Shipping snakes

How safe is it to buy a snake online and have it shipped I know bigger companies will probably be more likely to ship better but does shipping a snake traumatize it? Or in any other way harm it. And is there anything else bad with having a snake shipped

Thousands of snakes are shipped daily with no problem.

Your only worries would be reputable seller and shipping in this summer heat.

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Bigger company are not more likely to ship better, small scale breeders do as good of a job.

Right now depending on where the breeder is and where you are chances are you might have to hold on shipping due to the extreme heat.

Snakes are not traumatized they do just fine when shipped once settled the key is to order from a reputable breeder big or small.

I bought a snake from Mike Wilbanks at constrictors unlimited and I had her shipped from Oklahoma to Hamm reptile show in Germany then shipped from Germany to Ireland by my local reptile shop, she arrived with me in perfect health and even ate 2 days after arriving to me so I would definitely recommend Constrictors Unlimited, their animals are outstanding quality too

How the seller packs the snake is very important. I had one arrive this week that was supposed to come FedEx priority overnight. The seller did her part correctly, due to FedEx's screw-up the box was put on a truck instead of a plane so the snake arrived a day late. Fortunately he is just fine.

Shipping is fine. Just make sure the shipping is priority and overnight. Make 100% sure that you will be at your address to accept the snake on the first knock/delivery. You don't want the delivery guy to leave your snake at the door or come back hours later or the next day.

If you live in a hot area let the shipper know. Shipping might have to wait until it cools down. If they insist on shipping anyway, I wouldn't do business with them. Something's wrong if they're too willing to risk their product.

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http://i.imgur.com/zFcV0zZ.jpg

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Originally Posted by marya1962

If you live in a hot area let the shipper know. Shipping might have to wait until it cools down. If they insist on shipping anyway, I wouldn't do business with them. Something's wrong if they're too willing to risk their product.

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That's why I have mine held at the ship center. The last leg of the trip from the airport to the hub is from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. I pick the snake up at 9:00 a.m. when the hub opens and then I bring it straight home, so the package is not outside during the heat of the day.

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Originally Posted by Prahanien

http://i.imgur.com/zFcV0zZ.jpg

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Live Harmless Reptile.

Reptiles are well suited to Overnight shipping. If properly done, you should expect prompt overnight service and you should encounter no issues, including healthy issues. Overnight shipping of reptiles makes the entire industry possible. There is no reason to be limited to the animal selection within regional driving distance, or a reptile show schedule.

You should STILL be discerning and selective when choosing a breeder or dealer to work with. There is still junk out there, and there are still crooks. But there are TONS of terrific breeders and dealers with awesome customer service and attention, and awesome animals. Choose wisely, and everything will be just fine.

As for these kinds of images, ugh. There is so much wrong here. The box is completely inadequate. It doesn't include insulation, for one. The FedEx and SYR minimum is at least 3/4" insulation. That provides not just thermal protection, but structural protection as well. Believe it or not, this style of "plain box, no insulation" shipping is pretty commonly recommended on some of the turtle and tortoise forums. Drives me nuts : )

US Postal is also the worst carrier choice (and they don't allow snakes, period). Box handling is poor. "Overnight" is not overnight to all addressees, and tracking just stinks. Folks that ship live reptiles as pictured here put all of us at risk of losing our ability to ship and receive animals. The shipping standards aren't hard to find, and they are easy to follow. It's not like you have to use a diamond encrusted titanium box that levitates off solar power.

You can refer to our ShipYourReptiles Shipping Standards, which meet the FedEx requirements, where we cover packaging, temperature guidelines, insurance and more.

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Originally Posted by Prahanien

http://i.imgur.com/zFcV0zZ.jpg

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Oh trust me, I realize that is a poor image as far as shipping standards go. I've received two snakes in the mail over the past couple of months. I just thought it was kind of funny and wanted to share!

Thanks for being so helpful!

No worries on the pic, I know it isn't yours, it was making the rounds on FB : )