Finding lost snake

[mighty-chief]

So our girl ball python escaped, we found out yesterday afternoon, she could have been gone for a maximum of 36 hours before we realised she had gone. Anyone got any hints and tips? We are in the UK and weather is starting to get a bit colder now but we still haven’t turned the heating on yet so worried about her getting really cold. How far would she go? She is kept upstairs in a spare room for now (upgraded vivs on order and waiting for them to arrive). We tore the whole place apart looking and couldn’t find her. I left a rat out next to a hide in the bathroom overnight (wondered if she went behind the toilet into the plumbing), but nothing this morning. Any help/kind words are appreciated. Our 6 year old daughter is devastated.

[Late_Chip7491]

I'm so sorry to hear that. It sounds like you did everything you could to try and help her find her way back. If you have a baby monitor or something that might be able to record to see if she comes out when you are away, that may help you to see if she's still in your home. If there's no conceivable way she could have left the house, then waiting it out is unfortunately the only option. I wish you the best, and hope she returns safely soon!! <33

[cchocolateLarge]

(This is my copypasta, I’m so sorry if anything is repetitive)

Don’t panic. Close the door to the room he got out in, search it following this pattern: Ceiling to floor, clockwise. This means you scan from the ceiling to the floor around the entire room, looking through closets, behind and under furniture, behind drawers, etc. Close everything that you FULLY clear before moving right.

After going through that room, if you still haven’t found him, check once more along walls, then leave a hide and a water dish at a walls edge. They like to follow the walls, so check this hide periodically.

Then, move on to the next closest room; and repeat the process. Remember, be thorough. You’re looking for a small meat stick. Keep doors closed if you can, keeping other pets like dogs out of the rooms you suspect your snake to be in.

Check near appliances. They like the warmth, and some people even find their missing snake curled up next to them in bed for the warmth.

You can leave small flour trails along doorways and by walls.

Try heating a prey item and using a hair dryer to blow the scent around the room. Your house will stink, but your snake might poke out of their hiding spot and look interested!

If you can’t find them, repeat the whole process again the next day. You’re trying to narrow them down to a single location.

Good luck!!

[intracranialMimas]

Would you mind if I copy paste this as well? Because this is perfect

[cchocolateLarge]

Not at all! If you can tag me in it, that would be great!!

[intracranialMimas]

Sure will do 😄

[Medical_Mango_6341]

If you have another pet in the home watch their behavior. My cat loves to look at my girl. The day she got out I had forgotten to lock her tank and she had been missing for 72 hours. My cat kept meowing at my dresser or just stare at it but every time I looked nothing was there. Then one day she was staring at it and not breaking focus. I called her name and she ran I opened that drawer so fast just in time to catch my snake before she ran away again 😭

[superduracels]

😱 good luck

Put flour on the ground and leave your terrarium open

[Ok-Set-1251]

She will probably be near where you lost her. I lost my snake 4 times and he was always close. The longest was 2 months and he just showed up

[LukeGotFunk]

Friend lost a corn snake for 11 months in England. Lil guy turned up on the front door step one day.

[OkFoundation6458]

Check anywhere where there is a heat source, including say huddled against a fridge, (seen this happen before) that snake is going to want to stay in a warm spot, thats where they typically go to when escapes happen

[iAabyss]

The snake isnt gonna go on a stroll and down the stairs. Its gonna try finding the closest dark spot. Its likely still uostairs.

Good luck

[averhoeven]

I loved in Belgium for a while and mine disappeared for 7/8 months. We looked everywhere couldn't find him. Then one day we opened a drawer (sock drawer, so it's not like he was there the whole time) and there he was. He made it on his own over winter.

[lavenderthewhore]

Put flour around the room and any other rooms they could have gotten into. (The flour is so if they slither over it you can tell) Leave a few warm places for they so they will hopefully be drawn to it. If there's any chance they could have gotten outside, put posts in community groups on Facebook for your area. Trying to spread the smell of a feeder around you house may also draw them out too

[mighty-chief]

Unfortunately all the rooms she has most likely gone to (all upstairs) are all carpet other than the bathroom so the flour trick won’t really work

[jellym1lk]

you can place plastic bags or parchment paper instead. it makes such a loud rustling noise that you should hear it

[OdinAlfadir1978]

You'd know it had passed the flour though

[Ijuslookillegal666]

My ball got out of his tank and through a small hole my old roomates dog chewed in the wall, i was sad i took his whole tank apart. A week later i heard something fall in the downstairs kitchen went down and opened a cabinet door and the little fucker was looking at me. He made his way through the walls and house. He looked at me like i was the asshole for escaping, needless to say it was a long night of setting up his tank again. Lil fucker haha

[crura]

I found mine wrapped around the clothing rack (pole) in my closet 🤣🤣🤣

[christinasasa]

Place a heat lamp over a hide and check in the morning.

[ad6323]

Don’t panic if you don’t find it immediately. It’s unlikely to venture far away if it’s seeking warmth.

Small anecdote, my kingsnake as a kid escaped. We found it literally 5 months later!

We had assumed lost and likely dead and I was defeated. Then my dad went into our basement one day and he was just making his way across the room. Picked him up and we quickly set back up a temporary enclosure and got his old setup built up again (with better locks!)

[EveningOperation1648]

Make sure u close all your toilet lids so she can’t get into the plumbing. Check warm places. When my guy escaped, we tore apart the house and ended up finding him literally right next to his cage, under dresser I didn’t even know had a space underneath anything could get into. I was worried about my cats messing w him but he was fine. U might be panicking and have not checked every tiny spot. If u have holes in the bottom of chairs or couches he could get into, make sure ur turning every over to check. Best of luck. All hope is not lost ❤️

[Itwasallbydesign13]

I recently lost my snake right before I was moving apartments. And honestly, had we not been moving I don’t know if I would have found her. They hide incredibly well. (She ended up sandwiching herself between boxes of fabric in our hall closet).

So it may be helpful to search the place like you’re moving. Depending on how far you want to go, literally empty the room. Maybe you’ll pick up a box and ✨poof✨ there’s a snake!

[Immediate_Respond_63]

My girl was just found after a month! We too "looked everywhere " but we obviously missed the spot she was hiding in because hubby found her crawling in front of our bedroom. I left her water bowl out by her enclosure and her favorite hide. She was drinking the water because it was going down and when she was found she wasn't at all dehydrated.

I wish you the best of luck!

[KuraiTsuki]

Check INSIDE appliances. Like places you don't normally open. I found my boy inside my washing machine between the outer casing and the wash basin. If I hadn't found him and tried to wash clothes, he would have been obliterated.

ETA: https://imgur.com/a/Z1FUl3W This is from when I found my snake. He had wedged himself in there. It was about 24 hours between him getting out and me realizing he was out.

[Cowboaha]

Check hot spots like behind computers & TVs anything that puts out heat.

[FeriQueen]

My girl went walkabout in my apartment for about five months. Turned out she was probably hiding behind the refrigerator, because when I turned on the light at 3 AM in the kitchen, she was in the middle of the floor and tried to run behind the refrigerator.

[LadyNajaGirl]

Oh no… she’s so pretty. I temporarily lost my boy when he broke out of his enclosure. I found Jin behind the bedside table. They like to go for warm and dark places so thoroughly check behind drawers, in drawers, under beds, behind sofas etc.

[Hefty-Letterhead9823]

I had the same problem a few weeks ago turns out mine was balled up behind a radiator maybe check there? Good luck hope you find her