| Author |
 Topic  |
|
n/a
deleted
9 Posts |
 Posted - 11/07/2010 : 11:37:39
|
@MikeRichards
I can report a good response from RSPCA. On Day 1 BJ discovered Snake in my shed. Our first reaction was that it was a piece of perished hose but then we agreed that we couldn't both be imagining it and, next, that it was a "foreigner". Then I called the police and, as politely as possible, asked if they had any news flashes about dangerous snakes. Although both ends of the conversation had smiles on their faces, they have to be congratulated for not splitting their sides laughing.
Next, call to RSPCA. Their switchboard is neat; press 1 for "to do with cats", press 2 for "to do with dogs", press 3 for "other". You pass through perhaps 3 levels of that filter to speak to an operator and at that point I wonder whether a claxon and flashing red light have been tripped in Command Centre. Yet they inform us that one of their "field operatives" will be with us as his schedule permits, not that a veteran snake-apprehender will be despatched from Kew. Points for the RSPCA; again, no side splitting laughter, and Mr RSPCA duly turned up a couple of hours later.
I had to go out but BJ introduced them and Mr RSPCA confirmed non-venomous, a corn snake, looked healthy (and not perished hose!) But then, when he tried to catch it, Snake put on a turn of speed and shot into an inaccessible hole and Mr RSPCA had to admit that that was it for the day. I think that was good service.
@Kellog
Have you detected that BJ is planning to keep Snake, not I? On how to catch it, am I being naive but I see that I prepare a pillowcase with a drawstring sewn into its hem, I'll hold that open, BJ is forewarned that he has seen how fast Snake can move, BJ approaches Snake with 2 bare hands to grasp "neck" and "middle", short tussle concluding with 1 of most likely outcomes; Snake in pillowcase, Snake in back hole, Snake gone to neighbours. Do you see it differently?
@Mouse
Then we find out whether Snake is infested with mites or is a living bag of worms (ugh!)
Apologies for slow turnaround but, have you noticed, it's hot...
|
 |
|
|
hiper2009
Banned
United Kingdom
2197 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2010 : 18:29:17
|
Hi
Welcome to the forum.  What a nice find i would keep it but you would have to catch it first  . |
0.0.0 Royal Python Het Pied 100% CB10 - Chaos
1.1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa CB10 - Bow/Mayhem
0.1.0 Cornsnake Amel Het Motley CB10 - Fire
1.0.0 Cornsnake Caramel Het Motley CB09 - Whisky
1.0.0 Cornsnake Snow Het Stripe CB07 - Romeo - R.I.P
1.0.0 Super Golden Labrador Dog CB02 - Bailey
Wish List:
1.2.0 Royal Python - Pastel , Pinstripe , Lesser. |
|
|
|
Mouse
Yearling
United Kingdom
958 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2010 : 13:34:01
|
| Have you tried a bottle trap or something like that? |
 
1.0.0 - Gobo - Snow Corn (RIP)
0.1.0 - Sprockett - Normal/hypo/het snow Corn
2.0.0 Anery Hatchlings
0.1.0 Amel Hatchling
0.1.0 Normal Hatchling
*Location - Southampton, UK*
http://www.weneedcake.co.uk |
|
|
|
mikerichards
don't say the 'M' word!
United Kingdom
2901 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2010 : 14:12:31
|
Just grab it, move slow, then go for it, it will most likely try and bite, but its really not gonna be something to cry about.
A pillow case is great, it will worka treat. As for mites, you will see them, they are little black dots wandering about on the snake, and specifically underneath the scales, you can see if you look from the tail to the head of the snake.
Was the rspca guy called keith?
Where abouts are you exactly, there is a known colony of corns wild up your way somewhere, but i forget where. |
Location : Worthing, West Sussex
|
|
|
|
Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2010 : 15:50:44
|
Who's BJ *_*
It's a lovely looking snake, your very lucky! I would try and catch it as soon as possible or he maybe a meal or toy for a cat or bird.
Mike, there's wild corns in the UK??? That's amazing! I'm guessing they are pets that have escaped or have been released. |
   
