Moving; need information

Long story short, I'll be leaving for the US in a few weeks (mid-June) and I need to ship my albino leopard gecko over there. I'm in Quebec, Canada and my destination is Ohio. Now... exactly how do I go about shipping him? Which company, what's the average price and such, and what about heating pads?

Also, do I need a license/permit for shipping him? This is a hell of a headache. I browsed through the posts, but I'm still not quite sure. I'm willing to pay whatever, so it doesn't have to be the cheapest one. I'd like the best company, if possible, or one that you guys have no have bad experiences with.

So yes, any and all information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I have watched your question for a few days, hoping somebody from Canada could answer you. But I will do my best.

It could be a real problem for you if you have to fly. Could you consider driving instead?

I ship cornsnakes to Canadians who drive to a US city, pick them up, and drive them across the border. So far they have had no problems. If leopard geckos are non-C.I.T.E.S. animals (I do not know their status), then you would not likely have any problem taking them across in a car either.

But if you want to SHIP internationally, it is a whole different story. When shipping from the US to Canada, you have to go to a port city (maybe Chicago), have an export permit, get it inspected, spend a lot of time and money fooling around with government rules, etc. I don't know what is required when shipping FROM Canada, but it is probably similar.

So you need to find out the C.I.T.E.S. status of your pets and decide whether you can drive. If they need to be shipped, you should find a breeder or dealer within driving distance who is experienced about such things and will do it for a fee, which will probably be several hundred dollars.

If you can't drive and are only going to be in Ohio for a few months, it might be better to find a pet sitter in Canada and leave them there until your return.

I don't think this will be a do-it-yourself project unless you can drive there, and then it depends on the legal status of your lizards.

Good luck!

Thank you very much for your help

I'm pretty sure leos are CITES animals. I know there is a breeder near my area and I think I'll contact him and see. Driving might be an option, actually, I'm working on doing all the planning necessary. If not, then I think I'll go with a pet sitter. I don't want to take him on the plane at all, I'm going to be too afraid something would happen to him.

Once again, thanks. I really do appreciate it.

Leopard geckos are not CITES. Of the gekkonidae only Cytrodactylus serpensinsula, Phelsuma spp. and Uorplatus spp. are appendices II. Holopdactylus spp. and Naultinus spp. both from New Zealand are appendices III.

Regards.

In that case (if they are not CITES), then you should not have a problem driving them across the border. But you should check with Fish and Wildlife before you go, just to make sure. You may have to get a vet health cert. (you don't need a herp vet for that - they barely look at the animal - it is just a waste of money for government regulations). I don't know it is required though.

Kathy,

The information I provided came from the current CITES publication (USFWS) (page 29) that's valid from 2/17/2005. I happen to have a copy as I'm in the proces of importing something into the US.

Regards.

Sorry, I didn't mean to check with F & W to see if they were CITES. I meant check with them (especially the Canadian side for the trip back) to see if there were any other, or new requirements that may be in place, or possibly something peculiar to the state or province that he is coming from or to.

So far, there has never been a problem for my customers to take corns into Canada, but I have never had any of them bring any into the US from Canada. And I always advise customers to check for new rules because regulations can change from time to time.

Thanks for looking up the CITES listing!