Moving, safely transportting ball python?

We're moving 1500miles from our current home in June. We have an adult ball python snake. I'm wondering whats the best way to transport him in our car? we'll be on the road(no flying) for a couple of weeks and it might be a few weeks after we arrive at our new destination before we have housing and our household goods. We'll be without his normal habitat tank for awhile. Normally we've only needed to travel short distances with him(school, vet) and for that we use a large shoe box and pillow case. I was thinking about getting a large plastic container that I could put a pad lock on. I have a smaller water bowl and portable heating supplies. I have a collapsible cage but it won't work for car travel. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing?

Moving, safely transportting ball python?
I fully agree with the previous poster. DO NOT feed it before you leave! You should give your snake at least a week off of feed before you transport, especially a stressful long trip like that. I would get a rubbermaid or tupperware tote and drill holes in the top. Coat the bottom in newspaper or paper towels (needs to be easy to clean out if they spill their water... if the bedding is wet and they lay on that for a long period of time they will get scale rot). Provide a water bowl that is shallow and harder to knock over, and keep an eye on it. I use heat cable running underneath the paper to keep a good heat variant connected to a thermostat (even ReptiTherm will work well and they are cheap) because heat cable doesn't cause burns. You could use the reptile heat packs which last about 40 hours (lllreptile.com) but if the trip is that long I would recommend a more long term heating solution, and you need to make sure that they can't directly touch the packs or else they will get burned . I would recommend putting in the snake's hide so they have something comfortable to hide in- the less you change, the less stressful the trip. It will take a few weeks to get them back into a normal feed schedule, and since balls are notoriously picky eaters it could take longer. Make sure that you secure the tote so that it can't slide everywhere, and most snakes can't get out of the locking lids that totes have. Cotton bags are good for short trips, but with longer trips they need to have more freedom of movement (even though they might not use it) to prevent stress. I usually put a snake in their tote a week before the trip to get them acclimated and comfortable. Make sure you don't transfer them too much, and that you put them back in their cage ASAP. I wish you the best on your move!
Reply:The lare plastic container will work well. Leave him in the pillow case most of the day while traveling.and at night let him loose in the container with water. He should be fine.





I don't know why tou would be on the road for a couple weeks that trip is about 30 hour drive time. If you averge 60 mph that is only 25 hours. I can see the few weeks with out having your own housing.





Rember that he may need some time to setttle back in to his enclosure.
Reply:Do NOT feed it 24 hours before leaving, like the previous poster suggested - unless you'd like to deal with a regurge from the stress of the trip. Oy!!!! (30 years experience you say????)





Keep him bagged during your drive, and just use a nice 30 or 40 quart tub in the evenings with your heat pad and water. He should be just fine.
Reply:hi there


OK first off feed it 24 hr b4 leaving ... it should be fine as for not feeding for 2-3 weeks ....it would be better in a pillow case in a small container and when u stop take him out and place him in the a small container with air holes.. big containers he will slide around and get stressed and even hurt with the water bowl in there as well...


have the portable cage easy access for when u stop for the night ... a heat lamp with a red bulb is also good to have handy...it gonna be June so it's also going to be warm most likely... most snakes can go 5-8 hrs in a bag without being too stress ... once u stop for the night take him out of the bag and place him in the collapsible cage with his heat lamp..he should be fine but once you get to ur destination i would expect him to eat for a week or so ... do to the new environment and the travel time...



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