After signing up, you will have to go through a verification process. A customer service representative will call you to verify your information as well as your understanding of safe shipping procedures. If you violate safe shipping procedures you will unceremoniously be shown the door.

The UPS exemption to ship snakes it being provided with each and every label printed, to be used as a sort of to show that members are shipping under an approved account. Still having problems dropping off a package? The ReptileEXPRESS customer service number is printed right on the label so that any problems can be addressed immediately.

Shipping supplies can also be purchased from ReptilesEXPRESS at better bulk prices then Superior! Check out these boxes! They have the appropriate federal labeling printed right on the box! Talk about saving time! Once we run out of our standard Superior boxes we will be switching to these new ones!

Sign up and tell us what you think!

Hi there,

Due to some irresponsible shippers, UPS has directed our customers to temporarily stop shipping snakes with ShipYourReptiles.com.

We are working hard to reinstate safe snake shipping for our customers and the entire reptile community.

Other types of UPS-approved non-venomous reptiles — including geckos, lizards and turtles — may be shipped with ShipYourReptiles.com.

To make your shipments easy, we recommend you drop off your packages at a Staples or Office Depot shipping counter.

We will keep you updated on this matter.

Thanks for your patience and support,

– Robyn and the ShipYourReptiles.com team

Was their ever a snake shipping exemption that was to be used in the manner SYR was using it? We don’t know and probably will never know. SYR refused and still refuses to provide proof of the waiver. What are the users of SYR supposed to think now that UPS has revoked the supposed snake shipping exemption? Do they really buy the “Due to some irresponsible shippers” line? We do not believe that UPS revoked the exemption waiver because of a few bad apples. If this was the case, UPS wouldn’t be negotiating a contract with another reptile shipping system that will be released within the next few months.

SYR can’t even bring themselves to educate their users on Federal labeling requirements! Their video fails to explain that you are required to label the outside of the box and include a detailed packing list with the shipment. Their have been several accusations by customers that SYR employees tell them to lie about the contents of the package (invertebrates and plants are popular suggestions). Perhaps this is why the exemption has been revoked? Really, it’s all speculation at this point. Unless UPS makes a public statement, we’ll never know.

As far as the other UPS reptile shipping system mentioned…We hope to be able to get a sneak peek of it before it launches. We’re very excited about it because it’s being done the right way. Legit contracts are being required and a waiver is being provided for shippers to include with their shipments. We have also viewed a portion of the actual waiver regarding shipping snakes (unlike SYR). We’ll be sure to make a post when more information is provided…We hope to have something for everyone very soon!

March 19 – 21, 2010

Show times:
Friday 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

We had a customer relinquish a Cornsnake a few months ago because he had wounds on the lower third of his body. They were so bad past his vent, we thought he might require amputation of his tail. To our experienced eyes, it looked like the snake had been chewed on by a rodent. As you can see from the pictures below, the damage was deep, nearly to the bone. To aggravate matters, the owner continued to keep him on aspen bedding which adhered to the scabbing as his body tried to heal. While the owner admitted feeding live, they denied leaving a rodent unattended with him. For a rodent to do this much damage, it had to have been in his cage for several days.

A very good friend of ours took him in for rehabilitation. She soaked him in a vet grade antiseptic, cleaned out his wounds and set him up on paper towels. Within a few weeks his wounds began to heal and he began feeding again. He has healed beautifully considering the damage done. It is unlikely his coloration will return in the areas of the worst wounds. This snake would have never had to suffer if just a moderate amount of attention had been made during feeding. It is also ill-responsible to allow an animal to get this bad before seeking treatment.

I hope this post encourages owners to take more care and if their is a problem, don’t wait to seek help.

Previously called the Northern Berks Reptile Show, the new East Coast Reptile Super Expos feature the best venues we have ever seen at a Pennsylvania reptile show. Marty’s decision to leave the Hamburg Fieldhouse has proven to be a good choice. Climate control, a clean building, massive amount of space inside and outside (parking)…Can’t get better then that!

We’ll be attending or vending this group of shows this Summer, so if you see our table, stop by and say hi!

Check out our Shows page to see a full listing of show dates for this show and others!

BALL PYTHONS

• 6.11 Possible het Albino  (from het x het breedings) $75 pr
• 8.14 Possible het  VPI Axanthic (from het x het breedings) $75 pr
• 5.7 Possible het  SK Axanthic (from het x het breedings) $75 pr
• 4.7 Possible het Piebald (from het x het breedings) $75 pr
• 1.0 2007 100% het pied (Kahl) $100
• 1.0 2007 100 % het pied (Miles) $100
• 1.0 2007 100% het Ghost  (Ian G.) $135

BOA CONSTRICTORS

• 16.13 2009 Normals $75 each
• 0.1 2009 Albino possible het Stripe (from Albino het stripe x Hypo het Albino breeding) $300
• 1.0 2008 Pastel Boa $150
• 0.3 2007 Pastels $175 ea
• 0.1 2007 Normal $175
• 1.1 2007 Normals het Anery  possible het Albino (from Kahl Anery het Albino x Hypo het Albino) $300 pr
• 9.5 2009 Pastels $135 ea
• 6.8 2009 Het Albinos $100 ea
• 8.12 2009 Albinos $300 ea

DUMERILS BOAS

• 1.1 2007 Dumerills Boas (should be ready to go this season) $400 pr

HONDURANS

• 2.2 2007 Tangerine Tri-Color Hypo $250 pr
• 1.1 2007 Het Anery $200 pr
• 1.1 2007 Hypo x Pinstripe Hypo $250 pr
• 2.3 2005 het Snow Hondurans (proven) $300 pr
• 1.0 2005 het Hybino Honduran (proven) $175
• 0.2 2006 Tangerines (proven) $125 ea
• 0.1 2005 Hypo het Anery(proven) $150
• 1.0 2005 Tri-Color Hypo het Anery (proven) $175
• 1.0 2005Albino (proven) $200
• 1.1 2005 Pinstripe Hypo (proven) $350 pr
• 0.1 2006 Anery het Albino (proven) $150
• 1.1 2005 Tangerine Albino & Anery het Albino (proven) $300 pr
• 0.1 2005 Hypo het Anery (proven) $125

“If a customer wishes to use UPS through ShipYourReptiles.com, we are happy to oblige however, if their are any problems for which UPS is at fault, our Live Arrival Guarantee is void. For more information on why this is our policy, click here.”

We do not wish to discourage our customers by refusing to offer the service, however we will not be held liable for the mishaps that have resulted when we have attempted to use UPS. Customers may choose UPS over FedEx at their own risk and agree to these terms upon sending payment.

The BOI is a peer-reviewed forum designed to provide feedback on buyers and sellers in the herptile industry. The Board of Inquiry has helped thousands from being taken advantage of in internet sales. The BOI has been helping this industry for over eight years and now it’s time for us to step up and help!

Don’t let the “bad guys” win! Support the Board of Inquiry!

In instance one, our first shipment using SYR and UPS, the package was misplaced here in Pennsylvania. Luckily the snake was not going to a customer, but out on breeding loan. She took two days to arrive to her location even though she was just going a few states south. She did arrive in good health and our shipping fees were refunded by SYR, but lost packages (particularily when they contain live animals) are unacceptable to us. Shipping is stressful enough without the added worry of a company delivering packages 1-2 days beyond there scheduled delivery date.

Instance two happened just this past week and is far more of a serious matter then a single shipment arriving a day late. We were to receive a group of 10 ball pythons from a close friend who is to start Army boot camp next week. They were to arrive on Wednesday, however on Tuesday a phone call was made from the UPS Store the snakes were dropped off at…The UPS Store had opened the box and was refusing to ship the snakes because it is against UPS policy.

While it is against UPS standard policy, we had been led to believe that SYR had received an exemption to ship snakes under their account. UPS does accept the legged variety of reptile, but has a specific policy against the shipment of snakes. At the time of this writing, no documents have been provided showing SYR’s exemption to this policy. We are specifically looking for an official UPS document that gives users of SYR permission to ship snakes and can be included with each and every shipment to prevent problems.

SYR handled the situation quickly and apologized for the problem. A representative from SYR scheduled a pickup at the shippers location for the following day (Wednesday) with the same tracking number. On Wednesday the snakes were picked up without a concern, however the tracking number had been flagged from the day before and as soon as it was scanned at the UPS facility it was stopped, opened and refused. Messages were left on the shippers phone notifying her that if she did not retrieve her snakes by 10pm EST they would be turned over to Animal Control. Sadly the shipper did not receive the messages until the animals had already been turned over to Animal Control.

The shipper paid a $162 fee and picked up the 10 snakes from Animal Control Thursday afternoon (they were unavailable for pickup until 2pm EST). The snakes at this time appear no worse for wear from their stressful ordeal. We are attempting a final attempt at shipment on Monday and do not plan on using SYR again.

ShipYourReptiles.com has refunded the shipping fees and has agreed to provide a reimbursement for the Animal Control fees. We have not yet been provided an official, solid explanation as to why this happened or how it will be prevented by SYR in the future. This is ultimately why we will not send or receive snakes through UPS; we can not and will not risk the safety of our animals.

We would like to repeat that UPS does accept the legged variety of reptile, so you should have little trouble using SYR’s service for them.

While every time we ship out an animal we are taking a risk, it is our responsibility to minimize that risk as best we can.

Virtually all fish, birds and reptiles kept as pets are not native to the United States and will be affected by this bill. Small animals are not exempt either…Hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and ferrets are not native to the US.

If you are a pet lover, say no to H.R. 669 now!