube, happy as a clam. I've turned off the furnace so if he falls in, he won't burn, but I'm in Colorado and it is supposed to reach -2 tonight and now the house has no heat. I don't want him to get cold and sluggish, but it's dangerous to turn the furnace back on.

Does anyone have any tricks/lures/bait that have worked for attracting their savs out of tight places? He won't come out for mice, eggs, or little beef bits. Anyone know the equivalent of monitor catnip?

Please send advice!

The only thing I can think of is the smell of is nicely warmed f/t rodent ... may not work today but I can't see mine refusing that delicious smell for long. Guess there's the poosibility you may be cold tonight though :/

I say brave the cold, turn off the furnace, put a heating blanket near the entrance, keep checking it thruout the night, he'll find it. They grab em! LOL

Thanks everyone, but none of the tricks worked, alas. I had to call a heating/AC company and they did a brave search-and-rescue mission through the ducts. We found him with one of those special plumbing cameras on the end of a 10 foot pole! It was pretty exciting, and the sav was very stubborn. He's back in his den now, and now that the heater is back on, the whole house smells like lizard...

Hey, glad you got him out A lizard-smelling house is a small price to pay ...

I had a similar issue with a skink (she was only about 6" long.). I had to crawl under the house, take out part of the ducting, snatch her up (stuff her in my hat) put the ducting back together, then crawl out. fun stuff.