iHerp Answers: Has anyone had to move their collection a long distance?

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Has anyone had to move their collection a long distance?

Posted By:

bwaffa

This coming Sunday I pick up and leave from TN to my new residence in New Orleans -- an almost 9 hour drive. I'm taking two trucks, one of which will be hauling my collection of ten snakes, and some are housed in pretty large enclosures... This isn't a single question, exactly, but more of a request for pointers and advice. Has anyone here had to move their collection a long distance? Is there anything you'd have done differently, anything to look out for? Should I bag all my animals and move terrariums separately, or just leave them be? If you've had to do this before, did it throw your feeding schedule at all, etc? Thanks for any and all suggestions.


Points:	150
Topics:	Caging , Finding A Vet
Tags:	Moving, Suggestions, Transport
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Assisted Answer

8/9/2008 12:30:54 AM

Ivyna J Spyder

I'd definitely secure the animals. Don't leave them in the terrariums where they'll shift around a lot at the truck moves. Imagine if it got into an accident, or even just stopped too quickly, all the poor snakes would slide all over the place and probably get hurt.

I've moved with my lizards and geckos before and driven several hours, and I'd always put them in smaller containers and strap the containers down with seat belts in case of quick stops or worse.

Member Comment

8/9/2008 2:02:59 AM

aaron

Igloo coolers are the way to go ... you won't have grave changes in temperature. Bag em, buy as many little (or big) coolers as you need, and they should do just fine. Temps are the biggest thing you have to worry about, for like quick road stops, where the car quickly gets to 110-120 degrees. Thermal insulation is your best route.

Also, bring a ray-tek... you can pop em open and quickly scan temps wherever.. plus, they're just fun to point at different things and see what temperature they're at (end of a cigarette, highway pavement, your eyeball).

Assisted Answer

8/9/2008 5:48:04 AM

NCherper

Igloo coolers moved my small collection from NC to CA, and then back to NC a year later...

Assisted Answer

8/9/2008 7:11:56 AM

MegF

I took mine from California to South Carolina. I put them each in smaller rubbermaid tubs with a lot of aspen in them. I put them on the floor of the truck that I was driving, my husband took the others. I put them on shipping blankets and covered them with more shipping blankets. During lunch, we'd leave the trucks running as we also had the dogs and cats with us. It kept them cool. At night they were brought into the hotel (under cover of course) and given water. The chondros I had shipped to me later, but my drive was wwwwaaaaay longer than yours. If I only had to go 9 hours, I would have put the chondros in snake bags and put them in a cooler as Aaron suggested. That's how I bring stuff home from Daytona and that's a 6 hour drive. They do fine.

Member Comment

8/9/2008 6:17:40 PM

NCherper

hahaha...Meg, isnt it fun sneaking snakes into a hotel. I had my chondros with me when I went across the country twice. Talk about 3 days of worrying my butt off both trips. However, everyone made it through wonderfully.

Member Comment

8/9/2008 8:08:54 PM

MegF

Yes it is! A few blankets and keep them dazzled with the dogs and cats, and food and stuff...and they don't know what hit them!

Member Comment

8/10/2008 3:33:54 PM

Kaiyudsai

Don't forget the do not disturb sign...I left once to grab a bite to eat....and the housekeeping came by..........I had to leave promptly on my return...before their animal control guy showed up

Member Comment

8/10/2008 3:49:38 PM

MegF

Never forgot that part, but we rarely left to go anywhere together since we had the dogs and cats with us. Either we left for just a short while at night for dinner or only one left at a time. We were always all packed before breakfast and ate on the road when housekeeping would normally come by.

Member Comment

8/11/2008 11:29:22 AM

Chris Behof

meg, how did you guys find hotels that would take dogs/cats?

Member Comment

8/11/2008 5:49:45 PM

MegF

Triple A puts out a hotel book and it lists whether or not they take pets. Some limit the size, others don't ask. Some require a deposit and others don't. We never had a hassle. I think the Motel 6 and some of those take them.

Member Comment

8/11/2008 7:19:29 PM

Chris Behof

cool, thanks for the tips!

Member Comment

9/29/2009 11:19:34 AM

dalvers63

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