Pocket Pet/small mammal (rabbit, small rodents, guinea pig, chinchilla, hedgehog, ferret): Warm the car before bringing the pet into the car. Transport them in a pet carrier. Place a blanket inside and over the carrier.
Reptile (bearded dragon, chameleon, gecko, water dragon, turtles and snakes): Reptiles are ectothermic, which means that they have to regulate their body temperature by moving to warmer or colder areas based on their needs. Their body temperature is the temperature of the environment they are in. Warm the car before bringing the pet into the car.
You can transport your pet reptile in an insulated environment such as a Styrofoam or other insulated coolers to maintain heat. If your reptile is small enough and hand tamed (such as many bearded dragons) you can wrap them up in a towel and tuck them inside your warm jacket. You can also try increasing the temperature of an enclosure by placing something warm in with the reptile and then enclosing the box/carrier. Examples include:
• Hot water bottle
• Hot water filled latex gloves
• Hand warmers (available at most stores, do NOT use with birds)
• Hot water filled packs
Aquatic turtles should not be transported in water for short distances (under 2 hours). You can transport them dry as described above. They do not need water constantly and it is much more difficult to regulate water temperature outside the home.
