Zoo Med Laboratories
Zoo Med Laboratories is a US-based manufacturer of specialty pet products serving reptile, amphibian, aquarium, avian, and invertebrate hobbyists with branded enclosures, lighting, filtration, and nutrition sold direct-to-consumer, online, and through specialty retailers since 1977.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersSan Luis Obispo, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Zoo Med Laboratories does
Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. is a US-based manufacturer and brand owner of specialty equipment, foods, and supplies for reptiles, amphibians, aquarium fish, invertebrates, and birds, founded in 1977 in San Luis Obispo, California and privately held by founder/CEO Gary Bagnall. The company designs and produces an integrated portfolio across habitat enclosures (terrariums, paludariums, aquariums), environmental control (heating, thermostats, lighting including the proprietary ReptiSun UVB platform with high-CRI LED variants, humidification, IoT monitoring via SlitherSense), filtration (Macro canister, TurtleClean), and a broad nutrition line spanning reptile, aquatic, avian, feeder-insect, and invertebrate feeds (Bug Balance, Cricket Boost, Can O' insects, ReptiSticks, Zoo Menu). Notable technical differentiators include a first-to-market UVB lamp for reptiles developed in 1993 that continues in modern LED form, species-specific nutrition formulations derived from veterinary-recommended calcium ratios, and low-power bug-sized LED systems for invertebrate enclosures.
The business model is a multi-channel branded CPG/hardware distribution model: revenue is generated through direct-to-consumer e-commerce (zoomed.com), online retailers, regional physical pet retail, and specialty reptile/invertebrate dealers, supported by a Store of the Month community program, an events/show presence (including Global Pet Expo), and broad social/content marketing (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok) plus educational care-sheet content. The company also generates ancillary value through category advocacy via long-running support of USARK (cumulative donations of $1,247,000) and ecosystem investments like the founder-led Museum of Aquarium and Pet History.
Customer concentration is diffuse and oriented toward individual hobbyists across five primary segments — reptile/amphibian keepers, aquarium hobbyists, avian pet owners, and invertebrate keepers, with secondary segments for institutional buyers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but operates at consumer specialty retail price points across a catalog of branded product lines, with adjacent hardware/services like IoT monitoring representing a relatively new revenue surface beyond core consumable foods and replacement bulbs. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent entity, or institutional investors in the input data, and operates primarily in North America with limited European (Belgium) presence.
Zoo Med Laboratories firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zoo Med Laboratories
- Legal name
- Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc.
- Website
- https://zoomed.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Zoo Med Laboratories is a US-based manufacturer of specialty pet products serving reptile, amphibian, aquarium, avian, and invertebrate hobbyists with branded enclosures, lighting, filtration, and nutrition sold direct-to-consumer, online, and through specialty retailers since 1977.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zoo Med Laboratories industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Reptile and Exotic Pet Care Products
- NAICS
- Animal Food Manufacturing (3111), Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (459910)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reptile & Amphibian Food (CRADAFAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reptile & Amphibian Feed (AFADAFAK), Specialty Species Nutrition (Exotics, Zoo, Wildlife) (HLAMAHAG), Fish & Aquatic Feed (ornamental) (CRADAFAL)
Keywords
Where Zoo Med Laboratories is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Luis Obispo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zoo Med Laboratories business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Reptile and Terrarium Products: Manufactures and sells terrariums, enclosures, substrates, heating equipment, thermostats, gauges, lighting accessories, and habitat accessories for reptiles and amphibians. Includes starter kits, breeding products, and turtle/tortoise specific items.
- Aquarium Products: LED lighting, T5 HO lighting, T8 lighting, tanks, filters, water accessories, and aquatic foods for aquarium hobbyists.
- Pet Foods and Supplements: Sells specialized foods including reptile foods (Bearded Dragon, Iguana, Crested Gecko, Turtle foods), feeder insects (crickets, mealworms, superworms, grasshoppers, snails), gut-load products, vitamins, and supplements.
- Creatures Invertebrate Products: Dedicated product line for invertebrates including substrate, décor, feeding equipment, heating, lighting, and food products designed for spiders, insects, and other invertebrates.
- Paludarium Products: Products for paludariums (combined aquatic and terrestrial habitats) including enclosures, filters, heaters, lighting, and accessories.
