Breeders who have experience shipping snakes know what they are doing concerning how to ship reptiles safely. No one can guarantee that something will not go wrong. But an experienced breeder will take every precaution to make sure the animal gets to you safely. There are not usually air holes in the outside box...or live animals written on the box, in my experience. Usually..there will be a container inside with air holes inside that provides adequate ventilation...and markings on the outside of the box such as "fragile" and "perishable"...some may say "live animals". The animals should also be secured and protected...insulated in a way in which they will not get tossed around during shipping. If you deal with a breeder that knows what they are doing...chances are good that your snake will make it to you safe and sound. I have never had a problem and trust the people that ship snakes to me.