fedex does it again

Well, i sent off 3 box turtles monday, nice ones too. They arrived DOA, frozen in the center. My customer is the head medical examiner, also has vet experience, and did a necropsy and found that they had a core temp of 28 F!

I couldnt believe it. They were sent in a 3/4" styro lined box with a 60 hr heatpack...which was warming up when he recieved them. It was hot when it left me.

I was thinking that they were put in a freezer or something of the sort...any thoughts?

Hunter

At 35,000 ft. it is pretty cold. Maybe they were put in an unheated cargo area. I didn't think they did that but I am not sure. I doubt they would actually put boxes in a freezer unless it said "Perishable Keep Cool" on it. Even then they probably wouldn't do it due to space requirements.

The thing about the heat packs, I think, is that turtles sit on the bottoms of the boxes with their plastron constantly on the bottom. So if the box is getting cold then the animal's plastron gets cold regardless of the ambient temp of the container. This is just complete speculation on my part. Snakes and lizards can move cold parts of their body off the bottom and towards a heat source.
Anyway it is a mystery.

Kevin

Out of curiosity... did you write on the box Live Harmless Reptiles, then include the common and scientific names?

I am surprised you are having such issues with Fed-Ex. We haven't had a misshap yet *knock on wood*

As far as I am aware, all of FedEx's planes are heated in the cargo area. What do you mean, it was warming up when he received them but hot when it left you? How is that possible? What were the temps along the trip? I just sent a snake out FedEx the day before yesterday from NJ to CO. Temps along the trip dropped into the low 40s. He was as warm when he got there as the time he left. Sorry for your loss!

Jamie

I am wondering the same thing as Jamie.

temps were average, about 75 when i dropped it off, hit memphis at about 58, came into delivery in little rock, arkansas at about 65ish.

the heatpack was activated and working well upon packing. my customer said when he got it, it was warm, but not hot...then called me back about 2 hrs later and said it was full and hot. thats when he proposed the freezing theory.

it was fully marked as accordance with fedex policy/lacey act. It stated:
Live Harmless reptiles
Do NOT expose to extreme temperatures
3 Eastern Box Turtles
Terrapene carolina carolina


I am verified with fedex, so i naturally mark everything...it can only help and its legal.

I shipped off 2 blazing blizzard leos today to Jonesboro Arkansas, with a 60 hr heatpack that had a 100 degree surface temp when leaving here (measured with a temp gun to be sure), so hopefully it works as planned.
Thanks,
Hunter

Originally Posted by hunterjackson

temps were average, about 75 when i dropped it off, hit memphis at about 58, came into delivery in little rock, arkansas at about 65ish.

the heatpack was activated and working well upon packing. my customer said when he got it, it was warm, but not hot...then called me back about 2 hrs later and said it was full and hot. thats when he proposed the freezing theory.

it was fully marked as accordance with fedex policy/lacey act. It stated:
Live Harmless reptiles
Do NOT expose to extreme temperatures
3 Eastern Box Turtles
Terrapene carolina carolina


I am verified with fedex, so i naturally mark everything...it can only help and its legal.

I shipped off 2 blazing blizzard leos today to Jonesboro Arkansas, with a 60 hr heatpack that had a 100 degree surface temp when leaving here (measured with a temp gun to be sure), so hopefully it works as planned.
Thanks,
Hunter

Have you received any proof that they arrived DOA? I can't imagine how its remotely possible that the temperature dropped low enough to freeze them with 58 being the low. It doesn't add up.

I read back on another thread(BOI?) from an inquiry someone placed with UPS(I know different company). The results of the call is that not all planes have heated cargo holds and at times when the containers are being unloaded from the plane it was not uncommon to see ice formed around the containers. It is possible that the FedEx plane did not have the cargo hold heated, thus freezing may have occurred.

Heat packs are funny little things, they are activated when combined with oxygen. When that heat pack was shaken up, placed in the box and sent out it was probably working fine, but in the event that it ran out of oxygen, that pack would then fail. Two hours after being removed from the box, shaken around a bit, and reintroduced to oxygen, then it would heat back up.

Originally Posted by Junkyard

I read back on another thread(BOI?) from an inquiry someone placed with UPS(I know different company). The results of the call is that not all planes have heated cargo holds and at times when the containers are being unloaded from the plane it was not uncommon to see ice formed around the containers. It is possible that the FedEx plane did not have the cargo hold heated, thus freezing may have occurred.

Heat packs are funny little things, they are activated when combined with oxygen. When that heat pack was shaken up, placed in the box and sent out it was probably working fine, but in the event that it ran out of oxygen, that pack would then fail. Two hours after being removed from the box, shaken around a bit, and reintroduced to oxygen, then it would heat back up.

Interesting,did not know that .Sounds logical.
You learn something new each day.

I have pics to verify the doa.

That is interesting about the heat packs.
This is how i wrap them:
I take the heat pack, make sure it works and not a dud, then take newspaper and fold it up into the newspaper knowing where the red line is placed. Tape it to the top lid of styro with red line down, and the rest is history.

Is that not right?
Hj