We got two baby hybrid box turtles here and both died. They were really nice about the first one and replaced it for free, claiming "failure to thrive." The next one lasted a little longer than the first but ultimately died of what appeared to be the same issue. We did everything as instructed, called the store for direction along the way, and even took the second one to the vet who had no issues with how we had cared for the turtle. When I called the store this second time, I was told "sorry, it happens sometimes" and was offered nothing else. Wish I had read the reviews here beforehand. read more

I purchased a baby water monitor lizard from them, they shipped it over night and when i received him he was really lazy i thought it was cuz he was a baby but sadly i was wrong he passed just a few days later.. the company refused to refund me and offered me a discount for another.. i wouldnt trust this company with your money theres a good chance the pet u receive will be sick read more

I wish that I could literally give this place no stars. I have ordered from them four separate times, four separate animals. Every single time I get a call days later saying that they ran out of the animal and that they can substitute it. Not once have I ever received what I ordered and every single time I get refunded. Terrible "business" place and pet store. Almost nothing is captive bred and the organization of the business itself is pathetic. As you can see, it is more than just I that feels this way, they have a 2 star rating lol. read more

Purchased a corn snake from them that is infested with mites. This was my first snake ever so it took me 2 weeks to realize I had a problem.

I think that the service was great and that my tokay gecko got here in great time. The only thing that I was a little bit upset about was that she came in a bag instead of in a tight fit container. I just feel like while she was in transit there was a possibility she was flopping around a bit during travel but she's beautiful and she was nice and screaming when she came out of the package. I'm very happy with underground reptiles and I'm sure I'll do business with them again. read more

Absolutely terrible. Received 2 dead turtles for $140. They made no effort at all to keep the turtles alive. Nothing to keep them warm, just two turtles in plastic dishes with no air holes. I was assured that they take to utmost precaution when packaging but that was a flat out lie. They did not care at all if these turtles made it alive or dead, they got their money and that's all they care about clearly. If they think they are going to send me dead turtles and keep my money they are poorly mistaken. This seems to be a common issue with them, I don't for the life of me understand how someone can package animals with such neglect. Underground Reptiles will send you sick/dead animals. read more

sent a sick reptile to us in colder weather and provided no heat for the tortise. it never moved and died. their response was "too bad". it was alive when you got it. ordered another from a reputable place. came packed with heat and was in great shape. they were nasty beyond any dealer i have ever experienced. read more

Very cool reptile store! They have tons of reptiles and amphibians. The staff is very knowledgeable about the individual animals. While some have complaints about the animals they received, I purchased a young Leopard Gecko from them and have no complaints! He came healthy and tame. The crickets are cheaper than any other store nearby and the products and supplies are reasonably priced as well. I have had an unfortunate encounter with one of the employees, but the owner quickly resolved it. I have also gotten less crickets than I had paid for, but they will happily give you the correct amount or count the crickets for you. I love going here and hope to get another critter from them very soon! read more

I received an axolotl kit and two cute axolotls. Tom from customer service was super helpful and this company allowed me to call daily and pepper them with questions. They were right on top of my order and talked me through the millions of questions/concerns that a new pet parent has. Would definitely recommend! read more

Bought 5 slings from underground reptiles. Received packaged overnight on time, was provided with tracking number. It was packaged well with heater pads n most importantly tarantulas arrived safe n were transported to new containers perfectly healthy. Will be ordering again, great pricing thank you read more

They sent me a sick water turtle. After two days that she couldnt even swim and refused to eat, she died. Now Backwater reptiles refuses to refund me the $65 I paid for the order, because I sent the dead turtle picture but they want the shipping box picture. This is ridiculous. I will fight for my money back in the credit card company. NEVER AGAIN! DON`T EVEN CONSIDERING BUYING FROM THEM. read more

Monkey Frog died during shipping and that's my fault and I need to buy another frog. No care was really used packaging the frog (with a Russian Tortoise) Barely any air holes in the packaging. They require a signature so the driver can't leave the package and the driver didn't ring my door bell and my delivery was messed up. I ended up having to go to UPS and pick up my order because they were going to try and deliver it on the following Monday (delivery on Friday) I guess the "live animals" din't mean too much. The worse part is that Bryan who I dealt with would rather keep 30$ and lose a customer. His solution was for me to spend another 60$ on a reptile that may or may not arrive dead. He didn't offer me any sort of credit just for me to buy another animal "at cost" and with $10 off shipping. I only wanted the money for the dead frog. You can always tell a shady vendor that refuses refunds. I will absolutely never buy from Underground Reptiles again and I cannot recommend that anyone else buys from them. It seems like the welfare of the animals is 2nd behind making any sort of profit. There are better vendors out there that value customers better than underground reptiles read more

Very professional and timely. We ordered a gecko.

I ordered a carpet python and received it on November 30th. It appeared to be very tiny for its age. Later I was having a hard time getting him to eat, after careful observation I found he was covered in mites. I treated him and his living area and spent a good amount of money on him and his healing. Unfortunately, I noticed an increase in lethargy and digestive issues. Shortly after all this work, I found him deceased. I am an experienced snake owner and I feel that I received a sick reptile from this business. Unfortunately. read more

This place don't deserve no stars! I'm FUCKING pissed! I buy a baby ball python with a small cut on Its mouth and they tell me it will go away, then all of a sudden 2 weeks later and it has respiratory problems and it's nose is clogged now and on top of that now my snake has scale rot, don't buy from this place all they do is sell sick animals and take your money just like that. Who the fuck sells sick animals? I think under ground reptiles should go "UNDER" if you know what I mean. I'm calling pita on this place to check every single animal. This place needs to be shut down and the animals need to be in a better place where they will be treated with love and care read more

What I'm about to write will be completely truthful without any exaggerations. This place cost me my 10 year old, beautiful healthy male Tokay Gecko, which I inherited from my 25 year old brother, who took his own life a year and a half ago. When I received the geckos, there was a female with a clutch of 3 eggs. I had them for about 9 months before we had to move to another state. When we moved, she became ill for some reason and passed away. Tiesto (my male) began calling incessantly and for about 3-4 months, we heard him call every night repeatedly. It was cool at first but after a bit we decided we'd find a female. Now I've never owned reptiles before and so I had no clue as to where to purchase a Tokay, so I did what just about every American that's looking for something does, I Googled it. I looked through a few different websites and decided to call Underground Reptiles. I knew I was gonna purchase, but what I wanted was to see if there was a way of somehow seeing what they had in stock as far as females. I kind of wanted to see some different color schemes and maybe a couple next to each other for size reference etc. The girl who answered the phone was just flat out rude! I can't quote her because I don't remember exact words but the gist of what she told me was no, you can't see what we have, no I won't make the effort to send you some photos and by the way, you just have to make your order online and you get what you get sort of thing. I was a little turned off and I should've turned away right then and there. I did find them on Instagram and because of some "cute" pictures (shame on me) I decided to go ahead and order. The next day, the UPS guy rings the doorbell and I come out to him holding a small box under his arm, as if holding a basketball. I kind of don't blame him because the box was so poorly marked he wouldn't have known any better. I can about guarantee that box was thrown about like Lloyd on "Dumb and Dumber" delivering a box. I signed, told him "I hope my animal is still alive in here" and went inside. My wife came over and we looked the box over and then looked at each other like "what the $&@?!" EVERY gap in the box was completely taped shut with only a pencil pushed through the top of the box as an "air hole?" You'd think they would've marked the box "CAUTION: Live Animal," or something of that nature! It wasn't. It was marked, "Perishable" with 2 arrows on each side indicating which way was up (as if UPS gave a crap which way was up). We carefully opened the box and found a wadded up bunch of like newspaper material with the gecko inside and all that was shoved into a linen bag. The gecko was barely moving and she looked like HELL!!! Skinny and emaciated, eyes sunken in and terrible color. We then put her in a plastic cricket box and put her in with Tiesto. He didn't like her much and started getting quite agitated. I then called the store, complained about the markings on the box and asked why wouldn't they put "Live Animal" on the outside, of which they told me "Well, they REALLY don't like us doing that," which was a bunch of crap. I know this because I looked it up (thanks again Google) AND I even called UPS and they said that was actually preferable! When I mentioned Tiesto's behavior, the "reptile expert" on the other end says, "just put her in, he'll get used to her." I should've gone with my gut instinct and quarantined her however, the Tokay page on their website very clearly said "Farm Bred" (more on that in a minute), so I didn't feel I needed to do that. Besides the fact that again "expert" is telling me to just put her in there. I received an email from "Ryan" (I assume he's the owner) asking for pictures. I sent him pictures and his response was basically "yeah, she looks a little thin." Less than 2 weeks later, we awoke to find Tiesto mysteriously dead! One of the loves of my brother's life, his beloved Tiesto, dead!! I immediately called Underground and asked for Ryan. Ms Rude says, I don't know what Ryan you wanna speak to (apparently there's more than 1) "what can I do for you?" I made it well known I needed to speak to Ryan. His response to me was almost verbatim as his response was to the gentleman on here who had a Nile monitor die on him. Basically it was ALL my fault! "Why would not quarantine her before putting her in?" He denies anyone ever telling me to just "put her in there." He also said "you knew exactly what you were getting," which in reality, I didn't. The Tokay page on their site SPECIFICALLY said "Farm Bred." He argued with me that it said "Field Collected." It does now! Thing is, you can't argue a photo right? I screenshot both pages which I'll post here. If the gecko needed quarantine, doesn't it make sense that THEY would quarantine? Anyways, feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding my experience. I encourage anyone looking for a reptile to look elsewhere to avoid such disappointment. Hope this helps someone! read more

