Great Escape story!

jonathon · #1 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 01:00 AM

Last December, my bride and I went to visit a friend in San Francisco for our anniversary. We asked my sister and b-in-law to watch the 'kids' while we were away (1.0 mature ball python, 1.0 4 year old Hog Island RTB, 1.0 4 year old Savu python, 2.0 juvenile hognoses) and were looking forward to the week. I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon with (Geek moment) Matt Dillon, one of the most amazing Unix programmers/hackers ever. It would be like hanging out with Bill Gates if you love Windows.

Anyway, after lunch, we got a call from family that Grendel, the RTB, had gotten out of his cage. I was upset, but what could I do? I decided I was going to enjoy my vacation and deal with it when I got back. Mind you, I live in an old Victorian house divided into apts, with a senior who is in remission from cancer and terrified of snakes (she doesn't know I have them, though the landlord does.)

Background on Grendel: he loves being held, loves to climb, and loves chilling out with people. I've had him since he was 6 weeks old, delivered via Delta Dash from Georgia.

For the next 2 days, I tried not to think about something I couldn't change. After 2 days, I got a bunch of late night voice messages (from my home, the East coast). I called, and heard they had found Grendel. Yay!

Here's what happened: he lives in a Reptronics cage with sliding glass panels on the front. I'd seen him rubbing his nose on the glass before. Actually, I'd found him outside the cage twice. This silly little boa had slid the glass open and gotten out twice! And I blamed it on my wife not closing the cage. Silly me.

Anyway, he got out, and my family came over and tore the place apart for 4 hours. It's a tiny apartment, and they looked everywhere. They found a hole in some antique floorboards and were convinced he had gone into the floor. The next night, the landlord heard loud banging in our apt. He went up and found Grendel on top of his cage, after he'd knocked everything off. He did a Steve Irwin ("You're alright, mate!") and got Grendel into a pillow case. Then he called my sister and she and my b-in-law came over at midnight to put him back.

Whew! What a story. I thought we'd be kicked out of the apartment, sued, who knows what. Now we have dowels in the glass panel tracks so they can't open. There's no really easy way to install locks in the glass. But Grendel knows he will be punished next time he tries to escape.

So far, no escapes. Wish me luck!

xxxjustinxxx · #2 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 01:10 AM

good god what a long story !!! yea i know how you feel, its happened to a couple of our adult boas at the shop and we freaked out!!! but thats good to hear he hasnt escaped yet!! keep us posted

reptilemama · #3 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 01:20 AM

Sounds like your landlord is a cool guy! For locks, try something like this. I have something similar for my monitor's cage. Works great! Just ask the local hardware store for locks for a display case with sliding doors.

jonathon · #4 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 04:13 AM

Do you have to cut the glass to install them?

Shuba · #5 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 04:17 AM

Ugh I hate escapes... I had an incodent were my carpet python got out during the night ( and his enclosure is right next to my bed ).. I ended up looking for him in the morning and found him in my closet underneath a bunch of clothes.. happy ending.

Bchildress · #6 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 04:52 AM

I have A het for piedball been out 4 over week Now and I still havent found him

Shuba · #7 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bchildress

I have A het for piedball been out 4 over week Now and I still havent found him

I once lost a ball python, and he ended up crawling out and under of my radiator during the winter. It was only about a week and caught a bad case of RI. You should check under all your tight spaces, and if possible take it apart.

JuliusSqueezer · #8 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 05:30 AM

heh...Hey Brad, when you and Nora were here and we were looking at the amazons in the amazon rack...we didn't close one all the way and one of the amazons got out. I spent about 20 minutes looking for her and gave up. I just opened the door to the rat room and figured when she got hungry, she would show up there. It worked. Night before last, Megan was feeding and watering the rats and I heard her scream...she came out kinda pale and stuttering that she found the ammie. She had bent over to get to one of the rat cages and found her self face to face with the missing snake. You woulda thought from the look on her face that it was a cobra or mamba or something lol. Anyway, she's back up now and Megan is over it lol.

Bchildress · #9 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shuba

I once lost a ball python, and he ended up crawling out and under of my radiator during the winter. It was only about a week and caught a bad case of RI. You should check under all your tight spaces, and if possible take it apart.

Its pretty warm in Fl and in My Apartment so Im Not worried about that

I member Nora telling me one of Your Ammie's was out Brett but I figured you found it long time ago. We let A freind take mine cause I couldnt get it to eat and its been 3 months

reptilemama · #10 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonathon

Do you have to cut the glass to install them?

Nope, they just slide over it. This looks like what I have. The "u" shaped end slides over the inside door, wth the long pice in front. The lock slides over that, and keeps the door from opening.

mark5019 · #11 (**permalink**) 04-16-2005, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuliusSqueezer

heh...Hey Brad, when you and Nora were here and we were looking at the amazons in the amazon rack...we didn't close one all the way and one of the amazons got out. I spent about 20 minutes looking for her and gave up. I just opened the door to the rat room and figured when she got hungry, she would show up there. It worked. Night before last, Megan was feeding and watering the rats and I heard her scream...she came out kinda pale and stuttering that she found the ammie. She had bent over to get to one of the rat cages and found her self face to face with the missing snake. You woulda thought from the look on her face that it was a cobra or mamba or something lol. Anyway, she's back up now and Megan is over it lol.

megan the snake cather in your household

lisagordier · #12 (**permalink**) 04-17-2005, 05:51 PM

For the locks on my cages. They're a sort of bolt lock placed on the side "wood" of the cage so the plexiglass can't move unless I unlock it. But so far, I've actually left them unlocked unless we have kids in the house. Zephyr seems to like the fact her cage is warmer than the house.

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