How do you transport your chameleon?

[Bemo]

I have a vet visit this Monday and my local forecast calls for 40s and rain. How do you transport your Cham making sure they are warm enough? What sort of container do you use? I was thinking of just using a cardboard pet box and wrapping it in a light blanket to get to and from the car. I am no to worried about this visit, but it gets very cold here in the winter and I am wondering how to handle an emergency vet visit in the middle of the winter.

 

[SaintJimmy]

Maybe buy a heat pack for when they ship animals? I think shipyourreptiles.com has heat packs you buy with the boxes and everything.

I would just buy a heat pack, make sure it's not too hot, and put it in the box however you would.

I would also put a towel at the bottom of the container you're using, and find a way to hot glue a stick into the box so the cham can sleep on its way.

 

[Bemo]

Maybe buy a heat pack for when they ship animals? I think shipyourreptiles.com has heat packs you buy with the boxes and everything.

I would just buy a heat pack, make sure it's not too hot, and put it in the box however you would.

I would also put a towel at the bottom of the container you're using, and find a way to hot glue a stick into the box so the cham can sleep on its way.

Could you describe the heat pack for me? My cham was not shipped? Is it a one time use sort of heat back? I am a physical therapist, so I have access to a variety of heat packs and I know the temperature range for all of them. I wouldn't have time to get a specialized reptile one before Monday. Unless its sold at a pet store.

 

[Cmergy]

Just pre warm your car And bring him in a plant, he'll be fine. No need for heated packs and stuff lol

 

[Decadancin]

You could use a heat pack for a longer trip, but I think you'd be fine without it. It is tough to regulate the temps inside a closed box. The cooler temperature might be a good thing as he will be a bit more lethargic and not as stressed. As said, just warm up the car and you can keep the interior warm. As for transport, a box will be fine. I would put a small towel at the bottom so he has something to hold onto, and I would also make sure to keep a towel around it from the car to the door in very cold weather. Hope that helps!

Did you find a reptile specialist nearby? Do they have chameleon experience?

 

[Bemo]

Just pre warm your car And bring him in a plant, he'll be fine. No need for heated packs and stuff lol

If I ever had to take him out in the winter there might be a need. Temperatures can fall below 0 here. Of course it would have to be a major emergency, but I like to be prepared. I am a planner!

 

[Bemo]

You could use a heat pack for a longer trip, but I think you'd be fine without it. It is tough to regulate the temps inside a closed box. The cooler temperature might be a good thing as he will be a bit more lethargic and not as stressed. As said, just warm up the car and you can keep the interior warm. As for transport, a box will be fine. I would put a small towel at the bottom so he has something to hold onto, and I would also make sure to keep a towel around it from the car to the door in very cold weather. Hope that helps!

Did you find a reptile specialist nearby? Do they have chameleon experience?

Yes I found one that specializes in exotic pets, and it is only maybe 2-3 miles away, very convenient. They also sent me a questionnaire very similar to the one on this site, so I think that is a positive sign.

 

[Cmergy]

Chameleons are not nuclear bombs that detonate if they drop below a certain temperature. They're remarkably resilient you'll be fine. Plus being cold might be a good thing on the way to the vet.

 

[Bemo]

Chameleons are not nuclear bombs that detonate if they drop below a certain temperature. They're remarkably resilient you'll be fine. Plus being cold might be a good thing on the way to the vet.

I understand this. But can you imagine walking out into -5 degree weather with no coat? It would be a shock to us, and we have the ability to regulate our body temperature unlike a chameleon. I would have to believe that even a brief moment in those conditions could be an issue. The question isn't only related to the vet visit on Monday, it is keeping in mind the upcoming weather. Also, I was just wondering if most use a cardboard carrier, standard pet carrier. A plant sounds kind of scary considering my guy if going to a possible case of MBD, I don't want to risk a fall.

 

[Cmergy]

Why don't you put a towel in the dryer to get it warm and carry him in that?

 

[werecat]

I agree that if your chameleon has possible MBD that the plant method is not a good idea. I think that only works for some chameleons. My cham is an explorer so it would never work. The first time we transported our guy we used the cardboard box method with a towel and stick. He was totally freaked out the whole trip. I know most people use this method so I'm not saying you shouldn't try it. It might be fine for your little guy. And it's probably the easiest way to keep him warm for the outside parts of the trip. I am not an expert, but I think you could probably use the same heat packs you use for physical therapy. There are also he packs sold at outdoor stores like REI for hand warming (I think heat packs are a good thing to have on hand for winter emergencies also). You could put your guy in a small box with towel and put that in a slightly larger box with a heat pad along the outside. Then you could easily remove the heat pad for indoor parts of the trip (like the car ride) so he does not get too hot. If you wanted to get fancy you could even put a probe thermometer into the box with the thermometer part sticking out so you could monitor the temperature inside the box. That way you'd know if your guy is too hot or cold.

For general transport we now use a mesh pop-up laundry hamper from IKEA. We put branches and fake plants inside and he is much calmer in this than he was in a box. He has room to move around and can see what's happening around him by he is still contained. This would be a more difficult setup to regulate temp though. Although you could cover this with a blanket and put a heat pack wrapped in a towel inside. It would probably work fine that way.

 

[gar732]

You can put the cardboard pet carrier in an insulated cooler for running to and from the car. That should be sufficient to keep the cold off him then once in the car just remove the box from the cooler.

 

[pssh]

Okay, for this visit, you wont need anything special because the temps aren't too bad yet. I use a shoebox or other cardboard box with a small towel inside on the bottom (that wont slip around.) DO NOT put a stick in there if he possibly has MBD, as it could actually cause him to break bones when the car moves around (even healthy chameleons can get broken bones from this if they are jostled hard enough.) Just warm up the car a little and use a blanket over the box when you're outside.

For next time/winter I suggest buying or making an insulated box with styrofoam at least 1/2" thick on all sides. This will help prevent any kind of major fluctuations in temp during transport. Put a towel down on the bottom for this box too. You probably wont need a heat pack since the vet is so close, but if it makes you feel safer/better then use a low heat one, and wrap it in a small towel/cloth, then tape it down somewhere in the box where it wont bother the chameleon.

You can buy an insulated box from shipyourreptiles and other reptile shipping supply company, or you can buy your own styrofoam from a hardware/home improvement store and cut it yourself.

 

[fluxlizard]

Geez guys- nothing complicated.
I transport mine in paper bags with paper towels twisted into a soft "branch" to cling to at the bottom of the bag.

Depending on size I use a lunch sack or a grocery sack.

Turn the top down, use a clamp paper clip to hold it closed.

You guys are high tech with your fancy plants and mesh enclosures!

The sack will not be abrasive, it is soft so it can't bruise the lizard and kind of dark and enclosed so it feels "safe" inside I would guess.

If it is cold out, put it in a small cooler (lunch cooler or 6 pack cooler).

If it is sub-zero out and you are afraid of being stuck on the road for a few hours, either put in a chemical hand warmer taped to the lid of the cooler or a warm bottle of water wrapped in a towel, placed in the bottom of the cooler below the sack. Otherwise if it is only a few minutes in the car and the car isn't subzero and the house where the air in the cooler comes from isn't sub-zero, just the sack in the cooler will be more than fine.

 

[J1635]

Chameleons are not nuclear bombs that detonate if they drop below a certain temperature. They're remarkably resilient you'll be fine. Plus being cold might be a good thing on the way to the vet.

apparently people on here don't understand what winter is in other places, it regularly dips down to -40F here in our winter months, i dont care what anyone thinks anything below 50f is not good for chams, they have no insulation and will instantly be frozen if not taken care of.

