Upcoming shipping dates:
Arrival on Thursday 9/21 & Thursday 9/28
Shipping & Receiving Info
Cost of Shipping:
The Shipping Process:
Arrival Time?
There’s nothing quite like that feeling of knowing your new gecko is on its way to your door. But when will it arrive? Doesn’t FedEx guarantee that all Priority Overnight packages will arrive by 10:30 AM? No, not really...
Picking up at a Ship Center:
Pros:
How to find a ship center:
How are the geckos actually shipped? Is it safe?
In short...yes, it is incredibly safe! I ship hundreds of boxes each year and never have had a dead on arrival directly related to shipping. I use the highest standard in shipping every gecko whether it's a $50 pet gecko, or a $1000 breeder. I check the destination/hub's weather days in advance and pack accordingly. I also drop off the gecko directly to the airport as late as possible so it avoids my weather/drivers all together. I use the latest technology when it comes to using heat packs, cryopaks, and cold packs. In fact, many breeders look to me for advise for various shipping conditions.
*Keep in mind that if you buy a gecko from a large chain store, you are getting an already shipped gecko that has been through far more stress than receiving directly from the breeder. Many of these chain store geckos are shipped together in large bags, and then kept together leading to many stress related issues.
Some frequent questions about our shipping methods...
Why is the gecko cold upon arrival? I thought they need a lot of heat?
Why is the gecko packed in such a small deli?
Gecko arrives...now what?
Here are some basic guidelines to follow when you receive your gecko in an overnight package to help minimize stress and ease the transition.
A Basic “Must Have” Checklist:
If any of these seem new to you at all, please read through the full care sheet thoroughly!
Any questions you can email me at geckoboa@yahoo.com. Please read through care sheet and watch videos before emailing me.
- Shipping within the continental US - $45/Unlimited Geckos
- Shipping to Canada - $45/box US shipping fee + 3rd party Import fee: Click to see Reptile Express for current rates.
- Shipping to Japan - $690 plus 8% tax. ($1000 minimum order)
- Exports to other countries are possible, but you must handle the import yourself (local fees, taxes, paperwork, etc).
The Shipping Process:
- What days do I ship? : I usually ship on Wednesday for Thursday arrival, but this is open to change week by week. FedEx Express is not open on Sundays and a skeleton crew on Saturdays, so shipping on or near the weekend is not possible. If there was a delay then you risk the shipment running through the weekend. This is the industry standard with shipping live reptiles so there are no exceptions.
Note: If you have other obligations during the week, then I can arrange to have the package held at a FedEx Ship Center for pickup when you are off. This is probably the safest way to ship anyway, since we avoid the final home delivery driver. - Once you have paid for your order, I will email you to setup a shipping day. I will never ship blindly without first confirming someone will be home. I will not ship until I have confirmed a day and your that address is correct. Please allow up to 48 hours after placing an order for me to respond. (I usually get back within a day)
- On the day of shipping you will receive a tracking number via the automatic FedEx system. I usually process all the shipments together later in the afternoon. If you haven't received a tracking number by 2 PM Mountain, then email me to get your tracking. Sometimes spam filters will block the auto tracking emails.
Arrival Time?
There’s nothing quite like that feeling of knowing your new gecko is on its way to your door. But when will it arrive? Doesn’t FedEx guarantee that all Priority Overnight packages will arrive by 10:30 AM? No, not really...
- 10:30 AM is the Guaranteed Time of Arrival (GTA) for the majority of their deliveries. Cities with large populations have multiple FedEx hubs that allow for a very rapid disbursement of the day’s shipments. The further out one goes from those hubs the longer it takes for deliveries to be completed. Typically this GTA will arrive between 8:30 -12 AM.
- Outlying suburbs may have a 12:00 PM GTA. Typically this GTA will arrive between 10 AM - 12:30 PM
- Rural areas may have a 4:30 PM delivery guarantee. Typically this GTA will arrive between 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM
- Really remote areas may be as late as 6:00 PM.
- By your tracking.
- You can use the Quick Quote feature on the main page of ShipYourReptiles. Fill in the origin (83705) and destination zip codes and you’ll see the GTA for that package.
Picking up at a Ship Center:
Pros:
- Safest and most reliable method - Eliminates the last driver where most issues can occur.
- Avoid most adverse weather and road conditions. Packages are stored inside at room temps. This may allow me to ship to you when it would not be normally possible.
- Pick up at your convenience - You don't have to wait at home for a package to be delivered. Best for people that have weekday obligations.
- Less chance of delays. Most delays will happen at either the main hubs or with the last driver. Ship centers eliminate the last driver.
- Less stress for the gecko. The final delivery can be where most of the rough handling occurs.
- Highly recommended if you live in an apartment or have had delivery issues in the past.
- You have to drive to an authorized ship center to pick up the package.
- Some rural locations can be very far away from a Ship Center. Unfortunately these locations also take the longest to get to for a FedEx driver.
How to find a ship center:
- Follow this link: http://www.fedex.com/locate/
- Enter in your zip code
- Click the "more" tab to reveal additional filters. Click the "ship dangerous goods" filter to reveal all Ship Centers.
- Check your Ship Centers hours
- Typically overnight packages will be available within 1 hour after opening. This is where you would want to check your tracking and possibly call the ship center first. Typically tracking will state "Ready for Pickup" once the package has been processed.
- Bring a photo ID to confirm your identity.
How are the geckos actually shipped? Is it safe?
