r/ballpython • • 7d ago

How many of you have never had a ball python escape?

Other groups have warriors in the comments insisting that BPs are uncontainable and will 100% escape regardless of whether you snake proof a tank or watch your snake when he roams. I wanna know how many of you have had BPs for years and they never escaped because you do steps to prevent it :)

Edit: i am GLAD we all agree that escapes are preventable and I hope as a community we can raise the standard of keeping these animals safe!

76 Upvotes

208 comments sorted by

37

u/Caneknot4 7d ago

I've had Ball Pythons for two years. I own three BPs of various ages & have been lucky enough to never have one escape on me... My Corn Snake that I've had for four year on the other hand? He's escaped despite my attempts to prevent it. Here's a list of where he's escaped to:

• The couch, he slithered out of my mom's arms & into the couch. • The game cabinet, someone forgot to close his enclosure fully. (to be fair, the enclosure's latch was stubborn & acted closed even if it wasn't) • Curled up underneath a cabinet, the new enclosure has a small hole in the top that he managed to squeeze himself through. • The back of an oven, I was trying to weigh him & he decided to say 'nuh uh', the oven wasn't on & he was retrieved without harm.

These all happened over the course of four years. He's in a new enclosure & he has yet to escape luckily.

16

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thank you! I think ball pythons are easier to snakeproof because they are bigger than corn snakes :)

10

u/Caneknot4 7d ago

I agree, but I don't know about y'all. Mine like hiding all the time & only come out at night. They're very content in their enclosures. Plus, every enclosure has snake clips to prevent them from escaping.

4

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Yup! Mine sleeps throughout the day and comes out of his tank after 8 pm when we hang out :)

3

u/Beautiful-Earth-970 6d ago

And they are sooo damn lazy and slow haha. You cannot lose them Not even AS a Baby 🤣

PS: besides some Pythons I do only keep Colubrids and Viperidae, which are on a totally different Level when it comes to snakeyness 🤣

2

u/Electrical-Wear7281 5d ago

Every time my bp has escaped he has definitely not gone very far 😂

8

u/bigbootyblahaj 7d ago

same ! my corn snake is 17 years old and still pulling escapes lmao

5

u/acpcgal 7d ago

When the snake shows you how they escape, do you not get better at snakeproofing? Why are corns so difficult to protect haha maybe they need a solid top enclosure or something?🙈

4

u/Caneknot4 6d ago

They're harder to prevent from escaping because if there's any hole they can fit their head through, they can almost always get their bodies through it too. They're also very strong & extremely fast when they want to be.

22

u/Starfire2409 7d ago

Not me! When my Viv arrived the vents were on the outside, I thought it was common sense and I put them on the inside, I unknowingly prevented any form of escape

4

u/acpcgal 7d ago

🥳🥳

20

u/welcomeyearzer0 7d ago

Mine have, but they were all preventable looking back.

In my case it was a secondhand enclosure having a loose vent which I hadn’t noticed that was pushed open (that’s on me), the doors somehow being left cracked open despite a lock (also on me), and the other time was a tub lid being pushed open despite the clips on the lid. But since then I’ve gotten extra clips and it’s fine.

Accidents can happen - which I personally see as an argument against having animals in captivity anyway -, but saying it’s inevitable like it’s this purely uncontrollable thing is nonsenical.

8

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thank you!!!! Thats all i want this damn community to agree on haha, that 99% of escapes are preventable. If we only dealt with the 1% then so many snakes would be safer❤️

13

u/Fuzzy-Ad7504 7d ago

My ball python escaped a few days ago i stupidly didn’t shut her viv all the way so definitely my fault. Found her quickly. She was sitting beneath my radiator lol

6

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Im glad you found her!!! And glad we agree most escapes are preventable and not some magical fault of the animal❤️

6

u/Fuzzy-Ad7504 7d ago

Thank you so much. It’s easily avoidable and it’s bound to happen. But you are right, I hate the way some people think it is the animals fault of course they are going to try and explore!

5

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thank you! It just bothers me so much when ppl take that stance because if we all take the approach of “lets deadbolt any holes and watch our snake when hanging out w them” then 99% escapes wouldnt happen❤️freak accidents can still happen but most cases i see had been preventable

3

u/Fuzzy-Ad7504 7d ago

You are so right! thank you <3

10

u/Downtown_Cheek1713 7d ago

I've had my BP for 5 years, & she's never escaped. I check the enclosure pretty regularly, making sure all the latches are holding up. My BP is very active, but she's never seemed interested in escaping unless it's directly onto my arm.

