Questions about shipping my tortoises

ben32hayt · Jun 27, 2020

I need to ship my tortoises which are about 15-20 pounds from Tucson to New York. I want to use delta cargo however there are no direct flights flights so I was wondering if it would be fine to put them on a flight with one stop? Also what method do you think is the safest way for me to pack the tortoises? Thanks

Maro2Bear · Jun 27, 2020

ben32hayt said:
I need to ship my tortoises which are about 15-20 pounds from Tucson to New York. I want to use delta cargo however there are no direct flights flights so I was wondering if it would be fine to put them on a flight with one stop? Also what method do you think is the safest way for me to pack the tortoises? Thanks

Try, ShipYourReptiles.com

✅ - https://shipyourreptiles.com/

any reason u can’t drive them.?

Tom · Jun 27, 2020

I've shipped tortoises that size in dog crates, but its iffy man. The airlines don't have any idea what their own rules are and you'll get a different answer from every person you talk to. I was able to just talk my way through it, but I don't think it will work for everyone.

Personally I would not do anything with a layover, and I would be on the same flight with the tortoises.

What species are you taking from Tucson to NY? If these are sulcatas, they would be so much better off in AZ...

Markw84 · Jun 27, 2020

I also think you'll find that Delta Cargo will not now ship animals on a flight with a layover - only non-stop. We ran into this with a shipment we were trying to do just a few months ago. It looks like you can do it when you are booking, but when you go all the way through the process an agent will catch it and deny it.

Shipyourreptiles or reptiles2you are your only real choice. I would drop off at a fedex facility and hold for pickup at the receiving end to avoid riding in a delivery truck at either end while it makes its rounds.

method89 · Jun 27, 2020

Are you moving to NY? Where about? Coming into JFK? You could ship them to me overnight if you wanted. Now I understand that's a crazy idea and you don't know me from a hole in the wall but I figured I would throw it out there. I'm about 20 minutes from JFK

Duckster RT · Jun 27, 2020

It gets cold. Get those hand / sock warmer packets and tape them down for a warm spot.

Duckster RT · Jun 27, 2020

Duckster RT said:
It gets cold. Get those hand / sock warmer packets and tape them down for a warm spot.

I used to hold Duckster on flights when I was 15-35 years old. Then airlines became prejudiced against reptiles due to the bombers and COVID. I just want to travel with my little buddy! Lol

ben32hayt · Jun 27, 2020

Tom said:
I've shipped tortoises that size in dog crates, but its iffy man. The airlines don't have any idea what their own rules are and you'll get a different answer from every person you talk to. I was able to just talk my way through it, but I don't think it will work for everyone.

Personally I would not do anything with a layover, and I would be on the same flight with the tortoises.

What species are you taking from Tucson to NY? If these are sulcatas, they would be so much better off in AZ...

Thanks! They are adult radiated tortoises, I just want to go with the safest option. I've shipped a lot of koi fish using delta cargo so I already have an shippers account however, I have never shipped tortoises this big.

ben32hayt · Jun 27, 2020

method89 said:
Are you moving to NY? Where about? Coming into JFK? You could ship them to me overnight if you wanted. Now I understand that's a crazy idea and you don't know me from a hole in the wall but I figured I would throw it out there. I'm about 20 minutes from JFK

Thanks! I am moving back to Nassau County but my dad will be able to be there when they arrive. I'll be a few days after but thank for the offer!

ben32hayt · Jun 27, 2020

Maro2Bear said:
Try, ShipYourReptiles.com

✅ - https://shipyourreptiles.com/

any reason u can’t drive them.?

None other then the fact that I want to avoid having to take a 30 hour drive.

method89 · Jun 27, 2020

ben32hayt said:
Thanks! I am moving back to Nassau County but my dad will be able to be there when they arrive. I'll be a few days after but thank for the offer!

Nice, Welcome back!

Tom · Jun 27, 2020

method89 said:
I'm about 20 minutes from JFK

Ugh... I am so sorry...

method89 · Jun 27, 2020

Tom said:
Ugh... I am so sorry...

Every 43 seconds there is a plane overhead.. they actually conducted a study on it. If you stop and listen for them it can drive you insane

zovick · Jun 27, 2020

ben32hayt said:
I need to ship my tortoises which are about 15-20 pounds from Tucson to New York. I want to use delta cargo however there are no direct flights flights so I was wondering if it would be fine to put them on a flight with one stop? Also what method do you think is the safest way for me to pack the tortoises? Thanks

@ben32hayt
I have shipped many, many Radiated Tortoises (and other species) over the years. I haven't shipped any for a year now, but if there are connecting flights, Delta DASH is (or was) always the safest option. DASH costs a bit extra over the regular Delta Cargo, but the connection is "guaranteed". IE, they make every effort to be certain your package gets on the flight to its final destination. This means your package gets priority handling and will not be left off the plane or bumped to a later flight if there is an abundance of cargo, etc.

Also you may drop off DASH packages only 1 hour before the flight leaves vs. the 2 to 4 hours necessary for regular live cargo.

You can probably fit both of those tortoises in a medium or large dog kennel to ship. I have done that successfully many times, however, I always put cardboard over the door area to keep prying eyes away. It probably couldn't happen today, but years ago, some valuable reptiles and amphibians arrived via a Delta Cargo shipment at Hartford, CT and were waiting in the office for the consignee to pick them up. Another herp enthusiast arrived to schedule a shipment of his own, noticed the valuable animals which were listed on the outside of the box meant for another person, and told the Delta agent he was that person and was given the box. The rightful owner never received the animals because the dishonest fellow was never asked to provide his ID and could not be located. As I said, this would not happen today, as ID's are checked routinely before packages are handed over to the consignees. I just wanted to explain why I used to cover the door of the dog kennels.

Whatever you do, DO NOT ship those Radiated Tortoises in any of the cardboard shipping boxes which are lined with 6 separate pieces of styrofoam. The tortoises WILL urinate, the urine will not be contained, and will leak out the seams and soak the cardboard, and the box will soften and may fall apart (this has really happened to people I know). In one case, it resulted in a dead tortoise arriving at the destination because the agents at one of the connecting terminals saw that the box was leaking and beginning to come apart so they put it in a plastic bag and neatly tied it off. The tortoise suffocated before it arrived at the final destination.

If you do ship them in a styro lined box, you will need to use a tropical fish shipping box which is basically like a styrofoam cooler with a lid fitted perfectly inside the outer cardboard box.

This time of year, and shipping from AZ, I would recommend the dog kennel and using Delta DASH. You will most likely need to ship out at 5 or 6 AM to avoid the heat restrictions, although the flight will most likely connect in ATL where it is also hot and you may run into problems finding a day when it is cool enough to ship.

All in all, shipping them in June, July, or August is a tough decision and heat causes a lot of problems. The long car ride may seem like a good option after reading all this. Your first move should be to call Delta DASH to see if they will accept live reptiles now or not (Tom says no for regular Delta Cargo, but DASH is not treated the same as regular Delta Cargo). If using Delta DASH is not an option, I would hesitate to use an overnight shipping method for larger tortoises at this time of year. There are many possible problems.

I know a retired NY State Trooper who is an avid herper and now lives in TX. He has picked up and delivered animals for a number of people I know. Perhaps he would drive them to NY for you if you don't find another way to do it.

ben32hayt · Jun 27, 2020

zovick said:
@ben32hayt
I have shipped many, many Radiated Tortoises (and other species) over the years. I haven't shipped any for a year now, but if there are connecting flights, Delta DASH is (or was) always the safest option. DASH costs a bit extra over the regular Delta Cargo, but the connection is "guaranteed". IE, they make every effort to be certain your package gets on the flight to its final destination. This means your package gets priority handling and will not be left off the plane or bumped to a later flight if there is an abundance of cargo, etc.

