# Snake escape



## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Hey. How likely is it that a baby corn snake of about 6 months got into my bathroom through a slight gap on the side of the door and went down the pipes in the pictures? I can't find him anywhere! I did see him underneath my wardrobe early hours after the night I realised he was missing, but I couldn't reach him and thought he can't escape my studio flat (more like a bedsit) anyway, but now I am not so sure. I left a mouse out in his viv but it wasn't near him, so he didn't smell it. I also tried to use it to get him out but then thought that might be a bad idea if he grabs it from me and then goes back into hiding. Long story short, I ended up putting it back in the freezer, went to bed and he was long gone when I got up and haven't heard or seen him since. Today makes one week since I believe he escaped - today or Sunday. Wish I used a broom or something to nudge him out now . There are no holes in the room. Also, do you reckon he would have gone under my door? On the left hand side of the gap, it measures 1cm. Please see other image for reference (ignore the bits that need sweeping).

My flat is generally really warm to the point where night walks can cool me down but it was getting cooler after 4am, so I don't know if he "went hunting" after I held the mouse in tongs under the wardrobe or he went searching for heat.

I JUST WANT MY BABY BACK! 😭😭😭


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Oh!
They can definitely get into and under some tiny cracks. The door gap is no barrier. You could try plugging with a towel until you locate the corn. Leave out small bowls of water, and also hides. 
Focus your search around the wardrobe, check to see if the corn could go under, behind and up into the wardrobe.
Be careful whilst moving anything which could trap/squash the baby corn.
Scenting meals can entice them out.
Could also go to a pet shop, ask for shavings/droppings from mice cages, and place inside a hide/cave. The aroma might attract the corn out.
If the corn was rather shy, it might take a while to build up an appetite.

Review how the corn escaped its enclosure. If there is a gap, it’ll do it again, so take preventative action.

Best of luck,

Andy


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Hi Andy,

Thanks so much for your response!

I'm worried about plugging the door because, is he did leave the room, I'd want him to be able to come back in especially as there are 3 other people living in the house (my flat is within the house), and they don't and can't know I have a pet snake.

I checked around and at the bottom of the wardrobe and partially at the top, but I'm not sure if he could reach the top? 🤔

I left out 3 mice so far in black bags, as advised by the pet shop owner who sold him to me, and none got eaten. I've also left out hides and a bowl in the flat. I'm starting to feel like he's not in here, but there is nowhere for him to hide in the kitchen downstairs (apart from behind the washing machine, which I couldn't see him in) or bathroom upstairs and the gaps between all the other doors in the house are 0.5cm or less. Do you think he may have crawled into that pipe?


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## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

You literally need to search from top to bottom - clothing, drawers, cupboards, around computers, TV's etc. They tend to head for dark/warm places. Being so young, it's easier for them to hide and get through very small gaps. They can also climb, so forget thoughts of it not being able to get to top of wardrobe etc.

Sprinkle flour around edges of your room, you'll then see if the snake has moved along the area. 

Bit concerned the others in the house are unaware of the situation - firstly, because the snake could have gotten out of your room and secondly, how will they react if they find the snake not knowing it's a pet?

On another note, never re- freeze the mice. If not eaten, you need to throw them away.


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## TheHouseofReptilez (Sep 26, 2021)

*''there are 3 other people living in the house (my flat is within the house), and they don't and can't know I have a pet snake''*

Them.not knowing isn't an option anymore if you have 3 other people living there with you they need to know that he is there and has escaped this way it prevents anyone from freaking out and causing harm to him if he does decide to come out,

again as above leave hides out around the area where you think he may be even leave a rodent in one of those hides if he's still there and hungry he'll find it, also put flour on the floor in the area if he passes by the flour will show he has been in there.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Thanks for the advice, guys.

So you reckon, he could still be in the room after a week without me hearing or seeing since early hours on Monday even though I've been staying up til 4am since? Is it likely that he climbed into the pipe in the attached pictures and is in the sewers right now?

Can baby corns climb clothes? That would be the only way he would be able to get up to the top shelf due to his length.

I can't tell my housemates because I'm not actually allowed to keep pets, and I know one of them would for sure freak out and tell the agency. I'm not in a position to move out atm, so I'd be screwed.


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

Teellia said:


> Thanks for the advice, guys.
> 
> So you reckon, he could still be in the room after a week without me hearing or seeing since early hours on Monday even though I've been staying up til 4am since? Is it likely that he climbed into the pipe in the attached pictures and is in the sewers right now?
> 
> ...


