Best Way to Transport Ball from College to Home

Hey well i got my ball python when i returned back to school from summer break, and now that christmas break is coming up which is 32 days i cant leave him up at school while im home so I plan on taking him home...

Well what is the best way to take him home should i leave him in his enclosure for the ride, or take him out put him in a box for the ride home.

Also the ride is about 1 hour 20 mins from home....Will he be alright with the car heat on?

Any suggestions would really help just want to make the travel home as least stressful as i can, as for the ride back to school come January....

I leave next tuesday....

Thanks

I've done a lot of traveling with my kids, so I'll throw in my 2c. Of course, if I'm wrong...meh.

I usually scent pillowcases with my scent, and wrap them up in them and hold them the entire way. They're usually pretty calm the entire way. Ophi likes to curl up around my neck and watch the scenery go by...that, or she just likes to be touched and out. She's not like normal snakes.

Anyhoo...if you can't hold him, just make sure he's got plenty of cushion and leave him in his enclosure. I actually had the heat on medium every trip I've gone on with them so that it stays warm enough in the cab.

When you get home, give him time to settle down, make sure he's got fresh water, and just leave him alone for a couple of days. After that, he should be fine.

Pillowcase. Best method, almost always.

And hour without heat wont hurt the snake, so long as you warm the car up first to normal temperature.

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Originally Posted by mooingtricycle

Pillowcase. Best method, almost always.

And hour without heat wont hurt the snake, so long as you warm the car up first to normal temperature.

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Yeah, they take better to a pillow case. The darkness allows them sense of security.

Will he be able to breathe with the pillow case wrapped up at the top, i mean i know the fabric breathes...just never done this before

I would NOT hold a snake for the drive. No disrespect toward Mel, but that's an accident waiting to happen.

BEST thing for your snake is to bag it (inside-out pillowcase works great) and tie it securely, then put it in a padded and insulated box. Then make sure the box is secure so that it won't go flying in the case of a fast emergency stop. Keeping the car warm should be fine...just use some common sense and make sure the travel-box isn't on the floor directly in front of a heat vent where it may get too hot.

Again, my experiences are going to be different, but I left them loose and just set them on the passenger seat...on my lap. ^_^ They should be fine. When I spoke to one of the breeders here about a bad shed, they had me soak Ophers in a tub with no air for an hour. They can breathe fine for an hour. I'd just check on them once or twice on your way up so that you make sure he'll be fine. I'm paranoid. Poor guy on the phone kept trying to calm me down.

im paranoid to, every time i go home just for a weekend im worried leaving him up there even thought everything is on timers

If I'm driving with no passenger next to me, I put them in pillowcases on the passenger seat and turn the seat-heater on. If there is a passenger, the pillowcases go on that person's lap (if they are herp friendly). Both ways the snakes get a little heat during the ride :)

That's just what I do... as long as the car isn't freezing they should be fine either way. Pillowcases usually work fine, although one time my corn snake spent the entire ride trying to escape from it:(. I couldn't figure out why he did that though... maybe a weird scent on it or something...

I'm just gonna say this and then drop it. Folks will make their own choices about what they think is best.

But imagine yourself driving 60mph or so along the highway...and some bozo isn't paying attention and pulls out from an intersection in front of you. You slam on your breaks to avoid hitting him. Animals go FLYING off the front seat and SLAMMING into the dash or windshield...along with being pummelled by everything else in the car that isn't nailed down.

Not your fault...accident avoided.....but at what cost to the snakes who were lose on the front seat? THAT's the sort of thing that I'M paranoid about. ;)

Hey,

I do reptile shows all the time. My method is to bag the snakes (pillow cases work, all mine are custom made). Make sure if you tie the bags that the snake didn't try to crawl up and get his neck caught in the knot. After they are bagged they go in a container that are big enough for the snake and not much more. If it's too big stuff some extra towels or pillow cases so they don't slide around. I never put more than 2 snakes in a tub separated by towels and such. I always stack the tubs so that they do not slide around. With one you can seat belt it in if there is no better place. I have had animals in my vehicle for up to 2 hours. I use the heat gauge by taking off my coat and being in a t-shirt. If its a little on the warm side it should be ok for them. These are the methods I use, by no means am I saying this is the only way to transport them but this works for me and my animals. Good luck with your trip and be safe.

If you are concerned about keeping them warm, I put hot water in soda bottles and place at the bottom of a cooler. Put a layer of towels, the bagged snakes then another layer of towels....

Works great.....

I have a piece of plywood that has 3 tubs screwed down to it with a strip of Flexwatt under the tubs. I put the snakes in inside out pillow cases inside the tubs. Then I use an inverter to plug a Ranco in and have the temp probe on the Flexwatt. Probably more elaborate than I need but my drive averages 10 hours and it gives me piece of mind. On top of that I do not have to worry about them moving. I also have stickers on the tubs that say "live harmless reptiles" so God forbid I get in an accident then others will know ahead of time what is in the tubs.