# cross country move how to move the tort?



## naturalman91 (Apr 14, 2014)

so fiance and i maybe moving across country next month due to her taking a better job offering but i had the question of what would be the best way to move our hatchling redfoot? we will be driving and i'd say it's close to a 3day 3 night drive what would be the best way to get my lil igor to his new home?? the only problem i have with overnighting him to myself is there's no one i really trust to take care of him until i get to where i am going i suppose that would be much to long to fix up a road storage tote as he wouldn't have lights really going??


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## kmartin (Apr 14, 2014)

naturalman91 said:


> so fiance and i maybe moving across country next month due to her taking a better job offering but i had the question of what would be the best way to move our hatchling redfoot? we will be driving and i'd say it's close to a 3day 3 night drive what would be the best way to get my lil igor to his new home?? the only problem i have with overnighting him to myself is there's no one i really trust to take care of him until i get to where i am going i suppose that would be much to long to fix up a road storage tote as he wouldn't have lights really going??


The easiest way I have found to transport a baby is in a plastic 'shoebox' filled with a damp coconut choir. He stays hydrated as long as he gets soaked every evening when you stop. As long as it is only a couple of days it is less stressful then setting up a full set up ans trying to make sure he gets proper lighting. Please remember at best stops that he can't get out and wander, it is not safe at all even if you feel he needs to get out, and he can't stay in the vehicle if it is not running. It seems to be more stressful when you try to keep a normal setup. Realistically they just chill for a couple of days. I have yet to see one that gets carsick!


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## Yvonne G (Apr 14, 2014)

If the baby is in an indoor habitat that is sort of portable, then just transport the whole habitat with the baby in it. If you stop for the night you can put a CHE over the habitat to warm the baby up. I think your car will be warm enough. I would worry about cool/wet, so would think moisture would not be a good idea. So if you have moist moss in the hide, I'd temporarily remove it.


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## naturalman91 (Apr 14, 2014)

Yvonne G said:


> If the baby is in an indoor habitat that is sort of portable, then just transport the whole habitat with the baby in it. If you stop for the night you can put a CHE over the habitat to warm the baby up. I think your car will be warm enough. I would worry about cool/wet, so would think moisture would not be a good idea. So if you have moist moss in the hide, I'd temporarily remove it.




right now he's in a 50 gal storage bin i just finished a way bigger one but i'm not even going to set it up yet just put it on the moving truck and do it when we get there from the talk right now we are talking about shift driving so maybe not even stoping at night just straight through which would cut the time down but i'm worried about heating mostly i knew i'd have to take out the moss and keep it dry till i get there but is there anyway i could provide heat for him while on the road? i'm already rehoming a couple snakes to a friend i don't want to have to rehome my lil one to but i dont want to hurt him during the move =/


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## abclements (Apr 14, 2014)

Like Yvonne said, cool and dry is fine for your tort. 3 days without humidity aren't going to hurt your little guy. As long as you car doesn't get below 60F he'll be fine without extra heat. I'm assuming you'll be stopping at hotels on the way, so just bring him in the room with you and put a CHE over the top of him to warm him back up and then take him back on the road with you the next day.


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## ascott (Apr 14, 2014)

You can purchase the hand warmers, these will offer warmth ...you can wrap the hand warmers and then place in/under or around one side of the plastic bin so the tort can gravitate to the warm spot....the hand warmers are inexpensive and you can have him a comfy temp all of the way there....remember, folks ship torts great distance, if you offer a smaller container for the days travel and use a warmer and then when you are in the hotel room use the enclosure for the night then I bet your tort will do just fine....I would not rehome the tort simply because of a few days travel time....


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## naturalman91 (Apr 14, 2014)

ascott said:


> You can purchase the hand warmers, these will offer warmth ...you can wrap the hand warmers and then place in/under or around one side of the plastic bin so the tort can gravitate to the warm spot....the hand warmers are inexpensive and you can have him a comfy temp all of the way there....remember, folks ship torts great distance, if you offer a smaller container for the days travel and use a warmer and then when you are in the hotel room use the enclosure for the night then I bet your tort will do just fine....I would not rehome the tort simply because of a few days travel time....




i don't want to rehome him. it's not even certain yet but i think what we may do is fly my fiance over to where we are heading her dad said tonight that he has alot of built up airline points that he'd give to buy her ticket so i could just over night him to her like he was to me when i got him do you think that would be better then him being on the road for a couple day's? and if so how much do you think it would cost to ship him? he is a hatchling can't even be a pound lol i trust me fiance with him for a few day's until i drive there but would that be better to do?


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## ascott (Apr 14, 2014)

No, personally I would take him along for the drive....shipping is a rough road and a bunch of opportunities for something to go terribly wrong...that is just my opinion....these guys are pretty durable if the basics are met...If you offer him a smaller travel container with a heating source and place the little one is a quiet dark place...then at night when you reach a hotel let him stretch out a bit....I believe you all will make it nicely....you can even offer up a warm water soak each day to assure he remains hydrated...again, this is just the option I would take vs shipping...


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## FLINTUS (Apr 15, 2014)

Some airlines will allow you to fly with them as hand luggage, but it will be expensive. Do you not have any kind of specialist reptile couriers in the US? They would keep him at the right temps for you.


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## naturalman91 (Apr 16, 2014)

thanks for the replies everyone but i don't have to worry anymore as we aren't moving we've decided all of our family is around here and we were both born here so here we stay lol in case i ever need i tho i will come back to this for all the great advice


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