FAQS & INFORMATION
General FAQs
Can I see a list of pets and supplies available to order?
A lot of time and effort goes in to keeping our stock levels, and the stock levels of our suppliers current on this site. As requested by some of our web users - we have listed all the stock that is currently available to order.
Can you collect and deliver a pet for me?
Sorry but we don't offer a private animal courier service.
Our reptile courier service is available for animals purchased from ourselves only, we cannot organise the private couriering of reptiles and amphibians between keepers.
Do you have a license to sell exotic pets?
All retailers need to have a license to sell any vertebrates from a shop or online.
Do you have a shop I can visit?
If you would like to meet us and see some of the live stock we sell, keep an eye on our News and Events page. We attend various show around the UK.
What do customers say?
If you have any concerns regarding ordering from us, please read what some of our customers have to say. Read customer testimonials >
How do you guarantee healthy pets?
We do not send out any exotic pet if we have any indication it is not 100% healthy. If we have concerns regarding an animal we are more unfamiliar with, we consult our vast social network of experts and breeders for advice. The health and well-being of the pets we supply is of uppermost importance to us. Read what some of our customers say.
I am thinking of buying an exotic pet - what do you recommend?
Different exotic pets suit different people. Do you want to handle your new pet?
Do you want a pet that will be active in the day or night?
…the fact is, if you are asking this question - you are not ready to own a new pet.
When will a species be back in stock?
Each species that is out of stock has an area for you to submit your email address. Soon as the species is back-in-stock you will be automatically notified by email.
Why do you sell wild caught animals?
Isleexotics.co.uk use some of the best pet shop suppliers within the UK. They are all fully licensed wholesalers. The fact is our suppliers supply most UK pet shops, the question is; wouldn't you rather know if the exotic pet you're buying is wild caught, captive bred, captive farmed, captive hatched or long term captive?
"...it makes a change to see a website that is honest and open about where their animals come from ...if only all reptile/pet shops were as honest." Pete J Halifax.
See the testimonials page for more customer feedback
Why does it take so long for you to reply to my email?
The sheer amount of email can take us up to a full working day to reply to. The contact form is split into three sections.
Sales FAQs
For stock, trade and sales queries please contact us >
Order FAQs
For order enquiries please contact us >
Please note; if you state the wrong Enquiry Type - it will delay your reply. Remember, you can always call us on 07849 922898.
Can a specify the sex of my new exotic pet?
If you need a specific sexed pet, then please request this in your notes. However, if the dropdown option is not available, then it is unlikely you can choose. This could be for several reason, one of which being the age of the pet.
I have just receive my new pet, what should I do next?
If you own other reptiles, we always recommend to quarantine any new pets ideally for three months and treat for internal/external parasites. This is mainly for Wild Collected (WC) animals as most species of lizards do have external parasites and/or worms. Although we do our best to treat animals, it is down to you as the new owner to carry on treatment. If you are unsure, please ask and we will advise which product is best for the species in question. Leave you new pet for at least two weeks to settle before handling - this is important to some snakes as this can put them off feeding if still young. Any questions, please contact us we are happy to help and advise.
I'm not happy with my order, what do I do?
So, you have received your new exotic pet, but you are not 100% happy with it. If this is the case, you must contact us within 24hr from signing the paper work via the contact form or call us. We will then come to an agreement to either replace or refund when we have received the stock back. If you receive a Dead On Arrival (DOA), again you must contact us immediately on the above! We will then replace/refund once we have either receive the dead exotic or seen a photo within 24hrs. If we have the items on site, your order will be dispatched within 1-4 working days. Some items need ordering from our supplier like fresh food, dried goods and most of our livestock, we only keep a small amount on site. If we need to order anything from our suppliers, please allow 10 working days.
Can't find the answer to your question? Contact us >
Livestock Information
This section covers questions relating to how we pack our animals, how animal deliveries work and if transporting them through a courier is safe.
Is it legal to buy animals online?
We are a fully licenced pet shop just like any other retail outlet, the main difference when buying from ourselves, is that we use DEFRA registered animal couriers to deliver your reptiles and amphibians directly to you. At Exotic Pets UK we spend hours researching and improving the way we keep our own animals on site. We attend regular training courses to improve our own animal husbandry techniques and to gain further product knowledge. We continually push the boundaries to provide quality care information to all customers and to help them improve their own animal care. As an animal keeper, please be aware that you are responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of any animal you purchase from Exotic Pets UK are met.
