DFW Reptarium

“The animals that are born in captivity are used to the food we feed them. They are used to the conditions that we provide for them, and they thrive and do a lot better,” he said. “Our real passion for opening this shop was to get young people [interested], and the last way to get a young person into this hobby is to sell them a sick, unhealthy animal.”

Most of DFW Reptarium’s business comes from its sale of feeders, or the food that reptiles and amphibians eat. Its inventory includes live and frozen rodents, worms and insects.

“We are the only grocery store for reptile-keepers,” Mead said. “It’s a pretty diverse group of people, too. Reptile people come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.”

Mead said he was about 4 years old when he found a rough earth snake while playing outside one day. His parents helped him bring the snake home, created a shelter for it in a large plastic bin and let Mead care for it.

“And that’s it. I had to have every book on snakes, lizards or frogs. It’s just been the driving force of my life every since, really,” Mead said.

Like Mead, Spicer has been a fan of reptiles since childhood and has about 80 pet snakes at home. Spicer’s six children also grew up passionate about taking care of their pets, he said. For Mead and Spicer, the store is a way to not only care for these animals but also to interact with others who share a passion for these types of species. In the near future—perhaps this summer—Mead said they plan to organize a field trip to western Texas where they and fellow enthusiasts can observe various species in their natural habitats.

“My goal eventually would be to expand the business and actually have more of an exhibition-type area with ... zoo-class animals and exhibits—housing the animals that we don’t sell,” Spicer said.