Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, it's official, my adult 24" male eastern has yet pulled an escape. This guy is getting pretty good. He escaped out of a normal enclosure this time, 10 gallon aquarium with carefresh, a water bowl and a rock. The lid is a 10 gallon screen lid that I bought at a pet store. He last ate on the 10th, 2 pinky mice. Every day after the 10th, I've been putting a basking light over the tank, which he usually basks under at night time when he gets the chance. But I haven't been paying attention as to whether or not he was basking because I've been busy, and I haven't seen him since the 10th, so I have no idea how long he's been gone.

'Houdini' which is an appropriate name if I find him again lol, must have been sneaking steroids into his pinky mice while I wasn't looking, as I do not know how in the hell he got out of that tank, he must've lifted the lid off somehow, which weighs atleast 3 pounds. There were no openings, other than the corner slits, which, be serious, the snake is atleast an inch thick, the slits are about 1/4 an inch wide, so to me it's impossible that he escaped.

He wasn't in the snake room, double checked everything. I've got plastic bags lined up around the house and I'm hoping he shows up again. Just wondering what could contain him lol.

Mike

Michael's Place

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Michael's Place has updated better caresheets
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

A standard 10 gallon aquarium has a lip along the top which allows you to put a glass lid on the tank (if you were setting it up for fish), and also allows a crawlspace in which your snake can get between the screen top and the "ledge". From there it's a simple matter of the snake (being all muscle) to use simple leverage to get the top to lift up enough to get started on the way out. Must hurt like heck when it gets to the tail, lol, but then again I'd take a bit of pain to get out of "jail".

Get some of the screen top "clips" made specifically for keeping the lid on snug, and go overboard by installing one on each side of the lid (front / back and also left / right). Not the wimpy half inch wide ones, the heavy duty 3 inch wide ones that hood into the frame of the screen top and also latch under the trim for the top of the aquarium. Their not that expensive, cheap insurance. This will keep the lid tightly pressed to the tank. It does make it a minor hassle to get into the tanks to have to pop the clips each time, but then again it keeps unwanted humans and pets out (cats and kids) and also keeps the wanted ones inside the tank.

Or go the ever so popular and eye catching brick on each corner (4 total per tank) route.

Best of luck finding your snake (again).

This time when you find him tie a little silver bell around his neck so you can find him next time with ease, lol. Wait, do snakes technically have necks?
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"Colubrid-aphilia", adj; An inordinate love of Colubrids.

My pueblan ia a great escape artist. First time I bought a new tank with a slide out top. That held him for a while until one day, I found him missing and the little stay that keeps the screen from sliding out was pryed off one side. Then bought a regular square type metal screen lid that fit over the top which created a more secure stop for the slide. That worked well for a year or so until one day, he was gone again and the lid was kinda askew in a way I can't really describe in words. It must have been snake fu. Anyway, I got some heavy duty metal clamps that work for 55 gallon tanks to put on the sides (they are going over 2 lids) and escapes have come to a stop for now. I recommend those hollow log things for hiding places because you can check your snake clearly and quickly without disturbing him to make sure he's in the cage. I used to use a small cave, but found that you may not know when he's missing soon enough. Good luck...search low...mess things up and move things around a lot...walk out of the room for about 10 minutes and he might show himself when you come back in quickly. If you grab him by the tail while he's in flight or by surprise, you'll get a nice stinky surprise.

Actually my milk has yet to musk me, or try to bite me. The last time I found him crawling around my snake room, he made no attempt to run away. He's not shy at all and would most likely crawl right up to me if he saw me.

Mike
Michael's Place

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Michael's Place has updated better caresheets
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

I find most store bought lids are not very secure although I do use some with clips or books. My favorite and most secure lids are made by siliconing 1x2's around the top of the tank, then making another frame of 1x2's and using hinges and clasps to hold it in place. I then staple nylon screen to the top frame andalso put a bead of glue all around on top of the screen and staples so they can't work the screen up between the staples.Buddy