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
|
|
|
eeji
The Morph Master
United Kingdom
4335 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2010 : 18:19:48
|
he's a healthy looking fella! because he's already taking mice from you I think the best bet for catching him is to use a bottle trap in the last place you fed him.
Theres a thread here that shows how to make a trap: http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=1759
In addition to the instructions in the above link, attach a bag to the neck of the bottle so it goes inside the body of the bottle when you assemble it. This helps to stop the snake getting back out of the hole he came in through ;)
**edit** If you are successful in capturing him with this method, be extremely careful when opening the trap that the snake can't get caught on any of the tape - its nasty stuff if it gets stuck on them. |
Forum - Guide to Cornsnake Morphs - Punnett Square Calculator - Breeder Directory
|
Edited by - eeji on 12/07/2010 18:21:20 |
|
|
|
elament
Yearling
United Kingdom
942 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2010 : 19:25:00
|
Whereabouts in suffolk are you? I am in lowestoft if i can be of any service just let me know.
Cheers
Steve
|
1.1.0 Amel Corns Colin and Xena
1.0.0 Dog Talan
1.1.0 Cats Wotsit and Willow
1.0.0 Ferret Chaos
Location: Lowestoft Suffolk |
|
|
|
mikeyd_26
Yearling
United Kingdom
716 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2010 : 22:38:06
|
| catch it - keep it! I promise you wont regret it!!! (especialy with these guys guiding you) you could try a pillow case turned inside out and pick up the snake turning it the rite way back and voila! snake in a bag? |
   
0.1.0 amel - TaLuLa
0.1.0 anery motley het amel, hypo - Bo
1.0.0 vanishing stripe unknown - Marley
1.0.0 hogg island boa - Iggy
0.1.0 hogg island boa - Luna
0.1.0 royal python - Buttons!
1.0.0 royal python 66% het albino - Steve
0.1.0 leopard gecko - Sheila
millions of beardies! |
|
|
|
sullysteve
Yearling
United Kingdom
507 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2010 : 23:13:35
|
| OMFG...you could write a book by the end of this.....what a topic!! i can see it now... "BJ and the Corn" |
   
1.0 Corns Geoff (Ghost)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa - Heidi
1.1 Kings - Pete (Florida) + Mamba (Cali Stripe)
1.2 Ball Pythons (Pastel + Bumblebee + Normal)
Location : Warrington, Cheshire |
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 15/07/2010 : 05:56:08
|
I am so glad Sta~ple asked who BJ was!! I thought I was having a serious brain fog moment  !!
I am certainly impressed with the response you got from the RSPCA, it is nice to hear a positive report about them. I know what an unbelievable work load they are under and unfortunately they often get such bad press. I bet your RSPCA man was as surprised by the speed of your corn as you were....whereas we arent  , we know all to well how fast they can go.
So BJ is the driving force behind keeping your corn then....are you coming round to the idea or do just not have a choice in the matter ?!
I think both options given for trying to catch your corn are good ones, as they should be coming from experts like Mike and Eeji. Personally I would try the bottle trap first as that way you may have more chance of catching your corn without the risk of scaring it away or getting bitten (although as Mike has said, if it does tag you it is not exactly a serious thing to worry about....supposedly you are not a 'proper' snake owner until you have been tagged!)
Have you tried feeding it again recently? If not then try the bottle trap. Dont leave the mouse in the bottle trap for more than 24hrs...throw it away. Wait a few days and then try again.
If that doesnt work then try the pillow case technique as Mike has described it. The trick to it will be moving quietly, calmly and then grab at it confidently....dont worry about hurting it, they are sturdy animals and can be held quite firmly. I wouldnt risk catching it using the pillow case inside out as that will restrict your field of view and BJ needs to see what he is doing. Can I suggest that instead of going for neck and middle, BJ tries to go for one third down from the head and one third up from the tail....know that is sometimes hard to judge depending on how they are lying, but the neck will be hard to hold on to and corns can slip backwards out of your hands as fast as they can slip forwards.
So, when does 'Operation Catch Your Snake' commence?
xxx
|
  
