The Great Escape!

Last year for Christmas Matthew got a baby corn snake from Santa. She has gotten fairly big this last year and has graduated from eating pinkies to eating fuzzies. (Mice that is.) A while after we got her I found Timmy up on the top bunk looking down into the cage. I told him to be careful.....the next thing I know the screen on the top is broken down into the cage because Timmy just had to get a closer look. Anyway, I popped it back up into place and told Andy we needed to get a new top before the snake got big enough to push the broken screen up. All was well for many months.

Then I walked into Matthew's room to tuck the kids in a couple of nights ago and the snake was all the way up the side. I yelled for Andy to come and look and told him that I thought she was looking for a way out of the cage. (Corn snakes are known for being great escape artists!) Andy said,"No, I don't think so and even if she was she isn't strong enough to lift the broken screen up yet." I said,"Okay, whatever!"

Then New Years Eve came and I was out getting a few last minute items when I got a phone call.
Andy said,"Have you seen the snake today?"
I said,"No why?"
Andy,"No reason."
Me,"She escaped didn't she!!! I told you she would. Are you sure?"
Andy,"I'm sure. I've checked the whole cage and the screen is popped up."

So then I came home from my shopping trip to find all of my boys with flashlights searching the house for the lost snake. Andy found her in MY bedroom(which is three away from Matthew's) and starts yelling at Scott to bring him the bucket. I said,"What bucket?" Andy said," the bucket I'm going to catch her in." I said,"Why don't you just pick her up?" Andy said,"I'm not touching that thing, it already tried to bite my toe when I found her!" (Sometimes men can be so silly!) So I went over and picked the snake up and put her back in her cage. By the way it did not nip at Andy's toe....he is so full of it!

Andy put duck tape over the part of the broken screen until I can get to the pet store to buy a new lid. But I'm still a little worried because after we "fixed" the top this is what we found....
Spider Wick is looking up at the screen where she escaped the first time. She stayed like that for a very long time. I see two problems with this. She now knows where the screen is vulnerable and also knows that there is a big wide open space outside of her cage to explore. I am glad it happened when she is still so small but I'm a little worried that it might happen again and that we won't be so lucky as to find her the same day.....I think I might have dreams about snakes tickling my toes until I get a new lid!