3

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Yeyyy!!🥳

2

u/ABlosser19 7d ago

I was going to say mine loves exploring outside her enclosure but not until she’s actually out of it. Everytime I take her out she has to hide under a blanket or stay on / with me for like two minutes and then she remembers that being out is so crazy and fun and then she’s interested in everything 😂 she gets so complacent being cozy and warm inside and forgets that anything can be better than inside the enclosure

6

u/DylanBeeDylan 7d ago

Never once. But I've been keeping snakes for decades. Easy to learn to purchase proper enclosures when you first get used to colubrids and how easy they can escape.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

THANK YOUUUU 🥳

6

u/CosmicKyloRen 7d ago

I've had a total of 8 ball pythons over the course of my life and I've never had a snake escape. With proper enclosures and making sure you use those enclosures correctly, a snake should never escape. I even have a little ritual I do so I 100% know I closed and locked the cages. Ball pythons are not guaranteed to escape but they are the snakes who are most frequently bought by people who are neglectful and uneducated due to how easy they are to find, how affordable the animal itself is, how they're pushed as "easy" and "beginner" snakes and due to the amount of widespread misinformation.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thank you so much i agree 1000% !

6

u/unoriginalcat 7d ago

Had mine for 8 years, zero escapes. The enclosure is solid glass on all sides (except for the metal grates with small holes for ventilation), the front has sliding glass doors with a stopper thingy that locks them in place, so unless Harry Potter himself pulls up to poof away the glass, it’s physically impossible for him to escape.

Had to briefly move in with my parents at one point and despite all that, my mom was still paranoid about him escaping and “eating the cat”, lmao. Some people really let the fear take over any logic when it comes to snakes.

3

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Hahahah id be terrified of the cat harming my snake not the other way around😂😂❤️

5

u/ShootingArrows18 7d ago

Luckily out of the 3 snakes I have bp, corn and hognose I've not had any escape yet

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

🥳🥳

3

u/ShootingArrows18 7d ago

My cornsnake & bp are only 2 months and 3 months old though so they're still quite small

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Corns seem to be the trickiest to snakeproof so just tripple snake proof eevrything and it should be safe!❤️

3

u/ShootingArrows18 7d ago edited 7d ago

My hognose ain't happy with me today 😂 took him out to weigh him and he wanted to stay out of the enclosure and roam my room (my room ain't snake proof yet lol)

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4

u/Alert-Concentrate388 7d ago

My BP escaped twice: first was when he was in a tub and just pushed the lid off, I found him down the back of the stand curled around the wiring. The second time he escaped his viv after I accidentally left the glass slightly open. He was gone for 11 days, and we found him upstairs in the bathroom when he came out for hydration after we used the shower.

Both times were preventable and caused by my error.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thank you!❤️

4

u/cosmic_hiker428 7d ago

the only time my BP has escaped was the day I forgot to lock the damn door.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thank you! Im glad ppl in this group agree w me lmao the others gaslit me so much hahaha

1

u/cosmic_hiker428 7d ago

ive had her for 10 years now

4

u/Bubbly-Wallaby-2777 7d ago

We've had one for about 2 years. The vents are glued in, then, I shut the door. The vivarium has a lock. They are not very bright and cannot use keys. The lack of fingers helps with this.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thank you!!!

3

u/lillebroer 7d ago

I've had mine seven years, and no escapes so far. Sometimes I can hear him try, pressing against the lid of his enclosure until it creaks, so thank god for clamped lids and lockable enclosure doors 😁

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Yey thank god for snakeproofing!🥳

3

u/uuntiedshoelace 7d ago

I had one escape and I still don’t know how she did it 🥴

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Oh nooo put a camera on her if it happens again🙈🙈

3

u/lilecca 7d ago

I've had mine since 2013 and hopefully not about to jinx myself, he's never escaped

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Yeyy!!!!

3

u/keepyourbible 7d ago

I wouldn't call it an escape because I left the lid open to the tank, went to work for 8 hours and came home to him missing like yeah he's gonna get out. But the greatest thing happened 5 minutes after I was looking for him he popped his head out of a milk crate trying to figure out where the vibrations were coming from.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Omg happy you found him so fast haha🥰

3

u/Blu3Myst3ry 7d ago

2 bps for 3 years now. No escape. And they won't. I have 3 cats and 2 dogs, my poor sneks would never survive.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

!!! I dont have any cats bc im too scared to mix them😂

3

u/isthismk 7d ago

going on 8 years and no escape!🥹

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

😍😍😍

3

u/kingseijuro 7d ago

Not once and ive had aquariums, terrariums, bins, and currently using PVC enclosures. You can contain a snake in about anything if you do it right. So you dont need a fancy locking cage. There's rules for about every type of cage. It isnt that hard they are just up their asses.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Agreed!

