High quality captive bred reptiles and amphibians.
About us
My parents have always been instrumental in my hobby’s growth. Dad was always bringing snakes and lizards home from a friend at work. We would play with and examine these for a while and then release them in a near by park. Dad actually kept a few things here and there as well; turtles and fish mostly, as well as a few snakes (mostly Opheodrys aestivus). Both my parents and my sisters have supported my hobby since I started, and I now have the honor of playing a vital role in my nephew, Anthony’s interest in the hobby. He started earlier than me, at 5 years old with a
I started my collecting way back in 1992 when I received my first frog, a Gray tree frog (hyla versicolor). Soon after I got a Fire bellied toad (Bombina orientalis), and haven’t looked back since. I spent most of my summers searching under logs or rocks in the yard, prowling through yard plants and wandering down to the local creek, usually coming home with something. I would keep these animals for a week or two, observing them, and then release them again. My part in the hobby has grown immensely since then, and nowadays I typically own and care for more than 80 animals.
I started this business in 2002 with my first trip to a reptile show, where I spent about $200 dollars and decided that it would be great if the money I spent on the hobby came from my animals. I started with a single pair of crested geckos (Rhacodactylus ciliatus). Within two years I had exploded to have 3.13+ cresteds with several other species on the verge of becoming breeders. Originally I was selling the babies to Noah’s Pets (the store that I had been going to since I was a child, and worked at for about 5 years), but soon was producing more than the store could handle. The first reptile show at which I sold cresteds was the Richmond Reptile Expo in March of 2007. It was a great experience. My younger sister, Michelle, (as well as the rest of my family) helped out a lot, and we had a blast. We look forward to selling more and more as time goes on. Michelle is now a part time employee of mine, working all the shows with me, and helping to do some publicity before hand to attract a "younger audience." This website was started because the Richmond Reptile Expo is only here twice a year, Noah's closed in September of 2007, and I need another outlet.
I am a student at VCU in Richmond, VA, studying Environmental Sciences and Ecology. I've been in school way too long and can't wait to graduate in May with my Masters! After graduation I will be taking my second trip down to Costa Rica. Believe me, if you are a herper, you should definitely go there at least once in your life.
I hope you enjoy our website and we are always open to suggestions and comments (see the home page for contact info).
Ryan Niccoli
Owner and establisher
Niccoli Herpetoculture
