I believe the concern isn't a gas from the rats so much as the dry ice. As it "melts" it off-gases CO2 that can leak out of any non airtight bag or container. If you then enclose animals in the car while it does this, the CO2 buildup could be lethal to almost any living thing inside depending how much and how long. I'm not sure what the threshold for ot being dangerous is, so better safe than sorry like he said.
However, cracking a window isn't very helpful (though better than nothing at all) since CO2 is heavier than O2 and tends to sink, so it would build up at floor level first and raise up as more accumulated. Best method would be to ensure the reptiles are at the same level or higher than whatever opening would let the CO2 build up to and then it would "pour out" once it reaches that height.
The rats themselves are fine and you don't need to keep the dry ice once home, so no issues for your food. Just discard the dry ice safely after you get home. Letting it melt outside would be one option, you just don't want the CO2 to build up inside a small enclosed space like a closed car.
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