- Avian Products: Food, lighting, heating, and vitamin products for pet birds.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Zoo Med Laboratories product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zoo Med Laboratories manufactures and sells branded products for the care of reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, invertebrates, and birds. Its portfolio spans terrarium and paludarium enclosures, UVB and LED lighting, heating elements and thermostats, canister and sponge filtration, water conditioners, formulated dry and wet foods, vitamins and calcium supplements, gut-load diets, canned feeder insects, habitat decor and substrates, and a smartphone-connected temperature/humidity monitoring system. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company's own online store and through a network of online retailers, physical pet stores, and specialty reptile shops.
Product overview
Zoo Med Laboratories is a manufacturer of exotic pet products that has operated since 1977, specializing in reptile, amphibian, fish, and invertebrate care products. The company offers multiple product lines across terrariums, aquariums, paludariums, and avian care, as well as specialized Creatures products for invertebrates. Their product portfolio includes habitat enclosures (ReptiHabitat PRO 120), environmental control systems (ReptiMister, ReptiTemp Dimming Thermostat, SlitherSense monitoring), specialized lighting (Creatures LED, ReptiSun T5 HO), filtration (Macro canister filters, TurtleClean products), and comprehensive food lines (ReptiSticks, Can O' products, Bug Balance, Cricket Boost). The company operates as a single unified manufacturer offering complementary products across pet care categories rather than a modular software platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Creatures: A product line designed for invertebrate species including spiders, insects, and other invertebrates, featuring habitats, decor, food, and care accessories.
Products and services
- Terrarium Products Complete terrarium product line for reptile and amphibian keepers, including starter kits, enclosures, substrates, heating, thermostats, gauges, lighting, water accessories, foods, vitamins, supplements, and breeding products.
- Aquarium Products Full range of aquarium products including LED, T5 HO, and T8 lighting, tanks, filters, water accessories, aquatic foods, Betta products, and water conditioners for freshwater aquarium hobbyists.
- Paludarium Products Products for paludarium setups combining aquatic and terrestrial habitats, including enclosures, filters, heaters, lighting, and accessories.
- Avian Products Bird care products including food, lighting, heating, and vitamins for pet birds.
- Creatures Line (invertebrate care) Specialized habitat and care products for invertebrate species including spiders, tarantulas, insects, and isopods, comprising substrates, decor, foods, lighting, heating, and monitoring equipment.
- ReptiHabitat PRO 120 Professional-grade PVC terrarium enclosure designed for reptiles.
- Macro 75 External Canister Filter External canister filter for aquariums up to 50–75 gallons with double filtering and biological recirculation.
- ReptiMister Large 2-liter mister with adjustable spray pattern for terrarium humidity control.
- ReptiTemp Dimming Thermostat Thermostat for controlling reptile dimmable heat sources with adjustable ramping up and down.
- SlitherSense Remote Temperature & Humidity Monitoring System Smart monitoring system with IP66 sensors that track temperature and humidity in real time, viewable through smartphone or computer, for reptile habitats and incubators.
- Bug Balance Gut-Load Low-fat gut-load diet for feeder insects with veterinary-recommended calcium levels and retinol fortification.
- Cricket Boost Hydrating Jelly Cup Calcium-fortified hydrating jelly cup for feeder crickets during the gut-loading period.
- TurtleClean Replacement Sponge Insert Reusable, high-capacity sponge insert for the TurtleClean filtration line for turtle tanks.
- Creatures Arboreal Creature Kit Starter habitat kit for arboreal invertebrates such as jumping spiders and mantids.
- Jumping Spider Kit Starter habitat kit for jumping spiders with climbing-appropriate vertical space and decor.
- Creatures Roly-Poly Kit – Isopod Habitat Habitat kit for isopod colonies, for both display and bioactive vivarium use.
- ReptiSticks Floating Aquatic Turtle Food Floating stick food formulated for aquatic turtles, newts, frogs, and crabs.
- Bearded Dragon Food – Adult Formula Adult bearded dragon food formulated with balanced protein, calcium, and fiber.
- Bearded Dragon Food – Juvenile Formula Juvenile bearded dragon food formulated for growing dragons.
- Can O' Crickets Canned adult farm-raised crickets for lizards, turtles, fish, birds, and small animals.
- Forest Tortoise Food Long-stem fiber tortoise food for Red Foot, Yellow Foot, and Elongated tortoises.
Quantifiable outcome
- First UVB lamp specifically designed for reptiles developed in 1993
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Zoo Med Laboratories
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Zoo Med Laboratories technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Zoo Med Laboratories partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- USARK (US Association of Reptile Keepers)minorZoo Med supports USARK through donations ($1,247,000 total donated) and maintains a link to USARK on their website. USARK is a nonprofit reptile advocacy organization.
