About Us

This long-term love affair with “herps” evolved from keeping them (beginning in 1987), to breeding them (beginning in 1998), to creating and managing a reptile and amphibian department inside another pet store (Healthy Pet Exotics in West Linn, Oregon), to eventually owning the current store. Healthy Pet Exotics was created by Tim Criswell with the help of his oldest son in the spring of 2004. Tim then purchased that department from the store owner in the summer of 2006 and moved it to its current location in Tigard, Oregon. When the store was purchased, the decision was made to rename it “House of Reptiles” ("thank you" to good friend Germaine Sunday for the name) to reflect the change in ownership and to help establish a new identity. We also thought that it would be useful to distinguish between "reptiles" and "exotics" (to cut down on phone calls about chinchillas and pole dancing). Tim now runs the store with the help of his wife, Shawn, and several talented employees: Marshall Brooks, Paul Hoffman, Kim Hamblin, Liz Otis and Marcus Glidden. We also have several helpful volunteers/interns.

Part of what makes this venture worthwhile is the opportunity it gives us to make a meaningful contribution to the welfare of herps. Our interests and commitments keep us quite active:

We have been steering committee members and co-sponsors of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s annual Reptile and Amphibian Show, and have provided technical assistance to OMSI staff regarding the care of their reptiles and amphibians.

We’ve been featured on KPTV/Fox 12’s Good Day Oregon, KATU/Channel 2’s AM Northwest and AM970's Rick Emerson Show several times each. We were also featured on Portland's CW Channel 34 cable TV show, Portland Now (go here, and do a search for "House of Reptiles").

Tim was a guest speaker at the 2007 Joint Annual Meeting of the Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society and the Washington Chapter of The Wildlife Society.

We were featured in the Reptile Retailer Spotlight section of the January 2009 edition of Reptiles Magazine.

We are co-sponsors of the Portland Metro Reptile Expo, held twice a year in Wilsonville, Oregon.

We have provided rescue services to the Portland area for many years and we are a reptile-rescue referral source for the Oregon Zoo, the East Multnomah County Humane Society, the Washington County Humane Society and the Southwest Washington Humane Society.

Each year we make multiple free animal presentations to local kid‘s camps, older adult care facilities, assisted living facilities and favorite charities.

Each year we provide mentoring and internship opportunities for boys and girls of all ages who are interested in herps.

We make a charitable donation each year to a reptile rescue/rehabilitation organization of our choosing as well as a donation to our local children's hospital (Donation Recipients).

Inset: One of the store logos - this is a closeup of an alligator's eye.
Background: "Daisy", our 14' female albino Burmese python who passed away in September 2008.
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