Heads up on shipping safety

[fluxlizard]

Hey guys. As some of you that I've bought chams from the past few weeks know, I've recently bought some chameleons from a number of forum members.

The past week I've gotten chams from 2 shippers who had the frayed side of the seams inside the shipping bags that held the lizards. Well actually a number of you used the bags this way.

But chameleons from 2 seperate sellers who used the bag this way arrived seriously injured- rear legs in both cases tangled into the threads of the frayed edges of the fabric, pinching the leg and cutting off circulation completely.

Very sad and horrible for the lizards. 1 had to be put down as both rear legs were useless from circulation completely cut off during shipping. The other one I'm waiting to see if function returns to the foot.

So heads up guys- when you ship lizards, please turn the bag so it looks "inside-out" with the frayed stiched edges and threads on the outside of the bag, and the smooth edge inside (imagine a pillow case turned inside out- that is what you want).



Also- cloth sacks are abrasive, especially if slightly damp from a recently watered and still damp chameleon. Please make sure your chams are completely dry before putting them into a sack for shipping. I've gotten a few with relatively minor but still noticable damage to the lips/snout from being in a slightly damp sack the past couple weeks...

 

[carol5208]

I have never shipped anything, and probably never will, but thanks for putting this out there for those who do. The poor chameleons!!. I am sorry that you had to put the one down and I hope the other one makes a full recovery..

 

[laurie]

It is -36 f at my house ( really check the weather) , so nothing in and nothing out. People need to be very careful and know what locations the chams will go on the journey to a new home. Know and be very aware of temps. Please don't ship if it is very cold where the cham will travel.

 

[TLC]

Would it be safer to ship chameleons, and practically all small lizards, in deli cups?

 

[fluxlizard]

Personally I think the deli cups are better for lizards that will fit them because the deli cups are not abrasive. Those cloth bags are abrasive if the lizard is damp when packed or if the lizard poops in the sack and dampens it. I've seen many lizards with damaged noses/lips/eyes from cloth bags over the years. I even think a pillow case is less abrasive than snake sacks for lizards.

Personally I usually use paper lunch sacks for young lizards and paper grocery bags or icecream bags for larger lizards. I use a paper hole punch to put air-holes in the sacks. These paper bags are not abrasive and they are soft enough to prevent brusing if the package is dropped in transit. I tape the bags securely in a box shape and into place inside the outer container so it cannot collapse nor shift around during shipping.

That said- there is no perfect solution- paper bags are more easily for a lizard to escape from, but I think it takes longer than a day because I've never had anyone report an escapee from a bag in 20 years of shipping zillions of lizards. Even if they were to escape, they would still be contained in the outer box though...

 

[Psychobunny]

Thank you for posting this, and I hope all the right people read it.

A little common sense should tell you that all those tangled threads inside
those bags is not a good thing!!

I have never received an animal shipped this way, but now that you mention
it, I plan to ask the shipper in advance from now on.

I also do not ship or order to be shipped an animal in cold weather.
I don't care how safe they may say it is!

I am so sorry that you were forced into that terrible position, and I'm sorry for the poor chams too!

 

[CarlC]

I don't know if shipping regulations have changed but when I was bringing animals back from Hamm in the past they pretty much had to be packed in cloth bags. Now granted this was international shipping and between being packed and unpacked was no more then like 15 hours. The rough cut seam was on the outside of the bag. I don't remember any issue's from using the bags. For domestic shipping deli cups with a small stick hot glued in place and a damp paper towel always worked fine.

Carl

 

[kplatvoet]

I would be wary about shipping anything in the 2-3 weeks before Christmas- I have worked in our company's mail department for years and while most packages come in fine the volume that Fed Ex & UPS are dealing with at that time of year don't make it worth the risk to me. As far as weather - besides taking in to account the weather where they are coming from and going to the weather in Memphis should also be considered - Most everything Fed Ex goes through Memphis -

 

[Olimpia]

And just as a reminder, the law states there have to be THREE layers of separation between a reptile and the outside world. So this usually means the Cup/bag the animal is in, the styrofoam layer around the whole box, and the box itself.

During one of my last shipped animals she was lucky that I'm particularly gentle when cutting open the box, because she had found a hole in her pillow case and was crawling around loose in the box, just millimeters from where I was cutting open the tape. There was no styrofoam layer, so I could have really injured her face if I'd been cutting with a box cutter.

So it's worth taking that extra step (plus it's the law) to add in a second layer around the animal, so it's safer throughout the entire process.

 

[nick barta]

I don't know if shipping regulations have changed but when I was bringing animals back from Hamm in the past they pretty much had to be packed in cloth bags. Now granted this was international shipping and between being packed and unpacked was no more then like 15 hours. The rough cut seam was on the outside of the bag. I don't remember any issue's from using the bags. For domestic shipping deli cups with a small stick hot glued in place and a damp paper towel always worked fine.

Carl

I agree with Carl, a deli cup with a branch/dowel glued is better, the cham has something to hold onto.

For larger chams, you can use plastic containers lettuce comes in, 2 or liter pop bottles with the end cut off, as chams always hold on to limbs, and a mesh on the end.

I think being thrown around without something to hold onto must be more stressful than having a secure grasp on a limb, as chams always hold onto branches, even when sleeping.

Nick

 

[fluxlizard]

I agree with all said.

One thing though- although my animals arrived recently- they weren't shipped in sub-freezing temps- we've had a very warm season excepting one week this fall/early winter (is it winter yet? LOL- we've got a mild version of the ice storm today). Lizards were not recieved on the cold week and delays occurred waiting for appropriate days for shipping too.

In my paper sacks are tightly twisted paper towels to make "branches for the chameleons to grasp onto. The paper sacks are taped securely so they cannot collapse (they are made into sack "boxes") nor shift in the outer box.

That's just one idea- would work in a deli cup too for small lizard.

And outer box consists of 2 shells- the inner styrophome and outer cardboard. So, there are indeed 3 layers between animal and freedom. I can think of only 3 shippers over the years who did otherwise- and that was back in the day when postal service was reliable and during moderate temperatures. Years and years ago. I don't think anyone now ships without 3 layers...

 

[Olimpia]

...I don't think anyone now ships without 3 layers...

Some do, that's why I mentioned it! I've received a few animals in a box without the middle layer, so I assume some people just don't know the law. They think a cup in a box with some tissue paper is enough.

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Deli cups work wonderfully. I usually put some well thought out crumpled tissue or newspaper in when I do ship. Some of the best packaged chams I have received over the years were packed in such way hence learning it. Just make sure the cup is not going to bounce around inside the box.

 

[ataraxia]

Without the Insulation layer. The box can collapse pretty easily if were to come into to contact with a heavier box. The insulation poses as making the box much sturdier and maintaining temps.

I prefer paper sacks when shipping but will use cloth if it is available. I know i have forgot to turn the bag inside out on multiple occasions but luckily no harm has been done.

The animal should be packed so it has VERY LIMITED mobility/space. If you give the animal space where it can perch on something loose, etc...It will flop around while being tossed into bins and tumbling down conveyor belts, etc. This in return can end with injury.

A couple months back. I received some chameleons in cloth cubes with wire frames on the inside. The ends of the wire were cut making them sharp and at a point. I was pretty surprised that they were used.