The outside of the pet store is very deceiving, when we first came here we weren't even sure we were at the right place, all it said was pet store and looked kind of run down in the front of the building. Walk inside and you will be really amazed, they have a massive selection of animals from fish to reptiles to other animals. They even have some really neat not for sale pets to see. The place is clean and the service is friendly. They even have a used section where you can find good deals on various items like terrariums and aquariums. No complaints at all, we've been here a couple of times now. read more

Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. It has taken me several days to even sit down and write this. My friend and I are so incredibly disappointed and upset with this shop and encourage all animal lovers to steer clear away from "Custom Creatures Pet Shop". 2 months ago, my friend and I went in to this shop in search of a wonderful snake, which we had been wanting to get for a while. Unfortunately, had we read the reviews online for this place first, we would have never gone. Firstly, the snake we got was a baby Red Tail Boa, which we have since realized we were wayyy overcharged for. They shouldn't be more than $200 and they charged us $300. We brushed it off though because we really liked our new little addition to the family and figured he was worth it. The bigger problem, as you can likely assume from reading other reviews, is that they sold us a FATALLY ILL baby snake!!! He was infested with mites so small that we couldn't see them until a couple weeks after bringing him home, and we did everything to try and rid him of them. He was infected with a snake virus known as arenavirus or IBD. How do we know this? Our beautiful baby boy, who we lovingly named Steevie, ate for us for 2 consecutive weeks... and then he stopped eating... For the next 5 weeks, he denied food, had progressively peculiar and severe head tremors when his face touched anything, and began laying on the bed of his tank (instead of his tree) in odd and uncomfortable looking positions. We knew this was more than just being young and getting used to a new home, so we took him to the vet. After looking him over and seeing how skinny he was and how white his gums were (because mites were sucking all his blood!), they decided it would be best to give him a forced feeding to get some nutrients in him, gave him a glucose shot, sent out a blood panel to check for white blood cells, and started him on antibiotics on the off chance that it was some kind of infection that was not arenavirus. By this point too we believed that we had gotten rid of his mites, and when they took him back to do his feeding and shot, they realized he did in fact still have mites! So they gave us a spray to use on him and in his tank. This ended up being a $400 vet visit, which we did not mind for the sake of the health of our snake, but that was $400 on top of the $300 that we paid for him to begin with, when they should have never sold him to us in the first place. After the vet, we went home, and cleaned up both him and his tank. For the next couple days we were hopeful that he would get better and he even seemed to have a little bit more energy due to his food and shots. But 5 days after our vet visit, our sweet slithery friend passed away in our hands. We have been so heartbroken over both the loss of him and the entire series of events as a whole. The two positive things that we have taken from this are that 1) we got to know him and give him love until he passed, and 2) that he didn't have to die at the terrible place we saved him from. The vet called us later in the same day he died and told us that he did in fact have a severe infection that was likely arenavirus/ IBD. Between lazy and aloof management, frequently sick and dying animals, and general disregard for both pets and their owners, this place should be put out of business. Rest in Peace, Steevie. read more

I love the people and the animals are amazing, such a nice family friendly environment, I will be doing all my purchases here with you guys thanks for doing me right, got a tank with wood trim a blond tortoise and some supplies :) overall really happy, they have it all read more

Custom Creatures - This place is so cool and I love the owners they have so much information and are truly nice people, bout to pick up my tortoise - Reptile Shops Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

See all

A great shop owned and run by a family who is passionate about exotic pets! Came into store not knowing what kind of baby tortoise I had found. The owner was kind and identified specie (Salcata) and gave me care information. Very helpful and didn't try and upsale me. Great experience shopping and learning - have been back and will continue to shop there! read more

My kids and i love coming here! I love the selection of exotic reptiles and other animals. They have great prices on crickets ( lowest price around by far) a2nd other feeder animals. The staff is super friendly and knowledgable. I drove her from avondale and it is so worth it!!! read more

