They can be shipped very safely in most cases I have found if you pay VERY close attention to proper shipping methods. The use of 3/4 inch styrofoam insulated boxes is an absolute MUST, along with the proper use of heat packs(40 hr. packs) that need to be CAREFULLY placed in the insulated box as well so they do NOT touch the snake containers themselves. The lid in this pic isn't visible, but it also has to be the same minimum 3/4 inch styrofoam as well so the animal is totally insulated all the way around with only a couple small holes on two sides in very cold weather. This will be fine for a snakes metabolism as they will have plenty of oxygen as compared to a mammal that would not with little air-flow. On really cold days I even seal up all the perimeter gaps along the box too so ONLY the tiny screwdriver holes that are punched are open. Some ship snakes and don't add any holes at all, and have been shipped successfully too in the cold. But you have to use good judgement. if it is a tiny hatchling, odds are it will get plenty of oxygen flow from just the cracks in the box joints, but I still poke just a couple small holes through the entire box anyway.

I only ship snakes if the temps where they are going is above the low to mid 20's. I check this via the internet, and you can easily get an accurate several day forcast for the zip code area they are going to.

If the proper methods and precautions are met, you shouldn't have much problem with shipping when it gets cold, but only to a certain point I will also say of course.


~Doug

-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

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