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YIKES -- Two accidents at once!!

viandy Sep 11, 2005 10:18 AM

This was definitely a heart sinking experience. I had been gone for two days, got home and was checking the animals. Opened the door to the room the 2005 black bloods are in and almost stumbled, something strange underfoot but I was able to avoid actually stepping on it with all my weight (I hope).
I realize I'll probably start some controversy with this, but I put glue traps in the corners of my snake rooms to catch escapees. Every snake I've found in a glue trap I've gotten loose with vegetable oil and gentle, patient, careful work. I've also had snakes get out that haven't gotten onto the glue boards. I've found their little mummified bodies after months of searching, I've never been able to save one of those long dead escapees. That's the reason I use the glue traps. (I do have snakes which CANNOT be allowed to escape. Those are kept in LOCKED cages. But, as a failsafe, that LOCKED room also has glue traps in each corner and at each rack)
Okay, back to the topic -- what had I stepped on? A baby black blood caught in a glue trap! Not only the glue trap but I also stepped on it -- could I have made it any worse than that?!?! DEFINITELY feel super guilty about that.
I immediately take it down to the kitchen, douse the whole snake & trap with vegetable oil. Then I worked the snake off the trap, then got as much glue off the snake as I felt I could without causing too much more stress. Then left her overnight in a container with approx 1cm of oil in the bottom. This morning I worked off more, washed off the oil with a mild soap solution, she seems "uncoated" now, and seems alright, I hope this is the case.
I went ahead and took this pic before putting her away. Fingers crossed, she isn't hurt internally, and will be okay. Because in a year I think she will be one smokin' snake!!

Replies (5)

Chris_B Sep 11, 2005 01:53 PM

Glue traps huh? Not a pretty thought but better than a dead lost snake I suppose. Sorry to hear about that, I hope she's ok. -chris-

Misskiwi67 Sep 11, 2005 02:06 PM

I hope she's ok! Keep us updated...

googo151 Sep 12, 2005 12:17 AM

Hey V,
Why are these guys escaping? What is your set up like, rack or other? From the photo it looks none the worse for wear, but we'll see down the road. Good luck with it.
-Angel
-----
In life you can fall many times, but you're only a failure, if you don't try to get back up!
Evil Canevil

snakeylo Sep 13, 2005 08:05 PM

First of all sorry to hear about your misfortune. I hope everything turns out for the best. It sounds like you have had a lot of bad luck with your setups if you constantly have escapes. As a snake keeper of many years I have had my share of escape stories-fortunately I have always found them at one time or another (except for a baby dumerils monitor). I recommend snake proofing the room and making sure cages are secure instead of using glue traps. I know it is easier said than done,but it saves a lot of hearache and tearing up the house to find escapees. Again good luck with your blood and keep the list posted of how things go-------Lonnie

cooljosh Sep 14, 2005 04:37 AM

My daughter's hamster escaped and it got between the plaster board and the wall and we could hear it scratching around in there.
Guys at work said to drill a small hole and put rat poison in there. Girls at work and my yound daughter said to rip all the plaster board down, rescue the hamster, re-plaster and re-decorate. My young son said send the snake in after it (aint boys wonderful?).
Painful choice.

I took an electricity socket off the wall to put the rat poison in (cruel wicked despicable Father) so I didn't even have to drill a hole; but as a last ditch attempt I put a live animal trap with water and food in it next to the socket overnight. In the morning the hamster's fat bum was sticking out of the trap and it was busy stuffing it's face (wonderful clever hero Father).

Phew.

I reckon the hamster's 6th sense helped here; if I hadn't got the poison the little bggr would have stuffed it's face with food and crawled back in the wall!

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