There's a Snake in My Basement!

Ah, the joys of summer. I'm not one who enjoys summer; winter is my "thing" but this winter was particularly cold and brutal. I find myself enjoying the heat, particularly because when I'm tired of it (and it doesn't take long) I can go into a lovely air-conditioned house. The dogs feel the same way.
During one hot summer day I returned home, went into the basement (where the dogs stay while I'm at work) and opened the sliding glass door to let the dogs out.
It was then I got the surprise of my life.
Apparently a black snake had been enjoying the heat of the cement patio, right next to the door. When the dogs ran out they ran over the snake. This awakened him (do snakes sleep? Anyway, he was still and suddenly he was moving). Mr. Black Snake, startled, quickly slithered into the basement.
I don't like snakes, even "nice" ones like black snakes. So I did what any red-blooded snake fearer would do: I screamed.
Pinch came back in to see what the excitement was about. He saw the slithery creature and went to investigate. I screamed again. Pinch was completely unphased by this and continued to try to sniff and paw at Mr. Snake.
This is where my Momma Bear instincts kicked in: yes I KNOW black snakes aren't poinsonous, but they will bite if they feel cornered. I ran over, picked up Pinch but the scruff and literally pitched him outside and closed the sliding glass door.
Uh-oh.
Now it's just me and the snake. Alone. Together.
Thinking fast, I decided that screaming yet again would help things.
I think Mr. Black Snake was screaming, too, because his little head moved around and he found a good hiding place: the folded up A-Frame leaning against the wall. He wanted as much to do with me as I did with him.
I was NOT going to open that thing up and try to coax him back outside. Since screaming wasn't really helpful I did the next best thing: call my husband who was still at work. He wouldn't be home for another hour. Hopefully the snake would stay put until he made it home.
He didn't.
Erik moved the furniture, upended every possible piece of equipment, went through my piles of PVC pipes and dog equipment, but no snake.
Since it was such a surprise opening a door and having a snake slithering in, I'm not very jumpy when I'm in the basement.
I open the washing machine and expect a snake.
I grab a pile of dog jumps and expect a snake.
It's not really very fun to go in the basement.
Erik got some snake traps, but so for Mr. Black Snake has proved elusive.
Could he have found a way out?
I don't know how he could have done it, but for the sake of both of us, I hope he did so.