I had a Corn escape when I was in my man-cave .. ( snakes / computers / hifi / fish tanks / gadgets etc )

I was watching footie when I saw something move above my head .. I sit facing the window and my Blizzard ( WHITE) Corn snake was moving across the curtain rail so it had climbed up a 5’ curtain to get there !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

I only had one other escape .. a LTR
.. Leucistic Texas Rat snake .. ( pure white)

I put a plastic vivarium in the corner of the room , on its side with the top flap open .. inside I put a dish of water only .. there was a small 7w heat mat on the carpet under the vivarium ( no stat ) 

Anyways I’d nearly given up but one day a couple of weeks later I glanced down after noticing something white in the little viv .

It had crawled in for either the water or the heat and was happily curled up asleep over the heat ..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

Yes, it may still be in your room, you really do have to search every nook and cranny. You'll be surprised how well they climb.

It may have headed to the pipe, looking at it, you could dismantle it and see. Generally they go for warm and dark though. Remember, being so small makes it harder to find the snake. 

By not telling your housemates, you risk one finding your snake and possibly killing it out of fear.


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

Elly66 said:


> Yes, it may still be in your room, you really do have to search every nook and cranny. You'll be surprised how well they climb.
> 
> It may have headed to the pipe, looking at it, you could dismantle it and see. Generally they go for warm and dark though. Remember, being so small makes it harder to find the snake.
> 
> By not telling your housemates, you risk one finding your snake and possibly killing it out of fear.


And you yourself looking for somewhere else to live.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

The only time one of my snakes escaped was back in the late 90's. I say mine, it was one of my hatchlings which had been sold to a neighbour who lived in a flat in an adjacent block some 70m away. He had not fully closed the glass door on the viv and left a slight gap. We pulled the place apart and never found it. We did discover a small 1/4" gap in the frame of his front door so the snake could easily have found its way outside. Three days later whilst driving along a local A road something caught my eye where the steering column joined the dash and a small hatchling corn snake appeared in the well of the instrument cluster. Driving one handed I grabbed the snake yelling to the wife to grab my sons plastic lunch box and tip his lunch out to contain the snake. We then pulled over into a layby and took a look as I had not lost any snakes in the car! - The snake was the one that my neighbour had bought, identifiable by a unique head stamp (I took photos of the head pattern before selling to private individuals at the time).

In relation to this case, there is every possibility that the snake will turn up. But it could turn up in any room. Equally, it may have already found its way outside so could be anywhere. With regards to the landlord being informed, well that's the risk you take for contravening the terms of your agreement. When my eldest daughter wanted one of the royals I bred in 2019 she asked her landlord if she could do so, and we invited him round to see me so I could answer any questions he had. When he noted that they are secure (granted royals are fatter and less likely to escape) he agreed to her keeping the snake. In fact it's normally cats and dogs that landlords are against as they can damage the flat or leave odours that are difficult to remove. Given that you have knowingly breached the terms and conditions regarding pets /animals, then I agree with the comment above, that you may need to have a plan B should you receive notice of eviction.


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## Bombjack (Jan 16, 2015)

If you use the search feature there are many threads and advice about escaped snakes too.I think a sticky would be useful.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Okay, I feel like I've searched everywhere that has hiding


Elly66 said:


> Yes, it may still be in your room, you really do have to search every nook and cranny. You'll be surprised how well they climb.
> 
> It may have headed to the pipe, looking at it, you could dismantle it and see. Generally they go for warm and dark though. Remember, being so small makes it harder to find the snake.
> 
> By not telling your housemates, you risk one finding your snake and possibly killing it out of fear.


Yeah my bathroom is definitely cooler than the rest of the flat. I think the flat was getting cooler around that time, but I couldn't see why he would go to an even cooler room. It's just hard not knowing where he is and knowing that he could always be on the move at night.

There are gated bins next to where we live that are full of rats lol, but we have never had them enter our house. This makes me feel confident that there aren't any holes in the house, which rules out him being outside or in the walls.

