Hey, Guys. Relatively new but don't sneer (yet).
My fairly new juvi black phase white lip has managed to head for higher hills. By this I mean that he was FED-UP with the transfer from frozen to live and went to find a nice quiet corner. The problem is that he is juvi and should be eating frequently, we live in NY so he only has about 4-5 more months before the weather, and we are remodeling so he has access to EVERYWHERE from the crawl space to the attic. We are also in a duplex (grin) so the neighbors have already started making plans for the sale of this beautiful beast.

I have kept his cage open and misted with live food, I have a shavings pile in the attic, a mouse in a tupperware container in the crawl space (maybe should put heat also), powder spread all over the attic and a few watering troughs throughout the house. My main concern is the effects of the dust and insulation on this highly sensitive breather, his refusal of live food, and of course his temperament upon his return.

There are a few threads in the snake forums with tips on catching escapee snakes.

But I do wonder why you switched from frozen to live? frozen/thawed is much safer for the snake and is alot easier. A live rodent can do a huge amount of damage and even kill a snake that is not interested in eating it. they can and will fight back if they're given the opportunity to. a bite from a mouse or rat can also stress out a snake and make it even less willing to eat the next time around. In a sense, you're going backwards. Most snakes are switched over from live to frozen thawed for ease of feeding and safety.

In the wild, the rodent has a chance to escape from the snake. In captivity they don't, as they are put into a feeding bin with the snake. Most likely it'll be frightened and will bite to try and escape.

When you do manage to find him, it might be best to switch him back to frozen/thawed or even pre killed.

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Well, I switched because of the state of his feces. It was not substantive at all and smelled like rot. The pet store offered me the same advice so I did not switch to live based on that alone. I tried on the frozen again despite my better judgement. He took it in that night and I thought he had eaten it until I went to mist his hide the next day. I found the once popsicled hopper in his moss, brown and swollen. Gross.
Since then I believe ONLY live or like you said pre killed, no doubt. I understand the damage they can cause that is why we do not leave live animals in the snakes cage AT ALL, EVER and better go with more smaller than fewer large. My 13 foot Burmese ate regularly but if she did not strike in the first fifteen minutes we would remove the rabbit until the next week. Same principle, different snake...right?

I've never heard of live food versus frozen thawed having any different effect on a snakes stool. Chances are there was another underlying problem, and if it does show up, i'd take it to a vet to be checked out.
Even watching from above like a hawk, all it takes is one wrong move and the prey item can inflict serious harm on your animals.

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I agree with Ryan, I have fed frozen to all my 50ish snakes for years and have never noticed a problem with stool. I have had some unhealthy animals that exhibited symptons, but these were treated and now everything is normal. Live food often harbors parasites (and mites) and is a last resort here.

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I think it is because of his eating habits that the stool smells llike that. He is a noctournal eater. So around 10ish I put the thawed mouse in the enclosure in front of the entrance to the hide. The pet store closes at 9ish so our times were not off by much. I woke the next morning to find no mouse but do not have to mist his cage until around noon. I found the 14 hour thawed mouse in his warm hide smelling it up. Maybe prekilled from now on. I feel a freshly killed mouse will last better through his harboring technique of feasting.
I'm going to have to move on sooner than I thought becasue The spare 55 outside mysteriously disappeared the same night the snake did

The feeding of F/T will not effect the state of the snakes feces. A 14 hour prekilled is still a 14 hour dead mouse. Are you sure that the mouse you found was not a regurgitation?
Those REALLY stink!
If the feces were extremely rank smelling (for feces) it may be a sign of internal parasites.

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I've switched over all of my snakes from live, to pre killed to frozen thawed and they remain on frozen thawed. All three types of prey have never changed the smell or look of their poo. I also feed all of my snakes at night because my rosy boa likes to eat after the sun goes down. some times it takes them up to an hour to eat because they're too busy exploring the bin to care about the food at the moment. Usually after around a half hour though, the food is gone.

Have you had a fecal test done to rule out parasites? Like the others have said it could be a parasite that's making things really smell. Or it could be a regurge. Regurges resemble the prey animal because thats what it is but sometimes partially digested. But if you're sure its not a regurge, I'd be worried about parasites.

Perhaps the prey you're getting from the place could also be bad.

A snake will also regurge its food if the food is not completely thawed or warm enough. If there is still ice in the prey somewhere, it can start to rot inside the snake because its not heated up properly.

Also, its not the best idea to feed your snake in his enclosure. You run the risk of the snake swallowing the substrate when he goes to eat. This can cause impaction. Plus some snakes will start to learn they get fed in their enclosure and everytime the lid opens they will go into feeding mode thinking they'll get food. You risk getting struck at or bit then. Most of us here use a separate feeding tub like a rubbermaid bin or something like that.

Hopefully you will still find him.

__________________
Professional Pet Sitting/Dog Walking
http://niksscalesandtails.com/



yes i am a she ^_^

~My Babies~

1 Rosy Boa (male) Chaos
1 Snow Corn (male) Blizzard
1 Anertherystic Corn (male) Bullet
1 Senegal Parrot (male) Shadow
2 dogs (male) Spot (RIP) and Bear

Hi, I don't know of its too late or not, but I will post this anyway. Please get your snake checked for internal parasites A.S.A.P. It is possible that it has gotten a hold of bad food and developed the poops. I have experienced internal mites. And I have lost a wonderful python to them. She picked the mites up from her bedding. She fought internal and regular mites for the longest time until one day she just died. This was even with a vet constantly vigilant over her. Maybe look in places like if there are hooks underneath a cabinet. I know its weird but I found my snake once on coffee hooks underneath a cabinet because it was dark and near a window were bugs could easily get in. When they're starving they will eat bugs.

Yup, I'm sure the mouse nor the flem stuff was not a regurge. We picked him up Thursday and he did not usually eat until Friday. I gave him a week to get adjusted, but on Saturday I found the rank stuff (clear with a black core). Rather like a bronchial and spit, but IT stunk. I went right to the pet store and began raving about their apparent feeding methods. The girl said it could be because of the stress from the move. But after I found the mouse in his hide like a prize. Still clean. I realized that maybe he had a habit of doing this.
Oh yes, vet immediately upon return. They like a higher humidity and to tell you the truth I almost really hope that the neighbor did steal him, that way he has no worry about all of the dust and 80 year old insulation he might have dealt with.
Besides, there is still no sign in the attic. I check almost three times daily around the entire house for signs and hunt every night for an hour (you know sitting in the dark silence of the attic).
Bless his little soul, he must have been really mad.