About ILL

Our Story

ILLExotics is a Family Owned specialty shop with a goal and focus to provide quality captive bred exotic reptiles and healthy houseplants from around the world to our customers. We have over 10 years experience and education in horticulture and herpetology, specializing in growing tropical plants from aroids to orchids, and fauna ranging from chameleons to dart frogs and invertebrates. ILLExotics carries a range of high quality live and frozen feeders as well for your animals diet and enrichment! We offer a different experience than the big box store and are not your average reptile shop… All of our reptiles and amphibians are captive bred in house, or by other reputable and vetted breeders. WE REFUSE TO RETAIL WILD CAUGHT ANIMALS, PERIOD.

We strive to re-create each animals native home with bioactive habitats, growing live plants, and offering a mentally stimulating habitat thus providing a great quality of life for our animals. Our business philosophy is to not only provide quality animals and plants but to educate our customers on their new exotic acquisition. We don’t just sell any reptiles, as we have great attention to urban sustainability – Meaning any species of animal we work with is suitable for living in a home or apartment comfortably in a habitat and will NOT sell the following:

Aquatic Turtles, Iguanas, Monitors, XL Snakes, XL tortoises, venomous, Endangered or native species to Pennsylvania. Please think twice and educate yourself before acquiring these animals listed for 99% of them are not taken care of properly and need a zoo sized habitat to live a healthy life. We take pride in caring for our reptiles and work closely with and supply some zoos and aquariums across the nation with top quality habitat design and sustainable captive bred reptiles.

Our Site

You can shop for items that we offer with shipping to your door nation wide, as well as convient in-store/curbside pickup! Items purchased for pickup will receive a email notification when your order is ready. Orders placed after 12noon will be available for pick up NEXT day. (Items online are not always available in store and vise versa*)

For items out of stock or coming soon, you can sign up for our waitlist! The waitlist will notify you via email when that product is back in stock and is not a guarantee. All purchases are first come, first serve especially for uncommon tropicals.

Our Greenhaus

Philadelphia is home and we grow and acclimate all of our tropical plants in our Center City Greenhaus before they travel to all of our at home windowsill growers. We grow, hybridize and work with other members of the aroid and tropical plant community to provide top quality sustainably sourced plants. We love to share our plants and look forward to growing with all of you! Our Greenhaus is private, and not open to the public.

Our Retail Shop

Take a walk on the wild side as you escape city living and enter the tropical habitat of ILLExotics. Our retail shop is located in South Philadelphia at 1704-06 East Passyunk Ave across the street from Barcelona Wine Bar. The storefront location showcases tropical flora and fauna, supplies, and educational classes galore. Enjoy our scenic journey through art installations both living and preserved as well as the largest aroid conservation terrarium in the area! The storefront always has a vast selection of houseplants available, ranging from common to uncommon/rare varieties. Unlike any pet shop we have displays showcasing our captive breeding efforts and we have a special animal interaction area which is tucked away where you and your family can safely meet your new exotic pet, one on one, before taking it home! We take the time to help you learn about your new pet and set you up for success.

Our Process to Purchase an Animal

When shopping in store, no animals are taken out to be held without appointment, as we are not a petting zoo. Appointments are needed for animal interactions with proper documents completed and photos of your set up – if you are not purchasing the complete habitat from ILLExotics. You are welcome to purchase an animal online to reserve it while completing our adoption paperwork; should you not be approved – the purchase will be refunded. Habitats must be set up prior to animals going home to reduce as much stress as possible for the animal … We honestly care about our animals and want to make sure you are making a well researched and prepared choice to bring one into your home. Once our documents are filled out and approved, arrangements are made to take your new pet home. We want to keep stress to a minimum during this process for the sake of the reptile. Every animal that goes home gets a folder containing its weight history, feeding schedule and birth certificate. We love and give great care to our animals and want to make sure you do as well!