I ended up shipping the leo with usps. It arrived on time and didn't seem stressed that much. I contacted UPS customer about shipping reptiles and here's what they said:
Effective January 1, 2005, UPS will accept
live animals for U.S. domestic transportation between the 48 contiguous
states on a limited basis. This service is not offered to/from Hawaii,
Alaska, Puerto Rico or internationally.
Packages containing live animals must be prepared in accordance with
specific packaging requirements. Packages containing live animals must
provide for the basic humane care and safety of the animal during
transportation. Any package containing a live animal shall be
considered
a perishable commodity and will be accepted for transportation solely
at
the shipper’s risk for any damage or loss arising from the perishable
nature of the item. UPS shall not be liable for any special,
incidental,
or consequential damages.
In the event a package containing a prohibited item is found in
transit,
that package will be stopped at the UPS facility where discovered. UPS
reserves the right to appropriately dispose of the contents of the
package.
Endangered or Threatened Species:
In addition to the enclosed list, any live animal that is an Endangered
Species is prohibited by UPS and will not be accepted for
transportation.
Shippers must refer to the list posted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Web site at:
http://endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html#Species
Also, the Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants 50 CFR 17.11
and
17.12, December 1999 at:
http://endangered.fws.gov/50cfr_animals.pdf
Service Type:
Live animals will only be accepted for transportation when shipped via
UPS
Next Day Air service, and such shipments will only be accepted Monday
through Thursday.
Packaging:
Design and Construction of the Primary Container: All live animals
offered
for transportation must be in a new box. Corrugated boxes must be
constructed of a minimum of 275 # bursting strength corrugated or 44
edge
crush test. It is recommended that any package containing animals
requiring moisture during transportation be constructed of
water-resistant
material such as wax coated, wax impregnated, or plastic corrugated.
Minimal ventilation holes should be provided as necessary.
Internal Packaging and Other Considerations: Internal packaging
materials
must be used based on the characteristics of the animal, taking into
consideration the necessary humane care for the animal while in
transportation. Lizards and geckos should be individually contained in
bags constructed of breathable material, such as burlap. Insects should
be contained in individual primary containers such as plastic jars with
ventilation. Fish must be double bagged in strong plastic bags with a
minimum thickness of 4 mils. Each primary bag should be approximately
one
third full of water with the remainder filled with oxygen.
Additional Considerations: Additional components such as food,
moisture,
and temperature controls should be added as necessary to provide a safe
environment during transportation. Additional cushioning should be
added
to prevent movement of the primary containers or receptacles within the
outer box.
Accepted Live Animals:
This is a comprehensive list of live animals accepted for
transportation.
Shippers are prohibited from shipping any animal not listed here. The
following live animals are accepted for transportation unless
poisonous,
venomous, and/or a Threatened or Endangered Species:
Amphibians (All): e.g., frogs, salamanders, toads
Crustaceans (All): e.g., crabs, lobsters, shrimp
Fish (All)
Insects (Limited to beneficial insects only): e.g., bees, butterflies,
lady bugs
Mollusks (All): e.g., clams, mussels, snails
Reptiles (Limited to the following):
Lizards: e.g., chameleons, geckos, iguanas, monitors
Turtles: freshwater turtles (except: snapping turtles), land tortoises,
sea turtles
Worms (All)
Please note: Any animal not specifically listed on the accepted list
above
is prohibited by UPS and will not be accepted for transportation.
Prohibited Live Animals:
Live animals that are prohibited from being shipped and are not
accepted
for transportation include, but are not limited to:
Any poisonous, venomous, or threatening animal
Any Threatened or Endangered Species
Arachnids: mites, scorpions, spiders, ticks
Birds
Crocodiles: alligators, caimans, crocodiles, gavials
Obnoxious Insects: flies, locusts, mosquitoes, termites, weevils
Mammals
Snakes (All): venomous or non-venomous
We hope this information has been useful. If we may be of any future
assistance, please feel free to contact us.
All the UPS employees at the UPS stores and even the office in Atlanta knew nothing about this so as soon as they heard the word "live" they freaked out. None of them were willing to help at all and none of my questions were answered. I'm going to try and get approved to ship with FED EX. Thanks for the help. It really explained somethings that UPS wouldn't.
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