We do! Grab some popcorn and enjoy!

NOTE: This video includes the use of a heat pack in the demonstration. Many packages do not need a Heat Pack. Please refer to our Temperature Guidelines to determine whether your package needs one.

1. Gather your shipping supplies.

ShipYourReptiles.com shipping kits contain everything you need:

• Insulated box of the appropriate size

• Zip tie

• Deli cup and/or cloth reptile bag, matched to type and size of animal

• Heat pack

• Cold pack

• Self adhering label envelope

• Harmless LIVE REPTILE label for the interior of your box (included in above link)

2. Gather packing material

You may use your own supplies, but they must meet or exceed ShipYourReptiles.com Shipping Standards.

Start your heat pack two hours before shipping. How to use a heat pack

or Freeze your cold pack overnight. How to use a cold pack. 

3. Prepare the shipping box

Insert the insulating foam panels on the bottom and sides of your box if necessary.

Ventilate the box by punching four 1/4" holes with a Philips screwdriver (two holes on opposing sides). Punch them from the outside in, going through the box and the insulating foam. Do this before you put anything else (especially your reptile) in the box.

4. Create a nest with packing material

Crumpled newspaper works well. Line the bottom and sides of the box so the deli cup or reptile bag will rest securely in the nest.

Not all shipments require a heat pack and most do not need them.

Refer to our Temperature Guidelines to determine whether or not your package needs one.

If you do use a heat pack, make sure to tape the heat pack to the underside of your lid keeping the red line visible. Do not tape over the red line. Do not use a heat pack that feels hard or stiff. The red line should face the interior of the box.

Critical Issues for Heat Pack Use

A. Heat packs should never come into direct contact with the animal bag/container. 

B. There should always be crumpled newspaper or other packaging material between the heat pack and animal bag/container.

C. Heat pack should never be placed under an animal bag/container, as it will result in high likelihood of DOA.

D. Heat pack should be taped securely to underside of the styrofoam lid. 

E. We do not recommend heat pack use in any box smaller than the 12x9x6. If you need a heat pack with your shipment, you should use the 12x9x6 box or larger. 

5. Prepare the deli cup or cloth bag

Inspect the cup or bag to make sure there are no cracks, holes or weak spots.

Using a Sharpie pen, label the cup or bag with species and sex.

6. Inspect the animal

NO VENOMOUS REPTILES are allowed through FedEx or ShipYourReptiles.com.

No Mammals are allowed through FedEx or ShipYourReptiles.com.

Only ship a healthy animal with good weight. Please do not to ship when an animal is in shed. Please do not to feed a reptile the week before shipping to prevent regurgitation during shipping.

Be 100% confident in the animal you are shipping. Go over it in detail, so you know exactly what your customer will see when opening the package.

7. Put the animal into the container

Leave the animal room to move. Use packing material as a cushion and to absorb any waste.

Bag—Inspect the bag to be sure there are no holes or broken seams. We prefer a zip tie to seal the bag for total security (one is included with each shipping kit). Some shippers tie their bags, others use tape and some use a combination of methods. The bag must be closed securely.

Cup—Tape completely around the rim. Do not cover the air holes (re-punch air holes if necessary).

8. Put the container in the box

Nestle the cup or bag into the nesting material. The container should not have room to jostle inside the box.

Put on the top insulating foam panel/lid with the heat pack or cold pack (if needed) facing down.

Put your receipt, caresheet and other paperwork on top of the insulating foam lid. Place your harmless LIVE REPTILE label that comes with your shipping kit on top with the duplicate shipping address in the space provided. This harmless LIVE REPTILE note should be the first thing a person sees when opening the box.

9. Label your package in accordance with the Lacey Act

You are required to mark the outside of the package with a complete list of the animal(s) inside, including quantities, common names and scientific names. A Lacey Act/IATA label must also be included. These can be ordered from SYR/SYA as stickers.

10. Fasten the label and ship

If you haven’t already done so, enter your package and shipping information into ShipYourReptiles.com and purchase your shipping label.

