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Lost snake in the car!

Lolo

Lolo

Surrounded by snakes
Last week I thought I'd lost Scout, and now I've really lost a snake - in my car nonetheless. I actually went to check out a ball python in Walnut Creek, which is about a 30-minute drive from my place. The guy surprised me with a free corn snake (normal 11 year-old girl), and put her in a tupperware container for the ride. I swear she was in the box when I put it on the back seat, but it was empty when I got home. We did stop briefly at the gas station, and the car door was open for maybe 30 seconds with me standing there... also had the front windows cracked a couple of times, just for a few minutes.

Is it possible she managed to escape from the car, or should I assume she's hiding somewhere inside? I've already searched with a flashlight pretty well, even lifting up the back seats to look underneath... I also put out a mouse (first live, now thawing a frozen), two hides including her own, and a heat pad on top of the seat. It's about 50 degrees right now, and shouldn't get much colder overnight. Any tips/hints/etc?? I'm soooooo worried for her!! :(

P.S. If she doesn't surface by tomorrow, should I start tearing apart the car? I really don't want to do that, but will if I have to...
 
You have some great luck going...My thoughts are that she could have escaped from the car but that's unlikely. I bet she is still in the car and by now might be under the dash seeking warmth from the fire wall. She will look for somewhere dark that's a given. If your worried about her getting to cold before you find her maybe you can park the car in your garage or that of a friends. As to trapping her I don't think you will have any luck just a matter of locating her where she is. Keep us informed as these type of things are always interesting to follow!
 
It's definitely possible that she escaped from the car as it's happened to me. There are tiny places all over that they can squeeze through. That doesn't mean to give up hope though. If you really want her back, pull out the seats, the dash..everything. Also have someone on the look out for any door you have open where she could wiggle out.
 
I lost one in a car (moving to Lauren's..my cali king got out) I tore the car apart with no luck. I wish you the very best. I pulled up the seats, flashed flashlights everywhere...and even tore apart the trunk. There are so many places they can get out.
 
Ever so slight graphic word-use. Be advised:

I really regret not tearing our car apart to find my first snake, Isis. She got loose and we searched and searched, but finally decided that she must have escaped. Two weeks later we smelled her and had to rip the car apart anyway. It was terrible and she had bloated and began decaying. I had to literally tear her apart and bury her in multiple pieces. We disinfected and sanitized the hole as best we could, and it's been two years but on a hot day I still swear I can smell her. My husband says I'm crazy (which is true, lol), but it's still got this.. smell to it. Also, I think Febreeze smells like rotting snake now, due to this incident, so I think that's what I'm smelling. We dumped a TON of it down there.

Anyways.. I'd tear your car apart NOW before it's too late and you have to be scarred for life like me :(.

We found her in a hole (the part that the driver's seat clips into) between the front and back row of seats. We had to cut the carpet up and remove the driver's seat and everything.
 
Thanks all for the replies, and sorry about what happened Isis... that's really awful. :(

Still haven't found her ("Prongs" is the name she came with), and I'm getting discouraged! If she doesn't show herself by tomorrow, I'll see if I can dig deeper - just don't want to destroy the car, since it's financed with 10 months of payments left. :cool: Any other tips on where they like to hide??
 
What about under the hood? I remember seeing (or at least I think I did) somewhere a snake had gotten underneath the hood of a vehicle for warmth. Is that possible? You know like maybe crawled in there after it was warm enough but not too hot?
 
UPDATE: Believe it or not, I have found "Prongs" - and she is alive and well!! :dancer:

Only problem is that she's stuck in the dashboard, and only got further stuck when I tried to get her out. :( She was in an easy spot to grab, but all tangled up, so I didn't want to hurt her... then she untangled herself and decided to get ALL the way behind the dash. What do I do?? And can I drive anywhere without hurting her? I'm supposed to be at a dinner right now, but just had to text (my sister) that I may not make it - but I absolutely have to be somewhere tomorrow, and can't get there without my car. Any suggestions?? I already tried luring her with a mouse, and left the mouse-smelling critter keeper in there when I gave up. Here are some pics from before she went straight up, and possibly behind the glove compartment.

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P.S. I resumed the search, after giving up weeks ago, because I swore I was smelling snake poo behind the dash... guess I wasn't imagining it! :D
 
HELP please!! I'm trying to decide whether or not to drive right now, and afraid to start the car until I hear from somebody... I also asked a few other people, including the Honda rep, but they didn't even know (and are closed for service tonight). :confused:
 
If it in the dash I guess it should be all right. Usually they seal up the firewall so it wouldn't go through there and you have been driving the car since it git loose.

A bottle trap might do here.
Cut the top of a liter soda bottle just at the point where it widen out. turn it around and put the "spout" end faceing toward the bottom. Secure it somehow hot glue ..painter tape. But ...before you do this place a mouse in or make sure you can fit one in after...

Hope you understand that.

good luck
 
In Hiding

Not an expert here but if it is only 50 degrees will Prongs even be interested in a meal? Why not try warming the car up to 80 degrees, put a mouse on the floor on the opposite side of the car with a very small fan blowing the mouse scent toward prongs and see what happens? Just an idea. Good luck to you!
 
Thanks all! I might try the bottle trick, but do have a friend coming over to help (pull put the dashboard) tomorrow... I'll let you know what happens.
 
she is right by the foot blower vent. good luck with trying to get her out there is a ton of wires she can tangle in under there and that is a warm place that might be why she is staying there.
 
She's still hiding, unfortunately... pretty sure she's behind the glove compartment or center console, but I haven't been able to spot her since she went up. I might have my friend (who works on cars) come over to help tomorrow, but not sure what else to do until then! :shrugs:
 
Oh, but luckily it's been on the warm-ish side this week... raining and in the mid-50s (day and night). So I'm sure she is still alive!
 
What if you plugged in a heating pad under a piece of carpet on the drivers side of the car making that spot warmer than the rest of the car. Then use the bottle trap and mouse idea to lure her down?
 
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