I also posted in the Lost/Escaped forum, but this forum is much more widely read, and I wanted to share the good news.
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Miracles do happen!!!!!
I lost my Russian Rat Snake near the entryway of my house when he was exercising on a Rhododendron bush. (A house visitor distracted me as I watched, then poked around in the shrub where the snake was. When he stepped away, the snake was gone.)
On a heavily vegetated acre, we are next to 2 vacant lots, with small groups of trees on 3 sides. The vacant lot to the east is mowed only 1-2 times yearly, so weeds are at least 5 feet tall.
Snake was found in the NE corner of the yard near the the eastern fence, under a large piece of plywood. He was only 37 steps from the entryway. When lost, his Fossorial instincts were stronger than his Arboreal instincts. Lucky for me, he had NOT climbed up into nearby trees.
A yearling male, he had seemed to darken in color in just the 8 days he was gone, and yellow seems more prominent. (At first glance, I thought I had found someone else's lost Desert Kingsnake. Then I saw the yellow on his jaw and realized that I had found my lost gem.)
*Having artificial cover at the edge of shrubs & fences will increase chances of finding any snake lost outside.*
1.0 Elaphe schrencki
1.0 Elaphe guttata
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