ESCAPEE or HIDE LOG HORRORS?

[Nanci]

We should start a club!!

 

[OkeeteeMom]

I know this is an old thread, but the same thing happened to me....with the same cage decoration/log hide. I purchase this from my local petsmart.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147241

Even though I could not figure out how my snake would have escaped, I started setting tape traps. After two days of this nonsense, I went with my instinct...I carefully drilled a small hole at the very top of the hide. After all the noise and moving around, she came slinking out of the bottom of the hide.....In the blue.

Needless to say, this item no longer resides in her vivarium. It is near impossible to see this hole/access without turning it upside down and on an angle.

Just wanted to let anyone know this was not a unique experience with this item, but looks more like a design flaw.

-braingarble

I've got to agree about it being a major design flaw! IF the ornament is cut at the correct angle, the new hole faces the back of the viv and is not visible.

The hide is now in Big Cat's viv and he seems to like it a lot...he's even camo'd in it! I'll post another pic as soon as I catch him in it.

 

[chag67]

I had the same hide and had the same thing just happen last night. I cut him out today. I'll post pics of the "rescue". Too bad, it is a really need looking log hide. I'm gonna round off the sharp edge and leave the top area open and put it back in.

 

[chag67]

 

[OkeeteeMom]

Would you look at that! Did you panic and go nuts like some of us did? How did you come around to finding your snake? I'm curious!

I sanded the ends of my log and my Banded Charcoal Okeetee loves it...he's about 2.5 years old now.

Great pix!

 

[chag67]

Someone alerted me to this thread in another thread. I have long fingers and could feel him up there.

 

[LGRIGG]

Thanks!

Just wanted to add another "it Happened to Us too" story. We had just gotten Edith, our very tiny little butter and my granddaughter loves the snakes. She wanted to get Edith something nice so we went to the pet shop and found another but similar log hide. Ours has shelf fungus growth on it and looks natural also. Well as you can guess Edith went MIA. I really thought my granddaughter might have accidently let her escape but she in fact was in the hide in a wee little hole. My granddaughter had told me that she knew Edith was there but I had been unable to find her. We were sick until we did. I think it is best to use hides that we can safely find the snakes. I may put the hide back when the snakes get larger but I really don't like not being able to handle my pets because they've secured themselves in an unreachable place.

 

[Campitor]

yea my guy is 71g now and I don't worry about him getting stuck up in it. He does like it tho, I have it on the cool side with vines around it.

 

[OkeeteeMom]

LGRIGG, you're welcome! So glad you found Edith (may be the cutest name for a snake I ever heard!).

 

[Neurotica]

HELP!!! We just brought home a 2 month old corn snake and the SAME LOG...She's(we think) has come out a few times at first. We we able to feed her, but now it seems she has crawled back into the log and we can't get her out or see her. I've waited up for four nights for her to come out and to remove the log. Nothing!!! Now I'm freaking out. Any advice???

 

[braingarble]

Personally, I would wait it out. Mine crawled in there and was in the blue. She takes forever to shed. When she was little, it would take her 3 weeks from the time she began to hide and actually shedding her skin. I didn't know if she escaped somehow, so I opted to start drilling and cutting. This comes with risk.

If you see her out and about, remove it then.


Right or wrong, that's my opinion

-Braingarble

 

[chag67]

I made a small cut in the neck of the log using a sharp steak knife. Then I used pressure to crack the log. Then slowly pulled apart the log. Just be careful.

 

[Neurotica]

Thanks so much!!! I called PetSmart, for the third time this week, and have asked them if I can bring the snake/log in and have them help. They said yes, bring them in and they will do it. Was too afraid to do it myself. I will post an update after our adventure to PetSmart is complete. Really thankful I found this forum!!!!

 

[OkeeteeMom]

Well if you're sure that you've checked the entire Viv and your snake is no where to be found...why not CAREFULLY, slowly and gently saw the tip of the log off? That's what most of us did. The only other thing you can do is wait some more...maybe your snake is in 'blue'.

 

[chag67]

I would not take the log and snake to PetSmart for their help. Everyone I have come into contact with at my local chain pet stores have no clue as to care for snakes. They will likely try and use a metal hook to get him out. I wouldn't trust them. But if you do get their "help", make sure you are present when they attempt to extract your snake from the hide.

 

[dave partington]

before destroying it, did you try running water thru the log?

 

[Nanci]

(That didn't work for me or Tina!)

I would just wait a few days, since you are certain the snake is in the hide. If it can get in, it can get out. I think the urgency some of us felt was because we initially thought the snake had escaped, and then discovered the hidden compartment, and broke the limb open to prove that the snake was in there.

 

[Neurotica]

Well, she was NOT in the log....she has escaped!!! Not sure where to go from here! Very upset son, and Mom!!! : (

 

[Neurotica]

I'm so sick, I can't believe I let this happen. I don't know what to do. This is our first snake, I thought I had done everything perfectly for her. I just knew she had been up there in her log. I never dreamed she escaped. Every time she came out she went right back up there....any advice to helping find her would be so greatly appreciated!!

 

[OkeeteeMom]

Do a search for lost or escaped or missing snake. There are LOADS of threads with many different ways of trying to capture back your snake...most are successful. Don't panic.