gelshark
 
So, I thought it would be nice to have a thread where we could have stories shared about the successful recovery of escaped snakes.
I have a few to share over my 6 years of keeping snakes (please feel free to add your story(s) to this thread).
Story 1: Quazi, a snialoan milk snake squirmed out of her 10 gallon aquarium through a small gap in the lid to the tank. She was recovered a few hours after the discovery of her missing behind a bookshelf.
Story 2: Two garter snakes escaped from a make shift rubbermaid drawer thingy while I was cleaning their cages. Both were recovered within about 20 minutes in the corner of the room.
Story 3: Hazel, a classic corn snake, managed to wriggle out of the bin she was in. The gap between the rack and bin was just big enough (which I didn't think was possible). She was not to be found anywhere, I was losing hope and even started asking about a replacement for her since she has special breeding plans. I put up tape traps in a few locations, not expecting to be successful, but more as token to show a good faith effort. On the third day the tape right in front of the rack had something sticking to it, yes it was Hazel.
Story 4: Sandy (she now lives with Codymi and has a different name), a baby tessera corn snake was lost when one of my daughters didn't close a bin quite all the way. We discovered her missing the next day and found her hiding underneath the rack she was housed in. Total search time 5 minutes.
Story 5: Dee Dee an adult sinaloan milk snake (she was easy since she was a lot bigger than the little hatchlings from before). Stupid me opened the rack a crack for her to come say hi, she didn't come say hi, I moved on to checking on the other snakes to give her a few more minutes to come say hi, then spaced out closing the bin back. Next morning my wife calls and asks where did I put Dee Dee and I have a mini heart attack for my complete stupidity. She was found a few minutes after the search began behind a folding table in the corner of the room.
Story 6: The final and most dramatic of all my stories started 8 months ago on Sept 8, 2012. I had gotten a shipment of 3 baby corn snakes 2 days prior. I had them in deli cups while they were still so little. My daughters thought they were so cute and go down to peek at them (why don't they listen to the 7 day no touching/looking rule that I told them about?). They can't resist and pull the snakes out. They all get done having their fun and put the babies away. I go down the next day to put them in a better container for a more permanent residence and discover that the lid on this guy that hasn't even been named yet was only placed on the deli and not snapped on the deli. He is gone. I got pretty upset and banish the kids from all the snakes for a while to illustrate how important it is to secure the homes of these little curious wanderers (and then a few months later I produce story number 5). Anyways we tear everything apart, nothing. We set up tape traps, nothing. We wait a couple of weeks and tear everything apart again, something, a poop is found, but no snake. More time passes and trail goes cold. Every once in a while we do token searches but nothing results. Winter comes and I figure the little guy is tucked away somewhere enjoying a nice little nap and come spring will be the time that if we are going to have any luck that will be when we find him. More time passes and he starts to be forgotten. Spring comes and a memory of him comes and goes. Now if he's to be found it will be because he wants to be found and not because we are searching for him. Things go on as normal in every other aspect of life here, well as normal as we are, which for me isn't saying much. Then one hour and a half ago on today the 8th of May (8 months to the day), a bag is moved, and a snake plops out. At first it looks as if it's dead, or maybe a toy. A split second later it rights itself back to its belly, and then sees "predators". It is faced with the classic choice between fight or flight. He chooses flight and before he can make an escape he is grabbed and nabbed. So, number one lesson learned from this experience is, when you get a new snake, wait the whole 7 days (without cheating) before you handle your new pet. If you don't he or she will make you wait 8 months to have the pleasure.
This makes the recovery of rogue snakes 100% here at South Platte Serpents (most of that credit goes to my lovely wife). I wish all the rest of you luck in your endeavors to recover those missing snakes that you might be searching for and I look forward to reading your success stories too (I never completely lost hope in story number 6 because I have read some even more extreme stories from some of the others of this great community).
I have a few to share over my 6 years of keeping snakes (please feel free to add your story(s) to this thread).
Story 1: Quazi, a snialoan milk snake squirmed out of her 10 gallon aquarium through a small gap in the lid to the tank. She was recovered a few hours after the discovery of her missing behind a bookshelf.
Story 2: Two garter snakes escaped from a make shift rubbermaid drawer thingy while I was cleaning their cages. Both were recovered within about 20 minutes in the corner of the room.
Story 3: Hazel, a classic corn snake, managed to wriggle out of the bin she was in. The gap between the rack and bin was just big enough (which I didn't think was possible). She was not to be found anywhere, I was losing hope and even started asking about a replacement for her since she has special breeding plans. I put up tape traps in a few locations, not expecting to be successful, but more as token to show a good faith effort. On the third day the tape right in front of the rack had something sticking to it, yes it was Hazel.
Story 4: Sandy (she now lives with Codymi and has a different name), a baby tessera corn snake was lost when one of my daughters didn't close a bin quite all the way. We discovered her missing the next day and found her hiding underneath the rack she was housed in. Total search time 5 minutes.
Story 5: Dee Dee an adult sinaloan milk snake (she was easy since she was a lot bigger than the little hatchlings from before). Stupid me opened the rack a crack for her to come say hi, she didn't come say hi, I moved on to checking on the other snakes to give her a few more minutes to come say hi, then spaced out closing the bin back. Next morning my wife calls and asks where did I put Dee Dee and I have a mini heart attack for my complete stupidity. She was found a few minutes after the search began behind a folding table in the corner of the room.
Story 6: The final and most dramatic of all my stories started 8 months ago on Sept 8, 2012. I had gotten a shipment of 3 baby corn snakes 2 days prior. I had them in deli cups while they were still so little. My daughters thought they were so cute and go down to peek at them (why don't they listen to the 7 day no touching/looking rule that I told them about?). They can't resist and pull the snakes out. They all get done having their fun and put the babies away. I go down the next day to put them in a better container for a more permanent residence and discover that the lid on this guy that hasn't even been named yet was only placed on the deli and not snapped on the deli. He is gone. I got pretty upset and banish the kids from all the snakes for a while to illustrate how important it is to secure the homes of these little curious wanderers (and then a few months later I produce story number 5). Anyways we tear everything apart, nothing. We set up tape traps, nothing. We wait a couple of weeks and tear everything apart again, something, a poop is found, but no snake. More time passes and trail goes cold. Every once in a while we do token searches but nothing results. Winter comes and I figure the little guy is tucked away somewhere enjoying a nice little nap and come spring will be the time that if we are going to have any luck that will be when we find him. More time passes and he starts to be forgotten. Spring comes and a memory of him comes and goes. Now if he's to be found it will be because he wants to be found and not because we are searching for him. Things go on as normal in every other aspect of life here, well as normal as we are, which for me isn't saying much. Then one hour and a half ago on today the 8th of May (8 months to the day), a bag is moved, and a snake plops out. At first it looks as if it's dead, or maybe a toy. A split second later it rights itself back to its belly, and then sees "predators". It is faced with the classic choice between fight or flight. He chooses flight and before he can make an escape he is grabbed and nabbed. So, number one lesson learned from this experience is, when you get a new snake, wait the whole 7 days (without cheating) before you handle your new pet. If you don't he or she will make you wait 8 months to have the pleasure.
This makes the recovery of rogue snakes 100% here at South Platte Serpents (most of that credit goes to my lovely wife). I wish all the rest of you luck in your endeavors to recover those missing snakes that you might be searching for and I look forward to reading your success stories too (I never completely lost hope in story number 6 because I have read some even more extreme stories from some of the others of this great community).
) since, until this evening when our cat Mason found him. Seems all is well; he's drunk some water and ate a pinky. Go find the "Riker Progression Thread" I have to see pictures.
