Dyna is gone. I had two books on her tank.. obviously not enough...

This is the worst week ever.
Yesterday my favorite manager got fired for ridiculous reasons. I got in an arguement with another kennel tech over stupid stuff...
I came home and my family was being absolutely impossible...
This morning I discovered my puppy's head covered in blood... didn't go to class, took him to the vet, had to wait an hour and a half.. Toby has a horrible hot spot on his head that he scratched till it bled. Poor miserable Toby. They had to shave the front half of his head and the hot spot looks terrible... I spent 80 dollars...
Then I get home and I'm so ticked cause of the horrible luck I've been having. I go to turn on everyone's lights and Dyna is gone.
Turned my room inside out. Nothing.
I don't know what to do.
I'm so upset...
This is the worst week ever. I have to go to work in a while... it just sucks...

She could be ANYWHERE. My house has INFINATE hiding places.
I don't know what to do... she OBVIOUSLY doesn't care for food (since she refuses every meal I give her) so how can I get my baby girl to come out?
I feel so helpless, I just want to cry..

__________________
~Joie~
1 chinese water dragon (Scarlett),
2 Beardie (Maia and Molly),
1 Okeetee Cornsnake (Dyna)
1 Boston terrier (Wilbur),
1 Bichon Mix (Toby),
\2 Razorback Musk Turtles (Speedy and Bowser) and 1 Eastern Painted Turtle (Spike),
WANTED:
Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Leo, Uromastyx, Ball Python... sheesh this list just gets longer and longer :)

That is a rough start to your week. At least the rest of the week has got to be better. Especially when you find your snake. I would immediately close your room up. Shut the door and block the space below it. There is a chance she hasn't gotten out of your room yet.

__________________
Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

I did that... but things are starting to look hopeless...

__________________
~Joie~
1 chinese water dragon (Scarlett),
2 Beardie (Maia and Molly),
1 Okeetee Cornsnake (Dyna)
1 Boston terrier (Wilbur),
1 Bichon Mix (Toby),
\2 Razorback Musk Turtles (Speedy and Bowser) and 1 Eastern Painted Turtle (Spike),
WANTED:
Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Leo, Uromastyx, Ball Python... sheesh this list just gets longer and longer :)

Joie, I'm so sorry! Definitely close up your room as tightly as you can before you have to leave. I will be thinking of you and Dyna!

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Amy

Hello,

Even if the snake won't eat, it will want heat! Try placing a human heating pad on the floor, along the edge of a wall, set on low with a hide on top of it.

Once the snake begins looking around, it may come across the heat source and climb right in. You could even place a second hide near the heat so the snake can go in there too if it feels as if it is too warm. Good luck!

__________________
.:: Rich ::.

+ Spread The Info

it just seems impossible that she got out in the first place, I'm in disbelief

__________________
~Joie~
1 chinese water dragon (Scarlett),
2 Beardie (Maia and Molly),
1 Okeetee Cornsnake (Dyna)
1 Boston terrier (Wilbur),
1 Bichon Mix (Toby),
\2 Razorback Musk Turtles (Speedy and Bowser) and 1 Eastern Painted Turtle (Spike),
WANTED:
Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Leo, Uromastyx, Ball Python... sheesh this list just gets longer and longer :)

Ok I know corn snakes are escape masters, but mine no matter how hard they have tired never got out of their tanks, they pushed and nothing it wasnt enough to move it. Have you tore the tank a part looking? good thing to do is put a heat mat in the middle of the room with some hides on it and some flour. and hope they will come to the heat. Try braining a pinkie and leaving it there and hope ti comes

Curse you Rich you beat me to it.

__________________

Is there anything in the tank that could have a small opening in it that the snake could get inside and hide? Don't take anything for granted, look at everything.

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Most importantly before all else, just take a deep breath. Things always look worse than they are in the moment, panicing and frantically searching will not help your or Dyna. Take an hour or so, seal up your room, and just sit and relax, collect your thoughts, and then look again. If your snake is anything like ours, it will not go very far in the first day, it will more than likely follow a baseboard around your room. Look under everything, behind drawers, and just basically follow the base of the wall, Corn snakes are climbers and hiders, so they will not like to be out in the open.

When I lost Ela, the friend of mine that finds snakes for a living (not typically pets, but same idea) told us to just relax and look methodically one small spot at a time. Don't panic, she would not have gone far, and hastily looking through things, just scares her even more so she will try to hide better. According to my friend, snakes spend the time right after they get out of the cage looking for a comfortable hide away from light and where they feel they can't be seen, their concern after that is to find heat, once they feel they are hidden well enough, they will begin to travel, this is why they don't go too far in the first day, they got out, the space is huge, and they are really quite scared.

Sometimes it will take a few days, but she will turn up, she is probably right under your nose, you just don't realize it. Make sure you block all ducts, and check all the floor boards for insect/rodent holes, and if you find them, cover them.

I read somewhere when I was looking for my escapee about a system to finding snakes, I know the basics from the article, but nothing is totally fool proof.

1. Seal off all exits that might be big enough for the snake to go through, for you if it is wide enough for your pinkie finger to squeeze in, it is wide enough for your snake... Painters tape works great.

2. Empty all drawers and put the contents on the floor in the middle of the room. Do this one chest at a time, and once they are totally empty and the drawers are removed reassemble them one pice at a time. This includes unfolding and refolding all clothes. Once this is finished, Use painters tape to seal the drawers.

3. Move to closets/wardrobes and do the same thing, one article at a time, and then check every nook and cranny, when finished, put everything back one article at a time, and if possible seal off closet door.

4. Any couches/futons/beds Disrobe them and go check all sheets, when you have all the sheets off, look under the matress, inside the box spring, and along the edge of the frame. When this is finished, make the bed again.

5. Basically now that you have turned your room upside down and cleaned everything, now you set out hot spots and hides, in one hide put bait, in another put a small water dish. Since Everything is now sealed, pull the blinds and close the doorto make the room dark, give the snake a few hours (3-5) to get comfortable and start looking, then come back.



Hope this helps a little, and I really hope your week gets better, I'll be thinking about you and your snake. Good luck, and remember no matter how bad it seems, the sun will still come up in the morning, and the world keeps turning so don't get down on yourself.

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“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ (I found it!) but ‘That’s funny…'"
- Isaac Asimov



TKE:TT:118

This sounds like excellent advice, MRHickey. Thanks for posting it.

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Amy