Escape Trials and Tribulations

[guidofatherof5]

You know what I'd like? Whenever someone's snake escapes, I'd like to know how it escaped and what was done to prevent it from happening again. Preferably with pictures.

Stefan has a great idea here. Let's not just post about the escapes that happen but also about escapes from the past. If at all possible post photos showing how the snake got out or was caught getting out.
This will be a great thread for us all to learn from others/ours mistakes or from the craftiness of our snakes.


I just had an escape last week from a Rubbermaid container. The ends secure down with latches but the sides don't.
I don't think large snakes can get under the lid(head too big) and small snakes can't reach the lid. The snake that escaped was an adult Northwestern (T.ordinoides).
Here's the container.



I have also had babies take a bath and climb right up the glass of an aquarium.
Wet baby snakes in an aquarium = Escape

[Mommy2many]

I have also had babies take a bath and climb right up the glass of an aquarium.
Wet baby snakes in an aquarium = Escape

I have sneaky snakes like you. They take a bath and then go right for the glass.

[guidofatherof5]

When I built my new enclosures I created an unknown problem.
When I cut the opening out of the door and stapled the screen to it the wood bowed and created a small gap for babies to make their escape.

[Mommy2many]

Like kids, always looking for the smallest opening

[mustang]

Like kids, always looking for the smallest opening

no we look for the largest were lazy like that

[kibakiba]

Tiny crawled up the glass once, I caught him before he got out but he had himself wedged between the tank and top... I had to push the top away from him and pull it off. It's a wonder how he didn't get smashed, he has got his head stuck between it and was freaking out. Silly snake didn't ever do that again.

[infernalis]

Those rubbermaid totes are deadly....

I stopped using that type of container after this happened TWICE.

This beutiful black radix broke his own neck trying to escape, he got his head stuck in the gap.

[guidofatherof5]

Those rubbermaid totes are deadly....

I stopped using that type of container after this happened TWICE.

This beutiful black radix broke his own neck trying to escape, he got his head stuck in the gap.

I'm sure that was hard to post but it is very helpful to the future of some snakes. Thanks Wayne.

[infernalis]

Thanks Steve, that snake would be ready to breed this coming spring had that not happened.

That was spring 2009 when I took that photo. This is the first time I posted it to the public.

[gregmonsta]

I had a young checkered escape through a tiny gap next to the thermostat probe in the plastic cover of a glass tank I used at the time. You wouldn't have thought it possible.