Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here's a tip I figured out this morning... write "FRAGILE" on the box! All morning I've been anxious to receive my new Reduced Pattern friend via UPS, and when I finally hear that knock-knock-bang on my front door, I open it to... the UPS guy flipping/spinning my box in the air! I thought I was going to pass out.

So the next time you ship a snake, make sure to write "FRAGILE" all over the box.

Oh, and little "Tiger" is cool. Dizzy, but cool. =)

Chris

Don't bother with UPS since UPS does not accept live animal shipments anyways ...

From www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/service/terms/service.html :

"j) UPS does not regularly provide service for packages containing live animals. (The term "animal" as used here refers to anything living, except plants.) UPS will only accept packages containing live animals for shipment within the United States on an exception basis. Transportation for packages containing live animals is limited, must be prearranged, and as with all other packages, will be provided only according to the terms and conditions contained in the UPS Tariff."

So if you don't want snakey to be shake, rattled and and rolled, ship him via a courrier or airline that allows animal shipments and will treat the package accordingly. If you ship via a courrier which doesn't accept live animals, don't expect that they will treat your package like its got an animal in it.

Joel
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1.1 Ball Python
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake
2.1.1 Leopard Geckos
2.0 Crested Geckos

If you do decide to use UPS or it's competitors, DO NOT write fragile on the box. Just some advice given to me by 2 seperate friends that worked for UPS and FedEX. If it says fragile, they will find out how fragile. "Let's see who can kick this box the farthest!" Unless it has a sticker for additional insurance, they treat it just like any other package....but the insurance wouldn't help you anyway.

Brandon Osborne

Both are great tips with a little bit of scariness thrown in. I can't believe they play kick-the-box when they read FRAGILE! Then again...maybe I CAN believe it. =)

Thanks,
Chris =)

Does fedex accept animals? Can't you write "live animal" on the box or does that incur the wrath of aspiring soccer players/fedex employees too?
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1.1 BPs (Syd and Nancy)
0.2 French Lops (Lapine and Jacquotte)
0.0.2 Firebellied Toads (Stanley and Stuart)

I called and tried all ground shipping companies, and all told me they will not accept live or dead animals. They would only accept worms & crickets.

I have no idea how some of you guys are shipping with "Live Harmless Reptiles" labeled on the box, cuz I called 3 or 4 different companies & all of them told me the same thing, NO LIVE ANIMALS.
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Chad Bachman

We never got UPS to admit that they accept reptiles but after months of going back and forth with our area rep and a guy in legal, we finally got approved to ship reptiles through FedEx. You have to be persistent.

Laura

I alwyas get my 'tiles shipped in DHL. The box says live animals and they are always on time!

I've had experience with shipments arriving from UPS, FedEx, and DHL. UPS I've had the least problems from. Just put holes on the sides of the box and don't write fragile on it. The only thing (if anything) to write on the box is perishable. FedEx has delivered without any problems for me either, but the individual who shipped the snake to me didn't write anything on the box so the FedEx guy didn't know what was inside it. Same thing with DHL, no holes, no indication what was in the box. All my animals have arrived in good condition and even ate the same day they arrived with the exception of one, who refused to eat for one week. UPS does ship animals though, but kinda on the DL
Anyway though, I would say put holes on the sides of the box, and write parishable (up to you). Don't write Fragile though in the end. UPS and FedEx have both admitted to me personally that this is NOT ADVISED (I see UPS and FedEx almost everyday due to my occupation & have good relationships with them both). Dang aspiring soccer players though!
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1.0 02' Surinam Redtail "Vegas"
0.1 03' Normal BP "Kamaria"
0.1 04' High Yellow Reduced BP "Kanoni"
1.1 03' & 04' 100% Het Albino BP "Cosmo" & "Kalos"
0.1 Tuxedo Cat "Nickie"
0.1 Rescued Mouse
1.0 Betta "Pearl"

"The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm." unknown

Quote from tigerlilie2: "All my animals have arrived in good condition and even ate the same day they arrived with the exception of one, who refused to eat for one week."

Allow me to preface the following advice with an admission...I too have personally made the almost unforgivable mistake of feeding upon arrival with one of my first snakes. So I'm simply passing on the sound & safe advice given to me by several respected breeders after the fact. Which is...DON'T feed any snake immediately upon arrival, or even within the same day! This is a huge mistake often made by newbies, and even some occasional not so new herpetoculturists. Again, allow me to reiterate..DON'T, it's an open invitation to regurge and/or invite other stress related maladies to occur! Allow your animals to settle in and reduce probable stress from their trip, despite the carrier, and you will ultimately avoid most potential regurgitation or stress related issues. Just some helpful advice offered in a friendly & positive manner!

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And I can honestly say that no matter what you write on the box it does not make much of a difference as far as them treating the package better. I agree with writing "fragile" on the box only draws attention to the matter and it seems people go out of their way to knock it around.

Perfect example, less then two weeks ago we shipped a reptile with "FRAGILE" written on everyside of the box. On the top was written "Room Temps Please" and everyside had the arrows pointing up with the red letters PERISHABLE on each side.

When the package arrived the guy was flipping and tossing the box upside down and every which way. The home owner watched him do it and told him to stop. The driver continued to do it infront of the person and needless to say the homeowner has filed a complaint against the driver (another topic).

It's a sad fact but nobody cares about your stuff unless it's you. Whenever you ship through FedEx, UPS, or DHL it's a crap shoot on how it's handled. The more attention you draw to it the more likely there will be noisy people around the package. I am in the agreement that low key shipping is the way to go.

Obviously shipping through the airlines is a much better option but unfortunately unrealistic for a lot of small time hobbyist with "cheaper" reptiles.

brandon
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Dragons by Nature