Moving with Beardies

Hey everyone! So, this coming August, I'll be moving cross country from Florida to Northern California. I have two beardies, one approx 2.5/3 (he was a rescue and they were unsure of his exact age, I've had him for just over a year), and the second is 4.5/5 and blind since birth (I've had him approx 6 months now) I've been scouring the net to find the best way to drive such a distance with them while maintaining their safety, and unfortunately I keep finding conflicting information. I love my boys dearly and it would kill me if anything happened to them during this relocation. So, I'm really hoping y'all can help with some advice and suggestions. TIA!

They all react a bit differently to road trips. It might be a good idea to take them on a short car ride around town to see how they respond. That said, all of my guys have been great on road trips. I brought my current dragon on a road trip from Iowa to New Hampshire and back this summer and he did really well.

I'd keep them on leashes in the car so they don't get underfoot if they roam around and get squirmy. It's helpful to have someone else in the car to monitor/manage them if you can. I keep a soccer style duffel bag in the car for transport. I have a fleece blanket at the bottom and carry hand warmers to put under the blanket if I stop for food and leave the car for long but only use them in the winter. Summer car temps are OK but if you leave the car, leave the windows down a bit so they don't overheat. Give them some rest stop breaks to sit on a bench and bask in sunlight a few times per day and that should cover lighting. I keep a ziploc with a square of paper towel to hold salads and a container of black soldier fly larvae for meal time. You'll want a bag with cleaning supplies in case of accidents too.

They can sleep in their duffel bag (or cat carrier, or big shoebox, etc) in a hotel along the way. I have a clamp lamp basking light that I hook up (it has a mercury vapor bulb but a regular halogen flood light is fine) in the mornings for basking and breakfast time. The big foldable baby play pens work well if you need to contain them in a room. They are much easier to manage than a tank.

It sounds like a lot as I write it, but it's really not a big deal if you already have a routine down for them. You just need to adjust the routine a bit to make it mobile.

Thank you so much!! They both do very well in car rides about town (to the pet store or the rescue where I got my first one because that's where their vet is at) when it's typically an hour there and an hour back. I know the trip is going to take us a few days to a week max with stops for the kids and animals here and there. I actually have all of that except the clip light (their tanks have light stands) and the warmers, which won't be too hard to get my older one likes to bask on the dash as I'm driving but the younger one is still pretty skittish when being handled. A result of his blindness I've been told. I have a full sized van so I was thinking about laying the back seat down so it lays flat and having a pet gate up so they have free roam in the back as well. What are your thoughts on that? My husband said he read somewhere (couldn't provide me a source so I could vet it) that is dangerous for them.

If you have a lamp stand that's even better. Just hang your basking light from it rather than having to find something appropriate height to clamp onto. I use those too.

I'd be careful with giving them too much free roam. Don't want them climbing the gate or getting under foot or really distracting the driver at all. My wife keeps Darwin between the dash, her lap/chest/ or the floor at her feet and is supervised closely. Even as the trip goes along you'll get the hang of the road routine pretty quickly.

I just moved to Florida from Illinois. Was about a 24 he trip for me. I just set their tanks in the cab with me and they were good. The one I had for almost 10 years enjoyed the trip. He was on his rock looking out the window. My other 2 were on the floor board. Couldn't really keep an eye on them just made sure ther was no a.c. blowing on them. When I got to Florida I let them bask in actual sunlight for a few days. They did great though. I wouldn't worry too much. Being you will be in a car a lot more I would prolly just make sure to get them out and get some sun