In short...yes, it is incredibly safe! I ship hundreds of boxes each year and never have had a dead on arrival directly related to shipping. I use the highest standard in shipping every gecko whether it's a $50 pet gecko, or a $1000 breeder. I check the destination/hub's weather days in advance and pack accordingly. I also drop off the gecko directly to the airport as late as possible so it avoids my weather/drivers all together. I use the latest technology when it comes to using heat packs, cryopaks, and cold packs. In fact, many breeders look to me for advise for various shipping conditions.
*Keep in mind that if you buy a gecko from a large chain store, you are getting an already shipped gecko that has been through far more stress than receiving directly from the breeder. Many of these chain store geckos are shipped together in large bags, and then kept together leading to many stress related issues.
Some frequent questions about our shipping methods...
Why is the gecko cold upon arrival? I thought they need a lot of heat?
- So when it comes to shipping geckos, it is always important to aim for lower temps than higher temps. For one, geckos slow down when they get a little cold making them go into a somewhat sedated state. This allows for a less stressful trip and a quicker transition. Secondly, geckos will bounce back from being very cold (even near freezing), whereas being slightly overheated for even a very short period can be lethal. Best to always err on the side of caution.
- On smaller boxes I usually punch 1 hole, but on larger boxes I might not at all.
- Simple answer is that it is not always needed. For the same reason you don't punch large holes in your home's walls. Boxes (especially larger ones) are no where near air tight and allow plenty of oxygen exchange for a small reptile. Punching holes ends up defeating the purpose for insulation.
Why is the gecko packed in such a small deli?
- We kid ourselves if we think FedEx or other couriers always keep the boxes upright and handled very gently during the entire trip. When we pack a gecko tightly into a deli it's to secure them in and not allow them to bounce around during their trip. Packing a gecko too loose can actually cause injury and a lot more stress. Think of it as a gecko seat-belt. Also, by understanding leopard gecko biology, it tells us they like very tight spots. In their natural environment they will wedge into the smallest tightest crevice they can find. It makes them feel very secure and safe. Leopard geckos have what can be best described as reverse claustrophobia. It's important not to subject them to our personal feelings and instead observe their behavior to know what's best.
- In accordance with the Lacy Act, I ship in size appropriate foam panel insert white boxes that state perishable on the sides. Their will be one label that states "Live Harmless Reptiles", the species name, and number of geckos. I follow the law to the letter, but I also don't want to excessively advertise that their are reptiles in the box. After many years of shipping, I believe it's safer for the geckos if the box isn't made into a reptile billboard. Let's face it, some people don't like reptiles and we want to avoid anything malicious being done to the box.
Gecko arrives...now what?
Here are some basic guidelines to follow when you receive your gecko in an overnight package to help minimize stress and ease the transition.
- First thing is to make sure to bring the package inside to room temperature.
- Once open, if the gecko/packaging seems very cold, allow the gecko to slowly warm to room temperature. If you heat them too quickly it is possible that it could lead to neurological issues. Do not place them back in the box as there may be a heat pack in there that can kick into overdrive with the increased oxygen.
- Now for the hard part. You can hold the gecko for a short period of time when placing them into their enclosure to inspect them, but once you have them in their cage you need to LEAVE THEM ALONE FOR AT LEAST A WEEK (we recommend 2 weeks). This means no contact and no opening the cage unless for mandatory maintenance. Some geckos will be okay with handling right away but some will be stressed from shipping and when handled a lot it can put them over the top. No reason to risk it for just being impatient. If the gecko is skittish and seems stressed put them in their enclosure right away and leave them alone. A stressed gecko will need the most space during this time.
- If using a terrarium setup try covering the walls up with something to hide the geckos from what’s going on outside. A lot of activity in the room they are housed in can stress them too. This includes keeping all pets away (especially cats and dogs).
- I don’t recommend feeding them for about 2-3 days to start, especially if they seem a little lethargic from their trip. They can go weeks and even months without food without any issues so don’t worry, this will not hurt them. All we want is for the stress to go down and their prey drive to go up so when you do feed them they adjust quickly. Food items that crawl on them (especially crickets and roaches) can stress them out even more. BEST TO GIVE THEM A BOWL OF MEALWORMS TO EAT ON THEIR OWN TIME. If you see poop you know they are eating. Don’t count the worms. Read more tips here: Gecko Not Eating Page
- DO NOT HOUSE THEM WITH OTHER GECKOS RIGHT AWAY. It is very important to let the gecko de-stress and make a complete adjustment before you attempt to house them with other leopard geckos. Placing them in with other established geckos right away can lead to more stress and even death. If you do risk it and house them with other geckos please keep a close eye on them and separate if necessary.
A Basic “Must Have” Checklist:
If any of these seem new to you at all, please read through the full care sheet thoroughly!
- Don’t use loose substrate such as sand. (Use paper towels, tile, hard compact substrate, etc.)
- You must have good vitamin and calcium supplementation (with D3). Dusting prey items as well
- Humid hide – A high quality coco fiber medium works best
- Heat source (Under tank and possibly a heat lamp) Hot side should have a surface temp around 88-93F and ambient around 78-84F on the hot side during the day. Cool side closer to normal room temps
- Live food (Mealworms, Superworms, Dubia, Crickets, etc.)
- Mister/Sprayer - Leopard geckos appreciate a light misting every couple of days.
- Clean shallow water bowl
- Hides and cage furnishings – Leopard geckos need to hide at different temperatures so hides throughout the enclosure are needed. They also really enjoy climbing, typically at night.
Any questions you can email me at geckoboa@yahoo.com. Please read through care sheet and watch videos before emailing me.