There may be another way without telling them.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Malc said:


> The only time one of my snakes escaped was back in the late 90's. I say mine, it was one of my hatchlings which had been sold to a neighbour who lived in a flat in an adjacent block some 70m away. He had not fully closed the glass door on the viv and left a slight gap. We pulled the place apart and never found it. We did discover a small 1/4" gap in the frame of his front door so the snake could easily have found its way outside. Three days later whilst driving along a local A road something caught my eye where the steering column joined the dash and a small hatchling corn snake appeared in the well of the instrument cluster. Driving one handed I grabbed the snake yelling to the wife to grab my sons plastic lunch box and tip his lunch out to contain the snake. We then pulled over into a layby and took a look as I had not lost any snakes in the car! - The snake was the one that my neighbour had bought, identifiable by a unique head stamp (I took photos of the head pattern before selling to private individuals at the time).
> 
> In relation to this case, there is every possibility that the snake will turn up. But it could turn up in any room. Equally, it may have already found its way outside so could be anywhere. With regards to the landlord being informed, well that's the risk you take for contravening the terms of your agreement. When my eldest daughter wanted one of the royals I bred in 2019 she asked her landlord if she could do so, and we invited him round to see me so I could answer any questions he had. When he noted that they are secure (granted royals are fatter and less likely to escape) he agreed to her keeping the snake. In fact it's normally cats and dogs that landlords are against as they can damage the flat or leave odours that are difficult to remove. Given that you have knowingly breached the terms and conditions regarding pets /animals, then I agree with the comment above, that you may need to have a plan B should you receive notice of eviction.


That's a very interesting story! Lucky! Also, coincidence that you had the lunch box.

It's not actually stated in the contract that we cannot have pets - just that you need to ask permission, but I wasn't granted it.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

I went to a pet shop today, and the worker said she reckons he is still in the house and to leave a mouse out in a bag in hot water and create an enclosure because it would make the mouse more potent for him to come over to it. She also suggested discretely thoroughly checking the housemates' kitchen and bathroom to get there before they do, so I won't have to tell them. I'm just not sure how to do this.

To be clear, my contract doesn't state no pets just that permission is needed, but I wasn't granted it. I believe I can only have fish.


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

So you asked, were told no, but still went ahead and got a snake?


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Teellia said:


> To be clear, my contract doesn't state no pets just that permission is needed, but I wasn't granted it. I believe I can only have fish.


Maybe the landlords thought of a goldfish in a bowl.... Even a modest tank will hold 75-100 ltrs which would ruin the flooring if it cracked which is why fish are often excluded on a lease. So when asked about keeping a snake the landlord declined your request, but you ignored that and went ahead and got one anyway.... I think you may want to consider looking for alternative accommodation as they may ask you to leave at short notice as you have knowingly breached your contract. Your only saving grace will be if you find the snake before any of the other tenants do.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Bombjack said:


> If you use the search feature there are many threads and advice about escaped snakes too.I think a sticky would be useful.





Shellsfeathers&fur said:


> So you asked, were told no, but still went ahead and got a snake?


Yes. We'll done. I wanted a tarantula back then.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Malc said:


> Maybe the landlords thought of a goldfish in a bowl.... Even a modest tank will hold 75-100 ltrs which would ruin the flooring if it cracked which is why fish are often excluded on a lease. So when asked about keeping a snake the landlord declined your request, but you ignored that and went ahead and got one anyway.... I think you may want to consider looking for alternative accommodation as they may ask you to leave at short notice as you have knowingly breached your contract. Your only saving grace will be if you find the snake before any of the other tenants do.


I didn't specifically ask for a snake, but yeah, it was no pets, maybe goldfish. Honestly moving out isn't an option. It has been almost 2 weeks since he ate, and he ain't coming to find food, so maybe he has gone for good via the pipe and sadly won't be found. Also, even if I could move now, what happens if he gets found when I'm not there?


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

In life there are rules. All you had to do was accept that, for the time being, you couldn't have a snake.
It's all well and good you saying that moving out isn't an option. However that is down to the landlord. You have signed a tenancy and have knowingly breached one of the conditions, so your landlord has every right to evict you. I get the distinct impression that you believe you can do as you please and everything revolves around you.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

ian14 said:


> In life there are rules. All you had to do was accept that, for the time being, you couldn't have a snake.
> It's all well and good you saying that moving out isn't an option. However that is down to the landlord. You have signed a tenancy and have knowingly breached one of the conditions, so your landlord has every right to evict you. I get the distinct impression that you believe you can do as you please and everything revolves around you.


