What are the opening hours?

Monday 11am - 3pm Tuesday 11am - 6pm Wednesday 11am - 6pm Friday 11am - 6pm Saturday 11am - 6pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Beasties, 4104 Outlook Boulevard Suite 137, Pueblo, CO (2026)

10/30/2026

It’s a Halloween Tarantula Takeover at Beasties!

This weekend only (Friday, Oct 30th – Sunday, Nov 1st), get 13% OFF your new tarantula AND all enclosures and accessories purchased with it! Whether you are looking for an amazing Poecilotheria metallica or a tiny Typhochlaena seladonia sling, we have some incredible species ready to go home!

Bonus: Bring the kids by the shop in their Halloween costumes for a FREE goodie bag!

Stop by our Pueblo storefront this weekend to see what else we have on sale; deeper in-store discounts are available!

(Note: Feeders not included. Accessory/enclosure discount valid only in the same transaction as a tarantula purchase).

10/27/2026

THE CANOPY ACROBAT: MEET THE GREEN TREE MONITOR

Southern Colorado, get ready to meet the a pinnacle of the reptile hobby! We just snapped this photo of a stunning Green Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus) right here in the shop. Look at that incredible emerald coloration and that ridiculously long tail!

Native to the dense jungles and mangrove swamps of New Guinea, these slender monitors are incredibly intelligent and highly alert. With patient, trust-based interaction, they can become amazingly interactive display animals that will readily climb right onto your arm!

THE PREHENSILE RAINFOREST HUNTER

To understand what makes them so unique, we have to look at how they navigate the highest levels of the rainforest canopy.

- The Fifth Limb: Notice how incredibly long their tail is? It makes up more than two-thirds of their entire body! It is fully prehensile and acts as a literal fifth limb, allowing them to safely hang from branches, navigate thin vines, and even catch prey in mid-air.

- The Emerald Camouflage: Their brilliant, vibrant green coloration isn't just for show. It perfectly camouflages them in the dense tropical foliage, making them nearly invisible to predators while they hunt.

- The Tree-Top Insectivore: While you might picture massive monitors eating rodents or birds, this specialized species is built differently! They are strictly arboreal insectivores, spending their days chasing down katydids, stick insects, and roaches high up in the trees. We keep their captive diet strictly bug-based to ensure they stay lean, active, and healthy!

BUILDING YOUR CUSTOM SOCO CANOPY

Recreating a tropical environment in our dry Colorado climate is a fun, rewarding project! The secret to keeping these canopy acrobats thriving is simply balancing great humidity with plenty of fresh airflow.

- The Moisture Battery: We love using screen-topped enclosures here at Beasties to ensure plenty of fresh air and prevent mold. To keep the ambient humidity high enough for the monitor, we recommend creating a deep layer of substrate. Even though the lizard rarely visits the ground, this deep dirt acts as a giant "moisture battery" to naturally humidify the entire habitat!

- Vertical Jungle Gym: Because they are so active, they appreciate as much climbing room as you can give them! We recommend a towering 4 foot long by 6 foot tall enclosure packed with vertical cork tubes, dense foliage, and branches so they can wedge themselves in securely to sleep.

- Canopy Sunbeams: Just like their ground-dwelling cousins, they have a fantastic metabolism. They thrive when provided with a localized basking spot near the top branches, allowing them to warm up quickly before darting back into the cooler foliage to digest their meals.

Stop by Beasties, a Pet Store and More!! this week to meet this highly intelligent canopy acrobat in person. Our reptile team is ready to sit down with you and help you design the ultimate, towering rainforest habitat for your home!

10/24/2026

We're at the Castle Rock All American Reptile and Plant Expo this weekend! Come by and say hi, we've got some stunning animals on our tables!

10/24/2026

THE BARKING DESERT DWELLER: MEET THE THICK-TAILED GECKO

Southern Colorado, get ready to meet an incredibly charismatic little reptile! We just snapped this photo of a Thick-Tailed Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milii) right here in the shop. It'll actually be going to the reptile expo in Castlerock this weekend!

While the wild-type geckos are usually dark brown or black, the one pictured here is a special "Hypo" (Hypomelanistic) morph. This genetic trait heavily reduces their dark pigments, creating a beautiful pastel base of light brown and yellow spots.

