Live animal sales.

We sell animals in the store at 149 Plaistow Road, so you can see the animal, ask questions and leave with the right setup. Our website shows animals we have or recently had, but it doesn't take orders or reservations, and availability changes daily. Call before you drive over for a specific animal. Prices can change, and the price at the register is the price you pay.

Zoo Creatures sells animals under a New Hampshire pet vendor license from the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food (RSA 437). The license is posted in the store. We keep the sale records the state requires for at least one year.

NERD sales and shipping

Zoo Creatures does not ship animals. Our parent company, NERD, sells some animals on its own website at newenglandreptilestore.com (opens in a new tab) and ships them. NERD sales and shipping follow NERD's own terms, federal wildlife law (including the Lacey Act), carrier rules, and the laws of the state the animal is going to.

Some animals in the building live here. Our ambassador animals, marked “Ambassador animal · not for sale” on the site, help us teach visitors and are not for sale.

The venomous snakes in the NERD venom room are on display for education. They are worked only by trained staff with hooks and tongs. They are not for sale to the public, and visitors may not handle them.

You must be 18 or older to buy a live animal. Younger customers are welcome. A parent or guardian must be present and make the purchase. We may ask to see photo ID. We check it by sight only and never scan, photograph or copy it.

We may also decline a sale if we believe an animal won't get proper care, if the buyer can't legally keep it, or if an animal isn't a good match for the buyer's experience. We'll explain why and, where we can, suggest a better fit.

• Know the adult size, lifespan and diet. Some tortoises live longer than their owners, and some snakes and lizards grow very large.
• Have the enclosure, heat, lighting and food ready, or buy them with the animal. We'll help you put the setup together.
• Check that you can legally keep the animal where you live, including your town, landlord or HOA.
• Think about who will care for the animal when you travel, and for the rest of its life.

Ages, sizes and morphs are our best judgment at the time of sale. Sex is guaranteed only when we write it on your receipt. If a sex we wrote on the receipt turns out to be wrong, bring the animal back within 90 days with the receipt and we'll exchange it or give you store credit for what you paid.

Every animal is checked by our staff before it goes home, and we tell you what we know about its feeding and history. We don't sell an animal we know is sick, as New Hampshire law requires (RSA 437:5). Our staff are experienced keepers, not veterinarians. For medical problems, see a qualified reptile or exotic-animal vet.

Every animal we sell comes with our health guarantee. It's our own written promise, and it's in addition to any rights you have under New Hampshire law.

• Reptiles, amphibians and small mammals: 7 days. If your animal becomes seriously ill or dies within 7 days of purchase, contact us within that time. Bring the animal and your receipt. If it has died, you can bring the animal or clear photos instead. We'll replace it with the same or a similar animal, or give you store credit for what you paid.
• Fish and invertebrates: 48 hours. Bring the fish or invertebrate (or clear photos), your receipt and a water sample from the tank. We'll test the water and replace the animal or give store credit.
• If you take your animal to a vet within the guarantee period and the vet finds an illness it had when you bought it, bring the vet's note and you can choose a refund of what you paid for the animal instead of a replacement or credit.

What the guarantee doesn't cover

• Injury, escape, or illness caused after purchase, including the wrong heat, humidity, lighting, water quality, diet or housing. We'll go over the right setup with you before you leave.
• Animals housed with other animals we didn't recommend housing together.
• Feeder animals (see below), and animals sold "as-is" with a signed as-is form, such as some rescues or clearance animals.

If your animal seems unwell after you bring it home, call us right away at (603) 382-3338. The sooner we know, the more we can help.

Animals can't be returned because you changed your mind. If you can no longer keep an animal, call us and we'll help you find it a good home.

New Hampshire rules

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department regulates the import and possession of wildlife, including reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates, under its rules (Fis 800). Some species are prohibited and others need a permit. For example:

• Venomous reptiles, alligators, crocodiles and caimans need a Fish and Game permit. Zoo Creatures doesn't sell them.
• Native New Hampshire reptiles and amphibians on the state's controlled list, such as musk, painted, snapping, wood, spotted, Blanding's and eastern box turtles, eastern milksnakes, garter snakes and bullfrogs, can't be sold in New Hampshire, even when bred in captivity (Fis 811.01). Some are also protected. Never take one from the wild.
• All non-native crayfish are prohibited in New Hampshire, along with some fish such as snakeheads, walking catfish and grass carp.
• Aquarium fish may be kept without a permit only in a closed system: an indoor tank that drains nowhere. Never put aquarium fish, plants, snails or tank water into a pond, stream or storm drain.

If any animal we sell needs a state permit, we'll see your permit before the sale and record the permit number. Learn more at wildlife.nh.gov (opens in a new tab).

If you live outside New Hampshire

Other states set their own rules, and many are stricter. Massachusetts, for example, requires a permit for piranhas and for some turtles and other reptiles, and bans some species outright. You are responsible for following the laws where the animal will live. Ask us if you're unsure, and we'll tell you what we know.

Small turtles

Federal law (21 CFR 1240.62) and New Hampshire rules (Agr 1706.01) don't allow turtles or tortoises with a shell under 4 inches long to be sold as pets, because of the Salmonella risk. We don't sell turtles or tortoises under 4 inches.

Rabbits

New Hampshire law (RSA 437:15) doesn't allow rabbits under 8 weeks old to be sold or given away as prizes, and we don't sell them.

Reptiles, amphibians, pet rodents and feeder animals can carry Salmonella and other germs, even when they look healthy and clean. These habits lower the risk:

• Wash your hands with soap and water right after touching an animal, its food, its water, or anything in its enclosure. Help children wash theirs.
• Don't kiss or snuggle reptiles and amphibians, and don't eat or drink while handling them.
• Keep animals and their supplies out of the kitchen and away from where food is made or eaten.
• Clean enclosures and dishes outside or in a laundry tub, not in the kitchen sink. If you must use a bathtub, disinfect it well afterward.
• The CDC advises that children under 5, adults 65 and older, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system avoid touching reptiles, amphibians and pet rodents. These animals are not a good choice for a home with a child under 5.

More from the CDC at cdc.gov/healthy-pets (opens in a new tab).

Live and frozen feeders (insects, worms and rodents) are sold as food for other animals. They aren't covered by the health guarantee and can't be returned. Check them before you leave the store, and we'll swap any problem right there.

Handling frozen feeders safely

• Freezing doesn't kill Salmonella. Treat frozen rodents like raw meat.
• Keep them frozen until you use them, in a sealed bag or container kept apart from people food.
• Thaw them away from where food is made. Never use a microwave or kitchen tools that are also used for people food.
• Wash your hands and any surface the feeder touched as soon as you're done.

Live feeders

Don't leave a live rodent or a large number of live insects unattended with your pet. They can bite and injure it. Ask us about feeding frozen-thawed instead.

• A care sheet for your species from our animal care library, or written guidance from our staff when we don't have a sheet yet.
• Husbandry consultations by appointment, for the life of your animal.
• Questions by phone at (603) 382-3338 or email at ZooCreaturesPetStore@gmail.com.

Care sheets and staff advice are general guidance from experienced keepers. They are not veterinary advice.

Never release a pet into the wild or empty an aquarium into a pond, stream or drain. Released animals usually die, and the ones that survive can spread disease and harm native wildlife. It's illegal in New Hampshire to release wildlife without a permit (RSA 207:14), and aquarium fish must be kept in a closed system (Fis 803.03 and 804.02). If you can't keep an animal, call us and we'll help.