Moving across country (7-8 day trip); seeking advice.

[Eggtort]

Hi everyone! So I know that similar threads like this exist- but many of them are from 2011-2012, so I was wondering if any of the information has changed.

I currently have a Russian tortoise (along with 3 yellow-bellied sliders, but I have moved them before across multiple states so I have a better idea on how I want to move with them). I will be moving from one side of the country to the other in May (think NJ to CA kind of trip). It is going to take us around 7-8 days to get to the west coast and around 2-3 days to set up; we plan on doing a stop or two at a friend's place along the way.

Right now, I have a massive enclosure for my tortoise. I know that for the trip she will have to be in something smaller since we have a Mazda 3, which doesn't have a lot of room in comparison to a van. I'm thinking of transporting her in a 30-40 gallon rubbermaid and letting her ride in the backseat. I want to mimic the enclosure as much as possible. I would be putting in her ramp feeding dish with food, a fake plant or two, and her usual water dish. I saw that someone advised keeping a gallon of water from the home state and using that for her water/soaks until we arrive, so I will be doing that.

I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the lighting situation? We will be moving in the summer, so it will definitely be warm and sunny out. Should I try to hook up the UVA/UVB to a spare car battery set-up so that she has light as we travel? Or will the natural light coming in from the windows suffice?

Also, my other worry is her eating habits. She is very healthy and eats like a champ now, but I'm afraid she'll go on an eating strike during the move. She is quite temperamental to begin with (doesn't like to be handled too much, prefers her habitat set up in a certain way, etc.) so I'm afraid this will cause her to hate me in the long run. Can anyone give me advice about this potential issue? I would keep to her normal feeding/soaking schedule throughout the trip.

Also, is there anything else I should consider? Thanks so much in advance!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Hi everyone! So I know that similar threads like this exist- but many of them are from 2011-2012, so I was wondering if any of the information has changed.

I currently have a Russian tortoise (along with 3 yellow-bellied sliders, but I have moved them before across multiple states so I have a better idea on how I want to move with them). I will be moving from one side of the country to the other in May (think NJ to CA kind of trip). It is going to take us around 7-8 days to get to the west coast and around 2-3 days to set up; we plan on doing a stop or two at a friend's place along the way.

Right now, I have a massive enclosure for my tortoise. I know that for the trip she will have to be in something smaller since we have a Mazda 3, which doesn't have a lot of room in comparison to a van. I'm thinking of transporting her in a 30-40 gallon rubbermaid and letting her ride in the backseat. I want to mimic the enclosure as much as possible. I would be putting in her ramp feeding dish with food, a fake plant or two, and her usual water dish. I saw that someone advised keeping a gallon of water from the home state and using that for her water/soaks until we arrive, so I will be doing that.

I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the lighting situation? We will be moving in the summer, so it will definitely be warm and sunny out. Should I try to hook up the UVA/UVB to a spare car battery set-up so that she has light as we travel? Or will the natural light coming in from the windows suffice?

Also, my other worry is her eating habits. She is very healthy and eats like a champ now, but I'm afraid she'll go on an eating strike during the move. She is quite temperamental to begin with (doesn't like to be handled too much, prefers her habitat set up in a certain way, etc.) so I'm afraid this will cause her to hate me in the long run. Can anyone give me advice about this potential issue? I would keep to her normal feeding/soaking schedule throughout the trip.

Also, is there anything else I should consider? Thanks so much in advance!

Hello, One thing to be aware of is that in May, there will be parts of your trip that are still cold. I-90 will have lots of cooler places along the way particularly North Dakota area. If you're taking I-80, it is very likely you can still encounter snow on the ground in places like Wyoming and in the mountains of Utah. I-70 will be the warmest route, but Denver area can still be sketchy through June. You'll want to be prepared to supply warmth to your tortoises for at least parts of the trip, particularly night driving.

I recently made a detailed post with lots of photos about how we travel with our Sulcata. I show our setup and discuss ways to help your tortoise acclimate. Check it out and see if anything helps you ...
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/car-travel-set-up.134511/

 

[Eggtort]

Thank you! We would be going south through warmer states but night driving will get chilly! Love that set up in your car, especially the cover and lamp idea!!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Great!

My biggest advice would be to go ahead and experiment with your travel set up now. You could even start putting your super sensitive tortoise in it for brief visits regularly now and get him as used to it as possible. Also, I looked over your post again and wanted to mention that if I were in your shoes, I'd use a flatter food dish in there, just in case you make a quick stop or sharp turn when your tortoise is heading up the ramp to feed. I like things as flat and tight as possible to reduce chance of flipping.-Just a thought

Good luck and PLEASE post how your travel preparations go and I'll be especially eager to hear about the trip!!

 

[Eggtort]

Great!

My biggest advice would be to go ahead and experiment with your travel set up now. You could even start putting your super sensitive tortoise in it for brief visits regularly now and get him as used to it as possible. Also, I looked over your post again and wanted to mention that if I were in your shoes, I'd use a flatter food dish in there, just in case you make a quick stop or sharp turn when your tortoise is heading up the ramp to feed. I like things as flat and tight as possible to reduce chance of flipping.-Just a thought

Good luck and PLEASE post how your travel preparations go and I'll be especially eager to hear about the trip!!

Thank you very much! I will go ahead and do that this weekend to get her ready. I also did a shopping haul and picked up tons of spare clamps, UVA/UVB/ceramic heater bulbs, etc. so I can go ahead and start designing everything. I will be sure to post pictures about our travels when the time comes!

 

[motero]

Maybe I sound heartless, But if you tortoise is in good health, I would put it in a nice small box cozy and dark with padding and absorbent disposable things. And forget all the rest. Let it cool down to ambient temps and he will just sleep through the ride and not even care. Just like a cold front moved through and it was cloudy and cool for a few days.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Maybe I sound heartless, But if you tortoise is in good health, I would put it in a nice small box cozy and dark with padding and absorbent disposable things. And forget all the rest. Let it cool down to ambient temps and he will just sleep through the ride and not even care. Just like a cold front moved through and it was cloudy and cool for a few days.

Not heartless. I think what you are saying makes perfect sense for shorter trips and is absolutely worth mentioning. I've seen one or two older websites suggest a similar travel method.

But, where she is going to be traveling for over a week and stopping at hotels etc where she'd have to create a quick temporary habitat for her tortoise every time she stops, not to mention move into the house, and not have her tortoise housing set up for a few days; it really seems to make sense to have a quick well-prepared set up that can keep the tortoise comfortable and be simply carried in and out of hotel rooms along the way.

Every tortoise is different, but my own beastie is proof that some tortoises are capable of acclimating and eventually have very little disruption to their lives if properly housed while traveling.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I so totally agree with Motero. I just took a 60 lb Sulcata on a road trip, and what I do is build a box just barely bigger than the tort. Make a locking lid. Keep it soft, dark and close and he'll sleep most of the time. I used a bath mat, and hay. He slept like a baby. If I use a motel I bring a CHE with me, his own water and own food. They travel well actually.

 

[Eggtort]

Thank you everyone for your responses! I will post updates soon about travel info and with pics of the test enclosures for more advice!

 

[Tony the tank]

I moved 1600 miles with 3 over 100lbs Sulcatas.. And 3 150lbs Rottweilers..Every night I unloaded them from there Rubbermaid containers... One by one.. They each got an apple and a head of romaine..then back in the bins....the trip took me 3days... All the torts did well... Don't think the lighting will be an issue for a week... In the winter here sometimes I don't see my Sulcatas for well over a week...preferring to stay in there dark warm hide than venture out into the cold..