Driving across country with beardie (24hr) how to??

[maya001]

Hi there. My fiance and I are moving up to Minnesota from Georgia. It's about 22-24 hour drive and we are bringing my bearded dragon. But I'm concerned how to keep him warm?
I have a small soft cat carrier for him to stay in or will a bigger box with blankets be better?
Would hand warmers and blankets be enough? With occasional body heat from me and being in the sun in the car will that also work?

I've been reading to not feed a day before the trip and while on the trip, us this safe?

Please help me out. This move is in less then a week.
Thank you!!

 

[CooperDragon]

I don't think it will be a problem at all. Most of them are just fine with car rides and I've taken my guy on many road trips that are multiple days long without issue.

Having a carrier helps to keep them secure during the ride (though they can get restless at times). I put down some old towels that are comfortable but can also be swapped out easily in case they get pooped on. It's good to have a bag of cleaning supplies nearby. Spare towels, paper towels, vinegar spray bottle, disinfectant, etc.

Food shouldn't be a big issue. You can bring some along if you want to. Maybe a cooler that has some veges in it and maybe a container of black soldier fly larvae (they're easy to deal with on road trips).

You don't need to worry about lighting. You can stop at rest areas along the way to provide some basking time if the weather is nice (if not, don't worry about it). The weather will be a mystery until the last minute at this time of year. It's 29 here right now (in WI) and snowed a bit yesterday but in the next few days it's expected to go up near 80... Either way, they do just fine at normal car temperatures. It's good to have some hand warmers or some reptile shipping warmers for emergency, but I've found that they aren't needed very often. I typically only use them during the winter if I stop for a meal and will be away from the car for an extended period of time.

 

[CooperDragon]

If you are going to stay at a hotel along the way, this is doable too. Just keep him in the carrier overnight and you can set up a basking light in a clamp fixture or on an adjustable lamp stand. I usually set that up and give some basking time while I shower in the morning and once he's warmed up give the bulb a little time to cool down and pack it back up and be on your way.

For reference, here is a photo of my typical travel setup: