? about shipping leos

[TheKeeper]

Do you guys poke holes through the box and styrofoam or not. I have read both ways and so I am looking for some other opinions. Thanks..

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Depends on the type of box. If I use the ones that have 6 styrofoam pieces that fit inside to insulate all 6 walls of the box, I do not put holes in it. There is plenty of oxygen passing through the cracks, and extra holes can compromise the inside temperatures significantly... especially during extremely cold/hot conditions. If I use the kind of boxes that have a molded styrofoam insert (like a fitted 'ice-chest'), I will put 1 or 2 small holes through the box.

[Jeremy Letkey]

I will punch 2 holes in the box when using a heat pack. One in the bottom corner and one in the oppposite top corner. When there is no heat pack inside I do not punch the extra holes. I use a screwdriver to make the holes so they are not very big. Just big enough to allow air to circulate. The heat packs react to the air and use the oxygen in the boxes. I think that without some ventilation the heat pack would use all the oxygen inside the box. I can say with certainity that everyone does it alittle differently. I have recieved animals from about 8 different breeders and no 2 were packaged the same.

[TheKeeper]

Thank you Marcia and Jeremy for taking the time to give such great responses. I am shipping my first leo next week and I'm a little nervous. I have sold many at shows and in person, but only received never shipped. Thanks again.

[Golden Gate Geckos]

If you would like to see some guidelines for shipping live reptiles, Superior Enterprises (http://www.superiorenterprise.com/tips.htm) has some pretty good information. Shipping with heat-packs can be very tricky, and keep in mind that the smaller the area to be heated, the more efficient they are. The idea is not to keep the reptile at it's 'ideal' temperature, but rather to keep it from freezing. It is better to err on the side of a little too cool than too hot... as overheating can cause death and reptiles can recover from cooler temperatures more readily.