finding / capturing an escaped snake

I did a search and, while I see threads on lost snakes, haven't seen one dedicated to methods of finding them. I thought maybe I'd start one, since I think it's a not-uncommon problem... At least with me, even though I have good enclosures, I still manage to be absent-minded every few years or so and leave a lid open XP

But before I begin I'll say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! While accidents happen, they can be minimized. The number one thing is to keep snakes in containers they cannot force their way out of! Do not simply weigh down lids; adult snakes are very strong, and if you can lift it they probably can too. Today lid clamps are easily available, and cheap, and are a must if you have a tank with a (non sliding) mesh top! Another thing to consider is a secondary containment; keeping them in a room with the door closed, and a flap under the door to keep anything from squeezing under.

That being said, what if a snake gets out? In my experience, adults will be found. I've had several adults escape (usually because I forgot to close or latch a lid, twice because they managed to push out of a feeding tub) and every one has turned up again (although two were discovered by neighbors, oops!). That’s another thing -- if you rent, make sure your landlord is okay with snakes :P I’ve always insisted on this. Usually the bigger firms won’t allow them, but I can always find a small business guy who’s okay with it.
Anyway, if you just listen and watch for the adults, and search around if you know they’ll be in a limited space, you’ll find them! Snakes do tend to be nocturnal and I usually catch them at night.

Babies are a bit harder. They’re a lot smaller and can get into places you can’t follow, and make less noise. In the past, I’ve only had one or two babies escape but not found them until it was too late. By the way, unless you have pets like cats and dogs, dehydration is what’s likely to kill an escaped snake. Once I caught an escaped adult while she was drinking out of the toilet! So, now I have a method for trapping a wayward baby, and it seems to work, although I’ve only had to try it once (and I hope never again!).

I used gluetraps baited with a bit of pinky to catch my last escapee. You can get them at home depot for about $4/pair. I got the idea after one of the times a neighbor found my adult a few years ago (this does NOT happen often!)… the snake had blundered into a gluetrap with mice on it. The snake was a bit sticky for a week or so, but good as new once she shed. So I decided to try this with a hatchling I accidentally left unsecured this week and it worked great! XP
I place a small bit of paper in the center of the trap and half a pinky on the paper (the paper is so I can remove the mouse if I want; without the paper parts of the mouse would rip off and stick forever!). Place the traps around, including some by the viv. HAVE OIL ON HAND BEFORE YOU PUT THEM OUT. This will be necessary to free a trapped snake. Veggie cooking oil works fine. Put out the traps (and maybe some water bowls) and check them at least daily! Especially when it’s dark. Leave the lights off in the rooms with the traps when possible.
If/when you catch your snake, first and foremost BE PATIENT! DO NOT TRY TO PULL THE SNAKE OFF! These traps are very sticky, and it’s easier to rip scales and skin off the snake than off the glue. This is where the oil comes in handy; dump it liberally over the snake and the whole trap. The snake will probably be pissed off and do all the work for you; you do not need to “help” except maybe by VERY GENTLY rubbing the oil against it. The snake will likely be squirming to try to get loose, and as the oil works in it will unstick and keep the snake from readhering. After a few minutes the snake should be free. Again, PATIENCE is the most important thing here, to let the snake work free on it’s own.
This is how I got back my most recent escapee… the trap does look fairly uncomfortable, but I figure it’s better than dying of thirst or wandering under the door into cat territory (this snake was in a quarantine room, different than my established snakes) :/ There were no apparent injuries and the snake took a big drink right after I put her back and went off to hide.

I’ve heard of a bottle trap method, too. It sounds more comfortable, but I didn’t know where to find a bottle of the right size… If anyone has successfully used this I’d love to hear! I hope everyone will share how they find lost snakes. Good luck finding an escapee, although I hope you don’t need it!

I made a few bottle traps when my babies escaped. It didn't work in my case.. but what I did was buy some sodas, the kind that come in plastic bottles. You cut the top off about a third of the way down, invert it like a funnel into the other portion of the bottle, and tape it in place. If you put a pinky inside, in theory the baby goes inside, eats, and can't find the hole for the exit because it's in the middle and they normally crawl to the edges of things.
I can't say I like the idea of glue traps but I suppose it could make the difference between finding the snake and having it die in your house from dehydration or worse.

My snake room is closed so my adults can't make it out of there. Babies are a different story. I've had two escape. One I caught using a pinky and it ate it and hid in the closet nearby. Found him there. The other was out of this recent clutch of Okeetees. It ended up showing up behind the clock on our bed. The cats were fussing at him during the night. Shined around with the flashlight and there he was. Didn't need to do anything to find him.