friendly staff. knowledgeable staff. convenient store hours. great spot for the essentials. easy parking. read more

Your go to spot for anything reptile and amphibian related! They have an amazing selection of everything you need to set yourself up with your new or existing friend. Staff is chill and friendly. Great spot to check out! read more

this is a paradise for reptile lovers. the vivarium offers sight of reptiles, lizards, and snakes. the staff is nice and knowledgeable, which makes the atmosphere interesting and fun it's also a shop, so you can cop stuff your your pet crocodile! read more

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Easy to find & a very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Great selection of reptiles and prices are better than other vivariums we've been to in the Bay. read more

Fantastic place for anything reptilian care related! The staff is great there and there are all kinds of different pets and food supply options there. read more

Incredible store and experience. We never tire of visiting this urban reptile experience. The staff are amazingly knowledgeable and generous in allowing visitors to come in and enjoy the magnificent array of species in this shop. Love love love this place so much. read more

This shop was a really depressing and distressing experience. The animals are in enclosures that are clearly too small for them. Some of the reptiles were banging their heads against the glass, clearly in deep distress. I thought it would be more like a wildlife refuge. instead, they are displayed like merchandise in a candy shop with no regard for their true natures. Wild animals should be left in the wild. read more

I have rescued many reptiles (ball python, bearded dragon, and numerous red eared and yellow bellied sliders) all of whom had been bought at a store then later literally abandoned. I recently rescued a severely neglected bearded dragon who has been bought as a baby from EBV then spent the following 5 years languishing in a tiny, completely empty tank with no lighting or sunlight. His life was miserable, as are the lives for all of most of the animals being sold like objects with no regard for their life long well being - much less for the countless animals who urgently need homes right now. read more

East Bay Vivarium - Countless babies being bred and sold, meanwhile so many need homes. They're bred/sold w/ no concern for their well being as individuals - Reptile Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I have been a patron of East Bay Vivarium for almost a year now. I come in every week for rats and crickets. One of the best things about East Bay Vivarium that keeps me coming back is their feeders. They have the staples--dubia roaches, crickets, and mealworms. In addition, they have harder-to-find insects like wax worms, hornworms, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, and super worms. They also have both live and frozen-thawed mice and rats. They have every size of live rat and mouse you could want, and what's more, they even have live chicks. Furthermore, it is an amazing place to come and hang out. They have a vast array of reptiles, and if they are not super busy, you can handle some of them. In general, the staff is nice and pleasant to interact with. One of my main cautionary pieces of advice is to do your research, as you cannot rely on the staff for husbandry information because there is so much discrepancy in the advice they provide regarding reptile care. When I got my first reptile ever, a leopard gecko, there was an older gentleman named Michael helping me. I was really upset with his complete lack of knowledge regarding supplementation. He neglected to sell me a vitamin A supplement, which they need for their eyes. Even worse, he gave me extremely harmful advice that could have killed my new gecko; he sold me a calcium with D3 powder and told me to use it at every feeding. Calcium without D3 should be used at every feeding, however, calcium with D3 should be used only once every one to two weeks. This matters because D3 increases the amount of calcium absorbed by geckos, but if they get too much, they can die. When I found out about this mistake, I was really mad because my gecko could have died. Ultimately, as a new reptile owner, it is your responsibility to know what your reptile needs. I learned to take their advice with a grain of salt and use it in combination with other sources to educate myself on my reptile's specific needs. They are often criticized for having enclosures that are too small for the reptiles they house. You need to realize these are only temporary habitats and not their "forever homes"; in a couple of months, they will be sold and move into bigger vivariums. One thing that  made me very angry was how they take care of some of their geckos. They house their geckos in tubs, and on those tubs is a peice of tape with feeding schedules. For their feeding routines, they feed their baby geckos every four to five days. THIS IS CRAZY! They need to be fed daily as they are growing, and this level of neglect is harmful to their health and may even shorten their lifespan. When I confronted the staff, they said that sometimes they forget to log their feedings, however, there are multiple entries that span four to five days on the tub, so this was a lie. As I said, I have been coming here for a long time and most of my visits are fun and enjoyable. Running a successful reptile store is no easy task, and I truly believe they are doing the best job possible; it would be unreasonable to expect them to do everything perfectly. In conclusion, this is a great store if you need feeders. If you want a fun, reptile-filled outing, this is a good place as well. With regards to reptile care, I would take the staff's advice as a single piece of information and compare it with other sources online. If you are in the market for a new reptile, I would highly recommend going to an expo or finding a local breeder. If you do choose to buy from East Bay Vivarium, ask lots of questions and do an extensive health inspection to make sure you are not getting a sickly reptile read more

