What carrier to use for shipping a small boa?

I may have to ship my young boa across the country and am concerned about the rules and regulations of shipping harmless snakes. It seems that UPS, Fed-Ex, and DHL will not do it unless you are certified and it is a big hassle. I am not willing to do this illegally and do not want to risk losing my boa in transit due to the carrier finding out what is inside the box. Any suggestions or advice? I always thought it was ok to ship non-venomous snakes

Thank you!

Call DHL

It took me about 10 minutes to get verified to ship snakes. It was as easy as 123 LOL!!!. I have had good service with them. After you call and give your info, they will send your account number within 24 hours via email!! Check em out.. Mike

Thank you for the reply,,, I just called them and they told me that snakes were prohibited, and that I could fill out a small-animal waiver to see if they authorize it for a one-time shipment. *sigh* That is what is so frustrating, it seems that there is no clear answer.
Maybe there is another number I can call?

Nicole,
It certainly can be frustrating, especially if you are interested in shipping once (or even just a few times). Officially, UPS and DHL do not ship snakes. That is not to say that a particular office or driver will not take them. As you may be aware, this has been discussed in many threads here. The other part of it is that if they "discover" that they are carrying something that is in violation of policy/TOS, they maintain the right to discontinue the shipment (meaning - it stops where it is). FedEx, by policy, does accept snakes...but you are correct about being required to get the waiver (certification), and that takes a few weeks. Another option to look into is Delta Dash (I believe there is a process there, also), or air cargo/air freight. The problem with cargo/freight is that there is no "guarantee" of shipping time (or even date). When I got into reptiles long ago, this was the most common method of shipping...you would get your waybill #, and have to call the cargo/freight office to see if the package was onboard. If not, you got to find out when the next incoming flight was and check back later. Obviously, less than desirable, but it usually worked alright. I only experienced a couple of significant delays (by significant delay, I mean that they did not arrive on the DAY that I expected them), despite at least 150 shipments received. Keep in mind that when you do ship: the snake should be secured (snake bag or plastic container - with ventilation, of course), the box should be corrugated cardboard, it should be lined with styrofoam (adds structural strength and insulates), heat or cool packs should be included as needed, the box must be labeled LIVE HARMLESS REPTILE in addition to the common and scientific name(s) of the contents. almost forgot - you also have to state how many of each are enclosed. It might be easier to find a verified shipper in your area and ask them to do it for you, for a nominal fee to cover their costs, of course.
And to Snakebite: I'm glad you have had good luck with DHL so far...and I hope that luck doesn't run out. (just out of curiosity, have your customers also been satisfied with them? lol) MY experiences with, and feelings about, DHL are fairly well known and here so