If i were you i would go and pickup a small rubbermaid container, line the inside with some styrofoam insulation or a good blanket etc, have a heating pack that doesnt get to hot that you can put on the bottom so the heat radiates up and have a couple things in there he can hang onto during transport. You can drill a couple holes in the lid so there is adequate ventilation. I'm gonna be doing the exact same thing pretty soon as winter is coming and my cham comes with me most places.

i would go with the medium size, not too big and not too small. if you have any other questions id be happy to help

 

[J1635]

Geez guys- nothing complicated.
If it is sub-zero out and you are afraid of being stuck on the road for a few hours, either put in a chemical hand warmer taped to the lid of the cooler or a warm bottle of water wrapped in a towel, placed in the bottom of the cooler below the sack. Otherwise if it is only a few minutes in the car and the car isn't subzero and the house where the air in the cooler comes from isn't sub-zero, just the sack in the cooler will be more than fine.

have you ever been stuck on the side of the road in a broken down vehicle when its -20 outside? yeah it happens and more frequently then you would think. better to be prepared with something proper and not a brown paper bag coffin for my chameleon. although if you live somewhere warm this isnt an issue

 

[fluxlizard]

have you ever been stuck on the side of the road in a broken down vehicle when its -20 outside? yeah it happens and more frequently then you would think. better to be prepared with something proper and not a brown paper bag coffin for my chameleon. although if you live somewhere warm this isnt an issue

No I don't live anywhere like that. I have for several years of my life when I was young, and I can honestly say I would do anything possible to avoid living someplace like that because for me and my lizards, weather like that just plain sucks. LOL. But we do get storms a couple times a year that ends up with a wreck on the highway and travelers stranded for up to several hours.

But- I never said if temps were -20 below use a paper sack alone. I said put the sack in the cooler if it's below freezing out with a chemical heat pack or warm bottle of water. Heat packs last several hours and in a modern cooler so will a warm water bottle.

Every situation is going to be different. If it is a 10 minute drive to the vet and it is freezing out- use a cooler.

If i were you i would go and pickup a small rubbermaid container, line the inside with some styrofoam insulation or a good blanket etc, have a heating pack that doesnt get to hot that you can put on the bottom so the heat radiates up and have a couple things in there he can hang onto during transport.

Congratulations- you've just reinvented the cooler! Available everywhere for a few bucks and no work. And then you've done exactly what I suggested which was to use a chemical heat pack or a water bottle with warm water. Guess my idea wasn't so bad after all.

You can drill a couple holes in the lid so there is adequate ventilation.

Yeah- don't do that in your re-invented cooler or a real cooler. As soon as you do, you destroy the insulating properties of the cooler plus invite fridgid drafts into the thing. A cooler or your re-invented cooler will both have enough air to last a day or more inside. People ship lizards in them all the time without air holes and they are fine. I've even gotten a few really large lizards in years past that were shipped to me this way- several pounds and 4 feet in length plus, and they were fine and had enough air for a trip of over 24 hours. That said- I'm guilty of poking a couple of airholes into the side walls of my shipping containers myself. But seriously for a trip to the vet or across town or even for several hours, no ventilation should be fine.

I'm gonna be doing the exact same thing pretty soon as winter is coming and my cham comes with me most places.

Why would you bring your cham with you "most places" especially in a place where it is -20 to -40 and cars break down on trips stranding people for several hours very often?

i dont care what anyone thinks anything below 50f is not good for chams, they have no insulation and will instantly be frozen if not taken care of.

Well, not that you care what I think (or what anyone else thinks), but my veileds regularly spend nights outdoors this time of year at temps below 50- if fact I only bring them indoors when temps drop below 40. And contrary to your belief, they don't freeze instantly and actually they don't freeze at all at temps 40-50. This is a veiled we are talking about in this thread right? And the forcast stated was 40s and rainy, not 40 below and blizzard. Don't let facts get in the way of your opinion though.

Anyway this has been tongue in cheek, but I hope that poster isn't the only one who took my paper bag method like that. I've used paper bags taped securely in insulated boxes for shipping lizards for 20 years and have never, not once, had an animal harmed in shipping even when shipped in the middle of winter to areas that were very cold like minnesota in January.

 

[NosyBe15]

I live in Cali, so I dont really have to worry about temps... But those handwarmers they sell at sporting good stores usually stay around 100 degrees and if they are set under the card board box it should be fine if the car is pre-heated.

I take mine in a card board box with 6 or so bamboo sticks that I have crammed through the sides... Even though he would rather hang from the necklace that I have hanging from my rear view mirror, I try to keep him in the box... But he does like riding on the necklace. I just know thats not the safest way for him to travel, but he likes scoping things out.