I was here in September of 2014, and I got a Leatherback bearded dragon! I LOVE HIM TO DEATH!!!!!! His name is Zeus! Best companion ever! he loves watching tv, snuggling, sleeping, and being silly! Anywho! When i was here back in 2014, it was a little busy at the time, there was only 2 very busy people working the store, and i feel like I waited forever to pick my little one and his crickets out. However, excellent customer service! Does anyone know if they can Clip their toe nails???? I am extremely afraid to do it myself, and Zeus's nails have gotten beyond long and hurt! I wanted to bring him in on Friday or Saturday to get it done. They really need to get done and I would rather someone that knows how to do it get it done! !!!! read more

I was surprised by the amount of good reviews...I have had my fair share of many reptile stores and this was by far the worst I have ever been to. The reptiles were in very poor conditions, looked unhealthy and miserable. It was so depressing seeing these conditions for these animals. They also only had about 20 of the same kind of tarantulas. The feeders were extremely overpriced and were not even frozen appropriately, covered in freezer burn. I would not recommend this place AT ALL. I barely make reviews but feel I had to due to the poor condition of these animals. read more

So I hate to be this guy... but we are very disappointed in our experience with you guys and won't be coming back or recommending this reptile store. We really hope the reviews help you change the way you run your business and the employees working for it as well. read more

The conditions of the enclosures could be better, but the animals seemed very content. Didnt find any deceased critters as previous reviews mentioned. All were alert and bright eyed. Those who needed housed separately were. We got feeders and a firebelly this time around. Staff were friendly and made sure we were helped when we needed it. Could be a bit more talkative though when engaged in conversation. Answered all of our questions to the point. The prices are a bit steep but i can fully understand why. We will be going back for our future pet purchases very soon!! And maybe a few more times in-between to visit that sweet beautiful python, Chloe. read more

Are you a fan of reptiles, arachnids, fish, and or chinchillas? If so this is a great place to visit. My boyfriend has a Chinese water dragon and recently discovered this hidden gem for his reptiles needs. I really wanted to check it out so we made it a point to stop by on Saturday evening. A few of my favorite creatures I encountered were the anoles, the rhino iguana, Chinese water dragons, aquatic plants, and tropical fish. They also have a decent amount of snakes for sale also. The woman who was extremely nice and helpful. They also sell fuzzies, pinkies, bugs, cages, and cage kits for affordable prices. I will definitely return in the future for any critter needs. read more

Custom Creatures - Reptile Shops Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This is an amazing pet store for all things unique. We stopped by today and my 8 year old daughter was in heaven! We spent a good hour just talking with the staff who clearly LOVE all their creatures! They let my daughter ask questions, learned some facts about a new snake and took home some goodies for our current pets. They even have an option where you can pay to feed some of the animals. It was my daughters first time trying to feed baby snakes and although they were not hungry it took some of the worry from her. I highly recommend Custom Creatures and we will be back. Now we just have to think about our next addition to our pet zoo. I do not write reviews often but Custom Creatures deserves a huge shout out! read more

I stopped here on my way back from Phoenix because it was only 2 miles away from my Airbnb. Their website displayed many animals that aren't available for sale in California so I was interested in seeing some of these critters in person. The shopfront itself is unassuming and the sign simply states "Pet Shop." The inside however is much larger than expected. They do carry a nice variety of tarantulas and had several reptiles that I have never seen offered for sale such as the San Esteban Chuckwalla. The place was kept clean but I was disappointed that the gentleman working there didn't seem to be knowledgeable in some of the amphibians they were selling and couldn't answer some of my questions. I also really wanted to see a hedgehog and sugar glider with my own eyes but otherwise a great experience and definitely worth checking out read more

Beware of this shop!!! They sold me a sick Chameleon and knew it. The owner refuses to reimburse me for the vet bill. He tried to lecture me on how all vets are just rip off artist and don't know anything about reptiles. Also the employee who sold me the sick reptile knew it was sick and was not supposed to have sold it. Also the products at this store can be bought at /amazon for 1/2 the price. So save yourself from getting ripped off by the arrogant owner who will long remember me for reporting him for animal cruelty. read more

The people greet you kindly and are very nice to everyone. Jordan and his wife has a lot of knowledge on each animal they have in their shop. They help/give advice to the people who have any questions about anything reffering to their own pet or what they have at the shop. During the time i've been going to them they have grown a lot as well as giving the animals a clean and healthy enviroment. All the animals i have gotten from them were very healthy and nothing wrong with them at all, no aggression either. Hm, the food for pets there is cheap and good quality. Their shop may be a smaller business but it is the best one i've seen out of many other smaller businesses. Honestly i do go there at times just to observe and see all the wonderful reptiles, amphibians, and spiders, plus to see any of their newer additions. [: Overall i have no complaints at all, it is a great place. ^_^ read more

This place is awesome. The cheapest feeders in town and so well organized. Its like walking into an apple store. The staff is awesome and always greeting me with a smile on their face and answer any and all questions i have. They have a huge selection of exotic reptiles and saltwater fish and frags. They even have baby chinchillas!!!!! Soooo cute lol if you havent been to this exotic pet shop yet, i dont know what your thinking get up and go check this out!!!!! Hands down best pet shop ive been to. read more

Custom Creatures - Green anaconda!!!! - Reptile Shops Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

How's this for an update? How about a one star review since there's no option for ZERO STARS! I just now left Customer Creature, while waiting I was looking at all the tarantulas for sale when I noticed something about a large female Brazilian Red and White that they had for sale... it seemed to me that she was dead. I was kind of taken back and thinking to myself that maybe I was wrong, like what are the chances, I mean they live around 15 years, so how is it possible that this one died from natural causes etc?.. I didn't say anything but a gentleman decided to speak up when he noticed as well and the tarantula was indeed dead. I left at this time but met up with that customer outside where I asked him what happened... he said that they took it into the back where they said it wouldn't move, the lady behind the counter started making an excuse about her husband being out of town for the past two weeks and whatnot, (which doesn't mean crap) but the "enclosure" aka the critter keeper that they had this girl in was BONE DRY, the floor of it was covered in crap, there was barely any substrate and the "water dish" was 100% dry.. like Atacama Desert dry.. it was then clear that this poor thing died from dehydration and lack of care. Brazilian Red and White's are tropical and need humidity and water, your lack of knowledge and care is EXTREMELY alarming! And news flash, it doesn't matter if your husband was gone a couple weeks.. this was a slow, sad process for this large female because of negligence, it could take anywhere from a month or more for her to die from dehydration... tarantula's can even source water from the bugs that they eat, so when was the last time you even fed them?! You would think with your extreme prices you could afford to give a shit but I guess not. It's clear that you do not care about EVERY SINGLE PET IN THERE SO STOP TRYING TO MAKE A BUCK OFF OF THEM! This was such a sad thing to see, tarantulas are hardy creatures that are easy to maintain and if you managed to mess that up you are clearly under qualified to care for them much less sell them. Your business has been reported and all us animal lovers can do is pray that they shut you down. Sick! read more

After visiting this shop on several occasions, I recommended it to friend looking to purchase a Tarantula. He purchased a Tarantula on 5/2/18. He took it home, and within 24 hours it was dead. He was told by sales staff, that it was "playing dead". It was not playing. They refused to replace the animal, and they have a no refund policy, though the animal was dead in less than 24 hours. Waiting to see if the owner, who comes back next week will make this right. Kelly Chabak, Phoenix AZ read more