This is my favorite pet store ever no not just reptiles this place is what got me truly interested in reptiles the first time I was here. And where I got my first reptile this place is 5 star worthy. read more

I visited this place only because I was looking for LIVE MOSS for my terrarium. This place seemed to be the only place in the East Bay that carried live moss. The moss were vibrantly green and healthy. They were pretty pricey, but I was desperate. Other places carried "live" moss but were definitely on the brink of death. They were brown, dry, and I did not have time to revive it. read more

An ABSOLUTE MUST for any reptile enthusiast, starting reptile owner, or anyone who just loves animals in general. I am a newbie beardie owner and I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the East Bay Vivarium. And now wonder either! It's the OLDEST REPTILE STORE IN THE NATION, serving the Bay Area since 1970. If we weren't on a crunch on time, I think I could easily spend hours here (I at least spent around 2). As a newbie to this hobby, there aren't that many reptile shops (at least not in SoCal) that are expansive and impressive as the East Bay Vivarium. I have never seen so many different species of reptiles and amphibians available for sale as pets before and there were so many animals that I couldn't see either! And this is actually a REALLY GOOD THING. It means that the animal is in an enriching enclosure with enough hides provided for it to get comfortable. Huge plus for me along with how helpful and knowledgeable the employees are. Amazed by the huge enclosures that they have here for their monitor (I think) lizards. It was also my first time seeing (for sale at a store instead of at a reptile expo) a Rankin's Dragon (cute relative to the beardie), a collared lizard, Iberian Ribbed Newts, and so much more in so many different color morphs! I loved their variety of supplies, decor, and food too. Pretty affordable basking slates and branches (in comparison to what I've seen) and they have a great variety that is different from the standard ZooMed, ExoTerra, Fluker's, etc. The warnings about Salmonella around the shop are low key kinda funny too, but great to have! They also have animal figures and literature for purchase too. For a local who is taking care of reptiles or exotics, they also have boarding and a nice, affordable variety of feeders on their menu. I wish it wasn't pouring rain outside since they had a bargain bin of items and some plants for purchase too. Next time I'm in NorCal, I'm already looking forward to my next visit! read more

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Admittedly I have not purchased any pets here, but I still 100% recommend a visit when in the area. The Vivarium is the most unique spot in the 4th st area in my opinion. It's a small shop but there are so many cool animals. The employees and clientele are so friendly, and the animals are mesmerizing to watch. My 3yo and 5yo sons love this place and I appreciate how welcoming the staff are to inquisitive young fans. read more

Visiting the East Bay Vivarium for the first time was a fun surprise. It is tucked away just off 4th St and packed with all kinds of reptiles & more--snakes, lizards, frogs, turtles, and tarantulas. I'm not an owner/expert on any of these, but it was super interesting to walk around and check out all the different creatures. The staff were friendly and happy to chat or answer questions. A storied local spot that makes for an educational adventure! read more

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Such a great place for reptile lovers!!! They clearly hire staff that know a lot and care a lot. Never see this kind of range of exotic species, as well as a range a of morphs with ball pythons and beardies especially. It was busy as heck but when is it not!?! read more

Even though this place is mainly known for their reptiles, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of isopods that they had. They are very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend! Will definitely be coming back for isopods! read more

Had to board my two Children's Pythons on a last moment, original place declined to take my snakes (won't name them!) East Bay Vivarium was my backup, thank gosh for them! The process was easy and seamless, the staff was very attentive and asked all the right questions. I'd like to think my snakes were happy knowing they'd be taken care of and I felt that the staff really knew what they were doing. It's all about piece of mind, I know my snakes will be in great hands! This was the first time I ever went to this reptile shop, brought my son with me and it was worth the the wait! EBV is my go to place for boarding and checking out some really cool critters. Best reptile/insect shop around in my opinion. Thanks again, see you in 22 days! Chris read more