You can print your shipping label from the ShipYourReptiles.com or from your confirmation email.

If you are using a thermal label printer, the label will be self-adhesive. If you print your label on regular paper, place your label inside the provided label pouch and affix the self adhesive pouch to the top of your shipping box.

We recommend dropping your package off at the actual FedEx facility. Do not use a FedEx Office location.

Find a FedEx Facility. Use the Filter and select the "Dangerous Goods" filter to weed out everything except the actual FedEx facilities. 

Track your package using your FedEx tracking number on the home page of ShipYourReptiles.com.

If you have any questions or issues with your shipment, please contact us directly. You are a ShipYourReptiles.com client, not a direct FedEx client, and we will help you answer questions, clarify tracking or process claims. You can call us at 303 730-2125 or email us at Info@shipyourreptiles.com.

Shipping kits come with 3/4" foam insulation panels on all six sides. To get a visual of how much space is inside the box, subtract ~1.5" from each of the box dimensions. For instance, a #2 box, 12x9x6, would have an interior space of 10.5 x 7.5 x 4.5 inches. You want to allow for some room to add padding around the animal(s) on all sides.

The larger the box, the more expensive it will be to ship, so choose the smallest box possible that will allow your animal to fit safely with padding around it. You might consider "test packing" in a box or tub you have at home to get an idea of how much space you actually need then choose the kit size that comes closest.

As always, our Customer Service staff he happy to help you figure it out!

Contact us at Info@shipyourreptiles.com or 303-730-2125
Monday thru Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. MST.

Use a deli cup for small, delicate animals. The more delicate the animal, the more it needs the structure of the deli cup. Use a deli cup for small reptiles including geckos and lizards (less than 1" x 16"), frogs, and other delicate creatures.

Use a cloth reptile bag for larger reptiles that have more size and weight.

When shipping a large and small animal in the same box, we recommend placing the smaller animal in a deli cup as the structural support can help prevent accidental crushing by the larger animal.

All shipping supplies and shipping kits sold on Shipyourreptiles.com meet the reptile-shipping standards developed by Shipyourreptiles.com and are specifically certified by the FedEx Packaging Lab. If you use a Ship Your Reptiles shipping kit or shipping supplies according to our directions you can feel secure that you are shipping your reptile safely and reliably.

Shipping Kits 

You may use your own shipping supplies, but they must meet or exceed Ship Your Reptiles and All Pro Shipping:

Cardboard box must be new, or like new, with a minimum burst strength of 275 lbs.

There can be no markings that indicate dangerous or illegal contents (no alcohol boxes). Box must not have any kind of warning or hazardous material markings or stickers.

Box should be labeled in accordance with the Lacey Act. 

Insulation lining must be tight fitting and at least ¾ inch thick. The insulation lining must cover all four sides of the inside of the cardboard box, which includes the top and bottom.

Heat or cold packs must be used according to shipyourreptiles.com Shipping Standards.

You must use a “triple container.”

• The deli cup or cloth reptile bag

• The insulating foam container

• The cardboard box

You must seal the box adequately.

All shipping labels must be fully legible.

Boxes from the US Postal service, "Priority Mail" or "Express Mail" boxes, as well as many Amazon.com boxes, are too thin and do not meet the FedEx box standard. These are NOT ALLOWED for live animal shipments. Using a thin cardboard box, or one of the boxes mentioned in this paragraph, nullifies any SYR Insurance coverage.

If you have any doubts, use supplies available on shipyourreptiles.com.

Remember: What you do affects the entire invert hobby and industry. The general public has a right to live their lives without encountering an animal that has escaped improper packaging during shipping.

Take responsibility. Do your part. Pack your animal properly. Make sure it reaches its destination safely. It is good for the animal, he recipient, and you.

It's critical that you enter accurate information on every part of the label ordering process.  If you use inaccurate data, FedEx will charge us an additional feethat we pass on to you.

Incorrect address charges

When ordering your shipping label, do NOT put a PO Box in the address fields. FedEx will not be able to complete the delivery without an address correction.

