# Dormouse has escaped.



## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

Right basically during the weekly clean out one of the African pygmy dormice leaped out its Exo Terra during 'capture' and is now hiding somewhere in the room. For the life of me I can't find the little bugger, and with them being able to climb vertical walls that basically doubles the amount of places it could be.

I'm probably going to just leave a hide with some honey in it, along with a heat-mat underneath it to tempt it to appear, but it's not fool proof as it will run as soon as I edge towards it.

So does anyone have any suggestions on how to make it come out a hiding? Perhaps a humane trap is in order.


----------



## NaomiR (Jan 26, 2009)

I would try to capture him/her the same way I would a mouse or a hamster, food in the bottom of a deep bucket that will tempt your furry in and once in the bucket, they can't get out :2thumb:

Pop the heat mat under the bucket too so if he/she is there a while they don't loose too much heat.

Good luck : victory:


----------



## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

NaomiR said:


> I would try to capture him/her the same way I would a mouse or a hamster, food in the bottom of a deep bucket that will tempt your furry in and once in the bucket, they can't get out :2thumb:
> 
> Pop the heat mat under the bucket too so if he/she is there a while they don't loose too much heat.
> 
> Good luck : victory:


what naomi said, bucket perhaps with a little walk way up to it, some treat food in the bottom, make sure its deep enough and smooth enough for it not to get back out, it always works for us. make sure you dont have anything with water in the room that it can get into though. we had doormice get out before and unfortunately 2 got into a milk bottle that we used to fill the water pots with, one drowned and the other died shortly after, it was devestating


----------



## ophidianman (Sep 5, 2008)

This is a common occurrence for us I'm embarrassed to say. Normally when cleaning out, even during the day. Luckily it is easily rectified. The escapee (s) always go back to the cage to visit the others. 

Whether this is to go Na na I'm out and you're still banged up or they miss the company of their cage mates I don't know but they always do it.

We just put a trip trap on top of the exo terra and every time the escapee has been sat in the trap in the morning. A trip trap is a small plastic trap that catches small mammals alive. We just bait it with a grape or a piece of apple and bingo, one recaptured APD.

Good luck with getting it back. I would suggest tonight to turn out all the lights and then creep back into the room after an hour or so with a net and see if its on top of the exo.


----------



## Elina (Jul 22, 2009)

I have had one escape once and I had already gotten a friendly mouse trap just in case so I put some maple syrup and a small slice of strawberry in it. Quite hard to do this as the trap closes at a certain weight so you have to get it just right.
I put it in front of my viv in the dark and waited...and waited....and waited (I could not sleep as I was worried about her)and then I glimpsed at my book case where the fur ball was sitting looking quite shocked that I had spotted her.
I slowly walked up to her, cupped my hands around her and put her back with her friends.

So yes my trap did not work but in theory it should...Otherwise look on the bookcase :lol2:.
-
 Elina


----------



## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

Bloody things. Their speed always surprises me because they are so dormant during the day you can even stroke them gently (before they wake up).

Right I'm going back in to have another look. The trip trap sounds like a good idea. For now I'll use what I've got - a box filled with some fruit and seeds with a heat mat underneath. I'll put it on top of the Exo Terra. 

If that fails, I'm off to buy a bookcase.


----------



## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

No appearance. 

How reliable are these trip traps then?


----------



## NaomiR (Jan 26, 2009)

they're really good, I use them (sucessfully) to re capture my escaped fancy mice and they work a treat. the thing is they don't actually _like _being lost so they are trying to find their way back.......they just need a little helping hand :2thumb:


----------



## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

*doormice*

I always found the best with these was to locate where they sleep and then capture during the day.Droppings and food being the give away.Favorite location being the ruffled are at the top of the curtains,the bit where they are attached to the rail.Other favorite location ,inside the computer speakers.If you sit late at night you see them come out eventually and it gives away the hiding place.


----------



## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

I saw him last night when I was armed with a net, but annoyingly he had somehow got inside the zebra mice tank (cheekily drinking from their water bottle) and darted through the mesh-top before I got him. 

I've ordered one of those traps. :bash:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Live-Catch-Hu...ants_Weed_Pest_Control_CV?hash=item1c0ebda9ab

That would be it I assume.


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Yes thats them but if you are in a rush you can actually buy these from B&Q, local petshops and hardware stores


----------



## Elina (Jul 22, 2009)

Any luck catching the little guy/girl yet?
Hehe I just noticed you are using one of my APD photos as your avatar, glad you like them so much:2thumb:.

-
 Elina


----------



## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

Yeah it's a really good photo.  Mine are always crap when it comes to pygmy dormice. 

Those traps are brilliant. I got him today. He's now reunited with his buddies. :-D


----------



## Elina (Jul 22, 2009)

Great!
I'm sure he is happy to be home :2thumb:.
Glad you did not have to go and buy a bookcase to catch him:lol2:.
-
 Elina


----------

