How To Find A Loose Snake In The House

Snakes are adept escape artists and often manage to find their way out of the enclosures of even the most meticulous keepers. Once a snake has escaped in your home, finding it can be a challenge. A loose snake may be located anywhere in your home. The best way to locate your snake is to conduct a thorough search of your home as soon as you realize it has escaped. If you are unable to find it initially, there are several actions you can take to help coax your snake out of hiding.

Step 1

Lower the ambient temperature of your home. Snakes are ectothermic animals. Creating a cool environment will encourage the snake to seek out warm areas of the house, increasing the chances of finding it near windows, radiators or even in bed with you at night.

Step 2

Place a heating pad in the corner of a room and cover with newspapers and a hiding box. Snakes prefer to move along the edges of walls rather than in the open. Your loose snake will not leave if it runs into a warm, safe hiding box with which it is familiar.

Step 3

Place a water bowl at the base of a wall. Many snakes will readily soak themselves in standing water. If your snake has been loose for a while, chances are that it is thirsty and in need of a long drink. Even if you do not manage to find your snake in the water bowl, providing water will keep your snake healthy while it is loose.

Step 4

Sprinkle flour along baseboards in several rooms in your house to monitor for activity. An active snake will leave a trail through the flour. Even though this will not help you catch the snake directly, it may help you narrow your search.

Step 5

Search at times that your snake will be active to increase your chances of finding it. If you have a diurnal species of snake, you are more likely to discover it during the day. If the escapee is nocturnal, it is best to search at night.