underground reptiles
Underground Reptiles is a Fort Lauderdale-based e-commerce retailer founded in 1988 that sells captive-bred exotic reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, mammals, habitat supplies, and feeders to individual hobbyists and wholesale buyers across the United States, with an Elite subscription and online auction platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersFort Lauderdale, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What underground reptiles does
Underground Reptiles, Inc. operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, specializing in captive-bred and field-collected exotic reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and select mammals, alongside a comprehensive catalog of habitat supplies and live and frozen feeders. The company has been in operation since 1988 and runs a WooCommerce-based storefront at undergroundreptiles.com that supports both fixed-price listings and an online auction channel. Operational infrastructure is built around live-animal fulfillment, shipping via UPS Next Day Air and FedEx Priority Overnight with a live arrival guarantee, and special airline-based transport for venomous species, with documented shipping restrictions in 16 or more US states.
The product portfolio is organized by animal category (snakes, lizards, geckos, tortoises, turtles, amphibians, inverts, mammals) and supplies (cages/enclosures, heaters/lighting, substrate, bioactive supplies, hides/decor, feeders), with species-specific Complete Care Kits that bundle animals with habitat components. Branded accessory SKUs include the Tank Taggers vinyl line. Revenue is generated through five streams: one-time live animal sales, one-time supplies and feeder purchases, the Underground Elite subscription program ($8.99/month or $89.99/year) providing 5% discounts, exclusive auction access, early access to rare animals, and free monthly swag, transaction fees from the auction platform, and a wholesale channel serving retailers and breeders. The company markets via SEO-optimized e-commerce, organic social (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram), opt-in SMS messaging via short code +18447440784, and live animal webcams that support community engagement. Payment processing is handled through major credit cards and PayPal.
underground reptiles firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- underground reptiles
- Legal name
- Underground Reptiles, Inc.
- Website
- https://undergroundreptiles.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Underground Reptiles is a Fort Lauderdale-based e-commerce retailer founded in 1988 that sells captive-bred exotic reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, mammals, habitat supplies, and feeders to individual hobbyists and wholesale buyers across the United States, with an Elite subscription and online auction platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
underground reptiles industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Exotic Pet and Reptile Retail
- NAICS
- Pet and Pet Supplies Retailers (45991)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pet Supplies Inventory-led Online Retailers (CRAFADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Reptile & Amphibian Supplies Retail (CRALAHAJ), Reptile & Amphibian Farming (Alligators, Frogs) (AFAEAIAJ), Live Animals & Aquatics Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAKAJ)
Keywords
Where underground reptiles is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Lauderdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
underground reptiles business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Live Animal Sales: One-time sales of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and mammals. Prices range from $3.99 to over $2,000 depending on species rarity.
- Supplies and Feeders: Cages, enclosures, heaters, lighting, substrates, and food products. One-time purchase items supporting reptile care.
- Elite Membership Subscription: Monthly subscription at $8.99/month or annual at $89.99/year providing 5% discount on all purchases, exclusive auction access, early access to rare animals, and free monthly swag.
- Auctions: Online auction platform for exclusive and rare animals. Elite members can bid on special inventory.
- Wholesale: Wholesale channel for retailers and breeders to purchase animals and supplies in bulk.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Elite Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Elite Membership (Save 17%) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Animals |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Terrarium Supplies and Accessories |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
underground reptiles product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Underground Reptiles operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business selling captive-bred and field-collected exotic animals including reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and mammals, alongside habitat supplies (terrariums, heating, lighting, substrate, decor) and feeder animals. The company also runs an online auction platform reserved for Elite members and an Elite Membership subscription program offering recurring discounts and early access to rare inventory.
Product overview
Underground Reptiles operates a WooCommerce-based e-commerce platform specializing in exotic reptiles, amphibians, and mammals alongside comprehensive habitat supplies and feeders. The core offering includes individual animal sales across species categories (snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, amphibians, mammals), a Complete Care Kits line for habitat setups, Tank Taggers decorative accessories, and a Feeders category. The business offers an Elite Membership subscription ($8.99/month or $89.99/year) providing 5% discounts, exclusive auction access, and early access to rare animals. Additional services include live animal auctions for members and SMS/text messaging for order notifications. The platform processes payments via major credit cards and PayPal, with shipping handled through UPS and FedEx.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Underground Elite: Premium membership program offering exclusive auction access, 5% discount on all purchases, early access to rare animals, free monthly swagg, and flash sale privileges. Monthly subscription at $8.99/month or yearly at $89.99/year.
