Shipping & Live Arrival Policy

At Jungle Express, every animal is shipped with one goal: that it arrives alive, healthy, and stress-free. Please read this policy carefully before ordering — placing an order means you agree to these terms.

Overnight shipping for live arrival

All live fish and reptiles ship overnight via UPS for next-day delivery. Each animal is packed in an insulated box with an appropriate heat or cold pack for the season.

Shipping is a flat rate based on your region and the size of box your order requires, and is calculated automatically at checkout. Southeast orders generally run $50–$80, Central & Northeast $70–$140, and West & Remote $85–$155, depending on box size. You will always see the exact amount before you pay.

Where we ship, and what you need to check first

We do not ship live animals to Hawaii. Hawaii prohibits the import of most non-native animals, including all snakes and geckos, and even species on its conditional list require a permit. Live animals cannot be sent to Hawaiian addresses. Dry goods and supplies ship to Hawaii normally.

Everywhere else, checking that a species is legal where you live is your responsibility before you order. Laws on owning, importing and receiving live animals vary by state, county and city, and they change. We cannot research this for you and we make no warranty that an animal is lawful at your address. We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order we believe is restricted or prohibited at the delivery address, and we will refund it in full before it ships. Full terms are in our Terms of Service.

Shipping days — and why your order waits a week

We ship live animals on Mondays and Tuesdays only, so nothing is ever left sitting in a carrier facility over a weekend.

Your order ships the following week, not the same week. An order placed this Monday goes out next Monday or Tuesday. That gap is deliberate, and it is one of the most important things we do for your animals.

We stop feeding your fish several days before they travel. A fish shipped on a full stomach fouls its bag — waste breaks down into ammonia, the water turns toxic, and the animal spends its journey breathing it. A fasted fish arrives in clean water. Fish are cold-blooded and can go a week or more without food with no harm at all; a few days off feed costs them nothing and protects them for the whole trip.

We use that week to condition your animals, watch them closely one last time, and make sure the one that goes in the box is one we would be happy to receive ourselves. We will email your tracking number on the day your order ships.

We decide when your animals ship

Jungle Express determines the safe ship date for every order, and that decision is ours alone. Before every shipment we check the forecast at our facility, at your delivery address, and along the carrier's route. If any point on that journey is unsafe, your order does not leave the building.

We will hold an order for as long as it takes. A hold is not a delay we apologise for — it is the reason your animals arrive alive, and it is the single biggest decision we make on your behalf. A weather or holiday hold is not grounds for cancellation or a refund. We will email you as soon as we set a new ship date.

Temperature limits

Fish and reptiles travel differently. A fish is sealed in a bag of water it cannot leave, and cold water is the one thing it cannot escape — so our cold limit for fish is stricter. From there up, both do well in the same range.

Forecast means the low and high at our facility, at your delivery address, and along the carrier's route — whichever is worst. Mixed orders of fish and reptiles take the stricter column.

Holding your package for pickup at the carrier's facility is the safest option in any borderline weather, and it widens the window in which we can get your animals to you — the package arrives early and waits indoors instead of sitting on a doorstep in the sun. If your forecast is marginal, choosing pickup may be the difference between shipping this week and waiting.

Holidays

We do not ship around major holidays. Carriers do not guarantee overnight delivery on or near a holiday, and a holiday weekend is exactly how a live animal ends up sitting in a sorting facility for three days. If your order falls near one, we will hold it until normal service resumes and email you the new ship date.

Receiving your order

Someone must be available to receive the package, or you must arrange to hold it for pickup at your local carrier facility. Please watch your tracking closely on delivery day. Live animals left outside in the heat or cold, or delayed because no one was available to receive them, are not covered by our guarantee.

Live Arrival Guarantee

We guarantee your animal will arrive alive. In the rare event an animal arrives deceased, you must:

• Report it within 2 hours of delivery (the delivery time on your tracking).
• Provide a clear photo or video of the animal inside its unopened, sealed bag or container.

Valid claims receive a refund of the animal's purchase price. Shipping charges are non-refundable, as the carrier service was still performed.

About insurance and carrier claims

Once your package leaves our facility it is in the carrier's hands, and delays do occasionally happen. If a carrier delay or mishandling causes a loss, contact us right away with your tracking number and photos and we will work through it with you case by case.

Please understand that carriers classify live animals as perishable goods accepted solely at the shipper's risk. No major carrier insures live animals, and a carrier claim cannot be filed on a live animal shipment regardless of the service level or declared value. This is standard across the entire live animal trade and is not specific to Jungle Express. The Live Arrival Guarantee above is the coverage we provide in place of carrier insurance.

What is not covered

The guarantee does not apply to: reports made after the 2-hour window; missing photo/video proof; incorrect or undeliverable shipping addresses; packages refused, delayed, or left unattended because no one was available to receive them; carrier-caused delays or mishandling, which fall outside the guarantee but which we will always try to work through with you; weather- or holiday-hold shipments the customer declined to reschedule; or losses due to improper acclimation after arrival.

Acclimation

On arrival, open your box away from bright light and follow standard acclimation for your species (float and drip for fish; a warm, quiet enclosure for reptiles). Reach out any time if you have questions — we're happy to help your new animal settle in.

Questions?

Contact us before ordering if anything is unclear. We'd rather answer a question than have a shipment go wrong.