| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Margwar |
Posted - 13/03/2011 : 19:10:28
Okay, I was over on "The Dark Side" and I'm amazed at the amount of threads about escaped snakes. Now, in my opinion, it's not that difficult to put a lock, or even a wedge on a vivarium door, and with any plastic tubs to make sure they have a secure lid. Margwar has lived with us for 10 years, and he's never once escaped, we have a lock on the door and I wouldn't dream of keeping a snake in a viv without one. It's like having a dog in the garden without a fence or a gate, or a rabbit in a hutch with the door open. |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| anatess |
Posted - 16/03/2011 : 03:37:37
I am so vigilant it's almost anal. But... I've had escapes happen. TWICE! Yep!
Lessons learned from both escape events:
- A 1600g royal can tear a screen. Yep!
- My husband loses his brains when he watches basketball on TV. Yep!
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| Lotabob |
Posted - 15/03/2011 : 19:42:01
I have my vivariums locked from day one and the gap between the glass in the corn viv blocked. I have a small temporary plastic box and had drilled some air holes, 6mm in diameter, I was fitting a smaller heat mat one day and turned to check on Spot and he had squeezed through one of the air holes and was well and truely stuck, took a few minutes to get him to back up and free him. So the next time I put him in the tub, draped a tea towel over the top and then put the lid on, 100% escape proof, I'm scrubbing the vivarium laying on my side, next thing a tiny face goes sailing past my face, he'd got out and scooted across the room to where I was. I had to finish what I was doing with a corn parrot on my shoulder. I checked that box and I couldn't see any way out at all, he teleported I'm sure.
Mistakes happen and snakes exploit every little gap going, what Royal's lose in their heftyness they gain in strength and I'm sure they would have no problem opening things. I've heard of cases where snakes go missing and the owner is as careful as you could possibly be and the snake figures something out. I've heard of a Boa taking an air vent cover out (no idea how) and the common leap for freedom out of people's hands so can't tar all owners who have lost a snake with the same brush.
I had a hamster that used to open his hatch all the time, I had to padlock her in, Total nutter as my OH at the time had a big mean nasty cat and would have loved to get its paws on her. |
| Margwar |
Posted - 15/03/2011 : 09:38:11
quote:
Originally posted by Lancelot
I've had hamsters in my childhood and i have birds and really these guys have trained me up on security. I know a lock was a must have, they have the capability of lifting rocks that why not a glass viv door?
Hamsters are pains for that! We also have two ferrets which are also brilliant escape artists, so like yourself, they've trained me up on security! |
| Lancelot |
Posted - 14/03/2011 : 18:49:34
I've had hamsters in my childhood and i have birds and really these guys have trained me up on security. I know a lock was a must have, they have the capability of lifting rocks that why not a glass viv door? |
| jonoandapril |
Posted - 14/03/2011 : 18:09:56
when i got my origonal snakes when i was 16, out of the pair it was always the girl that escaped. i also had them in a convirted fish tank and in the end the only way i could keep her in was with a 10 kilo weight on the lid! she still tried to lift it tho, crazy strong! |
| n/a |
Posted - 14/03/2011 : 17:05:42
quote:
Originally posted by sandi
I suspect a lot of the escapees are due to exits through other areas. Like vents with holes put in them to allow for temp probes. If temp probes were given a drilled hole of their own, then the weak vents would not be weakened more by larger holes being made.
I've spotted a few dodgy areas in friends vivs but they have fallen on deaf ears when mentioned.
Grr! now i find a friends corn has gone missing....no....really???
Yeah, good point - as with any other animal, we have to 'think ahead' on their behalf ... will snakey get out of this, how will they react, behave, will they stay safe ... |
| sandi |
Posted - 13/03/2011 : 20:41:24
I suspect a lot of the escapees are due to exits through other areas. Like vents with holes put in them to allow for temp probes. If temp probes were given a drilled hole of their own, then the weak vents would not be weakened more by larger holes being made.
I've spotted a few dodgy areas in friends vivs but they have fallen on deaf ears when mentioned.
Grr! now i find a friends corn has gone missing....no....really??? |
| reptiledanny |
Posted - 13/03/2011 : 20:20:51
i have had my corn escape twice, one being down to my fault, wich was there was a whole in the top of my tank (fish tank converted) for the cables to go in, but he managed to get his nose in and because it was mosquito netting it just wripped as he pushed his way through, needless to say i will never use a fish tank again, and as soon as i found him 2 months later i ordered a viv straight away. but i had kept him in a viv for over a year without any locking or wedge, and he has been fine, but then a couple of weeks ago he managed to open one of the doors, which i know for a fact i had securly closed so had managed to slide it slightly open, and ever since then i have had a wedge.
i dont mean to start an argument or any at all, just your comparison to a dog being let in a garden with no fencing or gate to a snake without a lock i dont agree with, to me a dog being let in a garden without fencing or gates is like leaving a viv wide open. to me a comparison to not having a lock on the viv door is having a dog in the garden with a gate that has no locking system, so if it wasn't closed properly or he scratched at it it could open. sorry just me being funny lol  |
| Margwar |
Posted - 13/03/2011 : 19:43:58
I can totally understand it if it was a friend or family member who was a little careless, even if the snake escaped whilst being handled (Back of the sofa, it's happened to most people I know!) But I agree, as owners it's our responsibility to be vigilant, since I've taken more interest in Margwar, I'm often finding myself double checking I actually locked his viv! |
| n/a |
Posted - 13/03/2011 : 19:37:32
Yeah, with having cats, and noticing my first hatchlings working away at enclosure doors, I've always been vigilant about security, but, let's face it, snakes are like tiny children - take your eyes off them for one minute and that'll be the time they do something they shouldn't ...
I'm always really sorry for the people whose snakes have been let out by some careless family member/friend.
I get up in the middle of each night to check that the downstairs snakes are secure - and I forgot to wedge one viv, one night (luckily no escapee!)
I think we need to go on being vigilant, and counting our blessings ... |
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