Angel was fantastic! We were checking out and he immediately advised that we try putting the items we were buying for our bearded dragon in to an actual tank so we could see what we need. He helped (and corrected) so much of what we were buying. He educated us so much and we actually ended up feeling really confident in what we were getting. Thank you Angel! We will be back because of you. read more

Everyone at this location is not only so knowledgeable about reptiles (snakes) but they're also so very patient... I got my snake in May and I've been able to take my baby to them for everything even emergency needs just to get a piece of mind. Their customer service is unmatched to anywhere I've been before and their ability to educate new owners and make us feel comfortable is profound! I recommend this location to ANY AND EVERYONE! read more

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This is the spot for any reptile keeper in the Bay Area! The shop is clean, airy and open! Lots of well kept reptiles and the employees are experts! Additionally if you're into tropical or aquatic plants? They have a wide selection of this as well! read more

I've been a customer of the Vivarium's well over a decade! My youngest sister kept turtles as pets as a child and the Vivarium was the perfect place for all our needs. They have habitats and all sorts of feeding/drinking devices, enclosure plants and materials. They have all sorts of reptiles and amphibians and all the critters and things you need to keep them happy! We got our sweet snake Spnxr (and her terrarium) 2 and a half years ago from the Vivarium, she's always been really healthy and happy. We bought our rats in bulk frozen (they have all sizes) and now that she's mature we get our bi-weekly rats from them every now and again as well. read more

Justin is AMAZING! Super knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. Love this place! Highly recommend to anyone. read more

East Bay Vivarium - Reptile Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

I booked the Traveling Reptile Show with Owen for my husband's birthday (he's a big kid and we love animals). It was fantastic, and my husband said it was the best birthday present ever!! 1,000% worth the money and we'd love to do it again! Owen was easy to communicate with via email, very helpful and patient as we tried to find a good location and time, and of course, extremely knowledgeable about his animals. He even adjusted his show to make my husband's birthday extra special and personalized. We got to see so many incredible creatures, touch and hold them, and ask tons of questions. It was truly a memorable and valuable experience - highly recommend. read more

East Bay Vivarium - A 2 month old tortoise! - Reptile Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

I don't what anyone says this is a date spot. The Komodo dragons are gone but they still have a beautiful variety of reticulated pythons, Columbia red tail boas, green tree pythons, king snakes, tarantulas, and lizards. read more

I had my baby star hand delivered. He is doing great and owner was willing to answer any and all questions gave me a number to call if anything popped up and checked out my setup to make sure it was correct. read more

Best reptile store in the area for the things you need. They lack a little variety here and there but I've been coming here my whole life and always have had fond memories. read more

This is an amazing place to see reptiles and amphibians. Whether you actually keep them as pets or just like to look at them. This place is legendary. It's like visiting a zoo with exhibits you can take home yourself. There are some of the largest snakes I have ever seen in my life here. Also, they have a pair of albino rattlesnakes (not for sale) which are fascinating. Some amazing tortoises and even some venomous beaded lizards. One time when I was there they were helping to rescue a snake that was stuck inside the frame of a car. Moral of the story, don't let a snake loose in your trunk. These guys are herpetological heroes! read more

Coolest reptile establishment ever!!! Great friendly customer service! Staff very friendly and knowledgeable! Staff ready to assist and will answer questions you may have! You can often find the owner John on the floor! John is friendly, helpful and will answer any questions! My 9 year old grandson calls it a "field trip " when we go to Vuvarium! I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! read more

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This is my favorite reptile shop in the bay area because even though the place is small, the diversity of the reptiles they have on display is huge, from from turtles and iguanas, to lizards and snakes (big and small). They even sell live food (mice, crickets, rats, worms, and rabbits), which are not on display. We wanted to purchase a tortoise, because they are so adorable, but now's not the time (it takes a lot of work to care for pets). We did want to help that tortoise stuck on its shell to flip back over though... it was just too cute! I sometimes come here to just look around, every once in a while. It's kind of like a reptile zoo, where you can see all of the creatures up close through the glass of their enclosures, and admire their movement within their habitats... especially Lemondrop, the giant yellow snake! They have many posters and signs, where you can learn a little bit about these animals as well. The staff has always been really friendly, and street parking is easy right outside the store or on the same block. If you're interested in reptiles, I highly recommend the East Bay Vivarium. read more