I've never kept an exotic pet before
Our team is here to help you. We remain committed to offering comprehensive advice and care information on all the pets we sell and are happy to make recommendations based on your experience and abilities.
Livestock deliveries
Placing your order
Orders for reptiles and amphibians can be placed online or over the phone, these orders will be subject to pre-delivery checks (see below) and approval before they are booked in with our reptile courier.
Pre-orders
Animals that have been pre-ordered will be ordered in from our supplier or breeder. Once they arrive with us, we will need to house, feed, water and monitor the animals health carefully before arranging a delivery date with you.
The time this takes can vary per species, but we will contact you to to complete our pre-delivery checks during this period and to arrange booking the animal in with the reptile courier when we are happy for it to leave us.
Pre-delivery checks
Before any animal order is released and booked in with our courier, we need to be satisfied that the housing and husbandry that you are going to provide is suitable for the species you're looking to keep. Our first contact is usually by email, and we will ask you a series of questions. You must respond to this email as soon as possible. Alternatively, we may also contact you by phone. Often, we will make recommendations concerning setups and/or request photographic evidence of the housing and equipment being used. N.B. Screenshots of products and Google images will not be accepted. Products purchased from us will be on record and usually make the whole pre-delivery check process simpler. We are always happy to put together full setups for all species we sell to ensure you have the right equipment for the animal you are wishing to keep.
We understand this process may be tedious for experienced keepers, but animal welfare has and always will be our number one priority. These checks are compulsory and ensure we are meeting all our legal obligations for licensing, and more importantly, helping improve our customers herpetological husbandry. During this process if we believe a customer is not willing to take on reasonable suggestions, lying to us, and/or failing to provide evidence of their setup, the order will be cancelled and refunded. If we are happy with all information provided to us, we will look to get your order booked in with our reptile courier on the next available date. Our cut off each week is Monday 6pm for delivery on Thursday the same working week. If we cannot get the delivery on the same working week, it will be placed onto the following.
How do reptile courier deliveries work?
Our reptile courier collects from us every Wednesday for delivery on Thursday. This is an overnight door to door service throughout the UK via a specialist animal courier. It is essential that you are available for the duration of the day when receiving livestock deliveries from us. Deliveries can be anywhere between the hours of 6am-8pm. We have no direct control over the driver’s route and/or timings of delivery. It is your responsibility to ensure someone is in at your address to receive your livestock delivery throughout the day. Once your order leaves us you will receive an email notification from us, the driver will then be the next person to contact you. This may be to advise you of an early delivery on the Thursday or usually an hour before your delivery to let you know they are on their way. It is your responsibility to ensure you answer all calls and acknowledge the driver when they make contact. Some addresses can be difficult to find, and the driver may contact you for further guidance. Failing to answer and assist the driver may force them into moving onto the next delivery slot and leaving your area. If this happens and they cannot return to you the same working day, the driver may be forced into returning the animal to us. In this situation we could also occur a re-delivery fee back to ourselves, sometimes this would mean the courier has to carry a single animal from their base all the way back to us, which can be over and above the standard outgoing reptile courier delivery fee. If this happens, we will have to charge you for both the outgoing and incoming courier cost and any potential re-delivery fees. Although these circumstances are extremely rare, it is important that all customers understand the importance of liasing with the driver.
Will the animal be safe in transport?
Isle Exotics take all animal transportation very seriously. As a business, we liaise continually with our specialist animal couriers to ensure that all animals are delivered within the shortest journey time possible.
Most importantly we guarantee that all animals will be fit to travel. If for any reason, we had doubt, we would contact you and remove the animal immediately from sale.
How your order is packed
Any reptiles and amphibians purchased through Isle Exotics will be packed into suitable containers or bags, we place them carefully into thick polystyrene boxes. Heat packs are provided when required so that all animals will remain warm on their journey to you, and all packaging is labelled and written on to remind our couriers what they are carrying.
What if I'm unhappy with my purchase?
We only sell flawless specimens and will happily provide photos and further information before a purchase is made. If you receive an order from us that you’re unhappy with, please contact us immediately to discuss this, your satisfaction is important to us.
