Snake on the loose

[abcat1993]

I was cleaning his cage on my floor with him in it, and he jumped out. Luckily he hadn't planned on what to do after he was out, so, I scooped him up, got musked on, and went on cleaning.

[krystalirelan@southslope.]

I never found any more of the babies but my adult male greeted me one morning as I got out of the shower. I'm still not sure how he got out as the cage was sealed up tight when I went to put him back. Even thou no one fessed up to it I have my suspissions

[stonyloam]

I found this in the web, Google search “nuisance snakes NY”.


Direct capture methods and live traps for non-venomous snakes:

1. Pick them up, wearing heavy leather gloves for protection. Support the snake's entire body to keep it calm. Hold snakes behind the head, to keep them from biting you.
2. With care, snakes can also be captured with a "snake stick," which is a catchpole modified for snakes. A forked stick can also be used (carefully!) to pin down a snake.
3. They can be scooped into a garbage can using a scoop or shovel.
4. To live trap water snakes, add a brick-sized piece of Styrofoam to a minnow trap (so the trap will float, allowing the snake to surface for air). Bait with about a half-dozen minnows. Attach a rope to the trap for easy retrieval, then float it in near the shoreline.
5. If the snakes can't be found, you can lure them to a spot where they can be easily captured. Place piles of damp towels or burlap sacks on the floor, near the walls. Cover the pile with a dry burlap bag to keep it moist. In a few days, return to the pile during the middle of the day, when the snakes are most likely to be there. Scoop up the pile with a large shovel, put it into a large garbage can, and carry it outside.
6. Several variations on the above technique: Use a board or a piece of plywood instead of the pile of towels or burlap sacks. Place some decomposing grass clippings on top of the board, which should be 1" off the ground. Dead mice or mouse droppings placed underneath the board will help to attract snakes. Check every few days. This technique works well with garter snakes and black rat snakes, but is not as effective with water snakes.
7. Create a reptile tube trap, based on a technique suggested by HSUS animal capture consultant, Dave Pauli. Inside this trap, the temperature should be just right for the snake—more appealing than the surrounding area. The trap is a piece of thin-walled PVC tubing that's 2–3 ft. long. Drill a few 1/8" air holes along the length of the tube. Cap one end. In cold weather, place a disposable hand warmer, battery-operated electric sock, or heating pad in the far end of the tube, along with some soft cotton rags. If you have fresh rodent droppings, you may want to toss a few in there, too. (In hot weather, substitute an ice pack or cold, wet rag for the heat source.) Then drill a 1" hole into a cap and use it to cover the other end of the tube. Although the snakes can leave the trap, they usually stay inside because it's more comfortable for them. You can install a one- way valve by affixing a 1 1/2" stiff plastic circle over the inside of the cap. The snake can push its way in, but can't leave easily. (This trap also works with other reptiles, such as lizards.)

[abcat1993]

Sweet, thanks for the ideas; I'll be trying these at my grandparents house

[KITKAT]

The little male we discussed earlier, who lived under my stairs all winter and was finally captured... was baited with a ceramic dog dish full of water and bait store minnows.