Shipping Question

[Zoe]

Okay, I'm going to be shipping a snake by air canada on the weekend, and since it's winter I'm going to put a heat pack in the box. However, those heat packs get really, really hot. Will it over heat the snake? How should I make sure that it doesn't?

Zoe

[Youkai]

Any time I've recieved properly packaged animals, the heat pack was always very securly fastened to the lid of the styrofoam box to prevent it coming in contact with the animals and their containers.

[NiagaraReptiles]

Assuming you are shipping in a standard fish styro (17" x 17" x 10") I would use a couple gel packs or water bottles, warmed of course, along with one or possibly even two heat packs given current weather conditions. You may also want to keep an eye on the weather at your destination as well, as this is where problems sometimes arrise. I won't ship is the destination is below -10 C.

You don't want the heat pack to be able to come in contact with your snake, but placing them in the corner(s) of the styro on the hot water bottles or gel packs will keep the water/gel volume warm longer. I would then put a layer of crumpled newspaper around the heat packs and water bottle so that the snake can't come into contact with them.

Also, I'd suggest removing the styro from the cardboard box and puncturing a couple holes, no bigger than a pen. Then pop the same size holes in a coule sides of the cardboard as well, not lined up with the holes int he styro. This will allow for just enough ventalation to feed oxygen to the heat pack(s) without suffocating your snake.

I would also suggest you confirm with the air line when you are dropping off the package that the flight does indeed have heated cargo. Sometimes in winter flights get bumped and the plane may have changed from the time of booking. It is possible to safely package reptiles for a nonheated flight, but I wouldn't suggest it if this can be avoided.

That should be about enough babble from me :)
Best wishes,

JonK

[Derrick]

well you could test things out pretty easy. pack up the box with a digital thermometer, all my duel zone ones come with a min/max function, and do a trial run or 2. I'ld try it once at room temp and once in the freezer. Thist should give a good idea of the temp fluctuations. Also Ild run the tests 2-3 times longer than the actual shipping time cause "***** happens"

just my thoughts
Derrick

[Lisa]

depending on the snake you might want to put the snake in a tupperware to protect it from the hotwater bottle...

[Zoe]

Yep, the snake will be in a tupperware and the heat packs will be under the tupperware.

Zoe

[Grant vg]

probably not the best thing....putting the heat packs directly under the tupperware.... unless you want your snake roasted...

put the snake in a tupperware, in the middle of the box... you can even tape the bottom of it, so it doesn't move around, surround the tupperware with newspaper, and slap a couple heat packs on either side of the top of the styro lid....
personally, id rather my snake to be on the cooler side then the hot side in those small shipping containers....