Calm down bro. I never thought he would ever escape. I've had to put up with tenants doing WORSE for months, getting away with shit for months, causing me major stress, and it took so long for the agency and my landlord to care! It was not fair to be denied a pet, meanwhile whoever lived in the room below me could do whatever they wanted, it seemed. And it wasn't just one person. There was a couple, and I even think the pregnant lady who was there when I first came was smoking in the house. Even if my snake is found by one of the others, I will lie my way around it.


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Teellia said:


> Calm down bro. I never thought he would ever escape. I've had to put up with tenants doing WORSE for months, getting away with shit for months, causing me major stress, and it took so long for the agency and my landlord to care! It was not fair to be denied a pet, meanwhile whoever lived in the room below me could do whatever they wanted, it seemed. And it wasn't just one person. There was a couple, and I even think the pregnant lady who was there when I first came was smoking in the house. Even if my snake is found by one of the others, I will lie my way around it.


I'm not your "bro".
Whether it's fair to be denied a pet or not, the simple fact is, you weren't allowed one yet went against the wishes of the property owner and got one anyway.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

ian14 said:


> I'm not your "bro".
> Whether it's fair to be denied a pet or not, the simple fact is, you weren't allowed one yet went against the wishes of the property owner and got one anyway.


I know I did. I can't turn back the clock, so what do you want me to say? How is this helping me find him? He probably should be found if I'm not allowed to have a pet in the house, no?


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Teellia said:


> I know I did. I can't turn back the clock, so what do you want me to say? How is this helping me find him? He probably should be found if I'm not allowed to have a pet in the house, no?


I see a lack of research here. If you search the forum you would see countless posts about hatchlings escaping. If you had purchased a yearling or mature snake chances are you wouldn't be in this mess as their size would make it harder to get out of their enclosures, so by getting a small hatchling corn snake you increased the risk of being found out. I find your logic of "well if others don't do what they are asked why should I" a bit ... immature / childish. Just because one other resident brakes rules by smoking / taking drugs / plays music loud past a set time etc doesn't give you a defence if the landlord did a surprise inspection. They would give each offender a warning or notice of eviction if he/she felt just cause. Personally, I don't think you'll see the snake again. Either its under the floorboards in some other flat or it's found its way outside. If outside then it's natural instincts will kick in and it may well survive, or it may end up being killed by other animals. It is certainly able to survive the UK climate.

I guess what happens is down to several factors, how well you get on with the other residents so that if you told them they a) won't report you, and b) will notify you if they find it crawling over their carpet one evening. Best case scenario it's in your flat / room and you recapture it without anyone knowing any different, to worse case, where someone else finds it and tells the landlord knowing who the owner is and he makes an example of you and serves you with an eviction notice. Now whilst there are new laws governing the right of pet ownership by tenants, other rights mean that landlords still evict under contract law, and I don't suppose you are in a position to fight an eviction in court ?

Whatever the outcome, it's certainly been a big lesson learnt


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Malc said:


> I see a lack of research here. If you search the forum you would see countless posts about hatchlings escaping. If you had purchased a yearling or mature snake chances are you wouldn't be in this mess as their size would make it harder to get out of their enclosures, so by getting a small hatchling corn snake you increased the risk of being found out. I find your logic of "well if others don't do what they are asked why should I" a bit ... immature / childish. Just because one other resident brakes rules by smoking / taking drugs / plays music loud past a set time etc doesn't give you a defence if the landlord did a surprise inspection. They would give each offender a warning or notice of eviction if he/she felt just cause. Personally, I don't think you'll see the snake again. Either its under the floorboards in some other flat or it's found its way outside. If outside then it's natural instincts will kick in and it may well survive, or it may end up being killed by other animals. It is certainly able to survive the UK climate.
> 
> I guess what happens is down to several factors, how well you get on with the other residents so that if you told them they a) won't report you, and b) will notify you if they find it crawling over their carpet one evening. Best case scenario it's in your flat / room and you recapture it without anyone knowing any different, to worse case, where someone else finds it and tells the landlord knowing who the owner is and he makes an example of you and serves you with an eviction notice. Now whilst there are new laws governing the right of pet ownership by tenants, other rights mean that landlords still evict under contract law, and I don't suppose you are in a position to fight an eviction in court ?
> 
> Whatever the outcome, it's certainly been a big lesson learnt


I really don't want the focus of this post to be about tenancy agreements. I bought a pet because I wanted one, and that's it. I brought up previous tenants to show that it's really not that shocking that i bought a pet - tenancy agreements get broken. I brought up not being allowed to own a pet to show that I cannot ask the housemates to keep an eye out. I'm really sorry but I don't have a time machine 🤷🏾‍♀️. I'm sure I'd get a warning if he is found. I reached out about help on missing snakes, and you're about the third person who is trying to make me feel bad for something that cannot be changed. I just don't see the point in dwelling on something that won't change the current situation, and all I care about right now is finding him...

