Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ZanMan's mom and I were wondering about using one or two (40 hour) heat packs for shipping tonight. He will shipped in the standard manner (box, styro, container, etc.). Is there a chance of it getting TOO hot and him suffering heat stress? He is leaving at 6:30 p.m. and arriving before 10:30 a.m.

thanks!
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she's back!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

That is the way my Nosy Be was shipped. But it was a bit colder last night. Atleast here in Michigan.
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0.2 Chameleo Chameleo Calyptratus
1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0 Nosy Be Panther (Furcifer Pardalis)

with two packs? I'm in NH and it will be cold overnight, here, too.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she's back!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

If the box is insulated correctly and it is labeled correctly it should not be exposed to much cold on the way. Double check just what type of handling it will get. Who is the shipper? If it is FEDEX, request "custom critical" shipping. That will require temp control and a different level of tracking for the whole trip. One heat pack should be fine. In the enclosed space it will raise the temp quite a bit. Two might be overkill with a baby.

It is with UPS.........what do you suggest???

I double check everything about the trip with them. I verify just how they monitor and handle the box, ask them exactly what labeling they want on the box (not just on the shipping label) so every handler knows its live and temp sensitive. I check that both sending and receiving depot know what's coming, when, and convince them that I am a nervous ninny about my animal. I'm polite, detailed, and give as much info and assistance as I can. I offer to go directly to their depot to drop off and pick up to avoid the box wandering around on a UPS truck. Does that help!

Yes....I think I am only going to put in one heat pack....as he will be in a plastic delicup...I do not want him to arrive pickled!!! The box has styrofoam sides...etc.....

does NOT come into contact with your container /chameleon.

Here is a link with awesome shipping info, step by step !

Shipping Reptiles

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PHEve / Eve

Contact PHEve

Okay...what I did was move the smaller sides in (like tyler from Bluebeast said) and that is where the heat pack goes...(I am going to be a nervous wreck......)

Since Zan is travelling farther north than I ever have...I think lele should call him "Austin Powers - International spy"

just got back from picking up cricket delivery and glad to see this thread going!

I think one heat pack will be enough and Tyler's setup is made so that the heat pack is behind styro. He also uses shredded paper rather than styro peanuts which is probably better for aeration throughout the box.

Carlton, would you suggest FedEx over UPS?

Deanna, it crossed my mind for me to pick him up depending where that is. If it is Portsmouth or Dover NH that would be doable.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she's back!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Let me know...If so....you need to give me the address of t UPS center he will be arriving at and then I need to tell them to hold him for pickup (that is what the Kammers did with me!!)

I am going to call Dover and Portsmouth to see what the deal is and then I will call you. Then I have to get back to obsessing over his cage! lol! JK
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she's back!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

the nearest UPS location doesn't open until 11:30!! lol! He'll be at the feed store at least an hour earlier than that!
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she's back!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

I took some pics earlier this week for Lele, and here they are for anyone that wants to see how I'm currently shipping cold weather shipments. I've played with this for quite a while on cold days and in the freezer, and this method has worked nicely all the way around. I use 60 hour heat packs in case there's a delay, they'll still be warm even if it's 24 hours late (where a 40 hour pack would be expired or expiring). The 60's don't get as hot as the 40's, but one on each end works fine. I cut slots in each of the end foam panels to allow heat through but still separate the animal from the packs themselves. I like shredded white paper for air exchange and no smell, which newspaper and popcorn both tend to have.

On a side-note, UPS has been checking boxes more and more for illegal shipments (snakes, amphibians or drugs, anything). A few friends of mine in the industry have had their boxes checked that were labelled "live animal" or anything that hints that it could be something odd. The majority of the time, when the boxes are "inspected," it delays them a full 24 hours. The choice is yours whether you think writing on the box that it's a live animal (hoping to get careful handling) is worth the potential for them to inspect it and delay it a day. Personally, I don't write that on the boxes because I don't want some smart a** disgruntled employee of theirs to drop kick my box trying to be funny. With UPS, you're not required to say you have a live animal on the box, and there's nothing illegal or against their rules that way I'm doing it. I just think that there's more of a chance for mistreatment in labelling it than there is in just trying to get the shipment through unlabelled and hoping it doesn't fall out the back door of the truck along the way.

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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

Thats a really good idea Tyler. I agree with you on the issue of worrying about someone mistreating the package because they know that there is live animal in there. I mean, there are some really sick people out there and it's a good idea not to take a chance.

Tyler,

So..... you really think that this type of packaging -- a box with your business card (showing a chameleon and saying that you are a cham seller); printed with "perishable" in red; and being warm on both ends -- really fools the folks at UPS into thinking there is not a reptile in there???

Heck, even before we used labels with "live animal", we found the UPS people would ask. And we didn't put our card on the box!

So, we chose to go the other direction. We made labels with our "UPS approved reptile shipper" number, phone numbers, etc. - and slap that on the top of each box. We also have a label for "live, harmless lizard" and the species (in latin). Why??? The Lacy Act, for one. We learned from the US Fish & Wildlife folks that we are required to indicate the species being shipped, and that complies with the Lacy Act. We didn't like the implication that we might be hiding something. This way, the shippers and inspectors have less reason to suspect your packages.

We have been using the new labels for almost 5 years. We have had no major problems - no surprise inspections; no battered packages; and no fatalities (we use UPS). I think this is a good argument for the "other side" of this coin.

To be candid - we have received many "unmarked" boxes - and these were more often the ones that sustained damage - if any.

This also led me to create a new method of packaging the critters inside. We started using 1" poly foam instead of styrofoam. It pads the single (sacked) animals far better - especially when they are large bearded dragons or blue-tongue skinks. We shipped an adult melleri this way - it arrived in perfect condition!

Food for thought....

www.reptayls.com

Just wanted to let you know that Tyler, as usual, gives sound advice. Squiggy arrived just fine with no problems. I was amazed at the packing job! He was neither to hot nor cold, and his color was great. Good luck!

By the way, the Squig man is doing great!!! He is starting to get yellow and orangey bars. He still thinks WE are the monsters, but we let that slide. Hope to get some pics up soon.

Kris ^_^
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2.1 Black Labs Tucker, Raider and Lacey
1.0 Lepoard Gecko Kumar
3.0 Horses Smoothie, Rocky and Bogey
1.1 Ferrets Tank and Ellie (The fun fuzzies)
0.1 Veiled Chameleon Pudge RIP
0.1 Snowflake Cornsnake Lucky
1.0 Sunburst veiled-No name yet

Hey Kris - I just happened upon this post from you - nice to see you amongst us all again and I hope that Squiggy (LOL!) has eased some of the pain from losing Pudge.
lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she's back!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet