What is the best way to transport a baby veiled for 5 hours?

[Jonah S]

I am moving in about a week and I need to find out the best way to move my chameleon. It will probably be about a 5-5.5 hour drive. I want it to be the least bit stressful for Larry as possible and I was thinking about letting him stay in his crate, my only concern is that the temperature could be a little hard to maintain and it may get too hot in a relatively short period of time. An alternative would be to put him in a little container but again, I don't want him stressing out.

Long story short, what is the best way to move him?

 

[jannb]

I would use a small cage that has a plant and branches in it for him. Take your temp gun and keep an eye on the temps.

 

[ShaunaLynnA]

I would use a small cage that has a plant and branches in it for him. Take your temp gun and keep an eye on the temps.

I second this that was exactly what I was going to write!

 

[Jonah S]

Being in Florida (in a car none the less) the temperature can fluctuate pretty quickly. Is there a decent way to regulate the temperature?

 

[jannb]

Being in Florida (in a car none the less) the temperature can fluctuate pretty quickly. Is there a decent way to regulate the temperature?

Do you have AC in your car? Keep the air vent next to the cage closed but the car in cool but not cold temps.

 

[gpmo]

Generally when they are in the dark they sleep. We use an appropriate sized cardboard box. So if you can time your travel with his normal sleeping times he will fall asleep at home and wake up at home in a new city As for temps we use towels that are wet to help with humidity. that should also help keep things cooler.

Gpmo (him)

 

[Jonah S]

I will be in a Uhaul, I imagine they have air conditioning in them.

I read somewhere to get a cheese cloth and put him in a little togo container lookin thing with a damp paper towel below him. His light cycle is from 8 am-8 pm and I'm moving probably around 7 am. If he is awake, should I put him in the container and attempt to make it dark or should I just let him hang on his plant and do his thing?

 

[gpmo]

All the Uhauls i have been in have AC. So that will take care of that. You will want him up front with you for sure though. I remember moving in florida and it was an oven in the back of that truck.

I have heard of the styrophome container idea but not sure on how well it works. Hopefully someone has some ideas

Gpmo (him)

 

[Julirs]

Take him just like you would ship him. Appropriately sized deli container(with air holes of course), crumple up a papertowel for him to hang on to,then place the cup in a box filled with crumpled or shredded newspaper to keep the container from bouncing around. If you are worried the truck will get to hot, put an ice pack in one side of the box. If you stop somewhere to eat, you will have to take the box in with you.

 

[gpmo]

Thanks Julirs, i was interested in hearing from someone with more experience with cham travel. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Gpmo (him)

 

[jannb]

Thanks Julirs, i was interested in hearing from someone with more experience with cham travel. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Gpmo (him)

My chams would totally freak out in a bag or box. My daughter has had chameleons for over 6 years and they have rode back and forth with her from the west coast of FL to the east coast hundreds of times and NEVER had to be bagged or boxed. She use to come home from college every summer and had chams that went on summer vacation with us every year. My chameleons that I've had 3 + years go on a round trip of more than 5 hours to see their vet at least 3 or 4 times a year. They hold their heads up high and enjoy looking around. Never once showed any stress color they always stays a beautiful bright blue.

I would recommend that BEFORE you stress your cham by stuffing him in a bag or box you try taking it on a shorter car ride to see how he reacts. He just might love it. Every cham that I've ever seen does.

 

[Jonah S]

I took Larry to the vet earlier in the week for a fecal and an overall checkup and I took the bin he lives in. I wasn't very excited about taking him on the road because I thought he would hate it but he was just hangin on his pothos plant with his nice greens showing. I had his digital probe on the top leaf and it got to about 85 degrees, mind you this was around six in the evening when the weather was cooling slightly. My biggest concern would be baking him on a longer ride.

 

[jannb]

I took Larry to the vet earlier in the week for a fecal and an overall checkup and I took the bin he lives in. I wasn't very excited about taking him on the road because I thought he would hate it but he was just hangin on his pothos plant with his nice greens showing. I had his digital probe on the top leaf and it got to about 85 degrees, mind you this was around six in the evening when the weather was cooling slightly. My biggest concern would be baking him on a longer ride.

When you move travel early morning or in the evening. I often take my guys on short rides on a plant. I have one that fits on the floor in front of the front passanger seat.....they love it!!!!

 

[summoner12]

Keeping the cham in a cage and awake during transit is a very bad idea.

use a shoe box with some paper towel padding. The cham won't want to go into the box, obviously. Once you have the cham in the box, cover it and place in a dark room. come back about 20-30 minutes later, the cham will be sleeping. During transport, keep the temps controled so you don't cook the little guy. if you keep the box out of direct sunlight, covered and don't bounce it around the cham will sleep the entire trip like nothing happened. If I need to transport chams I put them on the floor in the back seat and use something to secure the box so it can't slide around.

Reasons keeping the animal in a cage are bad: they see what is going on;change. They don't like to see change. The cham could fall from a branch or vine and get hurt. the chameleon is awake and who knows what is going on in it's little brain. Also, do you have auto insurance? yes, Do you think you need it? You are a safe driver right? Of course most of us feel that way.... but we have insurance for when things happen beyond our control, ya know, for when someone changes lanes into you or backs into you in a parking lot or someone runs a red light..... Think like this for your cham. What if you got hit? what if he fell. It is MUCH safer for the cham to be in a box while in a car. You don't like you infant crawl around in the car without a car seat do you? why? because if you have a car accident, the car stops and the baby doesn't stop until something in front of it stops............ Same thing for your cham. The cage in the car will stop, but the cham will gl flying until it reaches the side of the cage, hits a stick or a branch. Think of what could happen. Not every car ride is like 'driving miss Daisy'.

It is a much better idea for the cham to sleep the whole trip. better the have a 'traumatic' experience going into the box that lasts 10 seconds and to sleep the entire trip than to ride in a car bouncing and swinging and possibly falling for five hours.

Steve went to the vet, here he is just after opening the box when getting home. See his pajama colors? very peaceful.

And here he is climbing back into his cage, still waking up.

I would never transport chams long distance in a cage. They can get hurt much more that way.

 

[summoner12]

Also keep in mind; how do cham breeders get chams from Florida, to California? Or how do they go from Florida to Washington? Not in a cage............

 

[jannb]

Also keep in mind; how do cham breeders get chams from Florida, to California? Or how do they go from Florida to Washington? Not in a cage............

Silly boy that's because they are flying on and airplane and not riding in a car. I'm sure if the planes allowed it they would me much happier not in a box....I know mine would, my daughter's would and all my local friends with chams would.

 

[gpmo]

Summoner that first picture made me laugh so much. what a great shot.

Gpmo (him)

 

[Julirs]

Chameleons can be stressed and not show stress colors. It seems there is far more chance of them getting hurt the more room they have to bounce around if one had to make a quick stop or swerve. If you put them in a dark place they more than likely go to sleep. To have them able to look around provides a whole lot of stressful stimulation. They are not cats or dogs.
For my larger chams I use a shoebox just like Kevin does and close the lid making it dark. They are often also asleep when I open the lid. Stressfree.

 

[Syn]

I just think the whole out of sight out of mind applies with chameleons. Too much movement and too much going on can cause a bit of stress.

 

[summoner12]

Well I guess if the mods are going to edit everything...