General Care Discussion :: Moving Question

[JNZBCBnLIL]

Well- it's official! I'm moving to VA October 7th! And i had a few questions that may be a little off from the norm- first and foremost, how soon should I take Leo out of the water and put her into the holding tank that she'll be riding in? I just wasn't sure if it was better for her to get used to it a bit before we put her in the car with us for 11 hours or if it's better to only put her in as soon as we're getting ready to leave? Secondly, from experienced turtle movers what are some ways to make her ride as stress free as possible? What to put in there with her, what temperatures to keep her at- being as she won't be in water? how big her holding tank should be? Brandon is flying down one way to drive back up with me so i don't have to drive alone with a dog and turtle- so i'll be able to keep a constant eye on her- i want to make sure everything goes smoothly! Any advice would be wonderful!! Thanks!

p.s. should i feed her more the day before we leave then normal since she won't be in water to eat the next day?

[megcornell]

When I moved my Leo to Colorado she was the last thing I packed. That was easy because she was a hatchling then and in a 10 gallon tank. If your turtle is in a larger tank you may have to pack her sooner so you can pack the tank... not much you can do about it.
As for a traveling case, I used a clear reptile "case" like you see at petsmarts. It was wide enough to easily fit Leo but not so large that she could move around too much, I didn't want her trying to walk up the walls and flipping over all the time. In my case, she seemed to prefer the setting and settled down for most of the ride burying herself in the moist towel I provided. I also put in a bunch of fake leaves that I had on her tank wall for her to hide under. Whenever I move her she likes to burrow so you should include something in the carrier that Leo can dig in or hide under, it will make her feel more protected.
I kept the car at a comfortable temperature for myself and my boyfriend and just made sure Leo was out of direct sunlight and not near AC vents.
I fed her normally, she survived a day without her normal feeding.

Good luck with the move!

[marisa]

I don't now where you're going to place your turtle's box in the car, but keep it away from vents. If you're putting it on the floor, I'd put some padding underneath to minimize bumps and vibrations.

If you feed extra before you leave, you might be looking at more poop in the box. I used a damp towel under my RES and had another cloth for him to hide under. In the dark, your turtle is apt to just sleep.

[JNZBCBnLIL]

thanks for the advice! i'll be sure to take it all with me in the car! as for where i was planning on having her in the car, i figured in my lap but that probably won't work with the vents being right there, so you think between my feet is the best place for her?

[megcornell]

I put Leo on the ground between my feet-- moving across the country in a Jetta didn't leave many options . Marisa makes a good point to put something under the carrier to reduce vibrations. When I had leo on the floor we used the dashboard vents for AC so she didn't have direct drafts but the car was still cool for her.
I also took her inside whenever I left the car, i.e. to eat. So you may want to bring a bag to carry the carrier in if you do that... I find most restaurants don't appreciate reptile customers. I used a small canvas bag that I just sat on the booth next to me so Leo wouldn't get too hot in the car.