How to tell if I have a cannibal or an escapee?

[Millinex]

I had 2 wandering garters last night, never had I seen canibalism before, but I had kept my snakes in a larger enclosure.
What I know:
-The snake I'm left with was the biggest, she's just shy of 3 feet.
-I heard some sort of ruckus last night, but assumed it was the bullsnake moving around or the nile being rascally.
-The other snake was 24 inches long, but also had a tendency to climb a little bit.
-The snake I'm left with looks slightly bigger, and wasn't fed within the last couple days (a big fuzzy that left no visible signs on the snake, and the fuzzy was thicker around than the lost snake)- Was fed I believe 3 days ago.
-The last snake in there is extremely active, moving around a ton and being a bit feistier than normal, and she feels different.

I'm thinking just cannibalism at the moment, looking at the other snake, and that is honestly what I'm hoping for, seeing as though my mother hates snakes and would kill it... They are kept in 30 gallon rubbermaid containers with locking lids on all 4 sides. I'm fairly certain if the big bullsnake couldn't press through the locks the little one could.

Any ideas would be appreciated, I'm at a loss for what to think atm :)

[adamanteus]

T.e.vagrans are notorious for cannibalism. The large female I have was given to me because she ate her previous mate. We have a few members on here with first hand experience of cannibalism with this sub-species.

[Millinex]

T.e.vagrans are notorious for cannibalism. The large female I have was given to me because she ate her previous mate. We have a few members on here with first hand experience of cannibalism with this sub-species.

I guess I won't have to feed her for a bit then ;)

[ssssnakeluvr]

it's possible the wandering at the other snake...they definitely have been known to eat other reptiles. also, snakes are master escape artists....doesn't take a very big opening for one to escape....I have personally seen a 6 ft long red tail boa squeeze out of a stainless steel cat cage door with the widest gap in the door being only 1 1/2 inches wide!!

[Millinex]

it's possible the wandering at the other snake...they definitely have been known to eat other reptiles. also, snakes are master escape artists....doesn't take a very big opening for one to escape....I have personally seen a 6 ft long red tail boa squeeze out of a stainless steel cat cage door with the widest gap in the door being only 1 1/2 inches wide!!

I don't know, it was locked down so well and she was decent sized. I have never had a reptile escape short of a lizard jumping out of my hand and hiding under a shoe. Still no signs of the snake though so =/ bullsnake tries to get out all the time from the same tub and nothing from her yet so :P I'm hoping she just got eaten lol

[DrKate]

You could always take her to a vet and see if they'll x-ray her just for fun. :) If it's only been a couple days - especially if she still seems plump - you'd probably still see a second snake's worth of bones in there!

[Millinex]

Can't afford things like that at the moment ;)

[Millinex]

Well, was finishing screwing together my bullsnake cage to hear my dad call for me. My garter had escaped and had come up to him while he was on the toilet. Held on to her while he finished up... Lol funny.. now I hve to build a cage, until I have a new cage set up they have to stay outside.

[drache]

the one you thought got eaten by the cage mate?

[Millinex]

the one you thought got eaten by the cage mate?

Yep, magically showed up again, no idea how she got out in the first place when the smaller ones couldn't, and the big strong ones couldn't.. She's doing fine outside now though. ;)

[drache]

glad she turned up alive

[adamanteus]

Great news that you found her!

[Millinex]

Great news that you found her!

Thankfully I have the rest of the summer to set up a new cage, so I don't worry about them being outside too much.. Having a mom terrified of snakes isn't so wonderful.