So a couple weeks ago I went out of town for the weekend. I didn't check on my newest babies (Thayeri Kingsnakes) until the Tuesday following my return. When I did, I found the female's bin, the one I bought the pair to get.... empty. Instantly my heart sunk, and I looked around the immediate area, but she was so teeny tiny, that she could have been anywhere! Also, she could have been prowling for days since I didn't know when she escaped.
The thing that baffled me the most about this is how she got out. I kept her in my quarantine area the same way I do almost every time I get a new snake in. She was in a shoe-box sized tub with heavy heavy books on top, and I've never had a baby escape in this setup ever. She must've squished her body and spent a loooong time working her way out!
Despite the fact that there was little to no chance of ever seeing her again, I set out some snake traps in various locations in my apartment. As the days went by with nothing in the traps, my little hope of ever seeing her again was pretty much gone. Not only is it very likely she could have fallen down the vent and into the furnace, but I have two cats roaming around that could have killed her as well. This apartment is old, and has lots of small holes and hiding places that I'd never be able to tear into, so I just resigned myself to the fact that she was gone.
Well, yesterday I was putzing on the computer when I heard one of my cats getting into a stack of newspapers I had put there earlier. I scolded him and turned around to see what he was getting into, and saw him trotting off and out of the bedroom with a long skinny brown thing hanging from his mouth.
At first I thought it was just a piece of stray sphagnum moss, but then I realized I didn't have any moss in that area, and maybe, just maybe, it was the snake! I got up to see where he had gone, and found him in the bathroom watching this tiny snake that he had set down on the rug. My heart leaped and I scooped her up and immediately checked her over. She was fine!! The cat didn't even harm her in the least!
I had to hold her and look at her for 10 minutes before I put her back in her (more secure) bin. I set her in the water dish first, and she immediately took a long drink. Today I offered her food, and nom nom nom, she ate it up!
So yeah, I am so freaking lucky that I got this snake back, let alone with no harm done to her. If that cat had found her at any other time, he probably would have killed her eventually.
I am going to name her Xena, since she is apparently super strong, escaped inprisonment, went on a long journey through strange lands, and even defeated a huge monster! 
Sorry for such a long post, but I just can't believe my luck! 
If you made it through... thanks for reading!!
Here are a couple pics that I took of her today:
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Aubrey Ross
