Terms & Conditions

UGR Ship Terms & Conditions

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UGRShip.com STANDARDS OF SHIPPING
Some people in the general public are afraid of reptiles. At UGRShip.com we have worked hard to prove that properly packaged non-venomous reptiles are safe and reliable to ship, and that reptile breeders and hobbyists are legitimate shipping customers. We are approved to ship live non-venomous reptiles—but you must follow safe reptile packaging standards.

Remember: What you do affects the entire reptile hobby and industry. The general public has a right to live their lives without encountering a reptile that’s escaped from improper packaging. Every time someone ships a reptile with substandard packaging, and that reptile escapes, dies, scares or harms someone, that reflects poorly on all reptile hobbyists. It also furthers legislative efforts to ban reptiles entirely.

Take responsibility. Do your part. Pack your reptile properly. Make sure it reaches its destination safely. It’s good for the reptile, it’s good for the recipient, and it’s good for you.

*If UPS determines your animal is improperly packaged, we will charge you any additional shipping fees plus $500. Improperly packaged animals cause trouble for everyone. Do your part. Pack your reptiles properly!

Choosing a UPS Shipping Service
UGRShip.com offers the following UPS shipping services:

Next Day Air
Next Day Air Saver
2-Day Air AM
2-Day Air
3-Day Select
Ground
Live shipments must be sent via Next Day Air service.

Choosing a deli cup vs. cloth reptile bag
Use a deli cup for small, delicate animals. The more delicate the animal, the more it needs the structure of the deli cup. Use a deli cup for small reptiles including geckos and lizards (less than 1″ x 16″) as well as for frogs and other delicate creatures.

Use a cloth reptile bag for larger reptiles that have more size and weight.

Regulating the temperature of the package
You might need to use a heat pack or cold pack inside your package. This decision depends on the type of animal you’re shipping , overnight lows at your location, the UPS HUB location and the daytime high temperatures at the destination.

These are guidelines. Be aware of the temperature requirements and safe temperature range for the species you are shipping. If you have questions about a specific species or weather condition, consult a reputable breeder of your species for more detailed guidelines and parameters.

It is the responsibility of the shipper to adequately package shipments for all temperature extremes and handling conditions. DO NOT OVERUSE HEAT PACKS!

Reptiles -These recommendations are according to the daytime HIGH temps. These apply to either the ORIGIN or DESTINATION temperatures.

Below 35°F: Don’t ship. Wait for warmer weather.

35-60°F: Use a heat pack per our directions.

70-90°F: DO NOT use heat pack.

90-99°F: Ship to a UPS Customer Center which opens no later than 12:00 PM (NOT a UPS Store, UPS Access Point or other satellite/franchise location). Your shipment will arrive early in the morning and be kept inside until the recipient picks it up. Search for a UPS Customer Center near you.

Over 99°F: Don’t ship. Wait for cooler weather.

Amphibians and other species from cooler moist climates.

Below 35°F: Don’t ship. Wait for warmer weather.

35-60°F: Use a heat pack per our directions.

60-80°F: DO NOT use a heat pack. No cold pack required.

80-90°F: Use a cold pack per our directions.

Over 90°F: Don’t ship. Wait for cooler weather.

Over 99°F: Don’t ship. Wait for cooler weather.

If you want to have your package held for pickup at a USP Customer Center, be sure to enter “HOLD FOR PICKUP” in the Address Line 2 field, like this:

JOE FRAZIER
501 AIRPORT CIR
HOLD FOR PICKUP
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA 98250

When the daytime high temperature at your location is between 92 and 100 degrees, live shipments must be dropped off at a UPS Facility very late in the day, after 5 p.m. You will not beat the heat if you give your package to a UPS driver at 1 p.m. and it spends the afternoon making the rounds in a hot truck. A hot weather shipment (over 92F, but under 100F, at either origin or destination) will be covered under our Live Arrival Assurance policy only if the parameters mentioned here (post 5 p.m. drop off, shipping to USP Customer Center which opens no later than 12:00 PM, hold for pickup) are followed.

Using a heat pack
40-hour heat packs are most often used for reptile shipping. Heat packs of less than 40 hour duration do NOT meet the UGRShip.com Shipping Standards.

To ship live reptiles, do not use the 12- or 24-hour packs available at your local BigBox store or ski shop. Those packs are hand warmers, not shipping tools. The 12-24 hour packs don’t provide the necessary heat nor duration for a successful live shipment. 12 and 24 hour hand warmers also peak at a much higher temperature than shipping heat packs (180F), endangering the life of your live shipment. Hand warmers do NOT meet the UGRShip.com Shipping Standards. Heat packs of less than 40 hour duration do NOT meet the UGRShip.com Shipping Standards.

