Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We (Chicago Reptile House & Brian Kollwitz/Exotic Ball Pythons) just returned from the Anaheim NARBC show. When we packed our Sprinter Van coming home we didnt put any kind of heat barrier between the floor and the shipping box......and thats a no no. Upon opening the box here in Chicago we found dead the following list:

Adult male Genetic Stripe
2 Sub Adult Female Pieds
1 Sub Adult Female Yellow Belly
800 gram Female Het Stripe
Adult Male Clown
Adult Male Pewter
Adult Male Spotnose
Adult Female Cinnamon
Adult Male Ghost

*********Always keep your insulated boxes up off of the van floor......

We are obviously devestated by this loss....maybe just one or two of you out there will learn from our loss.

Brian Potter and Brian Kollwitz

Wow that sucks. I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago in my jeep. Luckily I only lost a few water snakes and a couple turtles. I can't imagine how you feel right now.
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John Vandegrift

I'm speechless. I can't imagine the impact of a loss like that. My space heater in my snake room malfunctioned a few weeks ago and got the room to nearly 110F, but luckily nothing was adversely affected. I just wanted to express my sincerest condolences on your loss and wish you a speedy recovery.
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Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com

Sorry for that loss...........it's a shame that it had to happen, but at least the general public knows what not to do now......damn........

At least you know that the animals are replaceable and it was not the entire group that expired.

Jared

That is horrible.
Makes you think about when some folks ship UPS, fed ex etc, are the boxes on the floor?
Wish you all the best.

Mike & Lucy Combs

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss...

It just brings up the idea again that as much as these animals cost, they are alive and kicking, and we need to take care of them...

I wish you the best in getting back what you can from that. Good luck!
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www.HeathersHerps.com

-Ohh, what a Lady-

Balls for Life, Baby!

Brian that is just horrible....what a nightmare!
Thats very novel of you to post this.

Brings up the question.... Did you have insurance on your animals? I figure you probably do considering the price of all of them but ya never know? Sorry for your loss, thats rough!

Jason

I am very sorry to hear that.
You are a good guy for letting us know what not to do.

I would of been crying.

I didnt know that though.......

np
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Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

Orlando, about 7 years ago.

Lot's of cooked Retics?

Brian:

It's a shame. We're all very sorry for your loss.

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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com

brian.. ive had the same thing happen.. and i havent made that mistake again. Im sorry man..

Thanks for letting everyone know not to do this..

best..

Beau

Bummer, major bummer. Comes in waves I guess. I lost one during a move but nothing in comparison to what you guys lost.
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================================
Support your local herp society
www.chicagoherp.org

Sorry about your loss

really sorry to hear your news, I can't imagine how you are felling, hopfully though you will have saved some other snakes from the same thing by passing on this message.

Wishing you better things for the future.

Colin
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0.1 Royal python
0.2 Dogs
2.0 guineapigs
1.1 kids
0.1 wife

My deepest condolences go out to you. I'm so sorry this had to happen. Best of luck to you!!!
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Dave

www.DNReptiles.com
Myspace/DNReptiles
Myspace/blog

Very sad to hear, we are very sorry for your loss and for the snakes. Thanks for posting this, that is something that would have never occurred to me. Hopefully it will help others.
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Morph Evolutions
www.morphevolutions.com

o man guys im so sorry to hear this. but thank you for posting this it is something you just dont think about i for one am going to change how i will transport my animals

jon
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Albinos Unlimited home of the Jester ball.
website coming soon

thanks for sharing with us so we can learn. I would never have thought much about the danger of putting snake tubs directly on the floor of the van - now I know better.
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Alice Cobb

Can't imagine the monetary loss, and it's not a tax deduction. If I were traveling with those animals they would be in the front seat next to me, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Mike

Oh my goodness! I am so sorry to hear of your loss!! I can't even to begin to imagine... Thank you for posting about your experiance so that hopefully others will be able to learn from it and avoid the same situation.

Again, I'm so sorry for each of your losses!
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- Lauren Summey < > <

Whispering Pines Reptiles
whisperingpinesreptiles.com

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. This happened to me and a friend on the way home from TX. We had collected some beautiful specimes of Gopher snakes and on the way back to NY on one of our many pit stops I wanted to check on the snakes and the majority of them had literally cooked. We were in an F150 Extended Cab and I had them on the floor behind the passenger seat. It was absolutely horrible and I feel your pain although your snakes were more valuable and beautiful. I wish you the best. Take care
Carl

Right under the passenger seat is the exhaust pipe.

that's terrible.

I know how hot it can get on the floor from the catalytic converter which can run as high as 1200F, and also heat from the road. In our van we have insulation on the floor under the carpet and it still gets hot enough to kill animals, so we elevate any boxes even if they are insulated. We travel with our dogs doing agility and they also have to be elevated to keep them cool.

Again we're so, so sorry.
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Debra and Diana
Camlon Reptiles
951-789-2261

Email Camlon Reptiles

Hi, Brian.

Very sorry to hear about your loss. Aside from the dollar value of the animals, there's the emotional loss of losing such beautiful and rare Royal creatures.

My first clutch ever (produced last year) was a total disaster, a 3 egg clutch with one deformed animal and another that I lost a couple weeks after it hatched. That was heartbreaking enough. I couldn't imagine how devistating it would be to lose so many beautiful animals that you probably raised from hatchling to adult due to such a freak accident that would have been easy to prevent ... if only you had known.

Thanks for sharing your heartbreak with the rest of us, preventing us from a similar fate and helping to protect our animals.

Best wishes.
Joe
Joe Zyskowski
Henderson

I know how heartbreaking this has to be, not only in the value of the ones you lost but also for the shear loss of any of your collection of these beautiful animals and for the potential they held. So sorry.