Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok....just wanted to do a quick poll what's the most common sized shipping box everyone uses?

Pitoon

Generally the 12 x 9 x 6 box - except for really big snakes - I've found the smaller boxes to be good for shipping hatchlings during the "no heatpack required times" but generally the 12 x 9 x 6 is standard.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

6x9x12 is perfect for sending one Ball Python hatchling or sub adult.

>>ok....just wanted to do a quick poll what's the most common sized shipping box everyone uses?
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>>Pitoon

I normally use a 10x8x5 or a 12x8x6. I've made 4 shipments in the last week with no probs......heat packs and all.

Brandon Osborne
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

You use a heat pack in the small boxes. I have never tried it, but I thought a small box would get too hot. I have always used a larger box when heat is required. What heat packs do you use?
Mike

>>You use a heat pack in the small boxes. I have never tried it, but I thought a small box would get too hot. I have always used a larger box when heat is required. What heat packs do you use?
>>Mike

Yes Mike. It all depends on the size of the snake and what I is contained it. I usually place the heatpack against the wall of the box, and separate it from the animals with a nice pad of newspaper. The heat packs I use are the 24 hour packs from Wal-mart. The say they last "up to" 24 hours, but I've actually had them heat for 48. I've tested these boxes by setting them outside in sub-freezing weather, as well as in my chest freezer. I'm sure any box with a heat pack could overheat if kept in room temps. I always wait until the last minute to pack any shipment. The less time it's sitting inside the better. I've been shipping them like this for the last 10 years and I've only had one DOA. I've even shipped baby chondros in 30 degree temps across the country. Do a couple of test runs and see.

Brandon
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

http://superiorenterprise.com/index.php?cPath=27_53

i will be making an order to have 100 boxes custom made for me from a box maker. but i just don't like the idea of having a retangular box verse using something more like a cube.

using the 12x9x6 box and shipping a sub-adult....is there really enough space to include a heat pack without having the potential of burning/cooking the snake during shipment?

Pitoon

Pitoon, I understand your concerns, but the lower rectangular boxes work very well. I suggest you head to your local post office, office store, Fed-Ex, or UPS buy one and bring it home so you can mock up a fake shipment so you can see exactly how it will work.

Trying to imagine dimensions can be difficult - seeing them can be a big help.

Having a low rectangular box is helpful in a number of ways:

A low box will have a wider footprint compared to a cube and will be more difficult to tip. (We like to think that everyone is going to be as careful with our packages as we are - but in reality that usually isn't the case.)

Less internal space is easier to heat (which I understand is also your concern) but a bigger cube could prove difficult to heat properly. The heat rises and you could end up shipping a well packed snake that ends up sitting in the cold pocket at the bottom of the box.

Experience is the best teacher and since no one wants to be the one to experiment with their snakes I encourage you to make a few mock ups with various sizes of boxes and put them into the freezer or outside with a portable high/low thermometer for 18-24 hours to test them. Buying a few various sized boxes, the required shipping materials and a portable thermometer should be fairly inexpensive - much less expensive than buying 100 boxes and finding out later that they (potentially) don't work as well as you initially hoped and certainly less expensive than the animals you intend to ship (not to mention the cost of trying to repair your reputation in the event of a DOA or other mishap).