I've shipped all 3 ways - side, top and bottom. In really cold weather (15-25F) I put two heat packs on the bottom (11x11x7 size boxes and up) of one side taped down with a few layers of newspaper on top. This gives a surface temp of around 95-100F. I put some shredded paper above that, which makes it about 80-85F where the snake will be sitting. I make sure the snake has room to move to the other side of the box to escape from the heat if they feel like it. I've shipped several times like this with perfect results, even when the destination temp is 50-60F. I prefer this method as a side or top heat pack barely makes a difference in box temperature in extreme weather shipping. If you do this method you CAN endanger your animals, I suggest you test your methods thoroughly!
In moderate weather conditions (45-70F) I will usually put the pack on the side of the box. Again, make sure the animal can move a bit to get away from it if need be. I usually put the heatpack in a folded piece of newspaper taped to the side and then make a nest of shredded newspaper about 1/2-1" thick between the snake and pack. This gives an area around 75-80F for the animal to move to if need be.
I rarely ever use the top heat pack method as it just doesn't seem to be a very efficient or reliable method of heating a box IMO. I will use it if temps aren't very cold, say 60-70F. It really depends on the type of box. In really cold weather shipping it makes no sense to me to tape your pack to the top considering heat rises, and the top styro is just sitting on top of the rest of the box, therefore the heat can easily escape through the top.
I am extremely anal in the way I pack though, so I'm probably just paranoid. I've ran several tests on packages in various weather conditions to perfect my methods, this is what works for me
Another precaution I take in really cold weather shipping is to hot glue the styrofoam panels together in the box for less cold air exchange. Since my heat packs are on the bottom, I poke holes through the box and styro directly underneath the heat packs to ensure they have enough air to work properly. I also poke 1-2 holes on each side of the box regardless of weather conditions. I've heard of snakes suffocating because their heat packs used up all the air, so I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I test every individual package the day I am shipping, it takes me about an hour to pack 1 package perfectly during winter to make sure everything is perfect. I'm sure I'm probably overly paranoid, but it hasn't failed me yet
All the above I am referring to shipping animals in bags. Shipping animals in deli cups is a little more risky using heat packs. Never let deli cups come into close contact with heat packs, your animals will bake!
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