How do you package and ship a hide or whole frozen specimen?
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Terry,
1)Wrap the "whatever" (hide, specimen)tightly with newspaper and tape it.
2) Put the wrapped "whatever" in a box insulated with blue DOW foam, and pack more newspaper tightly between the foam and the wrapped"whatever." Tape the box closed.
3) MOST IMPORTANT; Put the whole box in the freezer for at least a 48 hours. This will freeze the "whatever" if it wasn't frozen already, AND it will have cold air sealed inside. The contents should stay frozen for days.
Several shippers (UPS, FED-EX, and USPS) have next day or 2 day shipping service. It ain't cheap. I use USPS Priority Mail, and anything usually gets to its destination in 2 days. Good luck...eh?
Following the same basic steps as above, I would put the critter in a plastic bag first, as this will seal the air around the critter and keep it cooler, longer. Then wrap it in newspaper, which if you dampen it after you wrap up the critter, will freeze too and make it's trip much cooler. I also would freeze the whole package, as well as findd out when the pickup will be made at the UPS or other shipping center will acctually be. you can then have it dropped a few minutes before to keep it from being left sitting around the warm shop. I also write on the outside of the box to keep cool. I like UPS better than USPS, as they mostly have Outside parking between stops overnight. I have shipped UPS ground and the critter has arrived still frozen after five days. Of course it was shipped in Jan. or Feb.
when temps over most the country is colder anyway.
Tom and I have both had things shipped to us via USPS Priority post and they arrived 10 days later, thawed and rotten! guaranteed 2 day delivery is really the way to go =)
All of the above except the plastic bag idea, if it is to be reptiles being shipped. Just wrap in paperbag or newsprint. The plastic bagwill allow the moisrure to getunder the skin, and the snake or reptile skin will slip badly. Like Raven said too, priority mail is sometimes good, but they do not guarantee anything. It can take from 2-10 days depending on the distance it is going. Priority mail is handled no differently than first class mail as told to me by the people who know at the postoffice. Priority mail is a scam!
with Priority Mail. That was before I pasted in Large letters on all sides for the box, PRIORITY MAIL. I believe if you sent something Priority Mail and it took 10 days it was probably becauses for some reason it was not really shipped Priority Mail. Somebody goofed.
I ship frozen fish all over the U.S. as far away as Hawaii. I now custom cut pieces of 2 inch white foam or two layers of 1 1/2 inch foam all the way around the box including a foam lid.(I have standard size boxes and add more foam for smaller or less fish).
I ship frozen fish and would say you should freeze them solid before shipping. Wrap newspaper around the fish and/or foam peanuts to fill in the voids. Just sent 7 brookies to Doug and they were still frozen solid when he got them on a Wednesday after I shipped out Monday afternoon.