Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I noticed he was in his tank this morning,and while cleaning out my chams cage i saw him. His tank was secure with bricks and cage toppers. He is a strong fellow though. We found him about 2 months ago in some rafters in my fathers place of work. He was eating Mom mice once a week, but yesterday was his ffirst small rat, and he spit it out halfway. He would not take a mouse either. He eats f/t. I am clueless as to when he got out, but i realised at about 7:30 PM. I just spent 3 hours looking for him, and have even cut down a wall(eek!) i cannot find him anywhere. I was going to put a mouse in a small hermit crab wire cage,see if maybe i can lure him out a bit. any suggestions? Put a bowl of water out too maybe?? My poor snake. He was in a smaller 20 gallon long tank for a while then i bought him a 40 breeder, but after i moved him into it all he wanted to do was escape. Nothing was different, same substrate, same hides, same water bowl,background,lighting,etc. Any sugeestions or help to get my baby back, please!!!

Also, do you think he could be going into hibernation soon?Maybe he refused the food yesterday because of that? If i don't change his temps all year round, do you think he will still hibernate?He is WC afterall...

Keep looking every day!My blackrat(the one in the pic) escaped his tupperware type brumation box last november in my basement.He was found in mid april sitting up on a heating duct in my basement cieling.I got him back in time to breed to my female and produce 9 het. albino babys.

I remember (I think you are the person) last year when you posted losing him during brumation. I also remember you posting finding him and then the clutch of eggs. That was great. Nice to hear an update that you produced nine babies. Good luck and nice looking black ratsnake.

Terry Parks

>>Keep looking every day!My blackrat(the one in the pic) escaped his tupperware type brumation box last november in my basement.He was found in mid april sitting up on a heating duct in my basement cieling.I got him back in time to breed to my female and produce 9 het. albino babys.
>>

You're best off not to worry. It could take a few weeks, or even a few months, but he'll almost certainly show up again.

I named one of my corns "Houdini" because he was so adept at escaping. The first time, it was him and Ziggy together. They were in a small cage in the living-room, and were still under a year old. I recovered Ziggy about ten days later, in the basement. She went through the bars of a mouse cage and pigged out, thus trapping herself. I could hardly believe that she'd taken a mouse so large, it was about twice her girth. Houdini (then named "Neon", he's an amelanistic) was gone for about six weeks, and turned up laying along the top edge of a baseboard behind the stereo (the cat told me he was there).

The second time, it was my own fault for failing to secure the lid of the cage properly. He and Ziggy were sharing a cage with four young black rat snakes (still upstairs), and all except Ziggy fled the coop. I recaptured all the blacks within less than two hours, but Houdini (still named Neon) was a.w.o.l. for about ten days. He turned up coiled around the root-base of a large houseplant.

About a year later he was living alone, and escaped in the critter-room (I'd moved them out of the living-room). I recovered him the same day, behind a cardboard box alongside a wall. He now acquired his new, and permanent name.

A few months later, all of them were in brumation, and Ziggy was sharing a brumation box with Houdini. Wouldn't you know it? he found a way out and again took Ziggy with him. About three weeks later, I found him coiled up in a cardboard box in the brumation room. Ziggy was gone for another three or four months. She must have remained in brumation until it warmed up enough for her to figure springtime had arrived. I kept a water dish on the floor inside the brumation-room, and a Ziggy-meal sized mouse in a cage just outside. One day - there she was! Again she trapped herself by pigging out.

I've got a couple of dozen snakes, and hardly ever have I had anyone escape except Houdini (either alone or with his companion/s).
-----
tricia

Thanks so much for the reassurance. i only have the two snakes, a Ball Python and the Black Rat. Ive never had an escape before ever. And have over 2 dozen different kinds of herps.We even cut down a wall we thought hed be hiding in . Now were missing a wall in our livingroom,Ha. He was everyones favorite. SO sleek and just all out awesome. Hope we do get him back, or I hope he's gotten outside somehow. Atleast he knows what to do out there. Thanks again.