2h Car trip with my dragon?

I need to travel in a few weeks for a weekend away due to work and I'm unsure how this will effect my dragon. I was hoping you lovely lot could answer a few questions for me. She's currently a year and a half years old and going through the gravid stages (currently gravid with another clutch). The trip isn't until the end of the month so I wanted to make sure I knew everything before hand.

First off, traveling in a car. I will be accompanied by a friend who will be able to check on her during the 2 hour trip. How long can she safely go without UVB or a heat bulb? Even with unforeseen circumstances it shouldn't be longer than 4 hours before I can get her a temporary setup with lights. I was thinking a travel cage with a heat mat?

What about the journey its self, do dragons like cars? The last thing I want to do is stress her out.

Will she suffer relocations stress in the new place and if so, how do I deal with it? I'll be leaving the friday and returning back home on the monday, so really it's only 3 days outside her usual habitat.

If she is (still) gravid at this time, will this stress her out/make her not want to lay?

Anything I should be aware of?

Thank you :wink:

OK, first, for your own peace of mind, I'd like you to take a half-hour or so and read up on the weather & climate in the Australian Outback. They do have inclement weather--often for days at a time, with overcast days (little/no UVB), rain, cold, and sometimes even snow in some areas--and wild BDs don't die.

Before going further, is this clutch fertile? That too may have some bearing.

Thanks for your response MrSpectrum, I appreciate it. I suppose I often look over the fact they survive in the wild in harsh weathers without human intervention, I guess I just worry a lot. She just means a lot to me and I'd never forgive myself for neglecting her basic needs. :silent:

But to answer your question, no the clutch isn't fertile. She's just going through the motions of laying unfertilized eggs.

Then I don't think you have too much to be concerned about, but I'll defer to keepers of female BDs. :wink:

Hi there,

+1 to her being perfectly fine for a car ride
Especially that short of a trip.

-Brandon

They all act a bit differently but based on my experience I agree with the others. They do just fine at normal car temps. Even just a box with a soft towel and blanket to lay on should do the trick. I like using a pet carrier that straps into the seatbelt though. My dragon has been on several long trips without a problem (including two 9hr rides just this past week). It's a good idea to carry some paper towels and cleaning supplies just in case of poop. You don't really need additional heat, especially at this time of year. I only bother with hand warmers under the towel if it's winter and I stop for a while to go into a restaurant or something like that.

Thanks so much for your replies Definitely put my mind at rest a bit!

I rode a 4 hour or more trip with my beardie multiple times and she was fine