  |
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 15/07/2010 : 21:11:45
|
Setting up living quarters has not quite come together. Not yet.
Thanks for advice on catching, it seems to fall into 2 schools, the "lie in wait and outfox" and the "bring on the confrontation" school. I think we will be going for the confrontation. I like the inverted pillowcase advice, Laura Ashley print design hidden has got to be a less threatening situation. And there just aren't enough opportunities in life to shout "Voila!", it's a clincher!
Thanks also to Lowestoft offer, but we are actually down South on the Essex border. Don't get me started on attitudes between the "South folk" and the "East Saxons" but I'm just thinking that there could be difficulties if it turns out that Snake hisses with an Essex accent.
While we are marking time, I would like to come back to my original question "How far do they range?". My circumstances have moved on but it may yet prove important, and the topic has attracted plenty of readers so it is of interest to others. (Thanks to Moderators for choosing a moment to reclassify the topic) The petshop mentioned that Snake is non-territorial and then I noticed how that affects my question. I had been asking around neighbours for Snake's owner and imagined that I was looking for his "radius of straying" from his home. I should instead be thinking of how long has he been out and how often does he relocate.
So, owners, who can own up to stories of snakes escaping, how long were they AWOL (Absent Without Leave) and how far away were they recovered? Stories of them returning of their own accord can't count because I am not taking the snake's word for how far they travelled, they could have just faked the breakout as an exercise in attention seeking. 
|
|
|
|
inkiepixie
Hatchling
United Kingdom
445 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2010 : 10:54:23
|
| Well in my case Bella got out of her viv in the kitchen and turned up under the front doormat 2.5 months later - about 10 metres all in all. I suspect that's not much help to you though |
0.0.1 classic: Bellatrix
0.1.0 anery (het amel): Luna
1.0.0 hypo lavender (het amel ph stripe): Orion
1.1.0 kittycats: George and Pixie
1.0.0 hound: Shadow
1.0.0 husband: Louis
Location: Nottingham
|
|
|
|
Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2010 : 11:31:55
|
I've heard of a snake that went missing and they found it 12 years later, all well. It lived or had made some tunnels around near the house and under it.
As long as the area is warm, and has food I would imagine that they would stay there for a while. |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
111 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2010 : 19:03:25
|
| the best topic i have ever read |
winston |
|
|
|
Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2010 : 20:45:23
|
quote:
Originally posted by HappyCrane
Thanks for advice on catching, it seems to fall into 2 schools, the "lie in wait and outfox" and the "bring on the confrontation" school. I think we will be going for the confrontation. I like the inverted pillowcase advice, Laura Ashley print design hidden has got to be a less threatening situation. And there just aren't enough opportunities in life to shout "Voila!", it's a clincher!
........ I had been asking around neighbours for Snake's owner and imagined that I was looking for his "radius of straying" from his home. I should instead be thinking of how long has he been out and how often does he relocate.
It is great you are putting so much thought and planning in to this HappyCrane. I am not too sure about your final choice of capture, purely because using the inverted pillowcase to capture it will reduce grip and vision....I would have thought it better to take the hands-on approach rather than the pillowcase-on approach !
As for how far they can go and for how long, I know of a few snakes that have survived a number of months and even years and survived....but they have all been found within the direct area of where they escaped - within the house, the flat downstairs, in the garden. I havent heard of any cases of a corn travelling particularly far....but that doesnt mean it doesnt happen.
xxx
|
|
|
|
|
n/a
deleted
9 Posts |
Posted - 25/07/2010 : 15:43:20
|
Update at D+24;
"VIOLA!"*
Now en route to new home.
* or "voila" for those who prefer attention to detail :-)
Snake is one irritated snake and I am one happy bunny. All happened far too quickly for a photo opp. but I do want to post some pics soon.
|
|
|
|
Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 25/07/2010 : 15:55:45
|
| Awww you caught him? That's awesome :3 are going going to take him to a vets soon or put him in a sterile environent to check for nasties? |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
|
|
|
mikeyd_26
Yearling
United Kingdom
716 Posts |
Posted - 25/07/2010 : 17:07:16
|
| ahh gud 2 know the snakies safe n sound now |
0.1.0 amel - TaLuLa
0.1.0 anery motley het amel, hypo - Bo
1.0.0 vanishing stripe unknown - Marley
1.0.0 hogg island boa - Iggy
0.1.0 hogg island boa - Luna
0.1.0 royal python - Buttons!
1.0.0 royal python 66% het albino - Steve
0.1.0 leopard gecko - Sheila
millions of beardies! |
|
|
|
Tiffany-x
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1189 Posts |
Posted - 25/07/2010 : 17:41:15
|
Totally INSANE! :P
Tiffany-x |
 |
|
|
|
princessbroxy
Hatchling
United Kingdom
310 Posts |
Posted - 25/07/2010 : 19:21:03
|
| this thread is better than an episode of eastenders pmsl...well done on the catch and welcome to the forum...and welcome to the world of keeping snakes xx |
0.0.2 Aneries: Dorito + Sparkles
1.1.0 Hypo Het Lavender Bloodreds: Chilli + Pepper
1.0.0 Motley Butter: Dave
0.1.0 Ghost stripe : Sssam
0.1.0 Lavender: Princesss Annie
0.1.0 Normal: Medusa (baby sitting for 3 years)
2.2.0 Royal Python: Rafiki , Zazu , Pumba + Timone
1.0.0 orange ghost Python:Buster
1.0.0 Pastel python: enygma
0.1.0 spider python:
Kendra
0.1.0 66% het pied: sally
1.0.0 red tail cat fish (Morph)R.I.P
7.2.0 cats (M.I.B.,Picasso,Dealy,Storm,Gokoo,Merc,Chaos,Stitch,Peanuts)
Welcome to my petting zoo lol
Have you ever noticed when you run into a spiders web you all of a sudden turn into a ninja |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
How far do they range?
