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About Us

History of Exotic Animalls.com

Exoticanimalls.com originated as ReptilsUs.com in 1999, during which period we were engaged in the keeping and breeding of Praying Mantids. Due to the mis-selling of our initial Praying Mantis, we aimed to provide as much information as possible regarding our own Praying Mantids to prevent others from encountering the same error.

I recall the day I went to my neighborhood pet store and encountered this remarkably attractive creature; I had never seen anything quite like it before. It was already quite sizable, and when the pet shop owner informed me that it would grow to approximately 20-25cm, I knew I had to acquire it.

I inquired with the pet shop owner about all the necessary items needed to care for this unusual insect. I acquired a sizable glass tank, a heat mat, a spotlight (for basking), a plastic plant, a spray bottle, live crickets, and of course, the vibrant green Praying Mantis. Since this was my inaugural exotic pet, I financed this purchase with my diligently saved pocket money, which I had been accumulating for quite a while.

Upon returning home, I arranged everything, provided it with a live cricket, which was quite enjoyable; however, within four days, it perished! I was devastated and distressed, completely unaware of any mistakes I might have made, as everything appeared to be set up correctly… or so I believed. Reflecting on this now, I realize that the pet shop owner only conveyed one accurate piece of information: that it consumed live insects. Contrary to my expectations, it was not going to grow to 20-25cm; it was an African Praying Mantis, which does not exceed 10cm in size, and it was already in its sub-adult stage at the time of purchase.

The rapid demise was attributed to the elevated temperature; room temperature suffices, rendering all my previous purchases unnecessary. A few years later, I encountered an individual offering Praying Mantids, prompting me to attempt the endeavor once more. Once I gained the necessary knowledge, my perspective shifted, and before long, I had acquired at least fifteen distinct species.”

Initially, Karen intended to sell her Mantids through the Free Ad papers; however, her brother Philip recommended that she establish her own website. This approach would not only be more cost-effective but also provide a superior platform for sharing her expertise on Praying Mantises and reaching a broader audience.

With assistance from friends in the web industry, Philip created a website for Karen’s newly discovered hobby, ReptilsUs.com. The site gained significant popularity; not only did Karen sell out her products, but it also facilitated communication with numerous industry contacts and experts.

The hatching of Exoticanimalls.com

It wasn’t long before Karen was asked for and offered other insects and reptiles. Seeing an opportunity that there was a market for an online pet shop, Philip created Exoticanimalls.com.

 “I was only working on the site part time and had a full-time job however it wasn’t long before it became apparent that I needed to quit my full-time job and concentrate all my efforts on Exoticanimalls.com. At this point, I managed to locate the perfect building to run Exoticanimalls.com from and I obtained a pet shop license.”

Since then, Karen has put everything into building Exoticanimalls.com. The same ReptilsUs.com ethos applies to Exoticanimalls.com, our aim to supply good basic care and information, along with the best quality Amphibians, Reptiles, Inverts and pet supplies the US pet trade has to offer.

TV and Film

“When ReptilsUs.com was at the top of the search engines, I had a range of people contact me within the publishing, TV and filming industry. My first contact was with Paul Harcourt Davies, a photographer. He wanted to use some Orchid Praying Mantids for a book he was currently working on.

Back in 2002 I was contacted by a lady who required a number of Giant Praying Mantids for filming the IMAX Bugs 3D Movie which was released in 2003. I jumped at this chance and provided a number of adults and Oothecas for the mating and hatching scenes. My family and I went along to watch this film; it was breath taking! I even got my name and website in the credits!”

Since then, the amount of people contacting us has grown, here is an up to date list of all programs, TV and films we have helped with:

  • German TV studio – for filming a children’s show
  • American and German Book Publishers – to use some photos in their books
  • Local Radio Stations – BBC York, BBC Sheffield and Peakfm.
  • Various TV Production Companies – insects for shows
  • BBC – Let Me Entertain You hosted by Brian Conley and Christine Bleakley.
  • BBC – Life in the Undergrowth (helped them source insects)
  • BBC – LIFE – (helped them source livestock)
  • Clash of the Titans (2010) – filmed footage of Scorpions to make CGI in film
  • Show Me, Show Me (November 2012) – Frogs provided for show
  • The Alan Titchmarsh Show October 2013 – provided all exotic reptiles for a live performance
  • Channel 4 – Easter Eggs Live (April 2014) – provided Egg Eating Snakes for first ever live feeding and helped with upkeep of newly hatched reptiles
  • The 4 o’clock club – provided Toads for filming and handling