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Has anyone NOT had an escape?

C

contessa20

New member
I do not have a snake yet, but I'm reading through the forums in preparation for a young butter corn, and the frequency of escapes is freaking me out a little. :) Has anyone here NOT experienced an escapee? I have 5 cats plus a husband and son who are both afraid of snakes. An escape would likely be disastrous in more than one way. There seems to be a lot of info on retrieving lost snake, but what can I do (besides hyper - vigilance in closing & locking cages) to avoid any possibility of escape to begin with.

To start while he's little, I have a plastic critter keeper/ faunarium that will go inside of another tank. I have both a 10g with typical metal lid and a 20gL with a sliding & locking lid. The only issue with the 20 is that the lid is mesh instead of sturdy metal. Is there anything I can reinforce the mesh with to make it stronger or less liable to tear at the lid seams? Would bungee cords work to secure the metal lid of the 10g?
 
I use a sterilite locking box for my little ones. I have a photo of them posted some where on here. I have never had an escape from those boxes. The smallest I had was 4 gms. I keep them in there until about 20 grams.
 
Only having one or two snakes, being super vigilant and not messing with the snake when you are very tired or distracted, will go a really long way! Plus periodically checking the cage openings for any kind of wear that might lead to an opening for an escape.
 
I haven't had an escape in a long time, but I don't think any of us with larger collections for a number of years have *never* had it happen. Switching to professional caging made a world of difference. For me to lose an animal now, I either walked away from it or left a tub open, neither are easy to do. For one corn, I'd use a Zilla Critter Cage. I grew out a scaleless then a palmetto in that cage, both very expensive snakes.
 
In 10 years I've had maybe 5 escapes. We lost a mexican milksnake from one of those escapes never to be seen again... only because we were temporarily renting an older house. I found his shed under a door threshold that was loose going into the garage and the garage had a few areas that were open to the outside.

On my 10 gallon tanks I have these plastic locking lids from walmart. On my larger tanks i have screen lids with clamps all the way around. And then of course my racks are your typical rack but have a little lock on the front.
 
Oh and two of my escapes were with one of those 20 longs with the sliding locking lid. One the mesh tore and I didn't notice. The other got bowed from my cat laying on it and it left a gap.
 
I have had two adult escapes from feeding bins when the lid wasn't latched correctly, due to me being distracted.

I've had three baby escapes. The first was when I first got a hatchling rack and was assured it was escape-proof. It was not. Then I had a mystery escape of a fairly large baby from that same rack, after I had tightened it up. Finally, after several years of no escapes, I had another baby escape. I had made an empty bin in the hatchling rack with a larger-than-normal access hole for a thermometer probe. I forgot about the hole being larger than what my regular thermometers require, and put a new hatchling in it, who promptly escaped.
 
My corn died young, but never escaped. My boa I got when it was an adult, and it hasn't escaped yet... So I guess I semi-qualify as never having an escape? Feels sort of like cheating since I didn't have Plissken very long.
 
Large numbers of animals, shoddy equipment, DISTRACTION, exhaustion and sheer stupidity are the most common ways to allow an animal with nothing better to do but look for ways to escape to succeed.
That said, I haven't lost one in years but I have some great party stories about the ones that I have let escape! (I have always found them, knock wood)

Terri

PS-Oh yeah, don't ever, ever, ever trust the neighbor's kid to properly close anything!:eek:
 
crackerhead said:
Large numbers of animals, shoddy equipment, DISTRACTION, exhaustion and sheer stupidity are the most common ways to allow an animal with nothing better to do but look for ways to escape to succeed.
Click to expand...

That is on the money !!

I build my racks to be escape proof BUT that didn't make them idiot proof !
Another "I'm an idiot" moment and now I have a beautiful stripe albino king snake living somewhere in my house !!! :punch:
 
Tavia said:
Only having one or two snakes, being super vigilant and not messing with the snake when you are very tired or distracted, will go a really long way! Plus periodically checking the cage openings for any kind of wear that might lead to an opening for an escape.
Click to expand...

^This this.

I have been keeping cornsnakes for the last five years (plus a few years of snakes as a kid), and am up to thirteen snakes total now. I've also hatched out two clutches for a total of 29 babies. I haven't had an escape yet. *knock on wood*

My secret? I don't do anything with the snakes if I'm in a hurry, overwhelmed, or otherwise distracted. Feeding day and the kids are going crazy? Snakes will eat tomorrow. Cleaning day and I have an appointment to get to? Clean bins another day.



I'm also very particular about what size a snake needs to be before it goes into a certain size bin. (Honestly, I probably keep them in smaller containers a bit longer than I should.) I use locking tubs with lids for all the younger animals, and I strap those lids down with double-sided velcro. Babies live in large deli cups, which then fit into a larger bin with a locked, velcroed lid. The velcro straps can be annoying to deal with, but it's an extra step so that if I don't do it... I notice right away.

