We are moving... any tips for moving the herps?

[Kristy]

I am so nervous about moving my animals. I know I have a very small collection compared to some of you guys but I am terrified something is going to go wrong

I have been waiting to move into a house for 3 years and we are finally moving and I have this horrible anxiety over moving my animals. I plan on moving them all first. Putting them in small tubs and taking the enclosures to the new house. Any tips? To make it go really smooth? I only have 2 snakes and 3 geckos and fish tank.

On a good note though, We are suprising our kids with their first puppy we are getting a boxer. I have wanted one my whole life.
Sorry I am probably just freaking out for no reason, just need some reassurance lol
Kristy

[Regal Boids]

How far are they going?


Andre

[Kristy]

Just in town, its maybe a 15 minute drive at the most. Main reason I am totally freaked, is its about 23 degrees and it not supposed to get much warmer. We have an arctic front coming. I am going to heat up the car of course. A big concern is them being out of their enclosures for too long, and getting cold. Then having to wait for the enclosures to heat up.

[JLC]

From the sounds of it...you're doing a local move. Which should help keep things relatively simple. The thing you need to be most concerned about is protecting them from temperature shocks. I imagine it's pretty darned cold outside in Northern Idaho!

You'll need a couple of well insulated boxes...cardboard lined with styrofoam...or get those little styrofoam coolers. Each animal needs to be contained individually...one snake per bag (pillow-case turned inside out)...and one gecko per deli-cup...(glad snap-lid containers with little holes poked in 'em)...but you can put both bags in one box...and both gecko cups in another box. Pack 'em in well so there is no chance of the contents shifting...and extra packing means extra insulation as well.

They can stay packed like that for a full 24 hours with no harm at all, so long as they stay warm.

Get their usual homes set up in the new house...someplace warm and quiet that won't be disturbed by all the moving (like inside a closet, maybe?) and you'll be all set.

Pre-warm the car before transporting the animals...and the heavily insulated carrying boxes should protect them just fine from the brief exposure to the outdoors between door and car.

Hope that helps some. I've no idea about transporting fish though.

[juddb]

i moved two bp's from maine to florida last november it was more stressful on me than the snakes . As far as the snakes go you should put them in seperate pillow cases, and make sure they are escape proof, and put them in a tub with hand warmers underneath. I had no problems with them at all. As far as the frogs and geckos go i have no idea i dont own any. if you have any questions just let me know.

[Nate]

Judy gave some wonderful advise. There's a number of things you can do to make sure they are transported OK... getem all bundled up and rush them out to a nice and warmed up car. when you get to your new home, make sure the doors are open and run them inside. You'll be just fine

[Dread]

Yeah, I'll be moving this spring... 24 ball pythons, 5 koi (from an indoor pond to an outdoor one), and a planted aquarium with 9 fish... can't say I'm looking forward to it... but pack them as if you'd ship them by air, and they'll be super dooper snug and happy

[Uncle Festae]

pack them as if you'd ship them by air, and they'll be super dooper snug and happy

That's what I did last week when I had a couple come down here to pick up their purchase from me, heat packs and all they thought it was overkill, but with the temps being -22 and the trip home being 2 hours, I wasnt taking any chances

[Kristy]

Thank you so much Judy, thats exactly the advice I was looking for. I will get another styrofoam cooler. I already have one I can use for the snakes. Other than that I think I have it pretty much covered supplies wise.

Thanks everyone, Sounds like the keepers have been more stressed than the animals for the most part lol.

[mlededee]

i moved 30 snakes, 75+ geckos, my rat breeding colony, fish and a cat a few months ago. fun!

just make certain that whatever you contain the snakes in is secure. i bagged all my snakes in pillow cases and knotted the ends and then put the bagged snakes into rubbermaid containers (several bags per container). somehow one of the snakes got out of its pillow case (i'm still really not sure how she managed it) but luckily was kept contained by the rubbermaid.

the geckos can go into deli cups or any kind of container that size with holes poked/melted/drilled into them for air as judy mentioned. if you get a big enough styro cooler they can go in with the snakes to stay warm.

for the aquarium, save several jugs of the water that is in it now to start with when you set it back up--this will help it cycle faster. transport plants in wet newspaper and bag fish in aquarium water in ziploc bags--since it is such a short trip they'll be fine this way. i set my fish up in a temporary large rubbermaid with their old aquarium water and an air stone while i got their tank set back up. gave the tank 48 hours to cycle and put the fish back in.

good luck!