Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi again..thanks for everybodys help....i got one final question...i am picking up my caiman tommorow...friday 11am est..could someone tell me how long he can be in transit...hes in box thats made perfect size for him so he cant do no damage turning etc..box 4ft3inches long 20-24 inches wide.hes just under 4ft....please be honest in answering this guys..as i need a honest answer...(we all know its not ideall for him to be cold for long in transit..but it is neccassary)ok im in uk so keep in mind its about 10 degrees celc here..can he last 24 hours like this???if not how long max..as i need to do a whole round trip of maybe 1100 miles etc...and do a stop off...he is a spec caiman..and his pool has burst and heater broke...thats why im getting him early...thanx again and please remember im not asking whats ideal...i know whats ideal...i wanna know worst case senario....

He can survive, probably will. 10C is 50F so thats not real dangerous short term.

Is the box lined with styrofoam?

Are there heat packs in the box?

Both would make the trip easier for you mentally.

Can you simply put the box in your vehicle?

I don't think you have to worry much, just make sure his new home is heated and ready when he arrives.

whats styrafoam mate??never heard of it..im guessing we call it something else.i think you might mean polystyrene.ill ask the seller to put in box..yep box going straight in car..fold down seats....i just got buisness way down there and wanted to kill 2 birds with one stone..do you think he would be ok for 24 hours in this situation??? or is that putting him in death situation?ive done months of studying on these guys and probably annoyed so many people with questions but i wanted to know everything..now i guess it will be practicle instead of theory.. theres not much on transporting info out there thats why im asking dude......can i also say cdieter ive heard good things about you..rescueing a couple of spec caimans etc...your a nice guy mate.im 34 had reptiles since i was 12.although nothing like a caiman, so thanks for not preaching to me and speaking to me like i dont have the right to own one of these guys..so many people discourage people etc...and point out people failure on this forum...you do it in a way where you dont make begginers feel like failures..we need advice and constructive critism...thanks again mate...braveheart

woops...i ment not speaking to me like i dont have the right to own...im scottish so my spelling etc is as bad as my speach..lol

hey guys i could do with an answer about my transporting asap...im collecting him tommorow..even you bill if ive not pissed you off to much..lol

P!ssed - not a chance Nothing wrong with differences of opinions.

You've already gotten good suggestions from others about putting him in a box (styro, whatever you call it), you could also go out and get yourself a large Rubbermade (do you have those in the UK?) plastic storage box with a lid. A four-foot caiman will be fine in a three foot container for that amount of time. Don't worry about water. Put a couple of large soda bottles containing warm water inside and a blanket or something on the bottom to insulate. Pop a couple holes in the lid and bring some rope or elastic cords to fasten the lid so the caiman doesn't pop it off. If you are carrying the container in the back of a pickup truck, I would drape a tarp over it to minimize the draft.

I would suggest binding the caimans mouth before putting it in the container (just make sure you don't cover the nostrils or it won't be able to breathe with the mouth is closed tight. This way you can look in on it from time to time and refresh the bottles if necessary without having to worry about your safety.

Bill