Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok - I'm completely stressed out, and I know it's all my fault. My little black mexican king got out of her vision cage a couple days ago. I know that she is still too small for her cage, since she is able to squeeze in between the glass doors that are set in sliding tracks. To this point I have jammed the space with paper (very tightly). What I didn't realize is that the paper eventually 'seats' into place and becomes less tightly fit. She realized this too and managed to push it out. I should have known. I should have checked it more carefully.

I've torn my place apart, and still I can't find her. I've sprinkled the doorways with flour, left food out for her (i.e., 'bait'), and placed plastic grocery bags along walls (to listen for the 'crinkling' noise if she passes by). It's full winter weather here in Massachusetts, so many parts of my house are very cold (lethally so to a cold blooded animal). She is still small enough to fit neatly in the palm of my hand - which opens up a lot of potential hiding places for her.

I'm afraid I'm not going to find her, but I just can't let myself give up.

Does anyone have any ideas, anything they've tried that has been successful in getting a back a lost snake?

I'm so bummed (if I had only taken a little more care in securing the doors of her cage...).

ANY ideas would be great,
Thanks,
Mark

Hey Mark, I know how you feel. I've had some (lots) of escapee's also. I want to encourage you that I found every one of mine. It will turn up, just wait and see. Those little blacks are hard to see because they disappear into the shadows. And I really think that MBK are the best at getting out. Don't dispair and good luck.

I've also had a few escapees.
One was a mountain that I found inside of the couch. Another was a small milksnake that showed up about 3-4 months later, crawling out of a houseplant. The last one was a 6' long milksnake. You would think that he'd be easy to find, but he was out and about for about 2 months. He turned up outside the house on the front porch -- trying to get back into the house.
Basically you need to look everywhere. If you've fed it recently, keep an eye (and nose) out for fresh poop.

That I have had PLENTY of snake escapes and I've found every one of them. No trick, as a matter of fact, I've usually found them when not looking. Good luck!!

P.S. I breed rodents in a seperate room so I usually find them there or on their way there.
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Martin Whalin
My Email

Quotes from guys named Carl:

"Science stops at the frontier of logic. Nature does not, she thrives on ground as yet untrodden by theory."
-Carl Jung

"It is foolish to let singleness of purpose deprive one of the joy and delectation of the many wonderful sights and sounds incidental to the quest."
-Carl Kauffeld

cool to kno but im hoping that doesent happen to me i live wit my mom stepfather lil sis n our yellow lab n i know if my mom finds it she will kill it, dunno what our lab would do if she came across a lil king but i wouldnt wanna chance it, hey martin quick couple of ques, about the rodent breeding thing? i'd love to try to get my hand into that? i know its for big colonies right? but i figure for till my two kings can get big enuff i can freeze some pinkies! peach fuzzers n so on n so forth? so i was wondering how could a guy like me start up breeding mice? is it a diff task to undertake? n how much moola is involved?love to know curious in contact.MIke.