Zoo Med Laboratories

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.

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

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

• Reptile care products
• Exotic pet supplies
• Terrarium equipment
• Aquarium products
• Pet nutrition supplements

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Obispo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Aquarium Products: LED lighting, T5 HO lighting, T8 lighting, tanks, filters, water accessories, and aquatic foods for aquarium hobbyists.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Paludarium Products: Products for paludariums (combined aquatic and terrestrial habitats) including enclosures, filters, heaters, lighting, and accessories.
6. Avian Products: Food, lighting, heating, and vitamin products for pet birds.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• USARK (US Association of Reptile Keepers)minorOthersZoo 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)minorOthersFounded 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/zoomedlabs
• Facebookfacebook.com/ZooMedLabs
• Instagraminstagram.com/zoomedlabs
• Pinterestpinterest.com/zoomed
• TikToktiktok.com/@zoomedlabs
• Xx.com/zoomedlabs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zoo-med-labs-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zoo Med Laboratories