Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This coming Sunday I pick up and leave from TN to my new residence in New Orleans -- an almost 9 hour drive. I'm taking two trucks, one of which will be hauling my collection of ten snakes, and some are housed in pretty large enclosures... This isn't a single question, exactly, but more of a request for pointers and advice. Has anyone here had to move their collection a long distance? Is there anything you'd have done differently, anything to look out for? Should I bag all my animals and move terrariums separately, or just leave them be? If you've had to do this before, did it throw your feeding schedule at all, etc? Thanks for any and all suggestions.

I travel with my snakes quite often to do education programs, although I've never had to go more than a few hours before. I would definitely bag them or crate them (plastic tupperware containers) for the long haul, and keep them somewhere where you can keep an eye on them and make sure they don't get too hot or cold during the ride. This way if something were to happen to the truck hauling your cages, or your cages were to shirt around or fall in the truck, your animals wouldn't be in them.

The only thing I can say about moving snakes and feeding, is that it's better they be on the empty side if you can help it. I know a few of my snakes like to take massive dumps the second they're in a car! That can be a horrible mess...bring plenty of paper towels and extra bags!

I hope this helps you, it was one of those 'Oh, maybe I can help!' moments we were talking about!
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--SneakySnakesINC--

1.0 Sonoran Gopher Snake(Oshy)
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python (Taboo)
1.0 Macklot's Python (Pixel)
0.1 Ball Python (Nagini)
0.1 Yellow Rat Snake (Ember)
1.0 Albino Black Rat Snake (Vegas)
1.0 Smooth Earth Snake (Little Zuni)
1.0 Citrus X red phase bearded dragon (Twyman)
1.1 Oriental Fire Bellied Toads (Spott and Dott)
0.2 American Toads (Bertha and Ethel)
1.0 SE Five Lined Skink (BeBo)
0.1 American Bullfrog (Tootsie)
2.0 Equines (Sherlock the draft and Cleatis the donkey)
4.0 Felines (Caesar Ray, Pharoh, Phoenix, Boomer)
1.0 WC boyfriend (Ryan)

Personally, I would place them all in separate containers like already mentioned.

I'd pack the hides, bowls and decorations in a fashion similar to packing dishes.

Yeah, move them with empty bellies, they may regurgitate and or poop.

Let them all settle in for a few days, and then resume feeding.

Good luck on the move.

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
Dances With Reptiles

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
0.1.0 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmella" adult super sweet temperment (seven egg clutch!)
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis HybridAlbino Checkered Normal eastern
2.0.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters (xtreme orange phase)
1.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Snow Hets
0.1.0 Thamnophis RADIX - Christmas Albino
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - Red Phase Eastern Garter red and white stripes
0.0.1 Thamnophis butleriButler's Garter Snake
0.0.6 Thamnophis proximus orariusCoastal Ribbons
0.0.16 Thamnophis sirtalis - newborn Eastern Garter babies 7/11/08
0.0.17 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis HET Anerythristic Scott Felzer stock.
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis CB "Flame" & Melanistic Scott Felzer
0.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Snow "Snowflake"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red Sided
1.2.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue) 2 females recently aquired.
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
1.1.3. Green Anole "Crystal" & "Chris" WC dropping eggs fast!
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

i moved from boston to los angeles (4 days) and took 8 snakes with me (and 2 cats). i put them in rubbermaids with holes. of course i had to stop at hotels along the way,,then i gave them water. but did not feed til i was in los angeles.
and they were fine.
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Ball Python
Jungle Carpet Python
Eastern King
Mexican Black King
Sonoran Gopher
Aberrent Cal King
Anduran Milk
Hypo Brooks
Amel Motley Corn
White Sided Bull
Striped Pacific Gopher
Axanthic Brooksi
Goini King

I love the smell of aspen shavings in the morning...lol

"To serve man..it's...it's a cookbook!"