Long distance travel

[Lnapplebaum]

Planning on moving cross country w 9 yr old but healthy beardie. Looking for advice. We will likely keep him in his cage in the hatchback. Expect 3-4 nights in hotels (pet friendly-there will be dogs also involved). Welcome advice on keeping him warm and low stress.

 

[Sadie]

Planning on moving cross country w 9 yr old but healthy beardie. Looking for advice. We will likely keep him in his cage in the hatchback. Expect 3-4 nights in hotels (pet friendly-there will be dogs also involved). Welcome advice on keeping him warm and low stress.

Having a carrier helps to keep them secure during the ride (though they can get restless at times). I put down some old towels that are comfortable but can also be swapped out easily in case they get pooped on. It's good to have a bag of cleaning supplies nearby. Spare towels, paper towels, vinegar spray bottle, disinfectant, etc.

Food shouldn't be a big issue. You can bring some along if you want to. Maybe a cooler that has some veges in it and maybe a container of black soldier fly larvae (they're easy to deal with on road trips).

You don't need to worry about lighting. You can stop at rest areas along the way to provide some basking time if the weather is nice (if not, don't worry about it). The weather will be a mystery until the last minute at this time of year. It's 29 here right now (in WI) and snowed a bit yesterday but in the next few days it's expected to go up near 80... Either way, they do just fine at normal car temperatures. It's good to have some hand warmers or some reptile shipping warmers for emergency, but I've found that they aren't needed very often. I typically only use them during the winter if I stop for a meal and will be away from the car for an extended period of time.

f you are going to stay at a hotel along the way, this is doable too. Just keep him in the carrier overnight and you can set up a basking light in a clamp fixture or on an adjustable lamp stand. I usually set that up and give some basking time while I shower in the morning and once he's warmed up give the bulb a little time to cool down and pack it back up and be on your way.

For reference, here is a photo of my typical travel setup: