*KNOCK* *KNOCK* something has arrived at your door. As you open the door you look down and grow excitement. Your reptile shipment has arrived! Now what?
What to do when you receive your new pet reptile:
- Open Box Carefully
- Un-bag/Un-cup Reptile
- Set-Up Reptile
Seems simple enough right? It is, and it isn't. Always remember that your new pet reptile just spent a night traveling in a box and they can be stressed. It's always important to account for your reptiles needs before your own excitement.
Open Box Carefully:
Examine your box to make sure there is no damage from the shipment like dents or big holes. It is not very common for anything bad to happen during shipment but it is always best to be aware. Open the box and discard any unnecessary contents. Some reptile breeders and reptile shops may throw in some stickers/invoices so look out for that!
Un-Bag/Un-Cup Reptile:
This is the best part. You get to see your new pet reptile for the first time! I always recommend minimal handling when your reptile first arrives. However, always examine your animal to make sure it has clear eyes, no serious damage like scars, missing and broken limbs (please note that when dealing with live animals some may have small bite marks from feeders and that can be common but not serious), also make sure there is no bubbling around the mouth or nose, no parasites, and lastly check the outward health of the animal to make sure they're as active as they should be.
Set-Up Reptile:
After you have removed your new pet reptile from its bag/cup you may consider soaking it in a small amount of lukewarm water so that it can hydrate in case if it peed or pooped in its bag/cup. Make sure your reptile enclosure is set up prior to putting in your new reptile. Like we said above, we recommend minimal handling when your pet reptile arrives, but that also goes for the first few days and maybe even up to a couple weeks after it has arrived. This helps to avoid any additional stress. You may start handling your pet reptile once you see it poop after its first meal with you, also make sure your reptile is drinking water (depends on species).
Understanding the shipping process
We think its very important for our customers to understand the shipping process in order for them to understand why it's important to have a solid routine when receiving your shipment. Like most reptile companies, we ship priority overnight. This means your reptile arrives the following day after we ship, usually between 10-noon and sometimes up to around 4-5pm depending on your location. There may sometimes be delays, which are VERY rare, but we make sure to pack the animals well incase of any emergency. This way your reptiles arrive alive. We monitor shipping temperatures as we need to make sure your reptile does not over heat or get too cold, and this can also be species specific. Our staff has experts in this and we have many years of knowledge on our side. Your reptile shipment leaves our shop close to the FedEx deadline to avoid unnecessary stress. Once it arrives to our FedEx hub it gets sent to the airline and travels to the main FedEx sorting facilities. And in the middle of the night it leaves the FedEx sorting facilities and travels to the FedEx hub that serves your area. At this point your package either stays at FedEx if you requested a "hold for pick up" (which is always the safest option) or it gets on a truck and will be dropped off at your door!
Quarantine
When introducing your new pet reptile into your already existing collection it may be important to not introduce them directly to your collection. This helps avoid any unfamiliar bacterias or parasites moving between your collection and your new pet reptile. We have a detailed article on quarantining your reptile coming soon! If the reptile you are receiving is the only reptile you own, you do not need to worry about quarantine.
Post shipment care routine
Although we do recommend minimal handling of your new pet reptile, it is still important to have regular cleanings, feedings and water changes. If you do quarantine your new animals make sure to take care of your routine after you work with your existing collection.
Handling your new pet reptile
Your animal is adjusted, now its time for you to handle your reptiles and really enjoy getting to know them! With a little bit of patience and great husbandry you will be able to have a great reptile companion for many years.
Links:
Imperial Reptiles Policies Shipping Guidelines
Imperial Reptiles Supplies for sale
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