I only go for their feeders. Never would buy their animals, way too many in bad shape. And are extremely expensive. So sad to see so many in poor health. They need to take better care of their product and not worry so much about selling it. These are live creatures and don't deserve to die due to improper care Also went in the other day and over heard one of them trying to sell a African sulcata tortoise. The little boy told the guests that a 20 gallon would be sufficient enough for him. Didn't let them know that full grown it would need their backyard. Misguiding info just to get the animals out of the door. So sad. Multiple times I have seen dead animals. Once I got told that they didn't notice the last Chinese water dragon in the tank and they shut off all the lights. Freezing the poor guy to death. Wish I could spend my money somewhere else but can't find another store, unless it's down town. Also the wait is always atrocious. read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would. The people that work here don't know shit axolotls. And I feel so bad for anyone who is novice going here to get one for their first time. I bought one for $70 here and it died within the week because they told me axolotls can live in a deli to go cup that they sold it to me in for the first 6 months to a year. I didn't feel comfortable leaving it in there and asked what else they suggested a creature keeper with no filter and regular tap water. I suggest never buying from here unless you want zero correct information and to have a sick pet sold to you. The managers did nothing to help when I called and told them. Do your own research and don't trust anyone here. They need filtrated or reverse osmosis water in at least a 10 gallon tank when they are juveniles. These animals release so much waste that it's literally animal abuse to suggest what they did. Will gladly tell everyone TO NEVER COME HERE. read more

I have never had anything shy of an amazing experience at this store. They are always so kind and helpful. When I had no idea what I was doing, they showed me what I would need and helped me get it all. I never had them recommend their most expensive item but in stead showed me affordable options for what I needed. read more

These guys overpopulated their tortoise cages, take absolutely horrible care of their savannah monitors and black throat monitor, also knowingly sold me an injured animal, the owner and his wife are nice but it makes me sad to see the condition of their reptiles read more

This store is so amazing. I just went in and bought 3 Chinese water dragons. The entire staff was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about everything. The shop was an hour away from where I live but 1000% worth it. I called practically every reptile / exotic animal store and custom creatures had the best animals available and the lowest prices by far. I paid $50 for the water dragons when another shop tried to charge me almost $300. They have the best animals, best prices, and amazing staff. I got a great deal on everything I purchased and I strongly recommend them to anyone and everyone! Thanks guys! read more

I stopped in here several years ago; freaked out, and haven't been back. There were puppies in what looked like reptile cages and some in I believe dog cages. Some guy came in with a crate of what looked like poodle puppies...?for sale? and the lady there had cleaned a cage out. I guess for these new ones. I don't know. Some little kids were there running around handling the new arrivals and were a bit...well, just being kids..but it made me uncomfortable. The place was LOUD and there were a bunch of critters. From what I could see the cages were clean and the people nice. I thought it was a stressful atmosphere, I didn't like seeing the puppies in those little cages/crowded room, and that is why I marked it down. read more

This is a good store, the guy working the counter when my wife and I went was very pleasant, thus making our visit worth the drive. It was the first time I've seen a black throat monitor which also made the visit awesome from a up and coming reptile enthusiast. The store is small, to the point where you feel like you're always gonna bump into something. Maybe not a shop that I would frequent for my business, however I would definitely add Custom Creatures to my list of must visits for those that haven't yet. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!!!! The layout is always being updated, now they are selling kits which include the tank and any other accessories you would need. much cheaper than the chain pet stores. I always go here when I need more feeder mice for my snake. The family that owns this places is wonderful very courteous and appreciate your business. They have the coolest animals and awesome tanks. They also can work with you to create a one of a kind custom habitiat for your animals. I will continue going to this place. I always recommend this place to any of my friends looking for a new or unusal pet. read more

I got my husband a boa from here and about 2 weeks of having is we have both found a ton of problems with him. 1 he had mites and I had to soak him in olive oil to get rid of them and then he wouldn't poop for 2 weeks so we thought maybe he ate a mouse too fast and he might be impacted so my husband started to give him a belly rub to help him poo and after a while he found 1 and a half of shed was stuck to him so we soaked him for a hour a day for 2 days and finally it come off and because of the stuck shed the tip of his tail looks like it may fall off. I hope it doesn't but my husband just hopes he is health from here on out. It I just told him what was in him habit before I bought him and he told based on what I told him is they were trying to make him "look" healthy when he wasn't. Please if you love your animals don't get your animals here and hopefully how ever is in charge of reptile welfare shuts this place down and relocates they to a proper reptile shop. read more