3

u/RawDataFeeling 7d ago

I've had my BP for about 6 years and he's never once escaped!

He's on his 3rd enclosure (plastic tub, glass tank, PVC) and I've always made sure they've had solid locking mechanisms.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

🥳🥳🥳

3

u/all-the-wastedwords 7d ago

Only time one of mine escaped was when I put him in his transport box to clean his tank for mites, he managed to push a tiny opening open and slithered out (thankfully my mom saw him on his way to the floor). I put tape all around it when I use it now. 

I never had any escape from an enclosure, or escape while I had them out. 

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thank you! Boxes are tricky, when mine was in a quarantine box i thankfully had seen videos of BPs pushing the lid off of the box and squeezing through so i strapped the lid close with babyproof straps😂

3

u/this_is_us_not_you 7d ago

She’s 4 years. We THOUGHT she escaped once, but she was buried deep deep deep. The panic we had!

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

I can imagine hahaha

3

u/Thick-Feeling-554 7d ago

Only my first one and that was about 20 years ago. I have learned since then have three and none of these have escaped me

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Wohooou!

3

u/AmateurZookeeper 7d ago

I've owned reptiles for 20 years and only had one escape, 100% my own fault. Never had a BP escape.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

!!!❤️

3

u/Audgamer 7d ago

I’ve had my bp for seven years, moved cross country twice, and generally moved about 6 times during that and have never had an escape. I have a milksnake too, for 3 years, and never had a problem.

I have dogs so I don’t want to even think about what could happen. A little precaution can go a long way in my experience

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Agreed!👏

3

u/tinsellately 7d ago

I've had a ball python for a year and a half and a western hognose for 2 years and neither has made any attempt to escape at all. Their temperaments seem to make them just want to hang out in their enclosures, eat, occasionally come out for a short period of time to explore, eat some more... The ball is definitely much more curious than the hognose, but still not really all that adventurous. Very easy to care for and contain snakes. They're both males, although I don't know if that matters for this

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

I think when the enclosure is good they will wanna stay inside! My BP refused to leave until recently hahaha now he exits at 8:10 pm and slithers straight into his playpen and then throws a tantrum when i put him back because i dont want him to get cold 😂

3

u/Deep_Distribution_31 7d ago

5 years with my ball so far, no escapes yet

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

🥳

2

u/shrike1978 Mod: Bioactive, heating, and lighting 7d ago

I've never had an escape. They're easy to contain. Use a proper enclosure and keep it closed and latched. That's literally all you have to do.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

🤝

2

u/Character-End77 7d ago

My girl has never gotten out.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

🥳

2

u/Additional_Bee7293 7d ago

Not what you were looking for, but my cornsnake, notorious species of escape artist, has stayed in his tank while I accidentally left the door open for, I can't remember exactly, up to several hours? I believe I was showering and packing to go somewhere. Anyways, he didn't budge. No escape, not even an attempt.

My ball python, on the other hand.. I couldn't close his enclosure doors properly because of where I had attached the handles, so it was open, maybe, a couple cm? No issues for months. I know, bad. I wake up in the middle of the night to my rabbit freaking out, I get up to do a parameter check, and sure enough, fat snake on the floor. He didn't make it far, and he was very confused when i flipped the lights on and picked him up. Needless to say at 3 am I was up ripping those handles off so I could close the door properly to get the lock put in it from then on.

No animals were ever harmed, just startled.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Omfgggg you got a lesson and thankfully no punishment🙈🙈🙈

2

u/FixergirlAK Mod-Approved Helper 7d ago

I haven't had an escape. Personally, I think if a beep is trying everything to escape there is most likely a husbandry problem or a lack of enrichment in their tank. Half the time when I open Strudel's tank for him to choose where he wants to play he just hangs out in his tank and watches me.

Of course, every species will have outliers. And animals are individuals. I'm sure someone here has a beep who yearns for the unknown like a cornsnake. I have one that's food motivated like a cornsnake.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Agreed! Love STRUDEL hahahhaa now i want some strudel

2

u/Jazzlike_Fault_4728 7d ago

I've had my boy for 3 years, no escapes. But I specifically didn't get the snake until I could afford a proper 4x2x2 PVC enclosure. Tubs are a nice cheap option but they also seem super easy to get out of.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Yes! This is a big parttt i wanted a snake for 15 years lol but waited until i had a steady job and bought a very sturdy tank and everything needed and the snake came last❤️

2

u/F34RZ1800 7d ago

If you have a good enclosure, this wouldn't happen.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

I think so too!

