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Original poster

Royal Python has escaped!

333 replies

Belvedeer · 04/01/2021 10:00

My daughter’s royal python escaped on New Year’s Eve and is still missing. I followed tips online to search room by room and then sealing the door off if she’s not in there but can’t find her anywhere! I’ve literally ransacked the place, every piece of clothing has been removed and checked even the hanging clothes, every drawer has been removed, I even pulled the fridge freezer out and took the plinths off in the kitchen! We’ve left her viv door open with a mouse inside, tried leaving a hot water bottle with hide on the top next to a mouse at night but still no sign. Does anyone have any other tips of what we can do? I have a distraught 8 year old on my hands!

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Original poster
Belvedeer · 04/01/2021 13:17

@m0use

Just to reassure some of you - an adult will be 4 to 5 feet long; no chance of it hiding in your shoes! They can squeeze into tight spots - typically warn and dark place; keep an eye out for shed over the next couple of weeks as that might give you a clue.
She's only just shed unfortunately so be a little while before we see any of that!
OP posts:
Original poster
Belvedeer · 04/01/2021 13:20

@midnightstar66

I'm guessing if your python is on mice then it's quite small that can literally flatten themselves and get in to the tiniest spaces. I've watched my 4 ft female who is nearly as fat as a coke can slide effortlessly under the 2cm gap at the bottom of my sofa (check inside your sofa) . Have you checked properly down the radiators. In the back workings of anything electrical (fridge etc) pull mattresses off bed, pull out wardrobes etc. Even if it looks like they can't get under things they can ...
She's only about 60cms 350g, she slid out of a really small gap in the viv door. I've been checking behind all the radiators, in the airing cupboard and just removed the back of the fridge freezer, literally have pulled everything out.....
OP posts:
Original poster
Belvedeer · 04/01/2021 13:25

Poole so you should be safe Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Belvedeer · 04/01/2021 13:27

Thanks for all the replies, let's hope that she turns up at some point. I will go out and get a heat mat to leave around the house, think maybe I didn't warm the mouse up enough previously so will try and make the next one a bit warmer, sticking pins in it and giving it a blow dry will definitely be a last resort though Grin

OP posts:
midnightstar66 · 04/01/2021 13:33

Good luck OP, sure she'll turn up somewhere you least expect. Update us when she does.

EspressoExpresso · 04/01/2021 13:35

She'll be hanging out somewhere warm. Unfortunately, at that size, she could be anywhere.

Airing cupboard, hot water pipes (possibly under the floorboards?), behind radiators etc.

gamerchick · 04/01/2021 13:37

She's only about 60cms 350g, she slid out of a really small gap in the viv door. I've been checking behind all the radiators, in the airing cupboard and just removed the back of the fridge freezer, literally have pulled everything out

Ah crap, she's weeny isn't she?! She could be anywhere. Bugger, hope she turns up in the sock bag or something.

donewithitalltodayandxmas · 04/01/2021 13:38

Hipe your not too close to somerset border , I have a huge phobia of snakes!!
Round here I know one was found on grass verge , luckily in warmer weather so he was ok.
As others have said all you can do is check everywhere one room at a time and the flour idea sounds good

TheMoreItSnows · 04/01/2021 13:55

When ours got out he slipped through a tiny, tiny hole in the cupboard where the hot water tank was & had wrapped himself around the hot water pipes between the ceiling & floorboards. The only reason we found him was because I heard him swooshing around on the ceiling above my head as I worked at the table below where he was. (When he got out again he returned to exactly the same spot!) Think 'where is warm?' Warm pipes, radiators, lagged hot water tanks. Think tiny holes to access those places & wait for when the house is really quiet & listen for the distinctive noise they make on the floor/ceiling. Good Luck!

TJ17 · 04/01/2021 13:56

I didn't used to have a fear of snakes but after this thread I do 😳😳😳

Crafty little fuckers aren't they 😳

BeyondThunderdome · 04/01/2021 14:01

She'll be somewhere warm, poor lost baby :(

Dont suppose you have a back boiler? My viv is right next to mine, so it's the first place I'd think of 😂

BeyondThunderdome · 04/01/2021 14:02

Hang on, you're not the tiktok person whose children deliberately let their baby python out, are you? Weird coincidence that I just saw that before posting here!!

dingit · 04/01/2021 14:05

Christ on a bike, I'm feeling nervy sat on my sofa in Surrey Grin

Lovemusic33 · 04/01/2021 14:07

I’m in Dorset too.

Mine got out when it was the same size, first time I stupidly didn’t shut the vivarium door properly and 2nd time he pushed the air vert through (they are now glued in). My corn snake has got out once but luckily dd spotted it as he slithered onto the top of his vivarium. Pythons are very lazy so they don’t tend to travel as far as a corn, so she’s probably near by but just well hidden.

Morana23 · 04/01/2021 14:10

I know I'm late to the party but please update when you find her OP, I have two royals and a boa and thankfully no escapes yet but we would be so upset if any were missing.

To the terrified posters, Royal pythons are completely harmless - our lovely young Springer spaniel could do far more damage Grin we have grass snakes and adders here in the UK and most of the people I know have never even seen one - they are solitary animals that shy away from humans, they are far more scared of us than we are of them.

Glitterinthegrey · 04/01/2021 14:20

Literally crying with laughter about the whole reheated, blow-dried, pin impaled rat 😂

roarfeckingroarr · 04/01/2021 14:21

I clicked on thus thinking the queen has a python I didn't know about and it has escaped

espressoontap · 04/01/2021 14:22

Holy Moses. My worse nightmare is a snake coming out of the toilet. I have a huge phobia of them.

espressoontap · 04/01/2021 14:22

*worst

PlatinumBrunette · 04/01/2021 14:30

Ah childhood memories resurfacing of searching for escaped reptiles!

Did the whole turning room upsidedown then closing the door to find a sodding great tegu (lizard) that opened his viv door. Eventually - and I mean eventually - found he'd climbed onto the dining room table and hid under some papers there.

So don't just look at ground level! Remember, heat rises so he may have gone UP somewhere.

Hope you find him soon.

picklemewalnuts · 04/01/2021 14:31

@m0use

Just to reassure some of you - an adult will be 4 to 5 feet long; no chance of it hiding in your shoes! They can squeeze into tight spots - typically warn and dark place; keep an eye out for shed over the next couple of weeks as that might give you a clue.
That isn't reassuring. Nice try! Grin
WorriedMillie · 04/01/2021 14:36

Makes a change from “lost cat” posters 😳

GhostPepperTears · 04/01/2021 14:37

Please do update us when she's found.

It'll reassure us all - for different reasons Grin

FoolsAssassin · 04/01/2021 14:40

@HerbErtlinger

Oh god, I'm in Dorset Confused
Ohhhh, are you more towards Devon than Hampshire?
CrazyCatLazy · 04/01/2021 14:45

Oh I do hope you find her soon! Please let us know when you do!
I used to have a pair of breeding corn snakes when I was little (they had never bred before we rescued them) and the babies all got out of the incubator when they hatched, thankfully all found in various warm spots of the kitchen