Tips for a cross-country road trip?

[kadelman]

I am driving from NY to LA, so just about the longest trip you can take. I plan to do it in 6 days, with stays at motels just about every single night. I've tried to read up on taking geckos in the car, but most tips discuss single day trips, which don't seem too worrisome. I've already driven him on a little test run of 3 hrs, he was very freaked out with all his hands splayed out and tense, but he relaxed after a while and basically curled up, looking a bit sad. I'm not super worried about heat, since he'll be in the back seat away from the air vents, and i purchased a voltage inverter just in case i really feel like i need to plug in the UTH for a while.

The big question is - what do i do about food? i can't honestly imagine bringing a dozen crickets in the kritter keeper, plus i like having him in the keeper in the cage (10 gal) surrounded by his things, because it keeps him in place a little better and will ensure he doesn't get crushed, but still appears closer to normal than a shoebox or something. the guy at ***** suggested superworms may be the only option, since you don't refrigerate them. but i have NEVER fed him superworms, or any worms at all except the occasional wax worm treat (which i want to try to bring, to bribe his love again when we reach our nightly motel, but i assume won't keep for the whole 6 days ... before pupating maybe? ew). so i don't know if there are any issues to expect with feeding him a new bug all of a sudden. i don't know why people said not to feed them the day before traveling, maybe just because the temps may not be high enough for proper digestion? if i plug the UTH in at the motel, will that suffice for keeping him healthy after feeding him in the evening?

thanks for any advice, i'm really a bit nervous that this whole ordeal, and the move in general, will just shock him into oblivion. we've already moved twice this year.

 

[M_surinamensis]

Don't feed him.

Even if he will eat, a week without food shouldn't do more than use up a small portion of his fat stores if he's currently a healthy weight. Provide access to water overnight when you stop and don't stress the food until you have him back in a secure and stable enclosure at your destination.

 

[acpart]

It's a reasonable choice not to feed him for that period of time. He'll be oK with water. The other choice is to plan to stop at a reasonable hour on the third day, go to one of those big chain stores that starts with a "P" and which is usually open till about 8 or 9 and buy 5 crickets. Whatever he doesn't eat can go into the big outdoors the next day.

Aliza

 

[M_surinamensis]

Whatever he doesn't eat can go into the big outdoors the next day.

Aliza

Don't do that.

Never do that.

Domesticated crickets aren't identical to the wild ones loose around the country, releasing a non-native species to the ecosystem is never a smart idea. Even worse than the potential direct impact of the crickets themselves is the potential impact of the bacteria and gut fauna of the released crickets- the things living in and on commercially bred crickets can be quite virulent and should never be released into a wild ecosystem.

That is one of the worst, most irresponsible, suggestions I have ever seen anyone make. Under no circumstances should anyone follow that advice at any time. In fact, you should probably immediately edit your post to remove it from public view- it is that bad.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

Don't do that.

Never do that.

Domesticated crickets aren't identical to the wild ones loose around the country, releasing a non-native species to the ecosystem is never a smart idea. Even worse than the potential direct impact of the crickets themselves is the potential impact of the bacteria and gut fauna of the released crickets- the things living in and on commercially bred crickets can be quite virulent and should never be released into a wild ecosystem.

That is one of the worst, most irresponsible, suggestions I have ever seen anyone make. Under no circumstances should anyone follow that advice at any time. In fact, you should probably immediately edit your post to remove it from public view- it is that bad.

You've probably heard of this already, but I figured you might be interested.

http://www.habitattitude.net/

 

[Tony C]

the things living in and on commercially bred crickets can be quite virulent and should never be released into a wild ecosystem.

This is especially true right now with the cricket paralysis virus spreading like wildfire through the cricket farms.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

Oh, and I meant to say before I got distracted...

If you don't absolutely have to I would just leave your gecko at home. I just get family or pay someone to give water to my geckos every day or so- they don't necessarily have to eat. Mine have been fine for a 16 days without food while on vacation.

As long as he's healthy and has a plump tail, he'll be fine. Not to mention, you wont have to be stressed with having to sneak him into hotels and what not.

Have fun on your trip!

 

[Quantumhigh]

Don't do that.

Never do that.

Domesticated crickets aren't identical to the wild ones loose around the country, releasing a non-native species to the ecosystem is never a smart idea. Even worse than the potential direct impact of the crickets themselves is the potential impact of the bacteria and gut fauna of the released crickets- the things living in and on commercially bred crickets can be quite virulent and should never be released into a wild ecosystem.

That is one of the worst, most irresponsible, suggestions I have ever seen anyone make. Under no circumstances should anyone follow that advice at any time. In fact, you should probably immediately edit your post to remove it from public view- it is that bad.

Can you get hybrid crickets? I seen a beatle outside of a dougnut store 3days ago at about 1230am the size of a baseball. I know that sucker wasnt native.

 

[kadelman]

Oh, and I meant to say before I got distracted...

If you don't absolutely have to I would just leave your gecko at home. I just get family or pay someone to give water to my geckos every day or so- they don't necessarily have to eat. Mine have been fine for a 16 days without food while on vacation.

As long as he's healthy and has a plump tail, he'll be fine. Not to mention, you wont have to be stressed with having to sneak him into hotels and what not.

Have fun on your trip!

Well, I'm moving to LA so that's really not an option. I did leave him without food for 8 days when I went abroad once, so I know he CAN survive without it, but I was just wondering if it really was the best way. Thanks for all the above advice though, I think I will just keep him watered at night, and I'll probably bring what waxworms I have left to bribe his love in the middle - he doesn't even usually poop after just 2 waxworms, so, I don't think it'll be a big deal.

And don't worry, when the waxworms start dying, I'll smush them up and throw them up, rather than releasing the rest into the wild.

 

[Mel&Keith]

The other reason why it's best not to feed him is that the stress of being packed up and in the car would probably just make him regurgitate it anyway. Just pack him in a container with papertowels and put that in an ice chest (without the ice obviously! lol). You won't have to worry about temp changes from sun shining into the car that way. His system will slow down a little bit since he won't be as warm as usual so he probably won't even be very hungry anyway.

 

[acpart]

I humbly retract what I said about throwing purchased crickets outside. I would edit it out of my post but that's not an option.

Aliza

 

[UnicornSpirit]

I humbly retract what I said about throwing purchased crickets outside. I would edit it out of my post but that's not an option.

Aliza

You can edit your post... look, it's to the left of the "Quote" button on the bottom of your post.

EDIT: edited Sunday August 1st, 11:17 pm. testing testing

 

[Mel&Keith]

I think you can only edit a post for 10 minutes then it automatically locks and can only be edited by the staff.