So I've got my first snake on the loose for over two years. It's a male infernalis that's around 9 months old, so he's quick and can get in small gaps.

Very frustrating because he disappeared in front of me. Initially he slipped through gap on the hinge side of the door when I was putting food in - that's a tricky move because I can't move the door far to grab him else he'd get crushed in the hinge area. Then he went under the next viv over and I could see him at the back. Then he dropped down the back of the viv that his viv and the neighbouring viv were on.
I could see him on the floor amongst some cables, and moved some tubs that were stopping me reaching him. In the second the tubs blocked my view of him he disappeared. There's no gaps between the carpet and the skirting board, but I guessed he'd gone right to the nearest cover, I guess he went left...

First thing I did was move everything on the floor to give me clear lines of sight. I gave each thing I moved a check if he could have got in it. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

It doesn't help when you have a 180 litre aquarium within hiding distance. He could, in theory be hiding under the aquarium stand, there's room. But I've tilted it back and had the missus look underneath it and she saw nothing.

Overnight I've had out bottle traps, flour at various strategic points, hide boxes around the edges of the room, bowl of food next to a warm towel, another warm towel. I've also got a barrier across in front of the door so he can't get under the door. I've got the web cam running so I can look around without going in.

So far, nothing. If he's got under the floor there's some vent bricks he could get out of, but it's cold so I don't think he'll venture outside. If he's got in the chimney I've removed a vent panel and put a moist hide in there, it's not too cold but it is dry.

It's driving me mad knowing I saw where he was, and he disappeared so quickly.