Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm bringing my eastern box and Russian tortoise to college with me and will be driving from Ohio all the way to Florida. I don't have any idea if there's a specific way I should transport them in a car, especially for that time period, so any info./tips would be appreciated.

A lot of other people on this forum could better inform you than I, but this is how I would transport the Eastern.

Get a shallow plastic tub of some kind that is just a little larger than the turtle itself. Line the tub with a thick layer of spagnum moss that is damp, not wet, buy damp. Poke holes in the tub and in the lid, put the turtle in and close the lid. You might also wrap and tape brown paper around the tub if it's clear. Check the moisture of the moss if you're in the car more than a day to make sure it stays damp, and keep the temperature of the car as constant as possible. That's what I would do.

I would put them in a small pet carrier or a box with some sort of liner. If you do the box, make sure it has holes in it. Then get some damp substrate to put inside the pet carrier.

Make sure to not feed your turtles about 3 - 4 days before the trip to ensure that they dont poop on the way. A poopy mess is not something you want to add to it....

You may want to take a water dish with you just in case you have to spend the night somewhere or something happens. Also, take some pellets or whatever food it will eat that wont spoil (you never know if your car will break down). If you dont need them then great but if you do, then at least the turtle will be taken care of.

If you stop somewhere to eat, make sure that you leave enough ventilation in the car so it doesnt heat up.

Thats all I can think of....

Oh and soak the turtle the night before and after you get just in case. This will make sure it is nicely hydrated in case heat becomes an issue....

to eat, make sure that you leave enough ventilation in the car so it doesnt heat up.

And this time of year, it will heat up FAST. I just finished transporting my turtles and other herps cross-country for about the 10th time. I don't ever dine in, I get my food to go to minimize the amount of time the car isn't on with AC running.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

A friend recently transported his menagerie and used coolers as temporary housing for the trip. He has had quite a bit of experience with this sort of thing and said that it is the best way to keep temps stable (for the animal) while inside the car. You can open the cooler periodically for air exchange of course.

I assume you will make the trip in 1 to 2 days and you'll be driving this summer-I moved all my turtles from TX to IN and used lots of moisten paper towels so I could clean the bedding in the plastic shoe box if any BM's happen. The shoe boxes-one for each turtle (in your case you definetly don't want both together) were opaque and not too big so the turtles wouldn't move around too much. I think they feel safer in a small container. I didn't have to worry about temperatures as anything I could tolerate the turtles could too. I never left them in the car unattended-like you, I moved in the summer and a car can quickly overheat to terminal during a hot, or sunny day.

I brought the turtles inside the motel becuase I fear someone might break into the car. I did not try to feed them during the car trip but I did soak them in the motel sink

Good luck in college and have a great experience there! Tess

Thanks, I need some opinions on another question. We'll actually be getting to Florida anywhere from 3 to 5 days before I get to move into my dorm room because my dad has decided that's just going to be our family vacation this year. Should I set up a mini habitat for them during this time period or continue to keep them in the transport containers (of course feeding/letting them drink during this time period) and just monitor the temp.?

When trimming the turtles nails, is it okay to use that same powder that you use on dogs nails in case you trim them to far to stop the bleeding? I would assume so, but I want to check to make sure before I attempt it. Black nails have always made me nervous.

Yes, you can use the same powder. But you can see the quick (blood filled vessel in the nail) by putting strong light behind the nail and looking for the quick before you clip.

If the nails are very long-only cut a little at a time over the course of several weeks, or use a rotary file to wear down the nail. Clipping long, hard, dry nails can cause the claw to crack beyond what you want to trim and could cause damage to the nail bed or even the foot. Tess

>>When trimming the turtles nails, is it okay to use that same powder that you use on dogs nails in case you trim them to far to stop the bleeding? I would assume so, but I want to check to make sure before I attempt it. Black nails have always made me nervous.

If you can, you should NOT take the turtles with you on this trip to college but wait until you have settled into your dorm and bring them down the next time you visit your parents-perhaps at Thanksgiving or Christmas. You will be on vacation with your family on this trip-it is not a the same quick haul I thought you would be making to get to your college dorm.

If you do decide to take them will they be staying in the hotel while you do your sightseeing and touring? If so-set them up with a mini-habitat. They will obviously need more room and care. But if you intent to have them in the car while your family see the sights-then please keep them at home so they won't overheat or get stolen out of the car.
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Tess Cook
www.boxturtlesite.info

We're not staying in a hotel. We're renting a beach house down in Florida and are staying there for those couple of days before I get to move into the dorms. We're driving directly down there with out making any side stops, so they should only be in the care for about 2 days (or 1 depending on how fast we can get down there). Would it be that bad for them if I have a set up at the house for those couple of days we're there?

They should be fine as long as they cannot become lost. Good luck in college and let us know how they fare on the trip. Tess

>>We're not staying in a hotel. We're renting a beach house down in Florida and are staying there for those couple of days before I get to move into the dorms. We're driving directly down there with out making any side stops, so they should only be in the care for about 2 days (or 1 depending on how fast we can get down there). Would it be that bad for them if I have a set up at the house for those couple of days we're there?

I just recently decided to leave them at home instead of taking them with me. I had completely forgot about winter break, and moving them back and forth that much would be way too stressful for them.