Some of the best customer service, including notifications and follow up emails, that I've ever seen. Great company to do business with.

I had bought a bearded dragon from them in July 2016. All was fine until 3 months after I got her I noticed her toes were bleeding when I came home. I freaked out and immediately tried to clean her up. Turns out she was biting her toes on purpose. I could not get her to stop. I contacted the Underground Reptiles email, and "Ryan B" replied. He asked what kind of substrate she was on and I told him reptile carpet. He recommended me to stop using the reptile carpet and switch to a dryer substrate that will not retain moisture or waste. And then said to use "crushed walnut or reptile sand". I took his advice but decided to use paper towels since she still had open cuts on her toes. I then took her off paper towels since she now likes eating them for some reason. She has been on tile now. Long story short she ended up ripping off the longest toe, the second longest toe, and a lot of her tail. It is now June 2017 and I still see her going after her hands as if they look like food to her. I will post pictures. Otherwise she is a very good eater, has a great temperament and is very calm and loving. read more

See all

I bought a bumblebee millipede from them a couple of weeks ago and when he arrived he was in a small condiment cup with a tiny bit of soil. There was so much space he definitely could have been jostled in shipment. There was no heat pack or anything with him either, and it's wintertime. I've ordered millipedes from other locations and they have put in way more effort with their care than Underground Reptiles. When my millipede arrived he seemed lethargic so I let him have his space. For most of the time I've had him he's been curled up and unresponsive. Nonetheless I made sure to feed, water, and mist. At first I thought he could be molting but this morning I checked and he has passed away. I will not be returning whatsoever to this website and I don't encourage anyone to purchase from here. Treat your animals better. Seriously. read more

I used to hate this place with a burning passion! But I recently went in and they were amazing. it was super busy and they still found time to help me out with what I was looking for at first I was getting a little frustrated that I got 3 different answers on the same question from 3 different employee until I went to the counter to check out, the cashier was amazing he helped me completely with what questions I had and everything in between! Some of the employees suck and are super rude and think they know everything but the owner is awesome and they have awesome animals! read more

