Who Are We?

What do you get when you cross a Zoologist, a Carpenter and a designer with the know how to run a business?

You get, RETRO REPTILES!

Retro Reptiles is a small family business combining both our love of Australian reptiles and all things retro. It was hatched from a conversation in an old school cafe in Ipswich, Queensland that went something like this..... "If we are building traditional wooden reptile enclosures for our own collection, why can't we build them for other keepers too?"

Retro Reptiles' aim is to provide quality reptile enclosures to the reptile keeping community. With over 12 years’ experience in the Australian pet industry and more than double that keeping and breeding reptiles, we are a wealth of knowledge and are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Who says reptile enclosures have to look boring? Our standard and custom made retro inspired enclosures will appeal to those who like to be a little bit different and want to add a great piece of furniture to their home. Our enclosures are made from kitchen/bathroom cabinet quality, high moisture resistant board and are all fitted with quality ceramic fittings. Our design has come about through years of looking for the 'ideal' enclosure and not being able to find it. We choose wood over glass, to help retain heat and keep our animals’ environment insulated. Glass with mesh top enclosures lose heat rapidly, essentially rendering your heat source redundant and costing you a fortune in electricity. A reptile kept too cold will more than likely encounter health issues at some stage.

Being hand made here in South East Queensland, our enclosures are of superior quality and with correct care will outlast other mass produced and imported products. Remember, by supporting local businesses you are keeping the money here in Australia and contributing towards the health of our economy.

Thanks for looking,

Sue, Joel and John

Why Are We Different?

We get a lot of enquiries about what makes our enclosures different from enclosures you might see in your local pet shop. Here is a brief run down on some of those differences.

*Our enclosures are entirely hand made in Ipswich, Queensland from quality locally supplied product. This means we know our enclosures inside out and can answer any questions you may have. Most enclosures in Australian pet shops are imported on mass from overseas and are made to a price level, rather than a quality level.

*We use quality HMR (high moisture resistant) board. This is the same board used in kitchen/bathroom cabinets and means if water does come into contact with the bare board, it will not swell and fall apart like standard melamine orparticle board.

*Our enclosures are so well designed that there are no visible screws or fixings, giving the enclosures a seamless finish. They lock together like a jigsaw and therefore take more than just a couple of hours to complete.

*We use quality 250W rated ceramic fittings with an Australian approval. These fittings are mounted into a panel in the ceiling to prevent the board from overheating. As a secondary prevention, the top of the fittings sit inside a cavity that is open at the back of the enclosures allowing any excess heat to escape. This cavity also hides the unsightly cords and allows the enclosures to be easily stacked.

*We use 5mm glass in our doors, not 3-4mm. This provides extra strength. We also round the corners and edges to enable the doors to slide well and to prevent our customers or their pets from injuring themselves.

*We use quality metal vents that cannot be pushed out or bent allowing your pets to escape. We position the vents to allow for maximum airflow while not letting too much heat escape, helping to maintain a thermal gradient and keeping your pets happy and healthy.

We hope this has helped to set Retro Reptiles’ enclosures apart from other cheaper enclosures but if you have any questions we are always available to answer them.