About
9-star rating across nearly 400 reviews. Walk in and you'll find a rotating stock of healthy reptiles for sale in Las Cruces, NM, from corn snakes and ball pythons to bearded dragons, leopard and crested geckos, and the occasional New Caledonian lizard. The selection changes often, so regulars always have something new to discover on each visit.
Beyond reptiles, the shop has become a go-to for invertebrate keepers. Recent visitors have picked up tarantulas and isopods — one customer raved about taking home a little colony of panda king isopods — alongside the bioactive supplies, manzanita wood, hides, substrate, and dried branches needed to build out a naturalistic enclosure. For feeders, you'll find dubia roaches, superworms, mealworms, crickets, and rats available in Las Cruces, NM, usually at prices that undercut PetSmart and Petco.
What customers mention most is the staff. Names like Ariana and Kevin come up again and again, praised as honest, patient, and genuinely knowledgeable. People call just to ask tortoise or ball python care questions and walk away with thorough guidance without buying a thing; first-time owners leave feeling confident, and several families drive in from El Paso or 45 minutes out specifically for that service.
The team also vets where its animals go, sometimes asking that you have the right setup at home before a species comes with you. The shop is on the smaller side, and a few reviewers wish for better ventilation. Aquatic hobbyists should note it doesn't currently stock feeder fish.
But for reptiles, invertebrates, feeders, and expert husbandry advice, Cross City Exotics remains a standout independent alternative to the big-box chains.
What they offer
Aquarium services at Cross City Exotics in Las Cruces, NM
As a fish store serving Las Cruces, NM, Cross City Exotics offers aquarium consultations.
- Services
Highlights
What makes them special
- Locally owned reptile and exotic shop with a 4.9-star rating across nearly 400 reviews
- Staff like Ariana and Kevin praised for honest, knowledgeable husbandry advice
- Rotating stock of reptiles — corn snakes, ball pythons, bearded dragons, and geckos
- Invertebrates including tarantulas and panda king isopods, plus bioactive enclosure supplies
- Feeders like dubia roaches, superworms, crickets, and rats priced below PetSmart and Petco
From keepers
Customer reviews
“The employees here are always helpful and knowledgeable, plus they're very honest and straightforward which I appreciate most of all. We frequently get our dubias here and I have never had a bad experience. We inherited a ball python this morning on short notice and they really helped me out with what to feed and just general tips. Always worth the drive from El Paso ✅”
— Ren5.0a week ago“A mi hija le gustaron las tarantulas que tengan ahí nunca había ido a ese lugar pero no me gusta mucho el olor pero esta surtido para emergencia para comprar comida de tortugas que es lo que fuimos a comprar a también tienen esas ramas secas para poner en las peceras me gustaron mucho.”
— Ma. De Los Angeles Zavala Sierra4.02 weeks ago“Very knowledgeable staff that helped us get the right substrate and rats for our new ball python. They provided us with the best information to give him the best life possible. Highly recommend them for all your exotic pet needs and their prices are great.”
— Eric Grant5.03 months ago“Recently stopped by to get some info on isopod care and they were super patient with me and answered all my questions! I got my lovely little panda kings from their shop and they’ve just been exploring their new home. The shop is also super nice and has tons of supplies, reptiles, and invertebrates for sale! Definitely such a cool place with very knowledgeable staff, if you’re looking for isopods like I was I highly recommend!”
— Get a load of this guy5.03 months ago“Over priced on everything now and hardly have anything you need anymore it's sad to see what that store has become”
— Chris Sanchez1.04 months ago“Good products to buy at a good price, but they seriously need a better ventilation system. It smelled so bad in there. I was in there for less than 5 minutes and that was 5 minutes too long.”
— Christine5.0Edited 3 days ago“Best experience ever! The service was amazing and the staff were very knowledgeable and friendly! They had all the answers and were willing to look it up even if they didn’t! . their store always looks so clean and well cared for. I would rather support them over petsmart and petco any day.”
— Mark L5.0Edited a week ago“Very cool place”
— Ronald Roberson5.0a week ago“Got a huge peice of manzanita for a good price however they dont have much in the way of pets for sale, mainly displaying reptiles and selling corn snakes and the garden variety reptiles, cool place to check out if you're in the area!”
— Marshall Bliven4.0a month ago“I bought nothing from the store just called and asked for tips & recommendations on how to better care for my tortoise the young lady who answered the phone super helpful I highly recommend thins store for its knowledgeable and friendly staff”
— Irvin Reyna5.02 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (575) 652-4059 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting Cross City Exotics.