Prompt and direct responses from UG rep. My day gecko was shipped quick and received within the next morning of ordering. I even live all the way in Gilbert AZ. Even questions after delivery have been answered. I will be ordering from them and am confident I will receive the same service as the first time I ordered. Thanks UGR! read more

Ordered a clown tree frog for shipment - it arrived well and on time. The store followed up multiple times to make sure of the order, shipment alerts, delivery alerts and my satisfaction. Then my sister was so pleased with it she ordered 3 more. Well - one was really thin and it died overnight. Lots of hassle and only a little credit given if she wants to order again. So this review went from 5 stars to 1 with that customer interaction. read more

I ordered 3 baby Ouachita map turtles for my kids for Christmas. One of them looks blind and is not eating. It hasn't opened its eyes since it got here and it can't see to eat. I even looked up feeding blind turtles and followed the instructions and it isn't eating. The other 2 are fine. Every day since Tuesday I'm scared to touch it because it looks lethargic and dead. I called them on Tuesday as soon as I noticed it wasn't opening its eyes and they asked for pictures of my habitat and the pet. Pictures of my habitat for what? It came here unhealthy. Regardless I sent them the pictures twice. I called them again today to find out what are they going to do about this blind turtle and they said my habitat looks nice , and told me to give it some eye drops and give it time to acclimate. Lmao! I ordered 3 healthy turtles not 2 and a half dead, blind one. This is really stressing me out because 1) I hate to see animals suffer, and 2) which of my kids are going to claim this poor turtle? I am really not happy with this response. Send me another healthy one while I attempt to save the life of this helpless turtle. At least that's what a decent company will do. It is so aggravating to have to go through this right before Christmas. read more

I've gotten two snakes from this company. The first snake had mites upon arrival . The second snake I just got was supposed to be a carpet python 2019 baby. This thing is at least a year and a half old. It is huge. They need to be more accurate about their animals on the website. They also need to take better care of their animals. read more

They Deserve 10 Stars!.......I have had the chance to work with Underground reptiles a couple of times in the past few months. I can't say enough good things about Underground Reptiles and have to say they are a cut above any other Reptile Dealer I have ever dealt with. Drew and Peter are consummate businessmen with a professional approach to the business and in dealing with their customers. Each time I have received animals from them the animals have been healthy and in great shape. Their communication is fantastic with text notifications in regard to the shipment. They call after each shipment to ensure that everything went well and that you are satisfied with the animals (I don't know of any other shop that does that.) These guys are the best, they have an amazing assortment, a great website and even an amazing app. If you have an issue they will work with you to troubleshoot it and find a way to make it so things feel right to you. I have been keeping herps for 40 years and don't know of any other business that does such a great job and really invests in making sure that you are satisfied as their consumer. They have me hooked and I will keep ordering and receiving animals from them. They are just top shelf awesome! read more

I ordered a pack of rats and they came completely defrosted and damaged. all the rats were black. I wrote to support and they said they would reimburse me but that never happened either. Horrible customer service. read more

I ordered two turtles from underground Reptiles, honestly expecting one of them wouldn't make it through shipping. Both turtles arrived alive, and seem to be pretty healthy so far. I called their store twice with questions, both times that he answered quickly and were helpful. read more

They sold me a sick tortoise. I tried my best to bring its health back but it is not looking good. I took longer than the 30 day return window and now I'm stuck with an overpriced failing tortoise all because I didn't quit soon enough. Their husbandry is terrible. Compare their care sheets to professional breeders and you'll see the difference. read more

Recently ordered a western painted from them and it was very active when it came. Seems pretty healthy so far and customer service was pretty spot on. Called me the day of shipping to discuss the weather and added a cold pack. 4 stars because in the past, I've received a baby red tail boa with a respiratory infection during the winter months. I would still continue business with them because they seem to be the only trustworthy reptile distributors online and mistakes can happen once in a while. read more

I received my animal in a good shape I really don't have any complains I'm pretty excited with my new animal

Sulcata Tortoise was very beautiful and healthy. I would definitely buy other reptiles for them again!

