Need advice on what to do with my reptiles

Well, I have found a new job. I just got a 6 month contract in Boston, MA. It's only 6 months and I will be maintain my apartment in Madison, WI. This is where I need some advice. I could pay someone to come in and care for my reptiles once a week or I could take them with me. I don't plan on taking much with when I move temporarily: clothes, air mattress, dog, cat, few books and a laptop. If I can't fit it in my car it will stay. This means if I take the snakes, I will be bringing the flexwatt and the thermostat, I will need to rebuild the rack once I get there.

Here is my dilemma, one of my snakes is due to lay on May 6th. If I don't take my reptiles I will need to find someone who can care for the eggs and the hatchlings. The drive will take at least 20 hours if I drive straight through and I won't have a rack setup right away. Should I take them with me or find someone to care for them?

Kinra, I think only you can answer that question. Do you have a trusted friend who can handle the incubation for you? If so, can you work out an arrangement to pay them for their services? If you take them, can you easily bring them back in six months (remember the weather may be much different in six months)? What happens if the job gets extended, or turns permanent? Way too many questions for us Internet jockeys to answer.

I'd bring with. Peace of mind is priceless and I'm a big time worrier about my exotics in someone else's care (usually something does go wrong too). I have no local reptile friends tho. You can get an adapter for your car to plug in a wall outlet plug heat pad to keep everyone comfortable en route too.

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First, I'd like to congratulate you Kinra! It sounds like this is a wonderful opportunity for you. Be happy!

But I also agree with Don that this is something only you can answer. But I will offer a few of my thoughts. Personally, I'd take them with me. And I'd hold off breeding any more until after I returned to my permanent home (not really breeding season anyhow, but you get my point). Did you have someone in mind who can care for them? If so, a compromise might be to pay that person to incubate the eggs for you and care for the hatchlings and take the rest of your collection with you. Reason I suggest this is because I'd be a nervous wreck transporting an incubator full of eggs 1/2 way across the country.... :O

I can't imagine the turmoil you're feeling - joy with a new job opportunity and anguish at the thought of leaving your babies behind. I know I'd be turned inside out. Keep us posted on what you decide... And congrats again!

Congrats on the new job and opportunity. This situation is not an easy one as others have pointed out, and only you know what you can do. I may offer the suggestion that if you can find someone trusting, I would ask for a sitter since you will be paying your apartment through anyway. It would be very risky bringing them with you, and then being unable to provid housing fast enough, risk losing the eggs without incubation, added stress to all snakes in the collection. Maybe post an add on Kingsnake and make sure they can provide references. Check with your local exotic vet and see if they have anyone in mind that could assist in taking care of the animals during your time away. If you have a solid caging / rack system currently, it seems like they wouldn't require MUCH care other than water, spot cleaning, and feeding, of course eggs would be a whole different thing.

My ONLY thought would be to possibly securely and safely transport the gravid female with you and order an incubator to be delivered to your new residence. Finding someone that could handle that kind of situation may be the hardest part to all this, I had a hard enough time leaving a gravid Bearded Dragon back in the day with my parents who had no idea what was going on when she started laying eggs. . . needless to say that cut my trip short in order to save the eggs.

Only you can make the choice, but I hope this helps in some way. Good luck!

I agree with what others have said. Its up to YOU whether or not you have someone you can trust to watch them.

Congrats on the opportunity and the gravid girl!

As others said it is ultimately up to you. Transporting a gravid female and eggs is doable, you just need to have something secure to travel with so things don't shift around. I'd say a big question is also how many snakes you have to take. 10 or so wouldn't be so hard, while 30+ would be too big of a hassle. As pointed out already, you'd really need someone you could trust. I've gone on trips for 5-6 weeks and during that time I had my brother to care for my 40+ snakes - I'm not sure I'd trust anyone else.

So answering those major questions should give you your answer:
- How many do you need to transport?
- Do you have someone you can trust with the lives of your reptiles?
- Is not being able to see them going to completely make you uncomfortable the entire time you're away?
- Is there a chance the job could be extended?
- Do you know someone that can incubate eggs and care for newborns, possibly sell them for you, or handle problem feeders?

Best of luck with whatever decision you make!

Thanks everyone. :)

I'm really excited about this opportunity, but sad I will be leaving my friends for a little while. I have decided to take everyone with me. My reptiles and my cat will be staying with my mom and my dog will be staying with my dad and I will be living with my grandmother. I'm going to talk to my dad and my stepfather and see if one of them can build me a temporary rack so i can have something up and running by the time I get there. I will have to travel to my mom's once a week to take care of the snakes and I'm going to pay my sister to maintain my geckos for me.

It's going to be a bit crazy, but I would go nuts having my collection half way across the country and not being able to check on them no matter how much I trust my friends.

My plan for transporting everyone is to by a big styrofoam cooler. The snakes will go into snake bags and the geckos into rubbermaid containers. I will be driving straight through and I'm only taking what will fit in my car with me. I'm hoping everything will go well with transport, but I think this would be the best. :)

Good for you! Your plan of transport sounds reasonable and its good you have family who care about you to help you out. I, too, would go nuts if I couldn't check on everybody at least once a week.... You'll have to keep us posted on your way out there. When do you leave??

Thanks Kali. :)

I will probably be heading out to NH next week. I need to make sure my apartment is spotless before I leave and then it's just a matter of figuring out what will fit in my car and what won't. :)

I'll be sure to keep everyone posted. I can't wait to post pictures of some babies. :D