Gravid Blackneck

[EKS56]

My female Blackneck will probably give birth in the next few days and she looks like she is loaded.
After I give away three or four to friends...Then what will I do with the other 15 or 20? :eek:

I have never sold a snake through the mail or any other way.

[guidofatherof5]

This might help some. You can read the whole thing or skip to post #19 for the updated info.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/garter-snake-lounge/10925-fedex-reptile-shipping-certification-process.html

[EKS56]

Reptile Express...

[EKS56]

Fed-ex needs to add some shipping locations to the area I live in. :(
It's 40 miles one way to the closest shipping center.

[guidofatherof5]

Reptile Express...

Home - Reptiles Express - Discounted Fedex Shipping Labels and Reptile Shipping Supplies (http://www.reptilesexpress.com/)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

go to Ship Your Reptiles - Ship Live Reptiles Easily, Securely and Affordably (http://www.shipyourreptiles.com) and get an account there. Then from there book your labels through Fedex, and you don't even need to take the package anywhere. Simply call the SYR phone number, speak with Andy from SYR, and he will schedule a pickup. He will give you a window of time of 3 hours (for me I always choose between 3 and 6) where they will come and pick up the package at your house. All you need to do is have it labeled and ready to go! It does charge a $5 fee but IMO that fee is worth that so that I don't have to worry about running out somewhere to drop off a package with a toddler and an already busy day. I am sure you could also do a pickup via reptiles express as it's something Fedex does... although I haven't used them before. Just remember that the only way you should be shipping snakes is via Fedex - period.

When you are checking out you have the option to insure your package. The minimum insurance costs $2.50 and covers $100 and you would be silly not to opt for it. It will cost an additional 2.50 for each $100 but you don't have to get more than that unless you want to. The nice thing is that by buying the $2.50 insurance, you are GUARANTEED your arrival time. What that means is that if the package is supposed to arrive by 10:30AM and it arrives at 10:31 or later, you are entitled to a FULL REFUND on the cost of shipping. All you have to do is forward the recorded delivery time email to info@shipyourreptiles.com and they will process the refund ASAP. I know this because I live in an area that always gets marked for 10:30 deliveries, but half the time my boxes do not show on time due to my house being tucked back in the woods and I have received many refunds (the most recent was a package that cost over $100 to ship). I also like the security of knowing IF something happens because my packages arrive late often, I am covered for however much I insured the package for.

As far as the actual insurance claims go... you are not eligible to claim insurance on a package that arrives on time but is a DOA (that wouldn't make sense because it's obviously not their fault the animal is dead). But if the animal is DOA and the package arrives even 1 minute after the time and you have insured it, you are entitled to a FULL REFUND on the shipping cost IN ADDITION to however much you insured the package for.

I can tell you that my only DOA sending or receiving (I have shipped out and recieved a ton of snakes) was this year, on my birthday, I got an adult female gray rat snake and she came in dead due to the box being severely mishandled. The seller used reptiles express and had insured the package, but was given nothing as they played the "not our fault" card. I still got a full refund from the seller, but I feel bad that the snake suffered and that he was now out the snake AND the money.

Shipping reptiles is very easy... it looks difficult at first but once you actually do it you realize it is a piece of cake! The important thing is to always check temps on both ends and make absolutely SURE they're safe to ship... and if you are not comfortable shipping a snake in certain temps, DO NOT do it regardless of how the buyer may pester you (I refunded a guy last year who couldn't wait for a 95 degree heat wave to pass, insisting that I ship in those temps... I basically told him to get lost). I have waited 3 and 4 months to get a package shipped from someone... but it's sure worth the wait because let me tell you there is NOTHING more horrible than opening a box and finding an absolutely beautiful animal inside that is intact, and awesome, but lifeless.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I also want to add that when receiving I sit on my porch and wait for the driver to arrive. I have had the same guy delivering my snake boxes for easily 4 or 5 years and he has our address memorized. He told me last week when he dropped off my box of chondros that whenever he sees my address on stuff he's loading into his van he says HEY GUYS! THERE ARE SNAKES IN THERE! BE GENTLE! And the other guys kinda look at him weird... but he's really friendly and is always asking lots of questions about what type of snake is in the box today... then he writes it down so he can go home later and google them. He's genuinely interested in snakes even though he doesn't know much and thinks it's so cool that we have them... everyone should have a fedex guy like that!

[EKS56]

I like the sounds of that coming by the house for a pick up:)
I hope my snake is gravid. If not something grave is wrong with her.
95609561

[guidofatherof5]

She does look thick. How is her eating and pooping?

[EKS56]

She had been eating like a pig then last Saturday she only ate two large pinkies. Still pooping but not as much as a couple of weeks ago. The size has come on gradually This last week her activity level has dropped and she has been hanging out next to the heating pad.
I walked in on what appeared to be mating under the newspaper. I marked it on my calender and the last of next week will be three months on the mark. I have seen a lot of conflicting information on gestation periods.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

she is going to BURST!

[EKS56]

I'm hoping for a safe delivery. I have had her since January '13 and the guy I got her from said she had a history of slugs and still born. I fed her tonight and I think she seemed fine. She ate two large pinkies and offered to bite the wife earlier in the day.