THE BARKING ATTITUDE AND LEAFY TAILS

Native to the rocky outcrops and dry eucalyptus woodlands of southern Australia, these geckos are packed with fascinating survival traits!

- The Barking Defense: They are frequently called the Barking Gecko because of their attitude! If they feel threatened, they will stand up tall on all four legs, wave their tails in the air, and emit a raspy "bark" or cough to scare off predators.

- The Desert Storage Tank: That fat, alien-like tail is actually a vital health indicator. Just like a camel, they use their massive tails to store fat and water reserves to survive the harsh dry seasons. (But be careful, they can drop their tails if grabbed, so never hold them by the tail!)

- No Sticky Toes: Unlike tropical geckos that climb glass, Thick-Tailed Geckos are strictly terrestrial. They lack sticky toe pads and instead have tiny claws perfectly designed for digging shallow "scrapes" in the dirt to sleep under rocks.

BUILDING YOUR CUSTOM SOCO WOODLAND

Because they come from the dry woodlands of Australia, keeping them in our high-desert climate is a major advantage!

- The SoCO Reality: Our naturally dry Pueblo air and a standard screen-topped tank are absolutely perfect for their overall environment.

- The Humid Microclimate: While they like the dry air, you absolutely must provide a "humid hide" (an enclosed cave filled with damp moss). This perfectly replicates the moist soil they find deep under rocks in the wild and ensures their tiny toes have perfect sheds!

- Cool Desert Thermoregulation: They originate from temperate regions and do not want blistering desert heat. Achieving their ideal 85 to 88 degree Fahrenheit warm spot is incredibly easy. A low-wattage halogen heat bulb or a regulated under-tank heat mat works perfectly, letting the rest of the tank stay at a comfortable room temperature.

Stop by Beasties, a Pet Store and More!! this week to meet this barking desert dweller in person. Our reptile team is ready to sit down with you and help you design the perfect dry woodland setup for your home!

10/20/2026

Beasties will be OPEN Wednesday, October 21st (tomorrow) from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. One hour shorter than usual.

10/20/2026

THE ISLAND JEWEL: MEET THE NOSY MITSIO PANTHER CHAMELEON

Southern Colorado, get ready to meet what is arguably the most colorful reptile on the planet! We just snapped this amazing photo one of our Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) catching a drink of water right off a live Pothos leaf in its enclosure.

While Panther Chameleons are famous for their colors, they actually have distinct regional "locales." Because wild populations were separated by geographic barriers across the rainforests of Madagascar, they evolved radically different color palettes! This specific "Nosy Mitsio" locale hails from an island archipelago off the coast, and they are highly prized for their brilliant, eye-popping neon green and yellow base colors.

THE LIVING MOOD RING

There is a massive myth that chameleons change color to match their background to hide. In reality, their color changes are driven by temperature and their mood!

- Communicating with Color: Because they are completely silent, they use their skin to talk! If a chameleon is dark or nearly black, it means they are cold or highly stressed. However, when a male Nosy Mitsio gets excited or wants to show off, those neon greens will suddenly flash into intense, fiery orange and red!

- The Canopy Ambush: They are strictly arboreal, meaning they spend their entire lives high up in the jungle canopy. They are slow-moving, highly visual ambush predators that rely on their incredible, independently moving eyes to track down insects.

THE DEW DROP DRINKERS

If you look closely at the photo, you will notice exactly how these unique reptiles stay hydrated!

- Water Bowls: The only reason why we have a water bowl in the enclosure is so that there's constant evaporation to increase the humidity. Chameleon's don't recognize standing water as a place to drink!

- Dew Drops: In the wild, they drink the morning dew and tropical rain on stems and leaves. In captivity, we have to replicate this using regular mistings on the live plants in their enclosure. The chameleon in our photo is drinking / licking up each water droplet it can find on the pothos leaf it's holding on to.

BUILDING YOUR CUSTOM PUEBLO CANOPY

Keeping a delicate, moisture-loving canopy dweller happy in our dry Colorado climate is one of the biggest husbandry challenges in the hobby, but we know exactly how to balance it!

- The Hybrid Enclosure: A traditional 100 percent mesh screen cage will dry out in minutes here in Pueblo, desiccating the chameleon. Conversely, a fully sealed glass tank will create stagnant air and cause fatal respiratory infections. We solve this by using "Hybrid Enclosures" (solid sides with a screen top) to perfectly balance fresh airflow with trapped humidity!

