Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a box with styrafoam(cant spell) padding. I was thinking of putting in a snake bag then putting it in the box with newspaper. Will that be enough? any info helps. thanx

I've received 4 gtp's that were shipped using 3 different senders but the packaging itself was nearly all the same.

Baby inside of plastic deli cup with very slightly moistened paper towels torn somewhat for cushioning. Deli cup placed inside styro pack and crushed newspaper surrounding cup so it doesn't bounce around in package. Heat pack inside of styrofoam, secured but not directly in contact with the deli cup holding the animal. All animals arrived safe and sound. Delta Dash a little more expensive, but well worth the cost for my peace of mind. FedEx, no problem... and one pack was even sent next day USPS. Luck was on my side, I would not recommend shipping in any manner which wasn't legal as the potential for problems far exceeds the small amount of savings initially gained.

Now... if you need an addy to send that baby to.... I can certainly give you mine!! LOL

..

I would not advise you to use a heat pack with current weather conditions. As long as the temps are 66-86* outside the snake should be fine. Heat packs use a lot of oxygen to work and produce a lot of carbon dioxide as a result. If it's absolutly necessary to use heat packs, I always pack live plants with the baby snake. If you aren't a verified shipper with Delta, you will have to use one of the alternative methods. I have been using UPS and have never had a problem. I did recieve a beautiful adult Aru female a few weeks ago from USPS......it was DOA. If shipping sub-adults, pack them in a bag with a couple wads of newspaper to create an air pocket, then pad the box with more paper. This is what has worked best for me over the years. 1000's of snakes can't be denied. Good luck.

Brandon Osborne

..it is a felony and they are serious about it. I could refer you to a couple of guys that can tell you what it's like to deal with the Feds over this....if you're lucky you end up with about 3 years of Federal probation and several thousand dollars in fines and attorney's fees. If you're unlucky you'll spend a year or so at a place like Eglin AFB, then a few years of Federal probation, plus the fines and attorney's fees. It just ain't worth it to save 15 or 20 bucks.

I already knew it was a felony. I was on the recieving end and told the guy I wanted it shipped UPS. The cost would have only be about $8-10 more. I informed him of the consequences of shipping USPS and he just blew it off. When the snake arrived dead he was surprised, even though it was horribly packed and with no insulation. It was a terrible loss of an absolutely beautiful snake.

Brandon Osborne

Yep, that's a shame. I received a pair of Black Pine snakes a while back through the mail, but had absolutely NO IDEA the guy was going to ship like that. In fact, I had corresponded by e-mail with him about the method of shipment and we had agreed that he was going to use Fedex overnight. I waited until after 5:00 pm and no Fedex delivery. Then I emailed him for the tracking number. Imagine my surprise when he sent me a USPS tracking number for s SECOND DAY shipment! I was furious, and worried. Luckily the snakes arrived in good condition the next day and are still doing well. I saved the emails that we sent back and forth in case there was ever a problem....

Back years ago (some of the old-timers may remember) the USFWS set up a sting operation. They started a little reptile trading business called Atlanta Wildlife Exchange. One of the things that they did to lend credibility was to employ a former employee of the Atlanta Zoo (Reptile Keeper) who was fairly well known in herp circles. I won't mention his name here. They were able to easily gain his assistance because he had recently been busted on wildlife related charges and was looking to have his troubles diminished by cooperating with the Federal agents in the sting. They were sending and receiving venomous snakes through the mail, trading in illegal endangered animals and the like and stockpiling warrants until they were satisfied that they had enough. Finally, one morning they executed dozens of warrants at about daybreak or a little before and carted a bunch of people away. I had ordered animals from them, but had committed no crimes, so I didn't get caught up in it. Several people that I knew did get arrested, some didn't even know what they had done was illegal. I ordered a Green Tree Python and a Mojave Rattlesnake from them, they offered to send them through the mail and I refused. I had them use Air Freight intead, because I knew it was illegal to send snakes through the mail. The above mentioned fellow took my order and tried at the same time to sell me a Gila Monster that he openly told me was illegally taken, which I also refused. To me, that bordered on an attempted entrapment. When he offered to send me the snakes through the mail, he said "It's no big deal, I'll just tape the rattlesnake's tail and nobody will ever know the difference." One poor fellow that I knew in New Orleans had ordered a Pope's Tree Viper and they shipped it by mail...BUSTED! He swore that he had no idea that it was illegal to ship through the mail and that he expected that when he ordered from a business that they would do everything legally....didn't help him. He ended up with 3 years Federal Probation and who-knows-how-much in legal fees and fines. I guess it should have been a tip-off, in retrospect, when a supposedly reputable dealer is offering over the telephone to conduct illegal business.

Nice idea, but live plants don't make oxygen from carbon dioxide when there isn't any light so this doesn't help, unless you have a window in the box.
Cheers,
Bas

>>I would not advise you to use a heat pack with current weather conditions. As long as the temps are 66-86* outside the snake should be fine. Heat packs use a lot of oxygen to work and produce a lot of carbon dioxide as a result. If it's absolutly necessary to use heat packs, I always pack live plants with the baby snake. If you aren't a verified shipper with Delta, you will have to use one of the alternative methods. I have been using UPS and have never had a problem. I did recieve a beautiful adult Aru female a few weeks ago from USPS......it was DOA. If shipping sub-adults, pack them in a bag with a couple wads of newspaper to create an air pocket, then pad the box with more paper. This is what has worked best for me over the years. 1000's of snakes can't be denied. Good luck.
>>
>>Brandon Osborne