Ewe Mama Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) So I just got home from PA and learned Alvin's pet ball python somehow got out of his home. We checked behind the toilets, fridge, and I pulled out the stove. Our house is 2800 sq ft of cubbies and good hiding spots. It is currently about 74 degrees indoors, so I would think he'd be looking for warmth. Where should I look next? Off to check around the washer/dryer now... Edited August 17, 2016 by Ewe Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I have no idea but this made me :willy_nilly: :svengo:. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 :eek: :eek: :eek: :ph34r: Get someone to lie on the floor and play dead? Better yet a small animal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 water heater, hot water pipes, dark places like under cabinets.... When was he fed last? If he might be getting hungry you could put a mouse in a clear animal box and rig it so it makes noise when he tries to get at the mouse. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okra Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Sorry, this totally creeps me out. As a person afraid of snakes, it makes me leery of going to people's houses that have snakes. I would absolutely hate to stumble upon a hidden one. YIKES! One time I went to a children's museum, and I kid you not, there were signs posted that their snake had escaped, and if anyone found him to let staff know. That museum made me jumpy all day long. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 On top of, under or around the fridge. Refrigerators produce heat. In the waser. I don't know why, but they like washing machines. Hot water pipes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Reason 1 why I could never let my kids have a snake. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 In the couch (like up in the actual framing). Guys, ball pythons are SO docile. They're pretty cool. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 How big is he? My brother had corn snakes as pets growing up, and they got out all the time. Their favorite hiding places were usually clothes drawers. Once a baby snake got out of its aquarium and we didn't find it for months, so we thought it was gone for good. Then one morning it poked its head up through the holes in the drain cover in my mom's shower, as she was bathing. It was about 5:30 in the morning, and of course she screamed. I was in high school at the time, which started early, so I was the only other person in the house awake. We had to get a screwdriver and unscrew the drain cover to get the snake out of the drain. I have no idea how he got in there, but he apparently grew thicker while he was in the drain pipe. Even with that, my mom swears that the snakes were hands-down the easiest pets to own and take care of. No vet trips, no vaccines, no flea meds, no barking, no scratching, just feed them a pinkie once a week, clean up their poop once a week, give them fresh water once a week, and change the bedding in the aquarium once every couple of months. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Love snakes but I could never have one as a pet, I can't do the live mouse thing and keeping frozen mice in the freezer is just gross. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Perhaps he's heading to Florida to visit cousins. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 He's still missing. We have checked all of the above ideas. We need to look downstairs, but I'd be very surprised if he made it down there. We have a narrow spiral staircase that leads to the lower level and I really don't think he'd go down as it's considerably cooler. The door to the furnace room is kept closed and locked, so he won't be in there. Jack is a very friendly little guy, about four years old. He hasn't eaten in quite a while, but we keep trying to interest him. I'm worried that he may have gotten into a bag of clutter that we were slowly accumulating to take for donations at Goodwill. That bag went out on Monday. Garbage pick up was Wednesday. I guess I'm going to be carrying the chihuahua around until we find him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I can't believe you have a Ball Python and a Chihuahua. That was poorly planned. :lol: 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 water heater, hot water pipes, dark places like under cabinets.... When was he fed last? If he might be getting hungry you could put a mouse in a clear animal box and rig it so it makes noise when he tries to get at the mouse. Good ideas, thanks. I can't try the mouse in the container, though, as one of the dogs would probably swipe it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 I can't believe you have a Ball Python and a Chihuahua. That was poorly planned. :lol: Ram Man is responsible for both. Who brings home a chihuahua runt when you have five kids between four and nine years of age? This dog is neurotic for a very good reason. Fortunately (or not) the Guinea pig died last month, so we don't have to worry about a piggy being consumed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted June 30, 2016 Author Share Posted June 30, 2016 Love snakes but I could never have one as a pet, I can't do the live mouse thing and keeping frozen mice in the freezer is just gross. We do the frozen rats and my ick factor has diminished. Coming upon one thawing in my kitchen sink without warning, however... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) DD's BP always ended up in the back of her closet, usually curled up in a hat. We now have bands of Velcro all the way around the tank and it's lid. He never actually left the room. I agree that snakes are easy pets, and BPs are the sweetest things. DD does a lot of school with Pinkie Py(thon) around her shoulders. Edited June 30, 2016 by dmmetler 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 UNDER the fridge, perhaps, wrapped around the coils. That's where ours was, once. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I like snakes but have never had one. Don't have any suggestions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 My corn snake usually went under my covers or pillow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I lost a tree frog once and tried to think of a place that was warm and had a smooth vertical surface. Sure enough, she was found climbing the side of the water heater. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 My cousin's python got out and despite looking everywhere he couldn't find it. Fast forward a few weeks and he was moving out of his dumpy, college apartment. His couch was junk, basically picked up from the side of the road. So instead of carrying it down three flights of stairs, him and his buddies just threw it off the balcony. It shattered in the yard and inside the arm of the couch they found the snake all curled up. Hungry, but still alive. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) If I'm remembering correctly... I had some friends who lost a big ol snake one summer. It was on the roof of their apartment when they found it. Edited June 30, 2016 by helena 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Got to be the best post title ever. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 Dmmetler's daughter has totally won me over about snakes with her cute FB posts. But, I've never had one, so am clueless about their care. Would it really eat the dog? What about a King Charles Spaniel? Might have to rethink getting a snake. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theelfqueen Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 My mom's best friend's son had a snake get loose once... they found it when it appeared in the shower with his mother. So there's your sweet dreams for tonight. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 My mom's best friend's son had a snake get loose once... they found it when it appeared in the shower with his mother. So there's your sweet dreams for tonight. Oooo! You're bad!! :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Dd15 does corn snakes instead of ball pythons, but she suggests plugging in a heating pad and leaving it on the floor next to the cage at night on low. If Sneaky Snake is wandering around, he might find the heating pad to his liking and still be there in the morning. She suggestd couch, back of closet and under the dryer, in that order. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 An adult BP would normally eat prey about the size of a large rat. DD's eats once a month or less, but prefers meals so big that it seems like the snake shouldn't be able to swallow them. A chihuahua's skull might be too large for a BP to swallow, but a small chihuahua may well look enough like prey for a snake (and BP's track prey mostly by heat and being the correct size) to go for it, especially if he hasn't eaten for awhile, and both the snake and dog could seriously injure each other. BP's are fossorial snakes that live in termite mounds in the wild, so he's most likely to find a small. Enclosed space, preferably warm. If you can put a hide box out on a heating pad, especially in a corner, he may well curl up in it. Some snakes. If you leave the tank open and an under the tank heater on will actually put themselves back in the tank :). Corns tend to wander ,ore than BPs do. It is highly likely the BP is still in the same room his tank is in. Be aware that they can get through quite small cracks, much smaller than it seems the snake should be able to manage, like under closet doors oR behind drawers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 OMG! The casual way you all are talking about a snake on the loose in the house is so strange. :lol: 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Dmmetler's daughter has totally won me over about snakes with her cute FB posts. But, I've never had one, so am clueless about their care. Would it really eat the dog? What about a King Charles Spaniel? Might have to rethink getting a snake. Unless you get something very large (like a Burmese Python, Reticulated Python, or Anaconda), it's far more likely the dog would kill the snake rather than the other way around. A Ball python normally eats rats. A Corn snake normally eats mice. Most pet snakes are in that range. In general, a domestic pet over that size isn't at risk from the snake, but the snake could easily be injured or killed by a cat or dog. Terrier breeds, especially, are often good at killing snakes. I recommend the tanks with front doors, not the ones with lift off lids. A snake can apply a lot of force up and can get through a small crack, so a lot of the clips designed to hold aquarium lids, or putting weights on them is simply not enough. But sliding or swinging doors with an outside latch are pretty escape proof as long as the human remembers to latch them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I'm worried that he may have gotten into a bag of clutter that we were slowly accumulating to take for donations at Goodwill. That bag went out on Monday. That would be a HECK of a donation! 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 OMG! The casual way you all are talking about a snake on the loose in the house is so strange. :lol: I am terrified reading this! Right now there is s cricket loose in my house, and I refuse to go to sleep until it is found and exiled into the backyard. Python? I would be in a hotel room and the house up for sale. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Our corn snake got out when she was about the size of a pencil. We thought we'd never find her again but we set up a small area on the floor with some of her bedding, her favorite hide, and her heat lamp. It was a rainy, damp spring day so we were hoping that would attract her (and that she was still in the same room). She did end up coming to our little oasis and we were able to fix her tank so she couldn't get out again. I do have a big bag of frozen mice in the bottom of my freezer. Luckily we don't have company often, and what we do have doesn't usually go in the freezer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 I just got back to this thread since yesterday evening. I am astounded by the number of posts! I figured the title alone would keep most people from wandering in, but apparently not. 