Moving across the country

Hi,
I'm going to hopefully be moving across the country, from Washington state to Florida.
I have 7 snakes; 2 corns and 5 ball pythons. The ball pythons are in a rack system, problem is when I made it, I used huge sections of melamine (first home made rack... didn't know better ) and so it's heavier than heck. About 4-5 feet tall.
So my question...should I bother having the rack itself shipped? What options do I have to ship it, (can't drive it there myself), and how much do they cost?
And how do I get the snakes there without dying from cold or heat? I think I'd be flying to Florida, but how do I time it so my snakes get there when I do? I don't personally know anybody willing to unpack the snakes for me and put them in their tubs if they arrive before me. IT would be fine if they arrived AFTER me, but I don't know anyone personally who would hold them, and then properly pack them and ship them to me, either.
What do I do? How much will it cost (approximately)? How safe is it? What did you do?
Thanks for any and all thoughts.

You can get a quote on the live reptile shipping part at ShipYourReptiles.com. Depending on the size of your animals, you can probably use one of the larger shipping kits and acquire a couple more snake bags to get everyone bagged up.

Cage wise, I would guess it is a no go. Melamine is so heavy! We used melamine racks for decades, I am very familiar : )

Melamine also does not ship well. It will be pricey to ship, and even harder to pack for safe one-piece arrival.

I would suggest looking into some of the modern cage manufacturers doing PVC style racks. Those are lightweight, easy enough to transport, and the cost should be pretty affordable.

I like the Reptile Basics racks quite a bit, but there are a few reputable companies to choose from.

Originally Posted by shelliebear

Hi,
I'm going to hopefully be moving across the country, from Washington state to Florida.
I have 7 snakes; 2 corns and 5 ball pythons. The ball pythons are in a rack system, problem is when I made it, I used huge sections of melamine (first home made rack... didn't know better ) and so it's heavier than heck. About 4-5 feet tall.
So my question...should I bother having the rack itself shipped? What options do I have to ship it, (can't drive it there myself), and how much do they cost?
And how do I get the snakes there without dying from cold or heat? I think I'd be flying to Florida, but how do I time it so my snakes get there when I do? I don't personally know anybody willing to unpack the snakes for me and put them in their tubs if they arrive before me. IT would be fine if they arrived AFTER me, but I don't know anyone personally who would hold them, and then properly pack them and ship them to me, either.
What do I do? How much will it cost (approximately)? How safe is it? What did you do?
Thanks for any and all thoughts.

Sell the racks
Put an ad on Fauna and offer to pay someone boarding fees in Fla.
Ship the snakes via SYR to the person who will be boarding them
Look at ads on Fauna, buy racks in Fla, have them delivered to your new residence
Set up racks
Pick up snakes

Originally Posted by Lucille

Sell the racks
Put an ad on Fauna and offer to pay someone boarding fees in Fla.
Ship the snakes via SYR to the person who will be boarding them
Look at ads on Fauna, buy racks in Fla, have them delivered to your new residence
Set up racks
Pick up snakes

Bing. Bang. Boom.

Terrific! Thanls guys. Anyone know of someone reliable in Florida who would board my snakes?

Florida is a fairly big state so just randomly naming people may not be the way to start off. If you put an ad up describing the general location of your new city, and when you need boarding and for how long, (and what compensation you are offering, remember whoever does this is going to have to keep your snakes separate from their snakes and well as feed and care for them) you could check out the rep of people who reply on the BOI.