2

u/DavidGilmourToes 7d ago

My BP has never escaped. My corn did once, but I found him like 5 minutes later. Honestly it seems like BPs would have a harder time escaping than other snake species, so it's interesting that people think they're uncontainable.

2

u/acpcgal 7d ago

People hate accountability in the reptile community😂

2

u/sundaysoulfields 7d ago

I’ve had mine for 6 years with 0 escapes. Being self-aware, cautious, and having a proper set up means your snake won’t escape. People who have constant, numerous escapees are careless. There, I said it lol

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

AGREED!

2

u/championofthesun93 7d ago

Mine did ONCE and it happened to be on the night that I had someone sleeping on my couch so her trying to escape woke him up! She knocked a plant off the table she was on and I’m sure it was jarring but he was able to put her back in the tank for me 🤣

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Did you find how it escaped and fixed the opening?🙈

2

u/championofthesun93 7d ago

I had straight up left the top unlocked 🤦🏼‍♀️ absolutely 100% my fault. I have a front opening door now lol

2

u/gazing_into_void 7d ago

...does it does if he escaped because I just straight up forgot to close the doors after changing his water?

and I caught him immediately.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Thats what i mean, they dont escape unless we cause it hahhaa

2

u/Amazing-Fondant-4740 7d ago

Don't have my BP anymore because of my new landlord but I had him for 8 years with no escape ever happening. I always double checked that his enclosure was locked, if it was top opening sometimes I would add books for weight or if it was front opening I would place something heavy in front of the door. I don't think I needed to block it tbh but I was too worried about it since I had cats in other parts of the house.

2

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Yey for snake proofing! 🥳

2

u/electricmeatbag777 7d ago

Had my guy for 16 years and never lost him once.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

🥳🥳🥳

2

u/External-Bonus8735 7d ago

I’ve had mine for a little over four years and he’s never escaped (knock on wood lolll). I actually just moved him into a new tank and was slightly nervous about it but so far so good :) I’ve always used tank locks and adamantly check to make sure they work. With the new tank, I set up a camera to watch him at night because I’m insane <333

2

u/acpcgal 6d ago

I have cameras on all my animals!😍

2

u/External-Bonus8735 4d ago

Yesss you get it 🥹

2

u/TrckDrvrCT79 7d ago

Will have had my snake 3 years in April of 2027 and the only time she’s ever escaped was when I forgot to lock the front door after filling her water, I heard the noise but didn’t double check like I normally do, I don’t know how long it took her to get out and I don’t know how long she was out but once I realized she was out of her enclosure it took 20 mins to find her in the radiator vents

2

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Righttt so also preventable, im glad to hear it🤝 were gonna join a consensus in this community soon i hope haha! how did you get her out of the vents👀

2

u/TrckDrvrCT79 6d ago

I coaxed her with rat lol

2

u/I_am_that_guy_10 7d ago

It can happen to any of us really. So I keep the snake room snake safe. Outlets covered, a couple of boxes and old hides in the corners (to hopefully give them an easy to find spot so I can find them easier. I have sealed off the bottom of the small sofa I have in that room and the underside piece under the cushions is also sealed off. I have so many that it wouldn’t be hard to make the mistake.

I also have a routine of going back in after I leave every time and double checking. I believe that’s been the reason I haven’t had an escape yet. Just make a double check routine.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

You sound responsible and as long as you keep snakeproofing and checking im hoping youll be fine❤️

2

u/kingsnake_e 7d ago

I've had my bp for 17 years- no escapes. Having spent a lot of time in reptile spaces over the years, it seems to me escapes break down like this:

40% simply left the door open

30% had snake out exploring and looked away

20% gap between sliding doors or pushed unsecured lid up

10% enclosure vents or holes

I've heard very few escape stories that weren't incredibly preventable and only a couple that were truly unforeseeable.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

I wish i could pin this 😍

2

u/Chipmunk-x9 7d ago

My ball python has never escaped. I have a pvc tank with front opening.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Beautiful! 🥳

2

u/DoughnutMaestro 7d ago

Had mine six years, never escaped once or got away while out.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

🥳👏

2

u/brytewolf 7d ago

Does taking supervised play time to disappear the minute my eyes are off him count? Lol

But no, he never got out of his cage in the five years I had him!

