So Jean-Luc got out yesterday. My fiancé text me yesterday just before 10 telling me Jean-Luc was out and he couldn't find him. He's gotten out once before but was found immediately because he knocked over things and woke his dad up. However this time there was no one to wake up when he got out and knocked everything over. So I had text my manager to see if I could come in later to go over and help find Jean-Luc. Thankfully after getting off the phone with my fiancé, Kasey, to tell him I was coming over to look, he heard hI'm breathe. He had pretty much given up hope in find him and was thinking the worse. When I got there things were everywhere. I started asking where all he had looked. He told me about hearing him around his stereo but didn't see anything with a flash light. Well I focused on that part because I know how Kasey looks for things. We decided to start emptying the room bit by bit. I moved the speaker and saw Jean-Luc's head pull back. There were several wires and I pretty much convinced myself it wasn't him it was just the wires moving. I sat there and stared behind the stereo into the dark. I didn't expect to see anything but after a minute my eyes adjusted to the dark and I could make out Jean-Luc's little snout and I yelled "it is him! He's under here!" I was so happy, we then had to empty everything off the shelves and slide it out. Jean-Luc was a little hissy but I threw a pillow case over his head and pulled him out. He then got a stern talking to from Kasey and I. I then measured his tank and then went to ebay to buy the lid I'd saved from when we first brought Jean-Luc home. I kept asking Kasey but he always would forget. I also bought 2 packs of clips so when they get here he will have 6 clips locking him in. The new lid has stronger wire that's near impossible to break. The stuff on his current one is the thin flexible wire. He's able to push up the middle part where there are no clips. As of now he has about 5 heavy college text books weighing that part down.
Hopefully his sneaking out is done for now. I'm excited about his new lid. It has a hinge in the middle so we don't have to remove all his lights when we get him out.
Ah yes the dreaded snake out event. How well I know it.
I am glad you got him back so quickly. Snakes have been known to be out for months. Your search methods were excellent. It figures that he would be inside something. They like crawling into things.
A good lid is essential. That is the one thing you do need to spend money on. I have bricks on top of some of my tanks. For their size bricks are heavy. Having a door like that is great. It is so much easier to get your snake out. Not all my tank lids have doors. I wish they did.
Congratulations on your quick thinking. If you leave him out too long he could find a way outside. I had a baby Pine Snake turn up in my neighbours basement 6 months later. I have never mentioned the fact that there were actually two pine snakes out. We never found the other baby and it has been two years. It got outside and I am sure the winter was too much for it.
As far as I can tell the lid and clamps should be here today so a new lid and locks for Jean-luc! I'm so excited to see it and I hope it all works out with no need for returns.
We took him to the store yesterday and showed him to some of the people I work with. Got to see the woman we got him from too. They were busy so she just got to see him, pet him, and run off again. She loves getting to see him from time to time. I know she misses him. He is a great snake. When we got home I let him explore the house with supervision as Kasey cooked dinner. He only knocked 1 thing over which is a surprise. Today we might end up taking him on a walk around the neighborhood.
Kasey and I talked about getting another snake so we could both have one but it will probably be a couple years before we do that. Just logistics in getting one right now isn't realistic. Getting married next year and all the money restrictions coming up I'd rather wait until we are on our feet better and know where we are going to be living because right now we are kinda looking but we can't look too much for a place to live until it gets closer to our wedding. It's enough right now caring for Jean-juc my geckos and my dogs. And we have the addition of the birds right now. It's too crazy to add another animal. I'm dreading having to start packing and moving because of the animals alone. Although the dogs are technically my parents and wont be coming with us. Its still a lot to have to move and be careful.
You will feel better with a more secure lid. Snakes can be curious sometimes and just want to look around. They just never seem to have enough sense to go back to their tank when they are finished. Jean Luc was just napping when you found him in what looked like a secure spot.
I sometimes take snakes for a walk. I take bearded dragons out as well. It is fun and it makes a walk more interesting.
When the time is right you will get a second snake. Sometimes a second snake just presents itself. If it is the same kind of snake and you don't have two males, they could share a tank. Snakes don't mind company.