Owner sold me a very sick lizard and claimed it would be fine bc it was still eating. Turned out it had a parasite and a severe infection. Gave me incorrect advice on how to help the animal with its "cold" and told me not to go to the vet. After a very hefty vet bill to get the animal healthy again he would not help the situation. Was very disappointed and cannot believe after trying to support a small local business he refused to admit any fault at all, UNBELIEVABLE ! Sad customer service and sad that he's letting animals leave in poor or even worse condition then he claims. read more

Stopped in yesterday to buy a "package" of live mealworms. I've never bought them "loose" before so I was a bit thrown off when the girl behind the counter asked me "how many?". I really like the way they sell them, it means never being charged for dead ones since they count them out and hand them to you in an air-filled, see-through baggy. Worked out great for me since this store is only a slight detour on my way home from work. I really like that they have a lot of reptiles too... caters much more to what I am shopping for than a regular pet store. Will definitely come back again. read more

I have yet to buy an animal from them but have been with my friend when he bough 3 turantulas. He also bought a crested gecko for less than half the normal price. All have been absolutely perfect healthwise. I love this store and the couple that runs it are extremely helpful and always ready to help you out. read more

took my neighbor here because she's really into reptiles. We spent a couple hours just looking at everything and talking to the staff. She got some good pointers on taming her young red iguana and she bought a harness for him. Also bought some nice fat healthy looking live food for her python. They were cleaning tanks and feeding critters the whole time we were there and everyone looked well cared for; healthy and happy. They spent as much time with us as we wanted just answering questions and talking about a bunch of different species. One of the girls said it was her first day and she was awesome as well. She was friendly and willing to engage and when she wasn't sure about the answer to something we asked she went and found someone ASAP to find out for us. Overall she made it feel very comfortable. Her and the guy who was there were both very personable and we had a good time chatting with them. I've been so some other places where the staff sort of seems to look down their noses at you like they are the ultimate experts and you just don't know anything and are wasting their time just. But not this place. Thanks guys! read more

The new shop is absolutely fanstic, what an improvement. Nice supply of a variety of good looking and healthy animal. Jordan and his family truely care about all of these animals and it shows. One of the few shops in town where you can go to get a healthy animal and a good price. There is just isn't a better option in Phoenix. From our family to yours, see you soon guys! read more

My family and I stopped in today to see what they had in the chameleon department. After a super friendly greeting from the owners, we were given helpful information ,great service, and a tour of what they had to offer. I was over the moon to see such a cleanly, well organized shop! I was also glad to see that it's a family run establishment, my daughter (age 3) was welcome and had a wonderful time looking around at all the different creatures! I would recommend this shop to anyone! read more

Great store... Bottom line is they have tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes and frogs you can't find anywhere else. Great feeder prices on rodents and dubias also. I come here all the time... Little cramped but it's okay. read more

I wish I could give them a negative 100. This store should not be opened. We bought 4 sulcata tortoises from this store they lived for about 2 weeks before each and everyone of them died. We did everything this pet store told us to do. They would not replace any of the tortoises that died. Stupidly we went back and bought 5 more from them. As of today one month later only one of the tortoises is alive. I highly recommend not buying any animals from this store. They do not care that they break children's hearts everyday by selling sick animals. The conditions these animals are kept in are cruel. These people do not know what they are doing. I will do everything in my powers to let people know to not buy anything from custom creatures. Disgusting! read more

