Moving long distances with snakes/herps....

[Humble308]

Hey yall,

I'm considering moving back to Texas to finish out my degree in wildlife biology and I'm curious on what's the best way to move with snakes. It's about a 1200 mile drive from OH to Texas that takes about 2 days with an overnight stay in a hotel. I doubt it'd be safe to do the drive with snakes in the back seat.

For those that have moved long distances, what did you end up doing? My collection is modest at 4 snakes and my lady keeps a yellow belly slider (will be 6 if/when I move), I don't imagine it'd be very expensive to have them shipped, but the snakes would need to be boarded for at least a couple days right? I'd appreciate any insight. All the best.

Semper Fi,
Derek G

[Minkness]

You actually could drive with them. Just get some heat packs, out them in a sock ir two, and put it in the container with the snake. Add a small deli cup and fill it with soaked paper towels for water sorce.

[Tiny Boidae]

I was a military brat, so growing up with my animals we moved around the country a lot (I still do actually...), and traveling by car is the easiest way to move a small collection. Just place all of the animals in small bins that function as hides themselves, and place them in a spot in the car where they're not prone to sliding around at every turn. I pack blankets around them and under them to A) fill in the gaps so they're not sliding around, B) help capture some heat, and C) it helps to muffle the vibrations from going sixty down the freeway.

You're biggest problem is going to be maintaining the enclosures around room temperature and not letting them get too hot or too cold. That will be fine for a day or two for the species you have, although I've heard some people try and use handwarmers to add a boost of heat. I've tried it and especially for several enclosures, it makes it harder to monitor the temps. Just add a thermometer in each enclosure and make sure it stays around 70-80°, and when you get to a hotel you can put them in their regular enclosures and add heat then (most motels/hotels aren't too kind to snakes though, so be warned). A word to the wise- try to keep the sunlight from the windows off of the enclosures. Even for a short time this will heat your enclosures and if you don't catch it in time, it could stress the snakes out.

This is more obvious, kinda like me saying it's cold when there's snow on the ground, but don't feed them two weeks before you leave. Don't want any undigested food in their guts.

The key to it really is monitoring the animals, and having an emergency plan in case something goes wrong. I do carry handwarmers in case the cages are too cold, although the bigger problen is them being too warm. I have a cooler in the back where I keep my sodas and water cold, and my plan for that is to just scoop some ice into a sandwich bag and nestle it against the side of the enclosure for a short time. I've never had to do this though as so long as you keep them out of direct sunlight, the temps are managable.

Good luck :)

PS, I've never owned a turtle let alone moved with one, but I'd imagine the procedure would be similar except spraying it every now and again to keep it moist? Idk, someone can double check that. Just never provide open water when traveling as it can spill and cool the animal down too much, not to mention it makes a mess.

[Humble308]

Thanks yall for the tips. Maybe I will just drive with them after all. I pretty much own all fairly hardy colubrids. I reckon the turtle will be the biggest pain. Thanks again!

[Nightflight99]

I've moved a large collection between states and locally many times. Here is what has worked for me:


Try to schedule the move during a time of year when the climatic conditions are most favorable (i.e., late Spring, Fall, etc.). However, if you're like me, life may have a way of forcing you to move in subideal conditions, so your planning has to be a bit more meticulous.
Bag or box all of your animals separately, and fit all of the bags/boxes in one large container, like a large storage box or trunk.
Make sure that the animals are kept in the 70s during the trip. This is fairly easy to regulate inside of a car. As someone else already mentioned, beware of the container being exposed to sunlight, as this can cause a very rapid rise in temperature.
As long as the total length of the trip is two days or less, I wouldn't worry about providing water. If your trip is prolonged for some reason, I'd just give each animal a quick soaking in the hotel room.
Speaking of hotel rooms, a lot of them are not fond of reptiles, especially snakes. You may find it easier to be discrete about it, and apply the old saying of, "it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission." Your mileage may vary.
Once you arrive at your destination, set up at the very least temporary enclosures for them and provide them with the right environmental conditions right away. Then, give them time to recover and settle in, so do not feed or disturb them for several days.


Moving animals is tedious, but not difficult. The key is proper planning, especially if you're moving in mid-Summer or Winter.

[Aaron_S]

I've moved a large collection between states and locally many times. Here is what has worked for me:


Try to schedule the move during a time of year when the climatic conditions are most favorable (i.e., late Spring, Fall, etc.). However, if you're like me, life may have a way of forcing you to move in subideal conditions, so your planning has to be a bit more meticulous.
Bag or box all of your animals separately, and fit all of the bags/boxes in one large container, like a large storage box or trunk.
Make sure that the animals are kept in the 70s during the trip. This is fairly easy to regulate inside of a car. As someone else already mentioned, beware of the container being exposed to sunlight, as this can cause a very rapid rise in temperature.
As long as the total length of the trip is two days or less, I wouldn't worry about providing water. If your trip is prolonged for some reason, I'd just give each animal a quick soaking in the hotel room.
Speaking of hotel rooms, a lot of them are not fond of reptiles, especially snakes. You may find it easier to be discrete about it, and apply the old saying of, "it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission." Your mileage may vary.
Once you arrive at your destination, set up at the very least temporary enclosures for them and provide them with the right environmental conditions right away. Then, give them time to recover and settle in, so do not feed or disturb them for several days.


Moving animals is tedious, but not difficult. The key is proper planning, especially if you're moving in mid-Summer or Winter.

I agree with these methods.

Once in the hotel you can allow the animals some time out, monitored, handled and do a once over check to ensure they are okay. I would then pack them up again into the snake bags and container you have them in.

It really isn't too stressful to be bagged up for a day or two. Yes it sounds mean but their senses are cut off and they are enclosured so they feel pretty secure in the darkness. The priority is health and safety over "comfort".

[Humble308]

Awesome guys. I feel alot better about driving with them!