Escape and (lucky) recapture!

[adamanteus]

So, we have guests over the weekend.... quite a few of them..... and I have had to give up my bed and sleep on the snake room floor. At some point during the night I must have rolled over and pushed open the radix tank sliding glass door.

At around 7am I was woken by a scream from the landing, as I opened my eyes I immediately saw the tank door open by a good three or four inches. I rushed out of the room to see one of our lady guests staring in horror at a snake on the floor. At my arrival she screamed again....... I was naked.

I grabbed the escapee and quickly retreated. On returning the traveller to his tank and doing a quick head count, I realised that there was another one loose. I had no sooner realised this, than I spotted him only a foot away.

It's probably over a hundred years since I had my last escaped snake, and I was lucky to get them both back so quicky and with no searching necessary. Close thing!

[Stefan-A]

You too, James? Well, I'm glad you caught them. I assume you'll be getting locks for the sliding doors now?

I usually try not advertise my own stupidity, but..

Okay, now I'm definitely advertising my own stupidity.

[adamanteus]

Eeeek! Those holes in the lids are a real problem. I stretch a thin piece of muslin or gauze across the top of the tank before I snap the lid on, when I'm housing little ones.

[Stefan-A]

Those lids have a couple of circular holes (for some purpose that remains unknown to me) and that little ******* found one of them. I usually remember to plug them, but not that time. I put machine screws through the holes and tightened with nuts on the other side.

Looking at the markings on that snake, it did remind me that it could have been a lot more serious.

ps. I felt dirty using the words "screw" and "nuts" in the original sense, is that normal?

[drache]

Eeeek! Those holes in the lids are a real problem. I stretch a thin piece of muslin or gauze across the top of the tank before I snap the lid on, when I'm housing little ones.

old stockings work really well, cut open into square pieces; they're very stretchy

[Stefan-A]

old stockings work really well, cut open into square pieces; they're very stretchy

Now where the hell am I supposed to get old stockings from?

[adamanteus]

Those lids have a couple of circular holes (for some purpose that remains unknown to me)

Small snakes can also squeeze through at the side of the hinges of the small, clear 'feeder' lid, in the centre of the top. I always use these little plastic tanks for my smaller snakes, but I always use the gauze.

[count dewclaw]

Now where the hell am I supposed to get old stockings from?

Your mother?! Maybe...

[infernalis]

Those lids have a couple of circular holes (for some purpose that remains unknown to me)

Those round holes are for air hoses.

The small keepers are also used for mini aquariums... Usually a single male Beta.

Now you know

Good save James, Wonder which snake shocked your guest more.

[adamanteus]

I have used stocking for this in the past.... but I find them too fine. They are so thin that they aren't gripped very firmly between tank and lid. I have found baby snakes resting on top of the stocking before now.