moving... what to do?

[InsertExpletive]

We are planning a long-distance move next year, around March or April. Basically we are moving from southern California to northern Washington. We're planning to rent a truck and drive our belongings, tow the car, etc; it should take about 3 days to safely get there (possibly 2, but that depends on weather conditions and how we're feeling, etc).

The thing I'm trying to coordinate is moving our pets. Has anyone here attempted a move like this? How can I "pack" our animals so that they can enjoy a safe trip? I should note-- we are towing one car behind the truck, but I will be driving my car, so they would all be riding with me, NOT in the truck with the furniture.

The snakes are still fairly small. Trips to the vet are accomplished in plastic shoe-boxes with locking lids, which appear fairly spacious for each of them. The gecko has a similar (slightly smaller) locking box.

But what about the tegu? Does he go in a box? He's got a large plastic bin that he likes to hang out in (he sleeps in it regularly). Would that be appropriate for travel?

Do I need to use heat packs/cold packs? Do I travel with food and water? Can everyone stay in their respective boxes/bins throughout the journey? Any advice anyone has would be very much appreciated!

 

[agv0008]

When I moved, it was only a 14 hour drive.

I gave my snakes something of mine in their enclosures for a few weeks before I moved. When I put them in their travel bins I also put in the items that had been in their enclosure. A sock or a t-shirt should do the trick.

If you use bins that are made to go under a bed, you can save some space.

Obviously, the tegu will need more room than that. As long as you keep them in the car with A/C, it should be fine. If you stay in a hotel, bring them in and have a party!

If you try to feed any of your herps while you are traveling, good luck. I doubt they will eat because they will be stressed from the bouncing around in the car all day. I didn't even try.

 

[InsertExpletive]

ha! Okay, yeah, I figured they wouldn't be interested in eating anything, but that it wouldn't hurt to ask.

 

[Scott Hogge]

In '04 I did almost that exact same move, from Santa Barbara to Seattle, with my 4.5ft male red and 3.5ft female blue tegus. We tent camped on the way and the tegus slept by my feet in a sleeping bag. They were super tame tegus (kinda like MacGyver is turning out to be) so they never gave me any trouble.

The only thing I was worried about was them being hyper and not wanting to stay confined for the trip, so I didn't turn on their basking lamp or feed them for about 2 days prior to leaving and they were very sleepy the whole way. I just wrapped them up in a few blankets, put that in a cardboard box, and set the box on the back seat of the car. I forgot what the weather was like, but we would have used the AC/heat to make the car comfortable for humans and tegus.

I did not feed them the whole trip. I do not recall if I offered them water.

If he is comfortable in that plastic bin and regularly sleeps there then its perfect. Just keep the car at a reasonable temp. At night, bring him wherever you are going (hotel room or whatever) so you know the temp will be ok.

 

[aprilford]

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[Bubblz Calhoun]

The bin will be fine, whether or not you feed the tegu before the trip I think should depend on the tegu. If he's hungry he might spend more time looking for food and trying to get out of the bin. Especially with all the different sounds, and smells he'll be exposed to even while in the bin,.. fast food or what ever.

If he's anything like Natsuki he'll be more laid back and willing to sleep through just about the whole thing on a full stomach.

Of course depending on where, how long you stop and the weather, a little sun time wouldn't hurt either.