lost royal python

[chucky025]

hello there i have a big problem, i have a royal python which is a year and a half old. i went on holiday for 2 wks and my family looked after our python, on the second week he escaped and they found him under the sofa he has never done this before. but at the end of the week he got out again and we have turned our house upside down looking for him and still no luck and its been 11 days now. my worry is that he is gone for good, but we are also expecting our first baby in december and i have fears of not finding our python before then. does ayone have any tips on finding him. thank you x

[Lankyrob]

Make sure there is water available for it - it will go a while with no food but needs to drink. Not sure if you have other pets but if noy you can leave a prey item out for it in a tub with a heat mat under it (with a thermostat!!) overnight and it may be tempted by the food/heat.

[shaunyboy]

put a brained food item in a hessien sack prop open 4 or 5 inches of the sack.

leave it in a warm quiet place

you may have to repeat this everynight with a fresh food item until your guy gets hungry and comes to eat it.with a bit of luck he'll just curl up in the sack after his meal.

how big is he as theres traps you can make out a bottle.im thinking he may be too big for that.i suppose you could make one out a larger tub.cut a hole your snake will fit through out the tub lid.then fit a flap on the inside of the tub underside and covering the hole.you basically want a cardboard or plastic flap.something that will spring back into place.when the snake pushes down on it it allows the snake to enter the tub.once the snake is in the tub the flap over the hole should spring back into place blocking his exit.leave a brained food item in as bait.

or you could tape say an old rubber glove with a snake size hole in the finger end of it.place it through the hole.so it dangles down into the tub.leave enough of the glove on the outside of the hole as an entrance for the snake.the snake will be able to squeeze down through the glove.when it trys to get out the glove will have collapsed on itself back to its original shape.there will be no exit hole for the snake.


if you have lamminate flooring ive heard of people powdering it with flour.then you will see if the snakes been that way when you get up.he will leave you wee snake trails in the flour.

as rob says waters the main concern.he can go up to a year without food but waters completely different.

i wish you all the best in finding your guy.unfourtunatley they are hide and seek world champions.they fit into the smallest of places.

usually it will be somewhere warm and quiet.

cheers shaun

[Nafun]

I don't think the powdering the floor trick is likely to work with a ball python. By now he's found a nice warm secluded place and will stay there until he gets hungry.

Aside from the food traps, and food in a bag, etc (which is really good advice) I would advise trying to think like the snake. (I have used the "think like the animal" strategy to successfully find lizards, snakes, and turtles)

First and foremost, he wants to be warm. Secondly, he wants to be hidden. So, start at his enclosure, and work out in a spiral pattern, one room at a time. Look for warm places. Appliances, televisions, computers, etc. If it uses power, it's going to get warm. Look around the warm places for hiding places. If you think somewhere is too small for the snake to fit, he could probably fit in there. Once you've cleared a room (be sure to check between mattresses and box springs, under cushions, inside dresser drawers) go back through the room and look for ways he could have escaped the room. Holes in the wall, broken heating vents, etc. Be sure to check on top of things as well, Royal pythons are quite adept at climbing.

If you do this and don't find him, begin unplugging appliances and electronics. Prepare a nice warm hide box, or sack for him, and turn on the air conditioning. If you think there's a chance your snake could have gotten into your ductwork (or even if you don't think it's possible, it probably is possible) don't turn on your ac straight away. The temp drop could kill him before he realizes he should get out. Just turn it on vent, blow some room temperature air through the ductwork to try and coax him out overnight.

Things to remember:

He wants to be warm. More than anything, he wants to be warm.
He wants to hide. He doesn't want to be found.
He can squeeze into places you wouldn't think possible, check everywhere.
He won't respond to prey until he's hungry, and for royal pythons (especially one that just went through a stressful escape) that could be weeks.

[shaunyboy]

nafun's the man when it comes to finding escapee's mate

he astounded me and my wife when he posted the pic's of his hunt for a turtle that was the size of a dice.the turtle barely covered the surface of the dice he sat it on:crazy2:

major kudo's for finding that tiny little dude mate.

i was amaized at the size of it.:shocked:

you sure you've not got native american trackers in your ancestry ???;)

cheers shaun

[emseeKAY]

lol @ Shaun , and Nafun's advice is very good, think like a snake, and remember they can get into many places you wouldn't think they could get into. definitely try the trapping though, probably the best method imo. good luck!

[Lankyrob]

We lost a corn eralier this year - the one place we didn't look was the gap under the fish tank "cos its too small" - where was teh snake?? Under the bloody fish tank!!