If FedEx attempts to deliver your package and it is the wrong address or an address doesn’t exist, they charge extra.

Double-check your addresses and enter them accurately. 3911 Norwood Drive is not the same as 391 Norwood Drive, 3913 Norwood Drive, nor 3911 Norwood Avenue. The 80123 zip code is not the same as the 80128.

Each of those variations will incur an address correction fee of #address_correction, which will be charged to your credit card.

If you realize you have entered the wrong address after the package has been handed over to FedEx, contact us at 303-730-2125 or info@shipyourreptiles.com. There may still be a fee charged to make the change, but if caught early enough we can facilitate a change of address on the label.

Dimensional weight charges

FedEx measures your package with lasers and if they determine your package is bigger than you said there will be an additional fee.

NOTE:

The measurements shown on your box indicate the internal size of the box. This is the standard used by the packaging industry. However, FedEx measures the external size of the box and they round up to the nearest inch. FedEx may measure our popular 12x9x6 box as 12x9x7 inches and that is what they charge.

Measure the outside of your sealed box accurately. Round up to the nearest inch. Enter your information correctly. Measure twice. Double-check then ship.

Incorrect weight charges

Incorrect weight shipping charge corrections occur when the weight of a package is greater than the weight indicated at the time of shipping or is greater than the dimensional weight.

To avoid Incorrect Weight shipping charge corrections, use any standard scale and round up any fraction of a pound to the next full pound. Enter that number into the ShipYourReptiles.com.

If you estimate the size or weight of your package as larger/heavier than it really is there will not be any penalty fees added, but you will have paid more for that shipment than needed.

Accurate measurements are always best for your bottom line.

Contact Info

Provide accurate email and phone numbers so Ship Your Reptiles and/or FedEx can reach you if something goes awry with your shipment. Critical tracking updates are sent to the emails you provide, so make sure they work!

The FedEx shipping label is first and foremost and must be placed in a clear and visible location.

When ordering the shipping label do NOT put a PO Box in the address fields. FedEx does not deliver to PO Boxes.

In addition to the FedEx shipping label, it is important you mark your package to indicate its contents.

The Federal Lacey Act and various state regulations require specific labeling. You are required to mark the outside of the package with a complete list of the animal(s) inside, including quantities, common names and scientific names.

An IATA label must also be included. These can be ordered from SYR/SYA as stickers or you can print your own on plain paper and tape it to the box where it can be clearly seen. Different states may have different requirements, but this labeling direction meets all state requirements.

Contact individual state Fish & Wildlife offices for any additional requirements regarding labeling, health certificates, permits or restrictions. 

It is IMPORTANT that you clearly indicate quantity and species and label your live package appropriately. Failure to label your live shipments accurately and/or completely may result in delay, inspection, confiscation, and/or monetary fines. Florida and California are especially vigilant. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure compliance.

To assist you we can provided you with a Lacey Act/IATA label that includes our FedEx Reference Note and space for listing the contents of the box. Complete it and place it on the side of any live reptile/aquatics package where it can be clearly seen.

Purchase Lacey Act/IATA label stickers

To meet the IATA labeling requirement you must check/circle the appropriate Live Animal Indicator.

To meet the Lacey Act labeling requirement you must list your species by quantity in both scientific and common names.

If you use plain paper to print the Lacey Act/IATA label, be sure to cover it with tape to prevent tears or weather wear.

The FedEx Reference Note on this label is provided for rare moments when a FedEx employee balks at accepting a live shipment. It is intended to alleviate concerns and instructs the employee to contact the FedEx Live Animal Desk through their internal system for clarification.

Be sure to include your paperwork* inside the top flap of the box on top of the foam insulation.

*Sales receipt or packing list, as well as the species and quantities of live harmless reptiles contained in the package.

It is important that you print the LaceyAct/IATA label and fasten it to your shipping box where it can be clearly seen but does not obstruct the shipping label. Our FedEx reference note has been included on the Lacey Act/IATA label. That note will answer FedEx employees' questions about your shipment with shipyourreptiles.com.

Purchase Lacey Act/IATA label stickers