Also you may drop off DASH packages only 1 hour before the flight leaves vs. the 2 to 4 hours necessary for regular live cargo.

You can probably fit both of those tortoises in a medium or large dog kennel to ship. I have done that successfully many times, however, I always put cardboard over the door area to keep prying eyes away. It probably couldn't happen today, but years ago, some valuable reptiles and amphibians arrived via a Delta Cargo shipment at Hartford, CT and were waiting in the office for the consignee to pick them up. Another herp enthusiast arrived to schedule a shipment of his own, noticed the valuable animals which were listed on the outside of the box meant for another person, and told the Delta agent he was that person and was given the box. The rightful owner never received the animals because the dishonest fellow was never asked to provide his ID and could not be located. As I said, this would not happen today, as ID's are checked routinely before packages are handed over to the consignees. I just wanted to explain why I used to cover the door of the dog kennels.

Whatever you do, DO NOT ship those Radiated Tortoises in any of the cardboard shipping boxes which are lined with 6 separate pieces of styrofoam. The tortoises WILL urinate, the urine will not be contained, and will leak out the seams and soak the cardboard, and the box will soften and may fall apart (this has really happened to people I know). In one case, it resulted in a dead tortoise arriving at the destination because the agents at one of the connecting terminals saw that the box was leaking and beginning to come apart so they put it in a plastic bag and neatly tied it off. The tortoise suffocated before it arrived at the final destination.

If you do ship them in a styro lined box, you will need to use a tropical fish shipping box which is basically like a styrofoam cooler with a lid fitted perfectly inside the outer cardboard box.

This time of year, and shipping from AZ, I would recommend the dog kennel and using Delta DASH. You will most likely need to ship out at 5 or 6 AM to avoid the heat restrictions, although the flight will most likely connect in ATL where it is also hot and you may run into problems finding a day when it is cool enough to ship.

All in all, shipping them in June, July, or August is a tough decision and heat causes a lot of problems. The long car ride may seem like a good option after reading all this. Your first move should be to call Delta DASH to see if they will accept live reptiles now or not (Tom says no for regular Delta Cargo, but DASH is not treated the same as regular Delta Cargo). If using Delta DASH is not an option, I would hesitate to use an overnight shipping method for larger tortoises at this time of year. There are many possible problems.

I know a retired NY State Trooper who is an avid herper and now lives in TX. He has picked up and delivered animals for a number of people I know. Perhaps he would drive them to NY for you if you don't find another way to do it.

Thank you, this was very helpful. I still have about a month to sort this out but appreciate the suggestions you gave. I will most likely end up using Delta Dash and I was told that they do accept reptiles and cold blooded animals at the moment, however they will not take dogs.

zovick · Jun 28, 2020

ben32hayt said:
Thank you, this was very helpful. I still have about a month to sort this out but appreciate the suggestions you gave. I will most likely end up using Delta Dash and I was told that they do accept reptiles and cold blooded animals at the moment, however they will not take dogs.

That was what I thought would be the case. Whenever you speak to anyone at Delta about the shipping, just make sure you indicate that you are shipping a cold-blooded reptile rather than a mammal or a bird because the requirements are quite different.

Another option for a container in which to ship would be a wooden crate if you have the skills and the time to make one. The dog kennels are pretty easy to use, though, and save time. Hint: if you need to buy a kennel, you used to be able to buy them directly from Delta. These are airline approved, some of the ones you can buy in pet stores are not. You don't want to arrive on the day of your flight and find out they won't take the kennel you have brought for shipping and then find they don't have any approved ones in stock. Sometimes getting them from Delta requires a couple days advance notice. You may want to go to the DASH office to order the kennel and explain that you will be shipping two tortoises in it, etc. to make sure they don't tll you that you need a wooden crate or a tropical fish box (or two) in which to ship the tortoises.

