Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hopefully someone can help me with this...

I contacted both DHL and FedEx multiple times and spoke with multiple people...both of which responded saying they do not ship live non-venemous snakes.

Now I know basically everyone on these classifieds uses FedEx and I've had people ship DHL to me. When I contacted FedEx (as well as DHL) multiple customer service representatives said they do not ship these animals.

Help!!

There is an online form for shipping reptiles. I'm pretty sure you fill it out and a service rep will contact you with instructions. You may also find better info than I can offer on the shipping forums. I know of MANY people that have verification to ship harmless snakes with FedEX. I wouldn't trust DHL to ship a 10 lb. dumbell.

Brandon Osborne

You apparently can get certified to ship non-venomous snakes via FedEx but there is a process involved that depending on who you speak with can take weeks to months. Fact is, many of those who ship reptiles via UPS, DHL, FedEx, and even USPS do so by just not telling the shipper what it is. By policy, none of these carriers ship snakes (except FedEx with certification) and you take a risk not only sending snakes this way but also receiving them.

Bart

Yep, i know a lot of breeders and i believe most of them just dont tell UPS that its a live animal.

I have an acount with FedEx. It took a little while but I had an excellent rep that already had put together reptile contracts before. It is illegal to ship via USPS for those of you who are shipping that way.
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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.4~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin,Minuet
1.1~Green tree python~Whisper, Tempest
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie (RIP)
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

Big problem with shipping DHL or FedEx is you can't insure the animal, unlike using Delta. I'm not sure if you can do it if you are approved as a FedEx shipper for reptiles, maybe Meg can answer that. I've received many snakes and lizards thru USPS, though I know they won't knowingly ship snakes, I hadn't heard it was actually illegal? Must be for snakes only, because I've had breeders ship me lizards to be held at the Post Office that were labeled as both "live harmless reptiles" and "harmless lizards"

I believe USPS will ship turtles and lizards unless their policies changed but snakes are illegal to ship and you can be arrested for violating federal laws. From what FedEx and UPS tell me, their insurance will not cover any perishable goods, including live animals. Any insurance or guarantee must come from the seller. Many ads you see will guarantee live arrival but indicate that they will not be responsible for carrier errors, meaning they guarantee live arrival only if the carrier gets it there on time - not very comforting in my opinion. Delta Dash only insures animals up to $750 so you need to keep that in mind when shipping high end animals.

Bart

NO there is no insurance thru FedEx. It is indeed illegal to ship snakes. All must go by air.
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1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.4~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin,Minuet
1.1~Green tree python~Whisper, Tempest
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie (RIP)
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com

If I'm not mistaken, it is only illegal to ship snakes through USPS. It is against company policy to ship snakes through FedEX and UPS, although, they allow some breeders to use their services without question. FedEX does allow breeders to become varified shippers by going through a shipping test. I've made several hundred shipments with UPS over the years....and believe it or not, with excellent results. In my opinion, shipping via airlines is just as stressful on the animals as with UPS or FedEX. I've had some expensive animals shipped to me through Delta, only for the airlines to "misplace" the animals for many hours, and when they finally arrived a friend of the service rep was beating and shaking the container.

When shipping high end or expensive animals, the only sure way is to deliver them in person. However, there will eventually be mistakes when using any method of shipment.

Brandon Osborne

You are correct Brandon, shipping snakes is only illegal when doing it through the postal service. Generally, shipping snakes through other carriers is just a policy violation and the most the carrier can do is ban you from using their services in the future. I say generally because it can be a violation of state law and/or federal law depending on what species is being shipped but this obviously doesn't apply to chondros. I have also experienced problems with Delta Dash that have caused an animal to be delivered hours after it was expected. As far as the issue of stress, I am sure both methods can be just as stressful on the animal. My preference for Delta is primarily due to the fact that the box can be accurately labeled "live harmless snake" in the hopes that it will be treated appropriately, and that it can be insured.

Bart

As long as you certify your packaging and have it tested, there is no problem shipping Fed Ex. I am a certified shipper thru them. There is no policy against shipping live, harmless reptiles if you get certified.
-----
1.0~amel corn~C.S.
1.4~Aztec Okeetee corns~Coatl,Maya,Acatl,Tepin,Minuet
1.1~Green tree python~Whisper, Tempest
0.2~Rhodesian Ridgebacks~Akilah, Ona
0.1~Old black Lab~ Callie (RIP)
2.0~fat cats~Topper, Briscoe
3.0~Horses~Zaarah,Galliano,Achilles.....
www.franclycac.com