Reptile & Amphibian Forums

please do not delete this (the shipping discussion forum gets very little traffic, and ever fewer responses (maybe because all the questions have been answered, but i havent found an answer to mine yet)) and i am in a bind for time!

i have a snake that i need to mail to myslef in another state. i have a ups account..but what should i label the snake as on the label? i know people send thru ups, fed ex etc. but they all claim not to send animals.

so what should i label my animal as on the shipping label? please let me know. i need to find out as soon as possible. thanks, phil

When I had two shipped to me via UPS there were air holes poked in the side of the box and all that was listed on the box was "PERISHABLE *KEEP OUT OF EXTREME TEMPS*"

When I had a couple come via fed ex it actually said on the box
LIVE HARMLESS BIOLOGICAL
SPECIMENS PLEASE KEEP COOL
Pantherophis bairdi

So you can try either one. Why do you want to ship it though? how far are you going to be driving or are you flying? If you are flying look into the checked baggage policy. (Before 9/11 i would say take it on the plane with you but they'd probably say you were going to kill everyone now lol)

If you're driving put it in a styrofoam cooler (with air holes of course)...that will help keep the temperature constant. Good luck!
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -Unknown

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
1) Female Licorice Stick Black Rat snake - Lola
2) Neonate Black Rat snake (Het for Lic Stk's) - Frankie
3 & 4) 2 Texas Bairds Rat snakes - Rosa and Jose

well im flying home. ive already checked about carrying it on, as well as checking it as live cargo. i actually decided to use the usps. (i know some people are going to knock me for this, but im shipping to myself...and the post master said it was fine.) i should actually have the snake in maryland by noon today. ill post here how it went. i will be setting up a fed ex account for future mailings though. thanks for the info. phil

so i sent a snake...to myslef i might add...thru the usps with no problems. now i dont plan on usung them in the future necessarilly, but i hod a good experience this time. the post master siad it was fine to ship the snake, and my friend confirmed its healthy arrival...and on time.

i do hear that ups, and fed ex are the better ways to go, and i will test this. i have had a healthy het for hyop westrn hog shipped with no problems thus far (with THIS shpment by the usps)...and thats what matters. phil w.

the post master siad it was fine to ship the snake

Your local postmaster may have told you this, but I believe the US postal code specifically prohibits mailing snakes.
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Chris Harrison

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You are absolutely correct, Chris. It is a Federal crime to mail a snake of any description. I personally knew a guy that spent time in Federal prison as well as a couple of years Federal probation and paid a hefty fine for mailing a snake back in the early '80's.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

lol...well thats a good thing fill covered his butt before shipping it...lol. is it only a federal crime to ship thru the USPS or through any mail carrier (ups, fed ex, american express, etc...)
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat(Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)

>>lol...well thats a good thing fill covered his butt before shipping it...lol. is it only a federal crime to ship thru the USPS or through any mail carrier (ups, fed ex, american express, etc...)
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>>The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin
>>
>>Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.
>>
>>Current snakes:
>>0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat(Lola)
>>1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
>>1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)

It is only a crime to ship snakes (or any live animals) via UPS, FedEx, AirBorne, etc. if you fail to accurately label the box with the contents. You are supposed to put a label in a conspicuous location on the outside of the package that states that the package contains live harmless reptiles(or whatever it is), and lists the common and scientific names and quantities of each. Failure to do so, or intentionally mislabeling the package is a violation of CITES, which covers not only international shipping of animals, but shipping from state to state within the United States.

I'm not aware that American Express is a shipping agent.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just because the Postmaster allegedly told him it was OK, doesn't necessarily get him off the hook unless he has some signed document from the Postmaster giving him permission. Once the Postmaster realizes that he gave someone permission to commit a federal crime using the Post Office, it will probably be extremely difficult to get him to remember saying that.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

i am glad that the usps came thru...though as i said earlier i will not be using them again. i was in a bind for time (though thats not an excuse) and UPS was hassling me, as well as fed ex. the p[ost office gentleman said he has shipped animals before, and saw it being no problem. i did have some second thought about using them,...mainly becasue of peoples bad experoences. the snake did however make it just fine, and on time.

i am in no way saying that its ok to mail a snake thru the usps....i just wanted to share my experience. thanks everyone for the feedback. fed ex or ups WILL be my future choices phil wheeles