Heat packs work through a chemical reaction between the contents of the heat pack and oxygen in the surrounding air. Oxygen flow is regulated through the perforated red line. Never cover the red line with tape or anything else.

Pre-start your heat pack two hours before shipping. Shake it up well, and place it in a folded towel so it can generate a quick, solid heat. The heat pack will not heat up properly if you leave it in open air.

The heat pack must be well started before you tape it to the underside of the top insulation panel and seal your box. Remember not to tape over the perforated red line. The red line should face the interior of the box.

Note: Do not overuse heat packs! Use only one heat pack per box unless you are using our largest box, the 30″x16″x10″, where two heat packs can be used if needed. Two heat packs in a box 16″x16″x8″ or smaller will cause the box to get too hot and can kill the animal(s).

We have seen shipments where folks have put multiple heat packs in box, using the “if one is good, two is better!” philosophy. This has resulted in the loss of the animals.

In a small or medium sized box, multiple heat packs will increase the ambient temp of the box into very dangerous territory. Check out the chart below for the temps that a single heat pack puts out. More is absolutely not better, just much, much hotter. Hand warmers in particular peak at 180F!

The purpose of a heat pack is NOT to warm or heat the box, it is to prevent it from getting cold. You want a temperate box, NOT a hot box!

If the temperatures are near the lower end of the UGRShip guidelines then doubling the insulation and/or having the shipment held at a UPS Customer Center will minimize the chances for a DOA.

DOAs are often caused by improper use of heat packs during the winter. Using too many heat packs in a box can cause the inside of the box to overheat. Be aware that heat packs use oxygen and using more than needed may consume all the oxygen in the box and have fatal consequences for the animal. Following these guidelines will increase your chances of having successful shipments.

Note: New heat packs are soft and feel like loose powder. Used heat packs are hard. If your heat pack is hard, it has been compromised. Use a different one.

Using a cold pack
Put the cold pack in your freezer overnight. It should be fully frozen.

Pack your animal, but don’t place the cold pack until you’re ready for pickup or dropoff. This keeps the cold pack frozen longer.

When you’re ready to seal the package, wrap the cold pack in newspaper to absorb condensation. Tape the pack to the underside of the top insulation panel. Make sure there is packing material (usually crumpled newspaper) between the cold pack and the deli cup or cloth reptile bag.

Note: Using this site, you may not ship a package containing dry ice.

Selecting the shipping box
You must use a new cardboard box with an interior of insulating foam. The foam insulation must be at least 1/2 inch thick. The box should not bear markings that indicate a dangerous or illegal item.

The box must be large enough to contain the deli cup or reptile bag, adequate packing material to protect the animal, the heat or cold pack and the foam insulation.

Boxes from the US Postal service, “Priority Mail” or “Express Mail” boxes, as well as many Amazon.com boxes, do not meet the UPS box standard and are NOT ALLOWED to be used for live reptile shipments. They are too thin, too flimsy, and do not protect the live reptile sufficiently.

Using your own shipping supplies
You may use your own shipping supplies, but they must meet or exceed the standards developed by UGRShip.com:

Cardboard box is new, with no markings that indicate a dangerous or illegal item (no alcohol boxes). Box must not have any kind of warning or hazardous material markings or stickers. Box should be labeled in accordance with the Lacey Act. See more on that here.
Insulation lining must be at least ¾ inch thick. The insulating lining must cover all four sides of the inside of the cardboard box, as well as the top and bottom.
Heat or cold packs must be used according to UGRShip.com Shipping Standards.
You must use a “triple container.”
The deli cup or cloth reptile bag.
The insulating foam container.
The cardboard box.
You must seal the box adequately. All shipping labels must be fully legible.

Take responsibility. Do your part. Pack your reptile properly. Make sure it reaches its destination safely. It’s good for the reptile, it’s good for the recipient, and it’s good for you.

Shipping service restrictions
All live animals must be shipped UPS Next Day Air, Monday through Thursday only. An overnight Friday shipment won’t arrive until Monday- that is not acceptable and not permitted.

Absolutely no venomous or dangerous reptiles are to be shipped through UPS or UGRShip.com. Absolutely no mammals.

Reptile size restrictions
Snakes larger than 4 inches in diameter or 8 feet in length cannot be shipped with UGRShip.com.

To ship a larger reptile, you must build or buy a strong wooden crate and ship it using a freight service such as Delta Air Cargo.

