Business & Tech

Reptiles Are A Seasonal Business at Repxotica

Reptiles are a winter thing around here it seems.

Repxotica on Udall Road in West Islip opened up in 2011 and since then the owners have learned a little bit about the ups, downs and patterns of the business.

According to Bob and Martina Scheben, at their reptile store things can get pretty slow around this time of the year but in winter the place is packed.

To them it makes sense.

"People are locked up in the house," said Mr. Scheben. "It's when you do your projects."

Mrs. Scheben said Christmastime is very busy as well as mid-March. Things don't pick up until August when it hits big again.

With an empty store, there's plenty of opportunity to explore the selection of exotic reptiles from ball pythons to a Pacman frog, so-called because of its resemblance to the Eighties-era video game character.

"It's just a round ball with a mouth on the end of it," said Mr. Scheben.

The selection of exotic reptiles is large with prices varying. They have baby bearded dragons for about $90 each or there's the male black headed python going for about $800.

The couple said that they don't have educational programs but they work with Long Island reptile showman, Erik Callender, who develops his own programs and does children's birthday parties. Calendar, according to the Schebens, gets some of his reptiles through them.

So what's popular with the kids?

Mrs. Scheben said it's a toss up between bearded dragons and crested geckos.

The bearded dragons cost about $100 and the crested geckos around $60, not including tanks and other needed items.

Mrs. Scheben brought out their male and female breeder crested geckos to show them off. Although most are bred in captivity now in the United States the animals originally come from New Caledonia, an island off the coast of New Zealand.

"Our biggest sellers," she said.


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