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A year ago, as a new reptile owner, I trusted this business to guide me through the setup process. I spent over $1,000 on a full bearded dragon kit, relying on the owner's advice for everything from supplements to lighting. That trust cost my pet her life. Last night, I had to make the heartbreaking decision to euthanize my beardie, Reptar, due to advanced gout, a completely preventable condition caused by improper supplementation. The vet was appalled to hear that the owner of a vivarium had recommended frequent use of calcium with D3, which ultimately led to uric acid buildup, joint pain, partial paralysis, and her premature death. A simple calcium supplement without D3 could've spared her suffering. This wasn't just a mistake, was a fatal failure in basic husbandry knowledge. Someone who sells reptiles for a living should know better. To make matters worse, the state of the shop itself raises serious concerns. When I bought my beardie, she was shoved into a flimsy to-go food container without a second thought. Many of the reptiles in the store were visibly stressed--glass surfing, covered in feces, and housed in questionable conditions. EBV didn't just sell me a lizard--they sold me bad advice, preventable suffering, and a devastating loss. Do your research, and please, get your reptiles from someone who actually knows how to care for them. read more

Staff very knowledgeable and helpful .. Small shop but clean and interesting ! Variety of reptiles along with how to care for the animal / reptile you select! You can even visit and just look around .. I recommend this Vivarium highly and if looking for a reptile pet you will receive knowledge of care and cost !! read more

5 stars! Alex was incredibly helpful and knowledgeable, guiding me to everything I needed for my reptile enclosure--couldn't recommend this place more! read more

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Bunch of idiots work here. I called to ask about if they had Hydei fruit flies in stock because it's a long drive from Santa Rosa. They confirmed they did have them. So I drive down there and they only have the tiny fruit flies (not the hydro's I specifically asked for). Total waste of an evening and a bunch of gas over this places incompetence. Make sure you triple check if you call ahead. Maybe call ahead twice and ask different people. read more

Must visit for all animal lowers, especially if reptiles are your thing. I have never seen a vast selection of snakes and lizards, lots of baby snakes as well. The animals are taken care of very well, there were no signs of illness and all the animals had adequate spacing based on their size in their habitat. Only wished they had more turtles and make better usage of their space in front as it's mainly all junk and old cars, maybe add a turtle or fish pond? read more

What an amazing local gem! I had never been here til a friend-Bay Area-expat recommended it. They have the most amazing collection of reptiles and terrarium supplies that I have ever seen in one place, plus a wonderful selection of plants for human and reptile habitats. The manager was extraordinarily kind and generous with their vast knowledge. We learned a ton, including that every animal in the store can bite you, and it is just a matter if how bad the bite will hurt. Amazingly, we saw the largest tarantula in the world, (Goliath Birdeater), and the third largest lizard in the word, (Crocodile Monitor), and the third most dangerous python, (Blood diamond (?), I think). We bought the tube of random plastic animals and it was a real value and fabulous toy that will entertain for ages. The beautiful houseplant we got there is doing great and keeping our habitat fresh. read more

This place is amazing. My son asks to bring him here everyday. Now we are thinking to get a gecko with you guys. You're amazing!! Great job!! read more

Good place to buy rats as pets (not just food!) we got our two pet rats here and they're doing great. read more

East Bay Vivarium - Reptile Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Schools and libraries please do not hire this man!!! I just attended a show at my local library, and this man was the biggest JERK to all the kids during the show (this was a show intended for children.) He was losing his marbles because the kids were talking loud. During the show he kept asking parents to take their kids outside or to take them to the back. This particular show was very crowded, and kids were sitting in the isles, he proceeded to tell the kids to get out of the isles or else he was going to stomp on them. This was not a playful, it was very rude and poor taste. Had there not been so many kids around I would've told this man off in person, but I had to walk away before I lost my cool. read more

