Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Bad news. Really, really bad news. My two blind snakes were feeding fine, tunneling against the glass, and bringing a great deal of joy into my life. Then disaster strikes. I still have no idea how it did it, but one managed to escape. I instantly took measures so that this would never happen again. I not only tore that reptile room apart piece by piece, frantically searching for the little tube, but I searched the tank that the escaped blind snake had been in at least 12 times, in and out, and still found no way that the almost completely solid little tank could have let a snake escape.
I knew one thing; I would never use it again! So, after the unsuccesful 2-day search, I moved the second blind snake into a deli cup to live. This was the kind of deli cup with the really, really tiny little holes. It also had a tight-fitting lid. I was certain that nothing could get out of it.
Well, snakes can amaze you. This little snake, about as big around as the lead of a no. 2 pencil, somehow managed to make itself small enough to escape from one of those pinholes! It was very tiny, and I did the same routine of tearing the whole room up trying to find the little snake.
I have set up "moisture traps" and all I can, but I am afraid that I cannot find this little, and I mean little, snake.
This is heartbreaking for me. The snake had stayed in that cup over 2 weeks before it decided to escape. I was able to obtain a great deal of information on them, make some ffascinating observations, and have the pleasure of handling and observing these little snakes, but unfortunately, it looks like disaster struck.
I checked over and over. These snakes are absolutely amazing, how they can fit through these holes, the circumference of a hair! I feel horrible. Has this ever happened to any other small snake keepers? At least I still have the valuable records on this species.
I will still continue the search, but I know that it will probably be unsuccesful.
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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes
0.0.1 scarlet snake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
1.0 rough earth snake
0.1 Northern brown snake

Don't bother looking for them, you won't find them. The snakes get nervous when they can't burrow, so they jumped around on the floor for hours and they find somewhere to hide, usually under something you would never think of. Or down a hole in the wall or something.

I had 4 of mine get loose last week, didn't even bother looking for them.
What happened to your 2nd rough earth snake?

Mike
Michael's Place

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

Well,

At least it happens to other people. I feel bad, but this is an awkward situation. I don't think that they even make deli cups built to hold a snake the circumference of a pencil lead! I am comforted to know that I am not the only keeper who this has happene to, but I am sorry to hear about yours. Your advice about how they behave when they get out is helpful though. I still managed to obtain a great deal of information from keeping and observing these fascinating little critters, which will always hold a special place in my heart, so thanks. I hope to some day observe their habits in their native habitat.
About the earth snake, that was the female. Unfortunately, she did not live too long. She had several lacerations when she arrived, and appeared to have a great deal of trauma to the cloacal area, which must have become infected. I treated her wounds daily, but she was too delicate. It was dissapointing to see her go. On a lighter note, the male is flourishing. He is a very healthy earth snake, who shares a 5-gallon with the gravid female brown you sent me, which I would like to add may be the healthiest of all DeKay's I have ever seen. How did you get her?
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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes
0.0.1 scarlet snake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
1.0 rough earth snake
0.1 Northern brown snake

Dave, I found the brown snake and brought it home as a feeder. None of my snakes wanted it, so I figured I'd throw it in with your order. I'd like to know why/how you think it is gravid though, I found it the day it came out of hibernation, it didn't have time to mate. It is possible it held spearm from last year, but the brown snakes around here show no signs of gravidity until late June to early August, and even then, you can barely tell.

Mike
Michael's Place

-----
Michael's Place has updated, better caresheets
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

What did you feed such tiny snakes?

Today, my mother entered my reptile room to observe some animals, and a miracle happened! My mother has a gift for noticing the tiniest little things that nobody else can see, and this gift brought me back one of my Brahminy blind snakes! It took her a few seconds to realize what the tiny black crescent, sticking out from the amost paper thin gap beneath the herp library bookshelf was.
She then realized that it was one of my lost friends. Thinking it was dead, she touched it, and it moved. She had to move the bookshelf very, very gently, and found the snake was tangled in cobwebs, and could not get out. It was thrashing like mad! She then had to delicately pull the snake from the cobwebs. Last of all, she placed it back in the deli cup, and covered all holes with paper towels taped to the sides. The snake, which appears to be OK, is on my desk right now.
I am hoping that I will have some baby blind snakes coming soon. Unfortunately, the other was never found, but at least I am glad to have this interesting little snake back with me.
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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes
0.0.1 scarlet snake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
1.0 rough earth snake
0.1 Northern brown snake