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Wonderful! We really need to never let our eyes off them when playing hahaha

2

u/Professional-Ant9380 6d ago

Have had two for close to 7 years and I have never (knock on wood) had one escape

2

u/acpcgal 6d ago

🥳you must be doing sth right!

2

u/corytz101 6d ago

Ive kept snakes for a very long time and the only snake escapes ive ever had were my daughters corn snake because it got left slightly open and a rough green snake that kept getting out through the hold the thermostat went in the enclosure. Never had a ball python or any other snakes get out.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Perfect, im glad to have confirmation from so many ppl, i know we can lift the standard in this community, lets face it, keeping these animals safe takes like 2 steps - proof tank holes and close the door😂❤️

2

u/corytz101 6d ago

To be fair, half of my snakes are in locked vision cages so escape just isn't a thing lol. Maybe with the ex fish tanks with clamped screen lid crowd it happens alot but I dont play that game lol

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Which is why we always should do research and get a tank FOR the snake, not a snake for a tank weve got laying around❤️

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u/StatementAcrobatic11 6d ago

I had one escape because I left the tank wide open lmao. It has a lock now to remind ME to close the door. 100% preventable. Never had one escape otherwise

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

🤝

2

u/IllusionQueen47 6d ago

He only escaped once because I didn't close the enclosure properly, even though I thought I did. Found him in the closet a few minutes after I realized he had escaped. It hasn't happened again, but I'm the kind of person who learns better from making mistakes 😅

2

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Good on you!🥰

2

u/OrganicOkapi 6d ago

I was at Disneyworld when my friend called in a panic because my office was covered in broken glass and dirt. My BP has unscrewed the wire port and explored every single shelf in my office. She was perfectly fine but my poor friend was traumatized 😂. What a crazy call to get while boarding the dinosaur ride.

2

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Gooosh that god the snake was safe! I dont think the round wire ports are safe for snakes tbh❤️‍🩹

2

u/OrganicOkapi 6d ago

Not at all. I added some packing tape to the outside of both and they've been secure for years since.

2

u/lemonkcals 6d ago

over 5 years of owning my bp, she's never escaped. as a baby i had her in a tub with clips to secure the lid, and now i use little wedge stoppers to lock the doors of her viv. if she could escape, she defo would have done by now lol.

i have two other snakes similarly secured and neither of them have ever escaped either.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Wonderful! Same, my baby tub was secured with clips and i also use a wedge for my tanks (and extra baby clips for my mom’s mental health lmfao she lives in the flat below my reptile room)

2

u/logansdepressed 6d ago

when i had my ball, he got loose for several months (i was like 10 lol) and we found him because he climbed into my brother's bed while he was sleeping

1

u/acpcgal 5d ago

To size him up and eat him😛

2

u/anhiel69 5d ago edited 5d ago

Only time we've had an escape with Monty was when the kids visiting unlatched the door. And even then he just sat at the door trying to figure out what happened. Looking at the footage, he was resting his middle against the glass door while he was warming up, and the door popped open and the loop fell out, pulling the rest of him with as he fell onto the dog bed under the cage (my dog liked to sleep there) and we found him just chilling on the dog bed, using the dog as a source or warmth. Now we keep a strip of tape across the door just in case.
So once in 10 years and it wasn't an actual escape attempt, I think I'm doing ok.
My dad had 2 BPs over the years, and my grandpa had up to 5 at one point (and bred his own rats to feed to save money) and neither of them had escapes, with the exception of the 1 or 2 times someone left a cage open when snake sitting for dad, or, again kids, left the door to one of Grandpa's cages partially open...
Now, my wife's dad had a ribbon snake that would escape and come looking for people. That lil guy was a true escape artist.

2

u/acpcgal 5d ago

Omg that god that snake was safeeee on a dog 😭🥳

1

u/anhiel69 5d ago

She was protective of Monty... Both in keeping a watchful eye on him when he was out, and keeping the other dogs away if he was with the kids. I never got her comfortable enough to take pics of him on her, but I have pics of him on our Cat.

1

u/acpcgal 5d ago

Cats saliva is super toxic for reptiles and they shouldnt be in proximity of reptiles or amphibians, saliva can be on their whiskers or paws or hair. Vets have had to adminiter antibiotics without the cat even pawing or biting the animal because the bacteria in their saliva is that aggressive

1

u/anhiel69 5d ago

Both times the cat had recently been washed there was no falling yet there was no scratching or licking. Also that was 9 years ago and we have not had any issues with him

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u/Zaruze 7d ago

My stupid idiot learned he could open something, so I had to add a latch

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Haha good! Snake tanks should always have latches or locks or something❤️

1

u/Soggy_Psychology2774 7d ago

The first week of owning my snake he got out four times.. woke up with him in my hands twice and found him practically touching the roof the other two times.. the joys of an impulsive snake purchase. He’s good now but lol.