Very disappointed in this place. We bought a box turtle for my daughter for her 5th birthday. We bought everything they told us to buy (heat lamp, mulch, water dish, aquarium, log and crickets) totaling over $200. A few days after, we noticed the turtle being sluggish and unresponsive. We called and asked what we should do and the lady who works here told us that everything would be fine and that the turtle was just getting used to her change. We called three other times, same answers...Three weeks after purchase, the turtle is dead, my daughter devastated, and the owner is not willing to replace the turtle. I know the cost of the turtle, compared to what he charges for them, can't even be close. I wish I could do a lower rating than one star for such a low human being but I cannot. Avoid this business at all costs. read more

Great exotic pet shop, great for anyone in need of any of Mother Nature's little creepy crawly critters. They have everything from reptiles to centipedes and most creatures in between. I purchased several Emperor Scorpions here two years ago and they were some of the biggest conversation starters of exotic type pets I have ever cared for before or since. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful in every aspect of selecting the proper custom critter to fit your busy lifestyle. I would recommend this shop to anyone in the Phoenix Metro area who is looking to add an exotic pet to your life. Custom Critters is the place to go for all of your exotic pet needs in Phoenix and don't be afraid to ask the staff, anything - they truly know their stuff when it comes to exotic critters! read more

My husband and I visited this store today and let me just say that we were extremely horrified at the conditions of the pets and the store. It was so dirty that you could smell it as soon as the door opened. The birds were in cages that looked as if they has not been cleaned in weeks. 2 Cockatoos crammed into one very small and dirty cage. It would have been a size typically seen for a budgie. There was a dog in a glass cage with a light hanging in there, I presume for warmth, not really sure. An enormous reptile of some sort that was in an enclosure that was far too small for its size. And to top it all off, for a fee, anyone can feed these poor things. I would say that any money would be better spent on the conditions the animals are kept in then allowing people off the street from feeding them for fun. read more

I had stopped in yesterday as I've lived in Phoenix for about 2 years now & have always heard of Custom Creatures but have never gone in myself. I was extremely saddened by what I saw, & I can honestly say I will ever gives them my business. While the lady working the front was incredibly kind, the condition of the animals are horrendous. They are in terrariums SO small they can hardly turn around comfortably, let alone be able to stretch out. They have a Burmese Python that is so large, I can't see them being able to anything with it in such a small space. I noticed many of the lizards had some sort of illness, ailment, or black fungus on them.. And upon looking in at them, non of them really seemed to be thriving. Surviving perhaps, but certainly not thriving. The spiders, scorpions, and millipedes are all in nothing larger than a soup-to-go cup (whichever understand that is how reptiles/arachnids are shipped, but that is not meant to be their living quarters). The final straw for me was upon leaving, there were 3 betta cups set up on the shelf to the left of the door when you walk in. They appeared to be a veil tail, a crow tail, and a dragon scale.. And the water they were in (and their shipment cups) were HORRENDOUS. The water had a yellow tinge, there was a layer of built up rotting betta pellets, and probably some fin pieces (as they all appeared to have the beginnings of fin rot) on the bottom of the cup. I could never spend money at a place that only cares about selling animals and keeping them "alive" but now allowing them to truly thrive. I was HORRIBLY disappointed and as I work largely in the animal rescue industry, I will be deterring people from giving their business here unless conditions improve. read more

They don't even deserve 1 star. Purchased a Sphynx kitten from them who ended up passing away due to disease from the parents and he didn't want to give us our money back even though there was a guarantee. After a year of him promising us a new kitten he ended up giving us a full grown cat and got mad when we told him we wanted a kitten not a full grown cat. I ended up keeping the car because you could tell who he got her from she was in a bad situation and after taking her to the bet the very same day she ended up having a bacterial infection in her eye. To this day she still has an eye problem. We love her dearly but we were treated so wrong by the owner. Never would I recommend getting a pet from this place after my horrible experience. read more

I called to ask if they have a chameloen cage. The lady who answered was to busy typing very loudly on her computer to help me with my question. I will happily take my business elsewhere. read more