I bought a tortoise from these guys and received it overnight. They called me before shipping because the temperatures where I live were going to be pretty cold. Great service, the little tortoise arrived safe and healthy. I'm thinking about getting a little partner for my tortoise. read more

Absolutely do not purchase anything from this company without maybe the exception of dry goods but they will probably surprise you and somehow mess that order up too. I ordered a cribo from them a few months ago and it came in with scars all along his body without anyone informing me of that beforehand! The lady tried telling me it was just dried poop and I did not receive any refund, exchange or even store credit! Then.... for some reason I wanted to try them out again and this time they sent me a baby instead of an adult! Even worse , the bird brained customer service woman rose, asked for like 10 pictures of the animal to "confirm" it was a baby and now I'm still waiting to hear from them in a email back. Im sure the meat head owner wanna be MMA fighter is behind all of it. They are horrible and you can tell from the start that they have no regards for their customers or animals. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT even risk ordering from them. read more

I was skeptical at first to order an animal and have it mailed to me all the time way in Ohio. I read some reviews already posted and decided to try Underground Reptiles. My baby Sulcata Tortoise, Wally, came the next day. He is actually smaller than was indicated on the website. This adorable little (for now) guy came and looked like a toy when we opened the package. The package had a couple small holes in it as did the container that housed our newest family addition and was properly labeled to contain a live animal. We got him out and he very briefly was a little scared but after a few minutes he turned into an Olympic sprinter only stopping to eat occasionally! He looks very healthy, not stressed out at all and already moving "furniture" in his new home! We are very pleased with Underground Reptiles and will be back probably again and again! read more

I originally ordered 3 black house snakes, a cane toad, and an amazon tree boa. I received a call the day before my animals were supposed to ship that they sold out of house snakes. So I asked to switch the house snakes for 2 large royal diadem ratsnakes. I received everything on time. Everything was alive. My female diadem was very skinny though. I am slowly getting her weight back up to normal. I ended up ordering the house snakes from backwater reptiles the same day I received the call about my order. All in all, I had an good experience besides the skinny diadem and order mishap. Might order from them again, but not before looking around. read more

I find it interesting that the only reviews they care to respond to are the positive reviews, which are not many. I ordered 2 southern painted hatchling turtles, the first turtle died after 9 days and the second turtle died a week later. I was foolish enough to order another turtle after the first one died because my son was so upset about it. The second turtle died before the third was to arrive so I called to cancel the order. I was told that they will not refund money from an order, even an order that has never even been shipped! What BS!!! Most of the cost was for shipping anyways and they hadn't shipped anything yet! They have horrible customer service and shouldn't be selling and shipping animals that are not healthy! I will NEVER EVER order from them again. read more

I Purchased chinese box turtleS from uNDERGOUND REPTILES. The animals arrived and their courteous pleasant staff stayed with me in notices the entire way. Most importantly the turtles were impeccable in health and form. iI have them now for over one week and they are truly reponsive and healthy. i have ordered reptiles other places and Underground came thru with the best animals shipped properly with the utmost pleasant caring staff. THANK YOU UNDERGROUND REPTILES- YOU ARE A KEEPER read more

Underground does not deserve the negative press they get on these review sites. In my experience they went above and beyond what they had to do. I got my Tegu and he is doing extremely well, super healthy and calm baby. My suspicion is a lot of these reviews are activists and never actually did business with them. They were very patient and responsive with me. read more

I contacted them numerous times with questions and the staff was friendly and helpful. We ordered two tortoises last Friday and they were just delivered today. Thanks Underground Reptiles. read more

I bought two sulcata tortoises from this place. The first one was very lethargic on arrival. I figured that was because of being shipped. It died a couple of days later. So I bought the second one, because my first one died, and I had already bought everything to take care of the tortoise. The exact same thing happened to the second one. And after reading the other reviews on here, now I know why. I won't bother trying to get my money back, I'll just leave this review, and hopefully other people don't have to go through this. read more