At House of Reptiles we specialize in reptile and amphibian care. The owner and staff have over 53 years combined experience in the care of these exotic animals. At our store we have over 200 animals representing more than 100 different species (see Store Animals) of lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs and even a few invertebrates (tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes and cockroaches). Besides having the largest selection of animals and products available in our area, our customers also enjoy seeing our display animals - like "Buttercup" (our 12' albino Burmese python), "Dziko" (our adult female leopard tortoise), "Digit" (our prehensile-tailed skink), "Pago" (our Argentine black and white tegu), "Raja" (our 13' male king cobra) and our rotating collection of venomous animals which changes each month. We have care sheets for over 200 different species of animals that are free for our customers, as well as a number of other information sheets including: “Calcium and Phosphorous Content of Common Vegetables and Fruits“, “Dealing With Your Pet Snake‘s Aggressive Behavior“, “Feeder Animals and Nutritional Comparisons”, "One Snake Per Cage Is Better" and “Using Frozen/Thawed Versus Live Rodents as Reptile Food”. We will sex snakes (for a small fee), cut turtle and lizard toe-nails and file turtle beaks for our customers. We keep and maintain a current list of veterinarians in the Portland area who specialize in reptile and amphibian care, and we offer several health-care remedies used by herpetoculturists to treat a variety of conditions. We work closely with the Murrayhill Veterinary Hospital and Dr. Gabriella Flacke who sees exotic animals there. We maintain a wide selection of “feeder” animals including five sizes of crickets, two sizes of mealworms, superworms, earthworms, waxworms, hissing cockroaches, live mice (all sizes), and frozen vertebrates (mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, soft fur rats, chicks, guinea pigs and rabbits).
We place a large emphasis on the proper care and feeding of these animals. Too many pet stores see reptiles and amphibians as just another revenue stream, and offer these animals without adequate (or accurate) care information. These stores are too often staffed by people who’ve never kept herps and who’ve received little, if any, training in the care of herps. Part of the reason we started the store in the first place was because we believed that it could be done properly.
We are constantly striving to provide the largest selection of products that are the best available for keeping these kinds of animals healthy and content. We keep the store animals in the kinds of set-ups that customers will use in their homes, instead of the large commercial rack systems that other stores use. That way people can see exactly what we are talking about when we describe critical aspects of care to them. Since we have our own personal collections of reptiles and have successfully bred many different species of snakes and lizards, we have the expertise that can only be acquired through many years of experience.Our array of reasonably priced services includes: 1) making fun and educational presentations to classrooms, birthday parties, libraries and other groups; 2) keeping a wide range of animals that can be made available for professional photo shoots; 3) providing low-cost boarding services, and; 4) making house calls to set up an enclosure or to troubleshoot problems with an animal's environment. In keeping with our commitment to education, we offer teachers a 10% discount on all animals and supplies that are used in the classroom.
If you are shopping for gifts, we also have a wide selection of reptile and amphibian related books, DVDs, t-shirts, posters and mugs that any herp enthusiast would love to receive! House of Reptiles is located at 11507 S.W. Pacific Highway in Tigard, Oregon (just off I-5 at the 99W/Tigard exit, exit #294). Our phone number is (503) 722-1992. We are open Monday through Friday from 10am to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from noon to 5pm. Come see why we are the #1 reptile and amphibian store in the Pacific Northwest.
Directions to House of ReptilesInset: Photo of a portion of the store.
Background: A Brazilian rainbow boa.
Copyright © 2006 by Tim Criswell. All rights reserved for all photos and text.