- Ugreptiles
Products and services
- Exotic Animals Wide variety of captive-bred and field-collected exotic animals sold as individual units to hobbyist reptile keepers, pet owners, and breeders in the United States.
- Reptile Supplies Habitat and husbandry supplies covering cages, enclosures, heating, lighting, substrate, decor, cleaning, and care tools for reptile and amphibian keepers.
- Feeders Live and frozen feeder animals sold to support reptile and amphibian nutrition needs.
- Complete Care Kits Pre-bundled habitat setups pairing a species-appropriate animal with the supplies needed for a complete enclosure, designed for first-time keepers and convenience buyers.
- Tank Taggers Species-themed vinyl sticker decorations sold for customizing reptile enclosures.
- Elite Membership Paid monthly or annual subscription providing 5% discount on all purchases, exclusive access to member-only auctions, early access to rare animals, and free monthly swag items.
- Live Animal Auctions Online auction platform enabling Elite Members to bid on rare and exclusive exotic animals not available through standard inventory.
Companies that use underground reptiles
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
underground reptiles technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
underground reptiles partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
underground reptiles competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Backwater Reptiles: Online reptile and amphibian retailer selling captive-bred and field-collected animals plus supplies. Comparable product mix, target customer (hobbyists), and live arrival shipping model.
- LLL Reptile: Long-running online and brick-and-mortar reptile retailer selling captive-bred reptiles, amphibians, and supplies. Directly comparable as a pure-play reptile/animal retailer with similar GTM (DTC + wholesale) and inventory breadth.
- Josh's Frogs: Specialty retailer focused on dart frogs, amphibians, reptiles, and the supplies/husbandry ecosystem around them. Comparable in offering complete care kits, captive-bred animals, and hobbyist education content.
- Big Apple Herp: U.S. reptile and exotic animal mail-order retailer with a wide species catalog and supplies. Comparable as a DTC reptile/animal retailer serving hobbyist customers nationwide.
- XYZ Reptiles: Online captive-bred reptile retailer with a strong ball python focus and an active social media community. Comparable in customer base, species mix, and content-driven DTC approach.
- Reptiles by Mack: Multi-generational reptile breeder and retailer selling captive-bred snakes, lizards, and supplies. Comparable in captive-breeding capability and direct-to-hobbyist distribution.
Broad incumbents
- PetSmart: Largest North American specialty pet retailer carrying reptiles, small animals, supplies, and feeders. Overlaps on supplies and feeder inventory but does not match Underground Reptiles' depth in live exotic animals.
- Petco: National specialty pet retailer with reptile and small-animal categories plus supplies. Comparable in pet supplies breadth but with a much wider category mix and limited exotic-animal depth.
- Chewy: Dominant online pet supplies retailer. Comparable in e-commerce-led pet supply distribution but does not sell live exotic animals at scale; competes most directly on the supplies/feeders side.
Others
- FaunaClassifieds: Online classifieds and marketplace for exotic animals, feeders, and supplies. Comparable customer base and category; operates as a marketplace rather than an inventory-led retailer like Underground Reptiles.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
underground reptiles social profiles
Digital presenceunderground reptiles financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
underground reptiles leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
underground reptiles funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
underground reptiles 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 underground reptiles
What does underground reptiles do?
Underground Reptiles operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business selling captive-bred and field-collected exotic animals including reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and mammals, alongside habitat supplies (terrariums, heating, lighting, substrate, decor) and feeder animals. The company also runs an online auction platform reserved for Elite members and an Elite Membership subscription program offering recurring discounts and early access to rare inventory.
Is underground reptiles a public or private company?
underground reptiles is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was underground reptiles founded?
underground reptiles was founded in 1988.
Where is underground reptiles based?
underground reptiles is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does underground reptiles make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Live Animal Sales are the primary driver. The others are supplies and Feeders, elite Membership Subscription, auctions and wholesale.
Who are underground reptiles's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Backwater Reptiles, LLL Reptile, Josh's Frogs, Big Apple Herp, XYZ Reptiles and Reptiles by Mack. Broad incumbents are PetSmart, Petco and Chewy. FaunaClassifieds is listed as an others.
Does underground reptiles have an API?
No public API is recorded for underground reptiles.
What industry is underground reptiles in?
underground reptiles's product category is Exotic Pet and Reptile Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFADAH, Pet Supplies Inventory-led Online Retailers, with a secondary code of CRALAHAJ, Reptile & Amphibian Supplies Retail. Its NAICS code is 45991 and its SIC code is 5945.