I am just trying to tell you how to avoid unpleasant surprises the day of shipping based on my personal experiences as an animal breeder when shipping birds, cats, dogs, and tortoises over the past 50 years or more.

zovick · Jun 30, 2020

ben32hayt said:
I need to ship my tortoises which are about 15-20 pounds from Tucson to New York. I want to use delta cargo however there are no direct flights flights so I was wondering if it would be fine to put them on a flight with one stop? Also what method do you think is the safest way for me to pack the tortoises? Thanks

@ben32hayt
There is another way to ship larger tortoises without buying a dog kennel or tropical fish boxes. This option totally slipped my mind the other day. Guess I am getting too old!

Anyway, I have shipped numerous larger tortoises in these storage totes from Home Depot:

HDX 27 Gal. Tough Storage Tote in Black and Yellow 999-27G-HDX - The Home Depot

This heavy-duty HDX 27-gallon Tough Tote is designed to handle all your storage needs. The recessed lid enables you to stack multiple units effortlessly, while the tapered design facilitates easy nesting

www.homedepot.com

You should be able to fit both of your tortoises in one of these totes. They are much less costly than the dog kennels, too. You need to have zip ties to place through the pre-made holes to secure the lid. I know Delta accepts tortoises in these totes because I have shipped a lot of 30+ lb adult Radiateds in them. Note that you do need to drill some air holes in the 4 sides to make them acceptable for shipping.

ben32hayt · Jul 1, 2020

zovick said:
@ben32hayt
There is another way to ship larger tortoises without buying a dog kennel or tropical fish boxes. This option totally slipped my mind the other day. Guess I am getting too old!

Anyway, I have shipped numerous larger tortoises in these storage totes from Home Depot:

HDX 27 Gal. Tough Storage Tote in Black and Yellow 999-27G-HDX - The Home Depot

This heavy-duty HDX 27-gallon Tough Tote is designed to handle all your storage needs. The recessed lid enables you to stack multiple units effortlessly, while the tapered design facilitates easy nesting

www.homedepot.com

You should be able to fit both of your tortoises in one of these totes. They are much less costly than the dog kennels, too. You need to have zip ties to place through the pre-made holes to secure the lid. I know Delta accepts tortoises in these totes because I have shipped a lot of 30+ lb adult Radiateds in them. Note that you do need to drill some air holes in the 4 sides to make them acceptable for shipping.

Thanks again for the help! I'll post an update once it's all done, I'd feel a lot better if there were direct flights but that's out of my control.

wellington · Jul 1, 2020

I also shipped Delta Dash from Chicago to Texas. There was unfortunately a short lay over in Atlanta. Luckily a friend and forum member didn't live far from the lay over had there been a problem she could have gotten them for me. They safely with no problems continued on to Texas. I shipped three. All in their own dog airline crates. Much safer are the crates and only one per crate is also much safer. I would not use a flimsy tote or more then one per container.
Good luck.
Btw Craig's list usually has dog crates for sale cheap.

zovick · Jul 3, 2020

wellington said:
I also shipped Delta Dash from Chicago to Texas. There was unfortunately a short lay over in Atlanta. Luckily a friend and forum member didn't live far from the lay over had there been a problem she could have gotten them for me. They safely with no problems continued on to Texas. I shipped three. All in their own dog airline crates. Much safer are the crates and only one per crate is also much safer. I would not use a flimsy tote or more then one per container.
Good luck.
Btw Craig's list usually has dog crates for sale cheap.

Those totes I linked are not flimsy. I know people who have shipped 50-75 lb. Aldabras and sulcatas in them. One of them is more than adequate and perfectly safe for shipping two 10" Radiated Tortoises. Anytime I have shipped more than one tortoise in such a container, I have fabricated partitions to keep the animals separated and protected from any injuries or shell damage.

Also, when using dog crates, the dog crates must be "airline approved" to be acceptable to Delta as I mentioned in my earlier post, so one bought off Craig's list may or may not meet the airline requirements, and an unaware shipper could be turned away on the day of shipping if the wrong type crate is presented and Delta does not have one available for sale at the time.

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