😄 Still no sign of the little fellow. Our chihuahua only weighs 2.5 pounds, and she very much looks like a rat with taller legs. She usually glues herself to me, so I'm not too worried about her. It is a very cool, rainy day today, so I will be keeping the heating pads turned on in the hope he appears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted July 1, 2016 Author Share Posted July 1, 2016 That would be a HECK of a donation! "In local news today, police responded to screams for help from the Goodwill. While sorting through donations, a worker was startled when she removed a live snake from a bag containing clothing..." If you see a similar news story, PM me ASAP. 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I'll have to check with my son. His was in hiding for about 2 weeks recently. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I used to work in a preschool. On the day of my interview they took me on a tour and mentioned that my predecessor had been responsible for feeding frozen mice to the black rat snake. I told them they would need to reassign that duty if I were hired. After I was on board (with the snake written out of the job description), they told me that the snake had once gotten out for a year, and it had been "the best year" because the school and church had been mouse free. One Monday they came back and the snake was back in his tank. They assume a Sunday school teacher or parent found him and returned him. Unfortunately, after a year of hunting live things he had the tendency to try and strike at anything that moved, which made him less than idea for a preschool setting since the teachers could no longer handle him or let the children touch him. Throughout the whole time I worked there, whenever the mouse problem came up, people would suggest just leaving the lid off the tank as a solution. In the end, they decided that he had clearly been happier free and let him loose on the compost pile of one of the teachers, where he lived for several years. For all I know, he might be there now. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 "In local news today, police responded to screams for help from the Goodwill. While sorting through donations, a worker was startled when she removed a live snake from a bag containing clothing..." If you see a similar news story, PM me ASAP. We usually have two or three such stories yearly in my area, because grey rat snakes show up in interesting places, especially in fall when it's starting to get cold. The two most recent was one falling out of a ceiling at a school, and one ending up in a display of kitchen cabinets at Home Depot. Animal control's response is "well, they're snakes!" Usually not ball pythons, though, but I could totally see it happen. Especially since BP's tend to find nice, comfortable places and sleep (we were out of town 10 days recently, and our pet sitter dutifully reported in regularly with updates on the animals, always ending with "and Pinkie is still sleeping"-he'd eaten a large meal before we left, and usually you won't see the snake move for several weeks after that. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I would call the Goodwill--just in case they find it. All the other suggestions have been good ones! They can really hide out for a long time and survive, though, so best of luck! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 I would call the Goodwill--just in case they find it. All the other suggestions have been good ones! They can really hide out for a long time and survive, though, so best of luck! I can just see it. "Tell the new girl it's her turn to sort through the bags." :lol: 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 This thread is hysterical and horrifying all at the same time. I think the snake in the drain story will forever haunt me. That's more scarring than the Psycho shower scene by a long shot! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 Praying for the safe return of the little guy. Please keep us updated! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessed2fosteradopt Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 Our ball python escaped once. He was gone for 6 weeks and showed up in the same room that he disappeared in. My dogs had him backed in a corner. I hope you find yours. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 DH says you need to set up a heating pad on the floor for the night, near where he was last seen, with a desk/task lamp shining down on the top of it. Also, you need to put a small dish of water nearby. He says they can go six weeks between feedings, so I guess a food bait is out for now. Dang it; now he wants a pet snake again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted July 2, 2016 Author Share Posted July 2, 2016 Day 3 of Snake Watch...no sign of him yet in spite of having the heating pad, lamp, and water arranged for him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 Day 3 of Snake Watch...no sign of him yet in spite of having the heating pad, lamp, and water arranged for him As Goodwill descends into chaos.......... :D. Maybe call from a blinded number and ask if they happened to notice a medium sized ,life like snake donated earlier that week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in FL Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 Ewe Mama...I am so invested in this outcome. :tongue_smilie: Hoping that your wayward wanderer returns soon! Ummm...so how big IS Jack anyway? Do you have a pic you could post so that we could all be on the look out? :coolgleamA: I am assuming that you are practically wearing the chihuahua!! :svengo: Good luck we are all pulling for you! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 I would check the furnace closet. DD's large male BP can still get under a closed door. No clue how, but he managed it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 A snake on the loose seeking warmth? Burn the house down. Problem solved. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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