When I had snakes in glass vivs, I used the plastic latch lock thing plus I had a sheet of wire shelving that fit over the top of the screen lid. It was mostly to keep the cats from looking in over the top and popping the screens out of their frame.
 
I only have 1 atm, but she has never gotten out. I am pretty on top of checking the cage, and screen clips. The door is on top so the clips never get messed with to allow for springing. When I take her out to do a full cleaning of the cage I put her in a locking steralite box. It's my daughters snake but she is only allowed to handle her if we get her out, and we hold her for the most part while letting the snake explore her hands.
 
I've lost a few over the years. Mostly for the reasons noted above- busting out of feeding bin, or finding a gap or big enough hole to get out through. I've been pretty lucky recently but maybe that's after learning all their tricks the hard way?
Also, I've discovered that "escape proof" for a corn doesn't necessarily mean "escape proof" for a king or milk snake, have had a couple of those get out of bins that I'd kept a corn in before with no problem.
I have a great cat, she will not attack the snake, but will find where the snake is and stare at the spot until I get it and has helped me recover a couple of escapees.
 
ghosthousecorns said:
I have a great cat, she will not attack the snake, but will find where the snake is and stare at the spot until I get it and has helped me recover a couple of escapees.
Click to expand...

I used to have pet rats and one of my cats did that when a baby rat escaped once. The rat had escaped through the bars of her cage and she was gone all night. When I got home from work the next morning that rat was sitting under my bed and the cat was staring at her. It didn't occur to me at first what she was looking at so when I didn't come to see what was under there she followed me around the house meowing like she was in pain. When I took a second to follow her, I found the rat just sitting there. The poor cat looked like she had had a rough time keeping track of her all day. I have 5 cats and none of them have ever cared about my rats, rabbit, or lizards. They seem a bit disturbed by the snake though. :shrugs:
 
Not from the corn, but the BP has gotten out, and I once had a very desperate cat looking at the closet door and trying to get in. I opened the door to find a very small, very scared frog. No idea how he got into the house!
 
Alli_Draggy said:
Not from the corn, but the BP has gotten out, and I once had a very desperate cat looking at the closet door and trying to get in. I opened the door to find a very small, very scared frog. No idea how he got into the house!
Click to expand...

:wavey:
Hey, I recognize those snake names from WTM.
 
maxfox426 said:
^This this.

I have been keeping cornsnakes for the last five years (plus a few years of snakes as a kid), and am up to thirteen snakes total now. I've also hatched out two clutches for a total of 29 babies. I haven't had an escape yet. *knock on wood*

My secret? I don't do anything with the snakes if I'm in a hurry, overwhelmed, or otherwise distracted. Feeding day and the kids are going crazy? Snakes will eat tomorrow. Cleaning day and I have an appointment to get to? Clean bins another day.



I'm also very particular about what size a snake needs to be before it goes into a certain size bin. (Honestly, I probably keep them in smaller containers a bit longer than I should.) I use locking tubs with lids for all the younger animals, and I strap those lids down with double-sided velcro. Babies live in large deli cups, which then fit into a larger bin with a locked, velcroed lid. The velcro straps can be annoying to deal with, but it's an extra step so that if I don't do it... I notice right away.

When I had snakes in glass vivs, I used the plastic latch lock thing plus I had a sheet of wire shelving that fit over the top of the screen lid. It was mostly to keep the cats from looking in over the top and popping the screens out of their frame.
Click to expand...

This is REALLY helpful. Thank you.

I have my guy in a critter keeper thing 2 high is then inside of a 10 gallon tank. I added 2 long velcro straps all the way around my guy's tank and it makes me feel better. As long as I latch it correctly with no slack I can push up all day and the lid won't move. Coming from a place where I had a true phobia of snakes (anxiety meds were suggested), I'm hoping that's enough to keep me hyper - vigilant about tank security.
 
Another thing I've noticed here, over the years, is many snake "escapes" happen when they are being handled, and the owner falls asleep, passes out, or otherwise loses track of them. Don't handle your snakes when you are tired or drinking. It only takes a second to fall asleep, and the snake to wander off.
 
Nanci said:
Another thing I've noticed here, over the years, is many snake "escapes" happen when they are being handled, and the owner falls asleep, passes out, or otherwise loses track of them. Don't handle your snakes when you are tired or drinking. It only takes a second to fall asleep, and the snake to wander off.
Click to expand...

I actually thought about this. I fall asleep so easily, so I've already made a rule that, for now, I will only handle him while I'm standing up. I don't think I am talented enough to fall asleep while walking. :) He's also only allowed to do the snake treadmill through both hands, not go inside of my shirt or be otherwise without at least one hand on him at all times.
 
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