There are no holes in my house to be in walls or floorboards, and there are no windows that he could climb up to. Also, the doors leading to outside are never left open, and my snake is active from 1am onwards. Extremely unlikely that he is in the floor or got out through a window or door, wherever he is.


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

I'm sorry guys, but I love my pet. Your negative comments about my living situation or your judgements on how I am as a person (when you don't even know me) is not going to make me regret buying him. If you love animals yourself, you should understand that. I just want positive comments or help 🙂.


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## peterson (Feb 28, 2018)

The rules about being allowed a pet or not in a rental might change in the UK: https://www.heart.co.uk/lifestyle/pets/renting-rights-landlord-new-government-rules/


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

peterson said:


> The rules about being allowed a pet or not in a rental might change in the UK: https://www.heart.co.uk/lifestyle/pets/renting-rights-landlord-new-government-rules/


Thank you so much ❤


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

peterson said:


> The rules about being allowed a pet or not in a rental might change in the UK: https://www.heart.co.uk/lifestyle/pets/renting-rights-landlord-new-government-rules/


Hopefully sooner rather than later. There has been talk of this for a while.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

peterson said:


> The rules about being allowed a pet or not in a rental might change in the UK: https://www.heart.co.uk/lifestyle/pets/renting-rights-landlord-new-government-rules/


Which is what I was referring to in my post above. But like all legislations its not black and white. They want to make it easier for tenants to have their much-loved pets in their homes by "giving all tenants the right to request a pet in their house". It doesn't mean that they will say yes, and the landlord will be required to consider the request and cannot refuse it for unreasonable reasons. The definition of unreasonable is subjective, what's OK to you may not be OK to me. Anyway as you say this is turning into a discussion on tenants rights rather than focusing on the snake.

In all honesty what do you want from us? - most of the normal tricks have been documented in previous posts, most involve the use of talcum powder to see if trails are left overnight, and a nice warm pinkie in a tub. Some people who gave up hope of ever seeing their Corn snake sometimes recapture it upwards of a year later, the snake obviously managing to live well off mice rats and other rodents. There isn't much else we can do... Yes it may sound harsh when we tell you that you may never see it again, which is a high probability, but strange things do happen and he may reappear in a couple of days/weeks/months - We don't possess a crystal ball so can't predict the future, If we knew where it is or when you might get it back we would be buying tickets for the euro millions next time around. Granted we can sympathise with you, and for us parents the level of sympathy will vary depending how you taught your kids to deal with this sort of thing. I always brought up my kids to be respectful and take responsibility for their own actions, and if they lost something or broke something through their own neglect then it was tough love and they had to suck it up and learn form that experience. Hence my comments above - this is all part of life's long journey.


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## TheHouseofReptilez (Sep 26, 2021)

Teellia said:


> I didn't specifically ask for a snake, but yeah, it was no pets, maybe goldfish. Honestly moving out isn't an option. It has been almost 2 weeks since he ate, and he ain't coming to find food, so maybe he has gone for good via the pipe and sadly won't be found. Also, even if I could move now, what happens if he gets found when I'm not there?


Moving out isn't an option, yet if any of the other people in the house find the snake before you do you are left with no other option to vacate the building if the landlord decides to throw you out,

You honestly haven't put yourself in a situation to even argue the case with the landlord,

And 2 weeks may have passed since he last ate to a snake that means nothing they can go without food for weeks even months depending on the species,

All I'll say is look in places where you'd least expect a snake to be you never know he could still be there somewhere or worst case scenario is he's found his way out of the building.


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

Zincubus said:


> I only had one other escape .. a LTR
> .. Leucistic Texas Rat snake .. ( pure white)
> 
> I put a plastic vivarium in the corner of the room , on its side with the top flap open .. inside I put a dish of water only .. there was a small 7w heat mat on the carpet under the vivarium ( no stat )
> ...


Have you tried this method yet ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Teellia (6 mo ago)

Zincubus said:


> Have you tried this method yet ??
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


I tried something very similar. I put the heat mat under the plastic container and left the water next to it.


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