Alex, the escape artist

aleekslovesshaki · #1 (**permalink**) 12-17-2002, 05:55 AM

Hello everyone. My friend recommended this site for snake advice, so here's my problem:

My brother recently got a corn snake, Alex, a little over a month ago.

A blurry picture, but you get the idea of his size.
He's got him in a 20 gallon aquarium with a screen lid that snaps on over the sides. I didn't think the gaps were big enough for him to climb out, but he has got up and sat along the edge of the lid of the aquarium so I guess it's possible. At any rate, he noticed a day or two ago that, by all appearances, Alex is no longer in his aquarium. He's not hiding under his dish, under his 2 spots, or beneath the chips. When we had first got him he actually gotten inside one of his two logs, but I made the holes he would have climbed into a little bigger and couldn't see him; it's possible that he could still be in there but I doubt it, and don't think my brother would take kindly to me ripping them up. =] That means that somehow, he got out. I'm not quite sure how, but my brother left a mouse in the cage and he never came to get it. Also... ugh.. my brother left a mouse on his bedroom floor and that didn't lure him out either. My friend mentioned that when they get out they usually hang out within 15 feet of their cage, so I thought that the mouse would work, but I guess not! The point of this is for me to ask, does anyone have any other suggestions as to how to get a young corn snake to stop playing hide and seek? Thanks!

Kylee
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jpaulson · #2 (**permalink**) 12-17-2002, 06:03 AM

Ever hear of the proverbial needle in a haystack? That corn could be anywhere by now. Sorry

Welcome to RTB and tell your friends about us!!
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CelticWench · #3 (**permalink**) 12-17-2002, 06:09 AM

Hey, welcome to RTB!

Have you tried putting a little flour on the floor around his cage & see if he's crawling throught it at night.?Provided you have hardwood floors that is. That's the only trick I know for locating a runaway snke, if it works you can at least see in which direction he may be hiding by following the squiggles. Good luck!
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dlamphere · #4 (**permalink**) 12-17-2002, 02:24 PM

My son had one about 5 years ago that got out and then came back in the middle fo the night several weeks later to leave me his shed. His way of saying "still can't find me...lol" Never did find him....BUT we have some pretty colorfull offspring popping up around the house now. (HE was bright red and the ones around here were grey before he got out.) [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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Flood · #5 (**permalink**) 12-17-2002, 02:28 PM

Weclcome to RTB and I hope you don't have cats.
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aleekslovesshaki · #6 (**permalink**) 12-18-2002, 01:59 AM

*wince* Thanks for the advice and welcoming so far. As a matter of fact, I do have one cat... when you say 'I hope you don't have cats' is that in concern for the cat or for the snake? I'm guessing the snake, right? He's too little to do much damage. Unfortunately we don't have hardwood floors, or I'd have tried the flour trick. Hmm, but I will have to keep a look out for his shed, since he'll have to some time. =] He just did a few weeks ago though so it'll be awhile.
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rar · #7 (**permalink**) 12-18-2002, 03:40 AM

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cry.gif[/img] hope you find the snake...

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'I hope you don't have cats' is that in concern for the cat or for the snake?
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^ Id be pretty worried about alex if i were you....cats kill for fun (just look at the ferral cat prob. in australia).
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storm · #8 (**permalink**) 12-18-2002, 03:41 AM

You also might try leaving a heating pad somewhere dark near the enclosure set on low (not on carpet though, don't want to risk a fire), see if he shows up there to keep warm.
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Blackwidow_woman · #9 (**permalink**) 12-21-2002, 05:44 AM

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img] AAAWWWW,, hope you find the corn snake,, i feel for ya i got a snow corn that is an escape artist and has a habit of getting out all the time..no matter what i do she keeps getting out..but we always manage to find her..and her little cage buddy miss Red Thing always stays right in there and never leaves, [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] go figure.. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img] Im glad she dont get out to..hehehehe!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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Billybob · #10 (**permalink**) 12-22-2002, 02:51 AM

You could try putting some plastic shopping bags out at night across a hall. But make sure its late, and there is no noise, and the cat is not around. the snake will crawl through the bags and you will hear it.
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#11 (**permalink**) 12-24-2002, 08:50 AM

UGH.. Definately a problem for your lil snakie and not the cat if the cat comes across him. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
As for finding or looking for the snake.. I have found that unless they are HUGE bOIDS that have escaped their caging.. There is no use in searching for them. They are found when you least expect it and certainly not when you are looking for them either. good Luck finding him though.

WELCOME TO REDTAILBOA.NET !!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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JuliusSqueezer · #12 (**permalink**) 12-24-2002, 06:32 PM

Ratsnakes will roam. Whenever I have an elaphe anything escape....I look in the nearest closet where it is dark, quiet and full of hide spots...If he isn't there...I just turn off anything that makes noise and go to bed. My last cornsnake escape ended with my shampoo products all being knocked over in my shower as he was trying to scale the wall in there and woke me up. This probably won't work for such a small snake...but if there is a closet near where he escaped...start there. They will usually not cross open floors and tend to crawl along the walls looking for a place to hide. Don't just look low though...they will climb up into things you could never imagine.
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#13 (**permalink**) 12-26-2002, 06:08 AM

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Don't just look low though...they will climb up into things you could never imagine. </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Check your laundry basket even. One of Juls corns wound up from the second floor where it was caged, to the first floor in the laundry area. My kids came across it.. was quite hilarious actually to see kids who are around snakes go screaming and running the other way when the snake "exposed" itself to be in the area LMAO

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Blackwidow_woman · #14 (**permalink**) 12-27-2002, 02:42 AM

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img] Well my little snow corn is still on the lose shes a little stinker , but i know shes still in the house as she knocks things over..sooner or later we are gona see her slithering across the floor just like always..good thing she ate real good befour she got out.. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] Good thing i keep my house really warm during the winter months for the rest of the critters..Il keep ya all posted when i find her and where she was ..hehehehehe!!! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] This is getting to be a regular thing for her, few days out and then back to the cage life.. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img]

_________________
Me,,Wake Up,, Do What, See Who, Go Where, I DONT THINK SO!!! Get Lost!!

Ophiophagus-hannah · #15 (**permalink**) 12-27-2002, 03:08 AM

I think it wouldn't hurt to leave the Corn's water bowl out now and then to give him some water when he's thirsty. Heck, maybe you just might find him quenching himself! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img] Goodluck!
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