Seriously what happened to customer service; to understanding that kindness on the front end leads to buy in and investment down the road. I was treated with such condescension today that I will never return. I am new to the world of spiders, reptiles, etc. My kids are just to the age where these animals are of interest. So of course I decided to drive over an hour to go to the place known to be the best in the area. This could have been an educational and positive introduction to this world for me as an individual and mother. One that would have me seek out EBV for future needs. Instead I was made to feel stupid and unwelcome. Your store did not have the species I was looking for. I asked about local breeders (after your staff member mentioned them as a source) which was met by scornful looks and a suggestion of a breeders website. When I stated that I'd had issues finding anything in the Bay Area before and could he show me super quick, he condescendingly stated it wasn't his job to help me navigate a website. At which point I made up my mind that I would never enter that store again. The level of disrespect that staff member had for me as a customer was unacceptable and extremely short sided. What could have been a momentary positive experience leading to numerous opportunities for business in the future was squashed because of one staff members arrogance and disrespect. Shame on him for believing that is ok and shame on the employer for the same. Fast forward a few weeks, a friend suggested I visit The Pet Shoppe in Vallejo. My experience there was the complete opposite. My family was welcomed and were given opportunity to interact with some of the animals available for purchase. The owners were kind and open to all of my newbie questions. I left more knowledgeable than I was when I entered and I purchased some food options and a fun hornworm we made into a living christmas ornament. I am pleased to have found trusted source for all of my spider owner needs morning forward. And as my kids grow and discover other pets of interest, The Pet Shoppe will be where I go. read more

I've also left this review on google. I'm leaving it here so that future visitors to this location know what to expect from Jonny Emberton We came in on 2/7 to buy two rats that we intended to keep as pets. We were sold two rats on the smaller side as pets and sent on our way. Immediately, one of our rats exhibited symptoms of respiratory infection. We thought it was due to environmental changes at first. After these symptoms worsened, we tried to get a vet appointment. Faced with long waiting times, we figured that because they clearly sold us a sick rat, we might want to leave that rat in their care and exchange it for a healthy rat. This was hard, as we had named and bonded with the rat we came to turn in. On 2/16, we called the vivarium to see what we should do. We spoke to an associate, who consulted with the on-shift manager (Ian). She told us to come in with both rats (for compatibility testing) and ask for Ian. On arrival, the store is slightly busy - there are parties of people in the store, but only a couple up front dealing with associates. We had the unfortunate displeasure of dealing with the shop's owner, Jonny Emberton. He asked what he could do for us. We explained the situation and that we had called. His next words to us were "what do you want me to do about it?" We suggested, as we had over the phone, switching. He then proceeded to try and responsibility-shift onto us by critiquing the cage we had brought the rats in (which was a lightweight carrier for transport/quarantining - we own a Critter Nation XL). He then lied and said that his store "would never" allow the rats we picked to leave as pet rats. Awfully curious considering the pet price I paid for both after we came in asking for a pet rat. What followed was a series of begrudging searches in the back for a rat roughly the size of our healthy rat, each return heavy with sighing and snide comments, like "I'm not going to spend all day looking for rats for you. What do you want?" and showing his disdain for the customers coming in and looking at the animals, referring to the weekend as "free zoo day". I tried to relate to him with my own personal sales experience, I basically tried to do anything to disarm the tension, but he seemed intent at demonstrating his displeasure. We eventually found a rat on the third return from the back. We made a critical mistake here in that we allowed an impatient business owner to pressure us into a bad purchase - I say bad purchase because the rat ended up being even sicker that our initial rat. Towards the end of this ridiculous visit to the Vivarium, one of Jonny's more professional colleagues (Michael, a very sweet veteran of the Vivarium) remembered that they kept packets of fish antibiotic that are frequently used by rat breeders (save for Jonny, I guess). He related to us as rat owners, told us the specifics of how to use the antibiotic, and sent us on our way with the new rat. I suspect Michael was compensating for Jonny's petulant attitude. We were stunned by how rude Johnny was. I'm not attempting to gild the lily - I have no clue how or why he thinks he can talk to customers like that, I'm assuming it's because I'm dealing with a $15 pet and not a $1600 snake. I understand that natural differences in customer service approach happen, especially with such a great variety of product, but there was no need for him to take the tone he took with us. We had a change of heart when we got back home - we decided that if they had antibiotic (they only told us after dragging our initial rat tail first into a feeder bucket) and we'd be dealing with an infection anyway, why not stick with the initial. We drove back, and luckily a different more professional associate was able to send us on our way with our old rat back. I told Johnny during one of his performative walks back to wherever he keeps his rat buckets that he "had my repeat business". This was an attempt to be nice. Quite frankly, his childish demeanor and lack of people skills (and animal skills. Previous reviews mentioning sick reptiles, botched boardings, etc.) lost him my support. I suspect he doesn't care, given we are rat owners and not lizard fanatics, but that's fine by me. read more