moving with a BP

[Brandon.O]

hey everyone, i just had one question. In about two years we will be moving, prolly to the east coast like philadelphia or new york and my parents were thinking about driving :shock: and so i was thinking about it and realized how stressful that would be on rocky .So any tips on getting him from this coast to the other ? i definitly do NOT want to give him away .Even though it is awhile down the road i thought i would ask now for peace of mind, Thanks !

[kontron]

how far of a trip is it?

[Brandon.O]

from new mexico(southern) to one of the two places i said. Could i ship him there ? or is it better to have him with you the whole time, my concerns were like heating and stuff like that.

[kontron]

i would find a reliable animal shipper. i drove from maine to cali, and trust me, that is not a trip you want to take a snake on. maybe if you have a friend that can care for it till you get to your place, and have them ship it???? i would think the snake would die from stress that harsh.. trust me i almost did. and at this time of year. i had 2 tires melt.. litterely melt, and shred. you wouldnt want to put a snake through that. i almost crashed off the side of the mountain when it happened. i would worry about having an accident and my snake getting hurt.. they cant wear seatbelts..

[Brandon.O]

I cant most likely ship it to my grandparents and have them take care of it until i get there.

[kontron]

that should work. just make sure they know what they need to do, and what they should excpect. i wouldnt know where to find a shipper of animals. i doubt it would be through the post office.

[Smynx]

Brandon, sounds like you've got plenty of time to consider this, but your BP might do just fine on a cross-country drive in a portable enclosure like a rubbermaid or sterlite container. In two years, the BP will be much larger and stronger, and you won't have to worry as much. The plastic container will conserve heat and humidity. Plug in a human heat pad in the vehicle's cigarette lighter, and you're set. And if you move during the summertime, conditions would probably be ideal.

[Brandon.O]

thats what i was thinking but kontron said otherwise and since i dont have a clue about this i just took the first advice given. But i think i will do the container thing in the car, i would feel alot better knowing that my guy is with me and not in some box somewhere. Do you think he would eat on the road or do you think he will be too stressed ? the car ride is long but it will only take 3 days to get there. My grandpparents drove from jersey to here in three days.Thanks for the advice BOTH of you guys

[Smynx]

I would not feed during the drive. I would feed at least 2 or 3 days before the drive as opposed to right before. Two years from, the BP will be able to go for longer periods of time without eating, so 7 to 10 days without a meal will not hurt it a bit.

[kontron]

yeah.. just my personal preference. like i said i did cross country, many many times in my life. i think i have been back and forth over 14 times with many half country trips between. it is not something i would personaly feel safe doing with a snake. i have taken many animals. dogs, cats, hamsters, and so on. i have never done it with a snake. i would think going through the desert would be bad. i hit temps of 115 and even 120 in some very very hot places. i do not know what a bp's heat tollerence is though. if you went through the valley or desert in the summer i can only assume it would be way to hot and dry for the snake to live very comforatably. if you did take em by car, i would suggest making sure the rubbermaid is secure. i would use blankets underneath, and on the sides, making sure to not cover air-holes. the blankets should cut down on the vibrations from the car. i would assume the constant vibes from the moving car would annoy the snake after a week. i would also think to feed them before the trip, and let them digest and poo, then feeding them after the trip, if they take any food. again i have never rolled cross country with a snake in the car, but would not do so myself out of fear for the snakes stress level. but then again my g/f yells at me cause she says i treat my snake like it is made from glass. let me know how it turns out..