- Museum of Aquarium and Pet History (MOAPH)minorFounded by Zoo Med Founder and CEO Gary Bagnall. The museum features over 3,000 items historically used to keep pets including antique aquariums, bird cages, neon signs, and squirrel cages. Described as the largest collection of antique aquariums and pet products in the world.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Zoo Med Laboratories competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Exo Terra (Hagen Group): Exo Terra is the leading global brand for reptile terrarium products, offering terrariums, lighting, heating, and food that directly compete with Zoo Med across the same product categories and hobbyist customer base.
- Zilla: Zilla manufactures reptile habitats, lighting, and care products sold through major pet retailers, offering a comparable product mix to Zoo Med in the US reptile supplies category with overlapping retail channel presence.
- Fluker's Farms: Fluker's specializes in live feeder insects, reptile foods, and habitat products, competing directly with Zoo Med's Can O' series, Cricket Care, and gut-load offerings in the reptile nutrition category.
- Arcadia Reptile: Arcadia is a UK-based specialist in reptile UVB lighting and habitats, directly competing with Zoo Med's ReptiSun lighting line and terrarium products in the same category with strong hobbyist brand recognition.
- Rep-Cal Research Labs: Rep-Cal manufactures reptile food and vitamin supplements with calcium-focused formulations, competing directly with Zoo Med's Bearded Dragon, Iguana, and turtle food lines in the specialty reptile nutrition category.
Broad incumbents
- Tetra (Spectrum Brands): Tetra is a mass-market aquarium brand under Spectrum Brands offering fish food, filtration, and lighting, overlapping with Zoo Med's Aquarium Products line but at much broader scale across general fishkeeping rather than specialty niches.
- PetSmart: PetSmart is the largest US specialty pet retailer carrying Zoo Med products through its stores while also competing via private-label and exclusive brand partnerships, representing both a key channel partner and indirect competitor.
Emerging players
- JurassiPet: JurassiPet offers specialized reptile supplements and foods targeted at the high-end hobbyist segment, providing more direct product overlap with Zoo Med's vitamin and supplement lines than with mass-market reptile brands.
- Nature Zone: Nature Zone produces reptile care products including water treatments and nutrition supplements, operating as a smaller specialty competitor in the same niche channels where Zoo Med distributes.
Regional players
- Galápagos (PetSmart brand): Galápagos is PetSmart's private-label reptile and aquatic habitat brand, offering comparable enclosures and accessories at lower price points primarily within PetSmart's North American retail footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zoo Med Laboratories social profiles
Digital presenceZoo Med Laboratories financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zoo Med Laboratories leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Zoo Med Laboratories funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zoo Med Laboratories M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Zoo Med Laboratories
What does Zoo Med Laboratories do?
Zoo Med Laboratories manufactures and sells branded products for the care of reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, invertebrates, and birds. Its portfolio spans terrarium and paludarium enclosures, UVB and LED lighting, heating elements and thermostats, canister and sponge filtration, water conditioners, formulated dry and wet foods, vitamins and calcium supplements, gut-load diets, canned feeder insects, habitat decor and substrates, and a smartphone-connected temperature/humidity monitoring system. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company's own online store and through a network of online retailers, physical pet stores, and specialty reptile shops.
Is Zoo Med Laboratories a public or private company?
Zoo Med Laboratories is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Zoo Med Laboratories founded?
Zoo Med Laboratories was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Zoo Med Laboratories based?
Zoo Med Laboratories is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Zoo Med Laboratories make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Reptile and Terrarium Products are the primary driver. The others are aquarium Products, pet Foods and Supplements, creatures Invertebrate Products, paludarium Products and avian Products.
Who are Zoo Med Laboratories's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Exo Terra (Hagen Group), Zilla, Fluker's Farms, Arcadia Reptile and Rep-Cal Research Labs. Broad incumbents are Tetra (Spectrum Brands) and PetSmart. Emerging players are JurassiPet and Nature Zone. Galápagos (PetSmart brand) is listed as a regional player.
Does Zoo Med Laboratories have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zoo Med Laboratories.
What industry is Zoo Med Laboratories in?
Zoo Med Laboratories's product category is Reptile and Exotic Pet Care Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAFAM, Reptile & Amphibian Food, with a secondary code of AFADAFAK, Reptile & Amphibian Feed. Its NAICS code is 3111 and its SIC code is 2000.