Here is my second attempt to post this information. My first post, which basically pointed you to my web site and this article with all of the related photos, was removed by forum administrators because they felt like I was trying to generate traffic to my web site. Obviously that wasn’t my goal, I don’t know who would devise a method of shipping and then try and use it to actually sell product but maybe I’m just not smart enough to see the marketing potential of that ploy. I actually figured that the article was too long and the pictures were too important to include it all in a forum based post. So, here is the longest forum post in the history of Kingsnake.com, so long in fact, that I’m sure they’ll pull it again even though I’m a “paying customer,” with both a storefront and a classified account. For those of you who would rather see this post WITH all 12 detailed photos, copy and paste the following html link into the address section of your browser and things should make better sense:
http://www.mountainkings.com/Shipping.html
(or you can scroll down to the bottom and click on the link)
Don't you just hate the fact that none of the major shippers allow you to ship "live reptiles" legitimately? Based on some of the packages I've received over the years, it's no surprise to me why they have the policies they do. I often wondered if these breeders simply didn't care about the snakes they had bred and then sold (to me) or if they were just plain stupid. So, let's assume that you care as much as I do about the snakes you have bred and you want them to arrive alive. Well, this is your guide to making that happen. It has never failed me, even when the delivery date was missed by 24 hours. Here's how you do it: Start with 1 inch thick high density foam board insulation (which must be cut to fit your box). Home Depot has two types/brands that both have high R-values. Purchase a new flat cardboard box, I generally use a 10 by 10 by 10 square box. Because this is what I usually use, my cuts are almost always the same. I need 2 pieces for the top and bottom that are 10 inches by 10 inches. For the side walls, I cut four pieces that are 8 inches tall by 9 inches long.
The box lid gets additional cuts at each corner and along the interior edges to create fresh air vents for the snakes inside.
The lid (pictured above upside down) has small slots cut out of each corner and "V" shaped grooves along the inside to allow for at least a minimal amount of ambient air flow.
The next step involves the containers that both protect the snake and prevent it's escape. I purchase everything else (except for the electrical tape and the paper towels) listed in this article from Superior Enterprises online. These guys have it all and I highly recommend them--excellent customer service and a broad range of product to choose from. I start with small 8 or 16 oz. Fabrical containers (the air holes are already there) and the matching lids. Baby and juvenile Kingsnakes fit perfectly in containers of this size. I then cut the paper towels to fit and I try to avoid covering any air holes. I then cut a square piece of paper towel that is roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. I roll it tightly from one pointed corner to the other and wrap the middle with scotch tape to create "the snake hammock," an excellent idea I borrowed from another breeder.
The tips of this "hammock" sticks out on either side and the whole thing drops down into the container about an inch. Most snakes will readily wrap themselves around it.
Be careful not to pinch the snake in any way as the lid is going on, primarily because the lid recesses into the container about a 1/4 of an inch. Help the lid out where the "hammock" sticks out to prevent it from bending or hanging up as it will get tight here. Label the lid using removable tape--this way it can be cleaned/sanitized and used again. Next, use electrical tape to seal the lid in place. Theoretically, if the snake where strong enough and if it placed just the right amount of pressure in the right place it could pop the lid off (not likely, but...).
The key with the tape is that it should be getting stretched as it's applied. This stretching makes it "grab and hang on" to both the lid, the "hammock" tips and the container itself. But honestly, this isn't enough to truly secure the snakes. The final step is to place them (the containers with the snakes inside) in traditional snake bags. I don't use the tie that is built into the bag, I use a wire based "twist tie," because then, the bag could be cleaned and sanitized and reused again. Just make sure the twist tie is really tight.
Now there are two major items left to consider, padding inside the box and temperature. Most of the shipping we breeders do tends to occur from the months of March thru November. Things get a little slow in Winter (at least for me). Generally speaking, a heat pack or an ice pack is needed to maintain reasonable temperatures that won't stress or kill the animals you are shipping. As a rule, these temperature modifying devices need to be kept as far away from your snakes (in the same box) as possible. So I use shredded paper to both provide padding for the snakes (absorb shock and in flight turbulence) and to act as a buffer against the direct heat or cold of the included pack. So how do you gauge the amount of ice or the number of heat packs? Know your temperatures from start to finish. Use the internet to get the exact specific anticipated high and low temps and then run a test. If the temperature in Salt Lake City, UT, is 85 degrees (F) and I'm shipping to Huston, TX where the anticipated high for the next day will be 95 degrees, I can still ship. I take a completed box and place it in my 100 degree garage with a guess-timated amount of ice (usually a half filled quart size double bagged Ziplock freezer bags). After placing the ice in the bag, I force out as much of the air as possible. I wrap the original bag with a paper towel or two and then place that into another Ziplock bag. I remove as much air from the second Ziplock and then into the box it goes. Along with it I place a temperature probe (connected to a digital thermometer). This will record the high, low and average temperature from inside the closed box for the evening as it sits in my 100 degree garage. It is very important to make sure the probe doesn't contact the cold pack (or heat pack) directly. In fact, you want it to float in the "air space" inside the closed box all night long without touching the insulation if at all possible (think tape). This method lets you know how much more or less ice (heat packs) you need to get the job done. Pay close attention to your cold source. You don't want one that will leak. Double bagging is sometimes not enough. Using three bags is even better. Internal paper towels help absorb and/or retain and leakage from the ice melting down.
For me, the target temperature is 70 degrees (F), plus or minus 10--for the full duration. I recommend sealing your box at the last possible minute and dropping your box off with the shipper within 15 minutes of closing. Pick the shortest possible ship method you can (priority overnight vs. regular overnight). Don't label your box with anything like, "live animals." Don't cover any of the four top corner holes (which allow for minimal air flow) with any stickers or labels. Use the highest quality packaging tape you can find. Make sure you forward the tracking number to your customer, keep a copy for yourself and monitor the progress of your package. Define a shipping policy that clarifies that the customer MUST be present when the package arrives for delivery or they forfeit any "live arrival" guarantees. Either call the customer yourself to verify the condition of the snakes or request that the customer immediately email you with an arrival status of their order.
Looking at the finished product below, you can see a high quality box that can withstand a great deal of damage without the possibility of the snakes being hurt. If fact, I would be very surprised if a snake could successfully exit this box (based on in transit damage to the box) in a "living" condition. Feel free to stand on it, the foam inside is tough and can support even my 195 pounds (obviously without the snakes in the box). The empty box with the foam insulation all the way around weighs 1.25 pounds. Add the snakes (in this example three yearling Mex Mex Kingsnakes), your ice pack, the shredded paper padding and box stickers and the finished product still weighs less than 2.5 pounds. I can only imagine that if everyone who shipped a living reptile were to use this methodology for boxing their critters, the shippers might actually change their policies and allow us to legitimately use their services.
I have never had a customer complaint regarding my packaging. Using this type of packaging, I have never had a snake die or even get sick. I have even had the packages misrouted by the carrier, arriving to the final destination a day late, with the snakes inside still alive and well. So, do my customers feel this is worth the $35 that I charge? Resoundingly, the answer is yes. Do I loose money in the process? Yes, maybe $5-10, but I care about the animals I produce and would rather take the extra time/money to do the shipping well, rather than take the risk of killing a snake by using a sub-par shipping standard.