The right way to pack a reptile

Gather your shipping supplies.
Insulated box of the appropriate size
Zip tie
Deli cup and/or cloth reptile bag, matched to type and size of animal
Heat pack (if necessary)
Cold pack (if necessary)
Harmless LIVE REPTILE label for the interior of your box
You provide the packing material (usually crumpled newspaper).
Your packing supplies should meet or exceed UGRShip.com Shipping Standards.
Start your heat pack two hours before shipping / freeze your cold pack overnight.

Prepare the shipping box
Ventilate the box by punching 4 one-quarter inch holes with a Philips screwdriver. Punch them from the outside in, going through the box and the insulating foam. Do this before you put anything else (especially your reptile) in the box.
Create a nest with packing material
Crumpled newspaper works well. Line the bottom and sides of the box so the deli cup or reptile bag will rest securely in the nest.
Tape the heat pack to the underside of your lid, red line visible. Do not tape over the red line. Don’t use a heat pack that feels hard or stiff. The red line should face the interior of the box.
Prepare the deli cup or cloth bag
Inspect the cup or bag to make sure there are no cracks, holes or weak spots.
Using a Sharpie pen, label the cup or bag with species and sex.
Inspect the animal
Absolutely NO VENOMOUS or DANGEROUS REPTILES are to be shipped through UPS or UGRShip.com. Absolutely no mammals.
Only ship a healthy animal, with good weight. We prefer not to ship when an animal is in shed. We prefer not to feed a reptile the week before shipping, to prevent regurgitation during shipping.
Be 100% confident in the animal you’re shipping. Go over it in detail, so you know exactly what your customer will see when opening the package.
Put the animal into the container
Leave the animal room to move. Use packing material as a cushion, and to absorb any waste.
Bag—Inspect the bag to be sure there are no holes or broken seams. We prefer to use a zip tie to seal the bag for total security (one is included with each shipping kit). Some shippers tie their bags, others use tape and some use a combination of methods. The main thing is you want the bag to be closed securely.
Cup—Tape completely around the rim. Be sure not cover the air holes.
Put the container in the box
Nestle the cup or bag into the nesting material. The container should not have room to jostle inside the box.
Put on the top insulating foam panel/lid, with the heat pack or cold pack (if needed) facing down.
Put your receipt, caresheet and other paperwork on top of the insulating foam lid. Place your harmless LIVE REPTILE label—the one that comes with your shipping kit—on top, with the duplicate shipping address in the space provided. This harmless LIVE REPTILE note should be the first thing a person sees when opening the box. If your harmless LIVE REPTILE label has been lost or damaged, you can download another here.
Label your package in accordance with the federal Lacey Act
You are required to mark the outside of the package as “wildlife” and have itemized paperwork (i.e. customer receipt) inside the top flap with more species information and quantities available for easy reference.
Fasten the label and ship
If you haven’t already done so, enter your package and shipping info into UGRShip.com and purchase your shipping label.
You can print your shipping label from the UGRShip.com site or from your confirmation email.
If you are using a thermal label printer, the label will be self-adhesive. If you print your label on regular paper, place your label on your box and tape it cleanly and clearly to it.
We recommend dropping your package off at the actual UPS Customer Center. UPS Store locations are not recommended, as many of those locations do not accept live or perishable shipments for drop off or pickup.

Find a UPS Customer Facility location here.

You can track your package progress using your UPS tracking number on the home page of UPS.com.
If you have any questions or issues with your shipment, please contact us directly. You are a UGRShip.com customer, not a direct UPS customer, and we will help you answer questions, clarify tracking or process claims. You can call us at 855-494-3777 or email us at mail@UGRShip.com.

What is the Lacey Act and how does it apply to live reptile shipments?
The Lacey Act is a federal rule that addresses package labeling for interstate transport of live reptiles.

Official federal government guideline docs can be viewed HERE and HERE.

Remember: What you do affects the entire reptile hobby and industry

The general public has a right to live their lives without encountering a reptile that’s escaped from improper packaging. Every time someone ships a reptile with substandard packaging, and that reptile escapes, dies, scares or harms someone, that reflects poorly on ALL reptile hobbyists. It also furthers legislative efforts to ban reptiles entirely.

Take responsibility. Do your part. Pack your reptile properly. Make sure it reaches its destination safely. It’s good for the reptile, it’s good for the recipient, and it’s good for you.

Provide accurate information
Be sure to enter a complete, accurate destination address, as well as accurate package dimensions and weight.

UPS charges an extra fee for an incomplete or inaccurate address. This “address correction” fee is currently $20.00.

