I had the USPS loose my baby rock iguana over a winter. It was lost on a pier in Brooklyn. The breeder was apologetic and ready to replace the little guy because of the time that was elapsing.
I was really upset--I told him I had a bad feeling about using the USPS in the first place---I made it clear I didn't think it was a good idea. He said that in all the years he has been shipping he only had one problem and the animal in that situation did not die.
He was found after countless phonecalls and so many days I was convinced he was dead in the box. But he was fine. Even though the heat pack had worn off--even though the weather was bad.
Don't give up hope.
Also, the thing with shipping animals in any way shape or form---if human beings are involved in the handling at all there is a chance of something bad happening. Either getting lost---or stolen---or opened.
I had a tegu (Nico my male) come all opened with a video tape (bert had mailed with him) stolen out of the box-- but whoever opened it left the baby tegu (thank god). The heat pack was gone and the tegu could have been lost. Soemthing tells me the box was opened in the truck right outside my house.
People basically suck