- Live Plants: Recreating the jungle is mandatory. We fill our enclosures with live Ficus trees and trailing Pothos vines to maintain localized humidity and give them a safe, natural canopy to climb through.

Stop by Beasties, a Pet Store and More!! this week to watch this incredible island jewel in action. Our reptile team is ready to sit down with you and design a beautiful, custom-tailored hybrid canopy to safely house one of these amazing animals in your home!

10/17/2026

THE FARMER'S BEST FRIEND: MEET THE CORN SNAKE

Southern Colorado, get ready to meet the absolute gold standard of beginner reptiles! We just snapped this photo of a gorgeous Hypo Motley Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) right here in the shop.

While you might be used to seeing their classic red, black, and orange colors, this specific snake is a "Hypo Motley." This means it has a genetic mutation that reduces its dark black pigments, making those oranges and yellows incredibly bright and clean!

THE MYSTERY OF THE NAME

To understand what makes them so special, we have to look back at early American farming history in the southeastern United States. There is actually a massive debate over how they got the name "Corn" Snake, with four main theories!

- The Corn Crib Theory: Early farmers constantly found them in wooden corn storage cribs. They weren't eating the harvest; they were actively hunting the rodents trying to steal the grain!

- The Maize Belly Theory: In the wild, their belly features a striking black and white checkerboard pattern that looks exactly like a cob of native flint corn, or maize. (Fun fact: the "Motley" gene in the snake pictured actually erases that pattern, giving it a pure, clean, white belly!)

- The Harvest Theory: Farmers simply encountered them most often out in the open fields during the fall corn harvest.

- The Camouflage Theory: Some folklore suggests their beautiful red, orange, and yellow dorsal colors evolved as camouflage, allowing them to blend in perfectly with dried ears of harvested corn.

A LIVING CANVAS: THE MORPHS

Beyond their unbeatable, docile temperaments, decades of captive breeding have turned them into living works of art. At Beasties, we frequently feature incredible designer genetics, including:

- Anerythristic (Anery): A mutation that completely removes red pigment, resulting in a striking black, gray, and white snake.

- Lavender: A beautiful gene that shifts their standard colors into soft, stunning pastels of purple, pink, and silver.

- Palmetto: A highly sought-after mutation that creates a solid white snake completely covered in tiny, random, confetti-like speckles of red, orange, and black, looking just like a Dalmatian or a Koi fish!

BUILDING YOUR CUSTOM SOCO WOODLANDS

Because they are a temperate species, they adapt flawlessly to our high-desert climate without needing blistering tropical heat or dripping humidity!

- Effortless Heating: Achieving their ideal 85 to 88 degree Fahrenheit warm spot is incredibly easy. You can safely use a thermostat regulated under-tank heat mat or a low-wattage overhead bulb, letting the rest of the tank naturally rest at a comfortable room temperature.

- The Escape Artists: Corn snakes are highly active and legendary escape artists. Heavy-duty, lockable screen lids are absolutely non-negotiable!

- The Digging Instinct: They love to burrow! We highly recommend a deep 2 to 4 inch layer of Reptisoil mixed with Forest Floor so they can build tunnels and hide securely.

- The Loaf of Bread: They have fantastic metabolisms. A healthy adult Corn Snake should be shaped like an upside-down "U" (like a loaf of bread). If they look completely round, they are getting a little too chunky!

Stop by Beasties, a Pet Store and More!! this week to meet this beautiful snake in person. Our reptile team is ready to sit down with you and help you design the perfect, secure woodland habitat for your home!

10/13/2026

THE SCALY DOG: MEET THE BLACK THROAT MONITOR

Southern Colorado, get ready to meet a true heavyweight of the reptile hobby! We just snapped this photo of a beautiful juvenile Black Throat Monitor (Varanus albigularis microstictus) right here in the shop. Look at that gorgeous, bright patterning! Because of their high intelligence and ability to bond with their keepers, they are affectionately known as "scaly dogs."

With patience and target training, they can become incredibly tame, but they grow into massive, heavy-bodied apex predators that reach 5 to 7 feet long and can easily weigh over 40 to 60 pounds!