UPS measures every package and charges for the greater of the dimensional weight (L x W x H / 139, rounded up to the nearest pound) or actual weight. If you enter 1 pound when you book your shipment, but UPS measures your package at 10 pounds, UPS charges us the difference — and we will charge you the difference.

All additional fees charged by UPS will be charged to the credit card you used to book the shipment. We reserve the right to charge for the time spent processing these fees.

UPS Shipping Policy on Live Animals

UPS provides service on a limited basis for packages containing some types of live animals. The term “animal” as used herein refers to anything living, except plants. While the list of “Accepted Live Animals” provided herein is an exhaustive list of animals that can be offered for transportation in accordance with the conditions listed, the list of “Prohibited Live Animals” is only a partial list of animals provided to clarify specific species that are not accepted for transportation and may not be shipped via UPS. Any animal not specifically listed on the “Accepted Live Animals” list is prohibited by UPS and will not be accepted for transportation. All international live animal shipments require an International Special Commodities contract. Contact your UPS Account Executive for information about shipping International Special Commodities via UPS.

Packages containing live animals must be prepared in accordance with the requirements as specifically stated herein. Packages containing live animals must provide for the basic humane care and safety of the animal during transportation. Any package containing a live animal shall be considered a perishable commodity and will be accepted for transportation solely at the shipper´s risk for any damage or loss arising from the perishable nature of the item. UPS shall not be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages.

In the event a package containing a prohibited item is found en route or in the UPS system, that package will be stopped at the location or UPS facility of the discovery. UPS reserves the right to dispose of the package.

Endangered or Threatened Species

In addition to the Prohibited Live Animals list provided here, any live animal that is an Endangered Species is prohibited by UPS and will not be accepted for transportation. Shippers must refer to the list posted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site, and the Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants 50 CFR 17.11 and 17.12, December 1999 (pdf file).

Service Type

Live animals will only be accepted for transportation when shipped by any UPS service that guarantees delivery the next day. Shipments must not be offered to UPS on Fridays or before a holiday in the origin or destination country.

Packaging

Design and Construction of the Primary Container: All live animals offered for transportation must be in a new box. Corrugated boxes must be constructed of a minimum of 275 # bursting strength corrugated or 44 edge crush test. It is recommended that any package containing animals requiring moisture during transportation be constructed of water-resistant material such as wax coated, wax impregnated, or plastic corrugated. Minimal ventilation holes should be provided as necessary.

Internal Packaging and Other Considerations: Internal packaging materials must be used based on the characteristics of the animal, taking into consideration the necessary humane care for the animal while in transportation. Lizards and geckos should be individually contained in bags constructed of breathable material, such as burlap. Insects should be contained in individual primary containers such as plastic jars with ventilation. Fish must be double bagged in strong plastic bags with a minimum thickness of 4 mils. Each primary bag should be approximately one third full of water with the remainder filled with oxygen.

Package Testing: Any packaging used or developed to transport animals should be submitted to an International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) certified package testing laboratory for pre-shipment testing in accordance with ISTA Procedure 3A before being offered for transportation.

Additional Considerations: Additional components such as food, moisture, and temperature controls should be added as necessary to provide a safe environment during transportation. Additional dunnage should be added to prevent movement of the primary containers or receptacles within the outer box.

Accepted Live Animals

This is a comprehensive list of live animals accepted for transportation. Shippers are prohibited from shipping any animal not listed here, and all other live animals will not be accepted for transportation. The following live animals are accepted for transportation unless poisonous, venomous, and/or a Threatened or Endangered Species.

Amphibians (All): Examples: frogs, salamanders, toads
Crustaceans (All): Examples: crabs, crawfish, lobsters, shrimp
Fish (All)
Insects (Limited to beneficial insects only): Examples: bees, butterflies, crickets, lady bugs
Mollusks (All): Examples: clams, mussels, snails
Reptiles (Limited to the following):
– Lizards: Examples: chameleons, geckos, iguanas, monitors, flying dragons
– Turtles: freshwater turtles (except: snapping turtles), land tortoises, sea turtles
Worms (All)

Prohibited Live Animals

Live Animals that are prohibited from being shipped and are not accepted for transportation include, but are not limited to:

Any poisonous, venomous or threatening animal
Any Threatened or Endangered species
Arachnids (All): Examples: mites, scorpions, spiders, ticks
Birds (All)
Crocodiles (All): Examples: alligators, caimans, gavials
Mammals (All)
Obnoxious Insects: Examples: flies, locusts, mosquitoes, roaches, termites, weevils
Snakes (All): venomous and non-venomous

UGR Ship
8850 NW 72 ST
Parkland, FL 33442