Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone ever ship a snake in the States? I have a snake up for adoption and I'm getting responses from people on the other side of the country. Is it safe to ship them?

It is usually safe to ship them if you do it right.
How big is the snake?

Do not feed the snake for at least 5 days before shipping.
If it is a baby, use a deli cup with holes poked in the sides - and tape the lid to the deli cup. A little bit of crumpled newspaper in the deli cup isn't a bad idea.

If it is an adult - you will probably want to use a snake bag that is tied securely.

Use styrofoam an the bottom and all four sides, I recommend an inch thick. If it is hot where you are or where the snake is going, put a cold pack against the styrofoam.

Add packing material as additional cushing, shredded newspaper is fairly common to use - and put the snake dead center in the box, with packing material above it and styrofoam above it.

Label the box perishable, and ship it next day delivery 10:30 AM delivery. Do not ship if the forecast in your area OR the delivery area is above 98F. Do not drop it off for shipment until the last possible time to get the 10:30 AM delivery.

Oh - and before you drop it off, call the receiving person to make sure they are going to be at the specified address to receive it.

I'm sure other people will have advice - but you may want to specify both species and size of the individual to get better responses.

Even if you do everything right, it is still possible that something goes wrong and the snake is DOA - but you can do a lot to minimize that risk.
-----
3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

There are legalities to consider. USPS will ship lizards but not snakes. Since Federal law requires that the package be accurately labeled it becomes a crime to ship snakes through USPS unlabeled or falsely labeled. The same situation exists with UPS which does not accept any reptile shipments to my knowledge. Fedex will ship snakes but they require a special account that may take a few months to set up. You can find information on this in the shipping forum. Some airline based carriers like Delta Dash will ship overnight airport to airport but it can be a bit more expensive.

The bottom line is that it is difficult at best for the casual hobbyist to legally ship a snake. Many people do ship snakes illegally but I do not recommend this. You can get into trouble and there is no recourse if the package is lost or mishandled.
-----
Randy Hallman
Firehouse Herps

> The same situation exists with UPS which does not accept any
> reptile shipments to my knowledge.

UPS will ship reptiles. I believe it requires some paperwork, but they certainly will do it.

Two of the last shipments I received came by UPS in boxes clearly labeled "harmless reptiles" from professional breeders.

One of the last shipments I received came by FedEx and I suspect the shipper did not disclose the contents.
-----
3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Read this webpage -

www.arbreptiles.com/shipping/index.shtml
-----
3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

My husband worked for UPS for 6 year. Yes they will ship many reptiles, EXCEPT snakes. It clearly states this on their web page. If you received a box labeled harmless reptiles, then it is a good bet the carrier did not know it was snakes, but thought it was lizards or some such. Many people ship different ways, but the only inexpensive legal way (to my knowledge) to ship snakes is with a FedEx accout. DHL and UPS both state they will not ship snakes. I recently set my own up and it took less than a month. The longest part is sending them a sample shipping box for them to inspect. it took about 1.5 weeks from the day I shipped until the day I got it back. The rest is just phone stuff. Simply call your local rep and tell them what you are wanting.
-----
Jenea

2:3 Tricolor Hognose
2:2 Eastern Hognose
1:2 Western Hognose
1:2 Southern Hognose
0:0:3 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

Thanks for the info.
My understanding is that UPS only _very_ recently started taking snakes, but make the shipper go through a LOT of hoops.

I did hear about a 7 foot python getting loose in a UPS truck, so perhaps they changed their mind (my understanding is that the packaging was NOT appropriate for a reptile).

I'm planning to go the FedEx route - but I'm not going to start the process until next year, as I'm only breeding one pair next year. I don't want to start the process until the snakes have copulated, just in case they decide not to copulate.

Two years from now I should have 3 pairs breeding, and probably only 3 pairs for another couple years after that - then I should have lots of pairs breeding. I hope anyway ...
-----
3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Thanks to everyone for some great advice and a great website! I forgot to mention that I'm trying to ship a 9ft Burmese Python! I'm sure it can be done but I'm just worried that either:

A. He'll somehow escape causing him to be killed or lost.
or
B. He'll get very shaken up and the stress will kill him.

DO you think it matters the size of the snake? Would you avoid shipping something THAT big?

I personally would not ship something that big except through services that specifically ship pets.

Also, for a snake of that size and species, before sending it to someone I would ask for the phone number, call the home, and make sure you are speaking to an adult.

One thing you can do is require that they pay for the shipping via PayPal, and before shipping, call the phone number associated with the PayPal account - that avoids a 15 year old kid giving you their cell phone number.

I would also require a photograph of the appropriate housing for a snake of that size before shipping it.

I know that makes it more difficult, but Burmese Pythons should not be kept unless their are adults at the home who know about it and are willing to provide the proper housing for it.
-----
3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Thank you so much! I was really worried about his size being a factor. Does anyone else feel that shipping a 9ft. snake is something that shouldn't be done?

Personally, I would only ship Delta as they are familiar with the "ins and outs" so to speak. You would have to be a verified shipper though or get someone who has an account with them to do it for you.
With the hysteria over the big boids at an all-time high, the chances of a problem with a "package carrier" is worth noting.
No matter what, check the local laws (both at your end and at the destination end) since more and more municipalities are writing laws concerning large reptiles.
Consider talking with one of the "big boys" in the pet trade (maybe Bob Clark) to see if they might have any tips.
:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com