Hi all! I'm a longtime RES parent (used to post on here about 10 years or so ago, back when I was in HS and new to turtles! But I can't find that account for the life of me ).
My husband & I currently reside in NJ and will potentially be making the move to Washington (state) later this year or early next. Because we have two large dogs and two cats (can you tell we're animal lovers? ha ha) and we refuse to board them on a plane, we will be driving cross country to get everyone to our new home.
The dogs are easy and, while the cats pose a few extra challenges, we're absolutely at a loss as to how to transport our RES (Sheldon). He currently resides in a 120 gallon glass aquarium that will be handled by professional movers. Some questions:
- How do we manage the car ride? A small dry enclosure? How can we offer him water to drink along the way? I'm worried about regulating his body temperature, as well.
- Tips on how to handle hotel stops? Assuming we'll have to sneak him in lol. Perhaps bring a 20 gallon / smaller tank that we can fill with water and he can eat for an hour or two? Will he be OK without a basking/UVA/UVB light for 4-5 days? Obviously this will be stressful for him, but he's ~10 years old and in good health otherwise.
Realize this is a bit of a unique situation, so appreciate any & all thoughts! Thanks!