Traveling with Beardie

Hello - my son is moving from PA to CA on thursday. He has a female bearded dragon - 2 1/2 years and 10 ". We want to move her across the country in the cargo van. The vet said that her temperature was most important, so we got her a small padded travel case and 40 hr heat pads that she said to tape to the top of the inside of the case. I am unsure what to do with her at night in the hotel -- should we bring a small (how small is OK) habitat and put the light and heat lamp at night? or just the heat lamp? The vet said she is OK without the sun - that we should just get her out when we stop to absorb some sun at the rest stops. One guy said he drove with the beardy on his shoulder......Thanks!

I travel with my dragon pretty regularly and have done week long trips with him no problem. Not all of them like to travel so I'd do a test drive around town first to see how she reacts. If she seems OK with it, then a road trip with her will be fun =).

I recommend this carrier https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EW2WKZU/ because it's well ventilated, a good size even for an adult dragon, and it has clips that allow it to be buckled into a seatbelt. It provides a nice secure spot for her when she isn't roaming around. It's safest for her to be in there during the drive but I agree with your vet that regular pit stops to allow some sunshine and exercise are a good idea. This also works well as a spot for her to sleep in a hotel. I used scotch guard on the soft bedding to protect it from accidents. I would also put a layer of fleece or a soft towel down over it to make it comfortable and easier to clean. It's important to keep a bag of cleaning supplies on hand as well. Spray bottle with vinegar, spray bottle with F10SC sanitizer, and a roll of paper towels should do the trick.

I usually carry a tub of black soldier fly larvae with me because they're easy. They travel really well. I also carry ziploc bags with greens and squash so I can put together salads easily. It's best to keep these cold if you can but not a huge deal. You can stop to get replacements easily at a grocery store along the way if needed.

You can bring a basking lamp and either a clamp fixture or an adjustable lamp stand (I prefer this) for the hotel but I found that while it provided a nice quick morning bask, it wasn't necessary. They do pretty well at reasonable room temps especially during the summer. I carried a MegaRay mercury vapor bulb to provide heat and UVB but a PAR38 halogen flood light would work well too and they are a bit sturdier and better for travel. Those just provide heat so time outside for natural UVB is a good idea. Again, if the trip is less than a week it's really not critical to carry a bunch of lighting with you everywhere you go. Especially if you can provide time outside over the course of the day.

For overnight in motels :

viewtopic.php?f=75&t=224976

I''m sure you can pick up 120V 60Hz versions of the heatpad and simple switching thermostat like I use over there in the USA. Simply place the pad (sandwiched between tiles in a 100L tub).

For while on the road :
You can likely pick up 12VDC heatpads too Ie http://reptileone.com.au/products/heating/46532
and
a 150W powerinverter (12V to 120VAC) so you can run
>>> a 26W UVB200 in a nanohood
or
>>> the above "heatslab" and a 26W UVB200 in a nanohood.

I carry these with me on trips https://www.amazon.com/UniHeat-Multi-Purpose-Shipping-Warmer-Uniheat/dp/B00AO9K2DM/ but I've found that they aren't needed in the summer. I just use them during winter by putting them under a blanket or towel if I need to leave the car for a meal break or something like that. During summer it's more an issue of keeping the car cool with the windows down a bit when I have to leave if I can't bring the carrier with me.

Thank you for all of this great info. I am wondering if you keep the beardie in the pet carrier at night in the hotel or in a separate plastic container?

She can stay right in the carrier. It's a comfortable, secure place for her to sleep. I keep my dragon in the carrier when we are at hotels and when we are camping and it works well.

bethbrake":3mg3bm9o said:

Thank you for all of this great info. I am wondering if you keep the beardie in the pet carrier at night in the hotel or in a separate plastic container?

Click to expand...

It's up to you, if the motel staff see you carrying a pet carrier into the room they might tell you to leave, if they see you carrying a tub in (especially one they cant see into) , it's just stuff no big deal.
What they don't know wont worry them.

That's another good thing to consider. I've found it pretty easy to book pet friendly hotel rooms on my road trips so I don't worry about it. They usually specify on booking sites/apps if the hotel is pet friendly or not. Some charge a cleaning fee if pets were in the room but I've never had trouble getting that waived when I explain I have a dragon with me who isn't making a mess and most importantly won't leave fur or allergens in the room and poses no threat to damaging the room.