Im seeing lots of breeders shipping their dragon babies. Is this safe, how stressful is it on them? Im looking to add another dragon to my collection and not overly liking what im finding locally. I dont want to get a critter shipped if its just going to stress it out and make it sick.
Hi there....shipping is very safe as long as it's done properly. And remember, all pet store beardies were shipped to the store unless you have a shop in town that breeds their own. When ordering a beardie, ask questions as to what shipper they will use....never go with USPS [ the postal service ] but UPS and FedEx [ some use Reptilesexpress or Shipyourreptiles.com ]are both very reliable and then you want to be sure that it will be the 10:30 next day arrival. That way the baby is not even in transit for 24 hours, but more like 16 -18. As long as your temps. are not over 95 on either end, that method will be fine because the beardie is guaranteed to arrive before 10:30 a.m before it gets hot out. Or you can have the breeder ship to the hub nearest you [ NOT a UPS or FEDEX store, but the actual warehouse/hub ] and it can be markes " Hold for customer " with your phone number on it and you can pick it up as early as they open, usually 8-9:00 a.m. or on your lunch break if you are working that day. As long as you buy from an experienced breeder who has shipped many beardies, it should be fine.
Shipping is totally safe! A good breeder or shipper will pack their animals securely, with heat or ice packs to ensure temperatures remain within acceptable levels during transport.
When we ship animals, they are usually packed from about noon until 4 pm, with ice and/or heat packs as needed. They're picked up by 4:30, and are to their new homes between 10:30 am and 4 pm (depending on how rural the area is their local FedEx delivery route - we ship priority, but not all areas have priority delivery drivers). Less than 24 hours in transit in 99% of cases It is important to note weather - spring and fall are good times to ship animals as it is fairly mild throughout the country, ensuring that it gets neither too hot nor too cold during transport.
Shippers can use shredded paper, packing peanuts, crumpled paper, or even cloth to cushion the animal in the shipping box. Shipping boxes are also insulated with styrofoam, and should be thoroughly taped top and bottom to keep them sealed.
Enjoy your new friend, where ever you end up getting it from!