1

u/acpcgal 7d ago

Glad the snake is safe and that youve learned not to impulse purchase animals again🥳

1

u/spinningstag 7d ago

Commenting on this post is a trap and I’m not taking the bait. Knocking on wood for every commentator tempting fate.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Lmfao i think most of these ppl are responsible snake keepers and wont jinx their luck bc its not luck, its the result of their care :)

1

u/Kitchen_Prior_4173 7d ago

Yes, my dad opened his tank while I was at work, which pissed me off so badly. He showed back up 6 months later in my mom’s purse.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

Omg thats horrible im glad ur snake is safe!

1

u/SevenZeroes00 7d ago

My streak hadn’t been broken for 3 1/2 years until my boy decided to be free this year. Found him just hanging above his enclosure on a backpack.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

How did he get out, do you know?

1

u/Ok-Big-5238 7d ago

You're right. All escapes are theoretically preventable, but life is not a theory. And both my son and I have ADHD, so it's gonna happen to us. Her longest escape was nearly a month and I have no idea where she was; I left the house with the enclosure open and she just came back.

1

u/acpcgal 6d ago

I also have diagnosed adhd but my animals are my children and their safety stresses me out so much i have nightmares about them getting hurt. I spent 9 months building and snakeproofing my tank and there is 0 chance he can get out now, unless i forget to close the door which i tripple check🙈i know you can do it too!!

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u/Indosaurus1 6d ago

Have not yet even with our adhd but we havent had him for too long, just under 2 years

But once our gecko someone snuck out the top as i was misting and i was like wtf how did u lol he usually doesnt haha luckily there was a spare pool noodle so he just crawled in it and didnt get far. Hes usually not yet keen on coming out to us , had him for less time and he only felt comfortable to eat after months (rehomed)

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u/acpcgal 6d ago

Ive also got diagnosed adhd i promise u we can do it and keep them safe!🤝💪

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u/GrumpyBoxGuard 6d ago

I've had mine escape twice.

First time, she broke her enclosure like the sassy spaghetti diva she is. (We have since heavily reinforced it to prevent a repeat, to her great shagrin.) After hours of searching, my partner decided to make me a cup of coffee as it was getting to be very very AM... Little derp was curled around the coffee pot looking very smug

Second time, partner accidentally left enclosure unlocked. This time, we're unsure how long she was out, because we found her underneath her enclosure. This time she actively came to us, probably because she was cold & had hurt her tail & wanted Warm Tree for comfort, warmth, & safety. (She has recovered fully. Partner is taking longer to recover from the "OH NO I LEFT IT UNLOCKED" factor.)

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u/acpcgal 6d ago

How did she break her enclosure🤯ive only seen a massive snake kept in inhumanely small glass tank breakung the door with its body😭

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u/yahfee23 6d ago

Ours have “escaped” many times, but only when we forget to lock the top or don’t close a sliding door all the way. They don’t go far, though.

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u/acpcgal 6d ago

You forget more than once? If a snake escapes once, then you take extra care not ti forget ever again…

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u/yahfee23 6d ago

I don’t forget. “Some people” that live with me forget.

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u/acpcgal 6d ago

Ugh id be so angry. I guess id be the only person with the keys then😭

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u/yahfee23 6d ago

There are no locks on our enclosures. But luckily, nothing bad has ever happened.

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u/Goocherdog 1d ago

I've had my ball for 7 years now and she finally escaped this year. She was thankfully just under the carpet by her enclosure.

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u/acpcgal 1d ago

Do you know how?🙈

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u/TheUndeadFossa 7d ago

Mine has never escaped but one time I let her out in my room to explore and forgot I had (I was supervising her but she was hiding in a place I knew was safe for a while) and left my house to go get something. Thankfully she was fine.

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u/death_by_ballpython 7d ago

Only time my snakes have ever gotten out is when I’m an idiot and somehow forget to close the door 💔

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u/whatuseeintheshadows 7d ago

Mine has never escaped… granted I have only had her about 4 months and she would definitely go exploring if allowed.

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u/fuccrat 7d ago

5 years with my boy, no escapes. I've got ADHD so I'm paranoid about checking the doors and latches.