CHAINMAIL AND TRIPODS: SAVANNA SURVIVAL

To understand how unique these animals are, you have to look at how they survive the harsh, dry scrublands and savannas of East Africa.

- The Savanna Tripod: Because the savanna grass can grow incredibly tall, these monitors have evolved to stand straight up on their hind legs! They use their massive, muscular tails as a kickstand to form a tripod, allowing them to peer over the brush to scan the horizon for food or predators.

- Built-In Armor: Their skin is much tougher than it looks. They possess osteoderms, which are tiny bony plates embedded directly inside their scales. It acts exactly like a suit of chainmail armor to protect them from bites and harsh thorny brush.

- The Deep Burrowers: To escape the harshest heat and survive the dry seasons, they are highly fossorial. They dig deep underground burrows where the earth traps vital moisture.

THE SNAKE-EATING SCAVENGER

In the wild, they walk miles a day foraging, and their natural diet is fascinating!

- The Wild Menu: While they will eat almost anything they can catch, their wild diet consists heavily of massive African land snails, giant millipedes, and even venomous snakes, as they possess a natural resistance to snake venom!

- The Captive Diet: Because they do not walk 5 miles a day in your living room, we have to be very careful to prevent obesity. As babies, their diet should be 80 percent insects like Dubia roaches. As massive adults, they transition to whole prey like quail, chicks, and fish. Rodents should be used very, very sparingly, as domestic mice and rats are incredibly high in fat and can quickly cause liver disease.

- Respect the Power: They possess bone-crushing jaw pressure specifically designed for cracking open those giant wild snails. You must always respect their power and use feeding tongs. We recommend that you never hand-feed an adult!

BUILDING YOUR CUSTOM PUEBLO SAVANNA

Keeping a giant monitor happy in our dry Colorado climate takes some serious planning! While our dry air is actually great for the upper levels of their enclosure, a Black Throat requires a massive, custom-built approach for your home:

- The Dirt Mandate: You should provide a deep level of substrate that they can burrow into. They need to excavate damp sleeping chambers to stay hydrated. Without this underground moisture, they will quickly develop crippling joint issues.

- High Heat: These guys live in the arid lands of East Africa, so high heat and UVB are a must.

- Heavy-Duty Housing: A flimsy tank will not work. An adult will require a heavy-duty enclosure to handle their powerful claws.

Stop by Beasties, a Pet Store and More!! this week to meet this highly intelligent savanna giant in person. Our reptile team is ready to sit down with you and help you plan out the ultimate, heavy-duty custom enclosure to safely house one of these incredible animals in your home!

10/10/2026

The Bold Rain Forest Singer: Meet the Black-Legged Dart Frog!

Southern Colorado, get ready to meet an absolute showstopper! We just snapped a beautiful photo of this stunning Black-Legged Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates bicolor) resting on a piece of wood right here in the shop. Just look at that brilliant, metallic golden-green back contrasting perfectly with those dark, speckled legs!

Whenever people hear the word "poison," they understandably get a little nervous. But at Beasties, we know that with the right education, anyone can safely enjoy a slice of the tropical rain forest right in their living room!

THE TROPICAL MICRO-CLIMATE
To understand how to keep them happy, we have to look at where they come from! Native to the dense, humid lowland rain forests of South America, these frogs live in a very specific micro-climate that we have to recreate.

- The Forest Floor: They are primarily active ground-dwellers that spend their days constantly foraging through the deeply shaded, perpetually damp leaf litter on the jungle floor.

- Stable & Cool: Because they live under the thick, protective canopy of the rain forest, they don't experience extreme heat! They thrive in surprisingly mild, stable temperatures.

THE FEARLESS (AND HARMLESS!) ROOMMATE
- 100% Harmless: In the wild, they are highly toxic, but that toxicity comes entirely from the specific, poisonous jungle bugs they eat. Because our captive-bred frogs are raised on a healthy diet of standard fruit flies, they are completely harmless!

- Always on Display: Because they evolved without having to worry about predators, they aren't shy at all. They are incredibly bold, curious pets that will actively explore right out in the open all day long!

- The Rain Forest Chorus: They aren't just beautiful; they sound amazing, too! Males possess a very beautiful, bird-like trilling call used to establish territory.

THE ULTIMATE MICRO-HUNTER
- Tiny Appetites: They possess massive appetites for such tiny frogs! They will spend all day boldly hunting down flightless fruit flies, and it is incredibly fun to watch them track and zap their prey.