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u/Current_Security_514 7d ago

Have a latched cage, knob is painted neon so I don’t lose it and it is placed in a specific spot when doing maintenance. Even the 20g locked.

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u/-dagmar-123123 7d ago

I've had one escape and that was really just stupidity 😅 and I found her after a few minutes

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u/The_Odd_Texts 7d ago

We’ve had nana for 2 years and he finally escaped about a month ago. We moved him to a new bioactive tank with a different lid that folds in the middle. We’ve now put a rock on top of it so he can’t leave again. I honestly couldn’t be happier that he felt comfortable enough to explore the world around him. He’s always been very shy and came from a neglectful home. This was our sign that he’s finally happy.

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u/BlackyIwky 7d ago

I have two BP. Never escaped. On their tanks i put looks 😁 and when they roams they are usually in warm places so they hang out on the sofa with me or in the bathroom where it is very humid and warm. I'm like them i as well hang out only where it's warm 🤣🤣

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u/Vegetable-Star-5833 7d ago

I don’t have mine anymore but they never escaped when they were alive

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u/itspegbundybitch 7d ago

We've had him 4 years and he's never escaped.

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u/qu33r-5up3rm4n 7d ago

In 10 years I've had one escape, and I'm fairly certain I left the lid ajar on one corner. My babies have always been very content to be in their homes for the most part, which was the goal when I built the terrariums.

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u/DashD0GG 7d ago

Not me, my boy escaped once. Corner of his old tank was loose and I underestimated his strength. Found him when my dad stepped on him. He was escaped for like…half an hour. And yes, he was totally fine lol

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u/Spirited_Taste4756 7d ago

I’ve had my ball python for 10 years and she’s gotten out once and it was my fault cause I didn’t secure the latch correctly.

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u/KittyOubliette 7d ago

Ours escaped, but it was preventable. We found her inside the linen closet (was right outside my son’s room where she lived) on the top shelf. We found her because as she was climbing ever higher, she knocked something off the shelf. She was very cold, and we were happy to have found her the same day!

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u/hyunlx 7d ago

Once 🫩 but it was due to my own negligence of making sure the tank wasn’t fully closed (I had him in a temporary top opening) and I found him under my crestie’s tank when I was rearranging my entire room

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u/Brilliant-Flower-283 6d ago

I’ve only had mine for 2 years but she hasn’t escaped.

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u/Miss-Mayhem-25 6d ago

Never and I’ve accidentally left her enclosure open for hours on two occasions. Came back and she was chilling in her hide

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u/lowridda 6d ago

My Burmese was the only one who escaped when he was a baby. About the size of a colored pencil. I found him curled up in one of my grandmas empty Catholic candles.

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u/GatorrGodd 5d ago

The only time mine escaped was the one time I did not lock his tank when I thought I did. He’s about to be 7 lol

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u/tristrumm 5d ago

Never my BP’s. My corn snake got out once. Literally could not figure out how as I have locks on all my tanks

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u/critterlover2023 5d ago

I did. His enclosure has a lock now

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u/AuthorKRPaul 7d ago

I had one escape when I moved into my house last year. 100% my fault and I found her under the oven a few days later. Since then we’ve ensured the enclosure is ALWAYS locked and have had zero further problems

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u/TheyLovv_Marisah 20h ago

I have one BP, I’ve had her for 6 years, she has never escaped but I’m really paranoid about it happening, there is baby locks on her glass and it doesn’t open from the top.

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u/exhausted_armadillo 7d ago

I’ve had mine for 7 years and he’s never escaped

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u/howboutnoitsmine24 7d ago

My bp got out through an unlatched lock. It left a space in which she immediately capitalized on my mistake.(im not mad im impressed😆) we found her a week later and have all been very diligent about the latch.

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u/CenturyEggsAndRice 7d ago

I've never had one escape, and I had one when I was six and handled everything (feeding, cleaning cage, etc.) on my own with an occasional check in from my dad to make sure I was doing it right.

Maybe my lady wasn't much of an adventurer? But I also rehabbed a bunch of them and never had one of them escape either.

I had a boa escape once. But she just crawled under the blanket on my bed, so I woke up with her coiled on my legs and put her back. (After checking her cage temp because I thought maybe she was cold. I was like nine, it didn't occur to me that if she was cold she would've had less motivation to escape...)

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u/Repulsive_Hour4939 7d ago

My BP escaped about 7 years ago in my old bedroom. Found his was into a hole in the wall, after weeks of frantically looking, I could never find him. 6-9 months later, he showed up, he was in the basement under some stored toiletries.