- Sticky Science: To keep those tongues perfectly sticky so they don't miss their flies, we recommend to lightly dust their food with a high-quality Vitamin A and calcium powder, a fun and easy feeding routine!

BUILDING YOUR CUSTOM PUEBLO JUNGLE
Keeping a moisture-loving dart frog happy in our dry Colorado climate is a fun challenge! While we can keep our enclosures 100% open-screened here at Beasties because our entire store is kept humid, your home environment will need a customized approach. Here are our golden rules:

- Bioactive is Best: To balance high humidity without the dirt turning into a toxic swamp, a deep drainage layer under your ReptiSoil is an absolute must. Adding tiny clean-up bugs like springtails creates a self-cleaning, living ecosystem!

- Leaf Litter is Critical: Recreating that wild forest floor is mandatory. You must completely cover the dirt in a thick layer of leaves. These little guys live their entire lives hopping across fallen leaves, and without them, their sensitive feet can actually get sick!

- Cool Temps & High Humidity: They need an extremely high humidity to stay hydrated, which we can help you achieve without making the air stagnant! Just as importantly, they despise heat. You never want to use heat lamps or under-tank mats. If your house sits at a comfortable 68°F to 75°F, it is the absolute perfect temperature for your frog!

Stop by Beasties, a Pet Store and More!! this week to watch these fearless little micro-hunters in action. Our amphibian team is ready to sit down with you and design a beautiful, custom-tailored jungle ecosystem that perfectly balances humidity and fresh airflow for your specific home!

10/06/2026

THE LIVING RAINBOW: MEET THE ORNATE UROMASTYX!

Southern Colorado, get ready to meet the absolute crown jewel of desert lizards! We just snapped some awesome photos of this Ornate Uromastyx (Uromastyx ornata) hanging out right here in the shop. While many desert reptiles are shades of tan or brown, adult males turn into living rainbows; just look at those incredible, vibrant blue and yellow scales and that awesome spiked tail!

Beyond their stunning looks, these are some of the most personable and curious lizards in the reptile hobby. They are highly active during the day and are famous for running right up to the glass to greet you, especially if they think you have a salad!

THE ROCKY DESERT MICRO-CLIMATE

To understand how to keep them thriving, we have to look at exactly where they come from on the planet! Native to the sun-blasted rocky deserts and arid mountain regions of the Middle East, these lizards live in a very extreme micro-climate.

- Sun Worshippers: They spend their days out in the open, basking on scorching hot rocks and foraging for sparse desert vegetation.

- Deep Sleepers: Because the desert gets freezing at night, they sleep wedged tightly into deep rock fissures to feel secure and escape the cold. Letting their enclosure drop to a standard, cool room temperature at night is completely natural and healthy!

THE STRICT VEGETARIAN

If you hate the idea of keeping live crickets or other bugs in your house, this is the perfect lizard for you!

- Salads and Seeds: They are strict herbivores! Feeding them bugs is actually incredibly dangerous for their organs. Instead, they thrive on massive daily bowls of fresh, leafy greens (like spring mix and dandelion greens) and love to crunch on a dry dish of lentils and white millet seed for protein.

- The Hydration Secret: You will never see a water bowl in a Uromastyx enclosure! They have evolved to extract 100% of their necessary hydration directly from the fresh greens they eat.

THE COLORADO ADVANTAGE

Usually, we have to work hard to add moisture to reptile enclosures in our dry Pueblo climate. But for a Uromastyx, our dry Colorado air is an absolute superpower!

- Bone Dry is Best: High humidity is incredibly dangerous for this species and can quickly make them sick. Our naturally dry air and a standard open-screen top work flawlessly to keep them healthy.

- Blistering Heat: Because they are extreme heat-lovers, they need a localized basking spot hotter than almost any other reptile. We use high-wattage bulbs and stacked wood and cork decor so the lizard can climb up and choose its exact favorite temperature, which needs to reach a scorching 120°F to 130°F at the very top!

Stop by Beasties, a Pet Store and More!! this week to meet this colorful, curious desert lizard in person. Our reptile team is ready to sit down with you and design a beautiful, custom-tailored rocky desert habitat that perfectly harnesses our dry Colorado climate for your specific home!