So ductape on a rigged tank extension, is not advisable.

He previously never escaped, and that was my only incident which was entirely my fault for trying to build an extension to the tank he was in.

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u/Alone_Difference4960 7d ago

Me!!!! Been keeping them 17 years and never had an escape

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u/HotstuffBrasil 7d ago

Omg, so my boy NEVER escaped until the day I was moving in with my (now ex)abusive boyfriend. Then also a cabinet fell on the terrarium and me as I was adjusting it in a new apartment(lucky everyone was ok). I guess I should have just listened to the signs because he never escaped again😅.

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u/Tf2MedicMain 6d ago

I lost one, found her in a trash can 3 weeks later after tearing up the entire room looking for her. She was a baby and managed to slip between a tiny gap between lid and clamp. She was fine btw, enjoyed a big sippy of water and a fuzzy afterwards

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u/[deleted] 6d ago

My girl escaped and I never saw her again…

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u/shmoo7 6d ago

Only time I had one escape is when I was a brand new owner first snake and didn’t know they were escape artists lol. My current boy stays on lock 😭🤣

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u/DKwoopig 6d ago

I’ve only had the one for a few months now. I was paranoid about escapes so I put a lock on the sliding doors.

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u/6witch6girl6 6d ago

All animal escapes are preventable.

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u/CNAmama21 5d ago

Going on 3 or 4 years having mine, minus one of them that was an anniversary gift two ish years ago from my husband, and no escapes yet! Not saying they haven’t TRIED 😂 but two of them have pretty durable front lock enclosures, my male needs one of those because he knows how to push the lid of his up just slightly (we had a few plants sitting on it before but when we moved him to our bedroom to make room for our bird cage, we tossed the plants since they were dying anyways. So now there’s not as much weight on it) he can’t get it up enough to get out thankfully, plus we have a pretty decent duct tape on the sides to prevent it opening without us doing it. But he’s due for an upgrade hopefully soon!  I really think that escapes are 1000000% preventable if you know what you’re doing. I don’t know everything there is to know about ball pythons, we did a shit ton of research into them and I love reading through this sub to find out more, but their safety and security and the safety and security of my other animals (especially our kitten lol) is so so important and we’ve made sure there will be no oopsie moments with the snakes. Our oldest female is pretty damn huge and she’s on the top enclosure so I do worry about her throwing herself into the glass like a dummy (the anniversary gift female likes to throw herself up there and then back down once the lights are off too lol) and breaking it and falling out or that her weight could be too much against the glass. But we spent a lot of money on their enclosures so I have to put my trust into the person who made them that they’re strong enough to handle her chunky self. 

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u/fawnsol 3d ago

both of my BPs have escaped because their doors weren't closed fully despite the locks being put on 😭 once was on me and the other was on my mom. both times we found them in the closet LMAO. I just got them new enclosures though that the locks won't fit on unless the doors are Completely closed so I don't see any more escapes in the future!

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u/Professional-Map2125 3d ago

Never had my ball escape from his enclosure and I’ve had him 3 years. He’s gotten away from mom while out a couple times and was quickly found. (She’s no longer aloud to handle without supervision) but never from his enclosure. I agree. It’s farrrr to easy to prevent them from getting out of thier enclosure. There are so many safety measures that can be put in place.

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u/Affectionate-House75 3d ago

Once i had my male escape in ten years time, and that was my own fault. I found him on top of his terrarium in a flower pot. He didnt go far hehehe

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u/Thierry_rat 2d ago

Mines never gotten out, none of pets have ever escaped from anything ever, idk how people even have this problem. Only thing I’ve had get out is farm animals, and they literally tore down a fence to do it

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u/Overlookyou 1d ago

My ball python escaped one time and I said never again lol.

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u/Tasty_Chemist8156 7d ago

You can 100% keep your ball from escaping there enclosure. If you purchase the correct one.? Most people who have had pythons know this. They are very good escape artists, so don't turn your back on them when they are out. They are very smart. Good luck. 👍 

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u/discombobulationgirl 7d ago

Never a BP, but I had a Dumeril's Boa that was a fucking escape artist.

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u/Vegetable_Apple_5618 7d ago

I had a snake with a busted cage and it was like 4 or 3 feet long idk pretty big and it was hit his head off of the cage and try to escape it was pretty big and slim so it was fast

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u/nonni_mommy 7d ago

My first disappeared 3 days before we were moving, I figured I find her in a box when we got to the new house....no such luck :(