Shipping

Shipping rates & free shipping

We ship across Canada, and most orders over $75 ship free. Under $75, shipping is calculated at checkout from your address — you'll always see the exact cost before you pay.

Live animals, frozen food, and a few oversized/specialty items ship with extra care, so they're priced a little differently (details below). They're outside the flat $75 free deal when mailed across Canada — but in-store pickup is always free, and on local Toronto delivery most are free over $75, just like everything else (the real cost always shows at checkout).

Stocking up? Large frozen or specialty orders over $400 ship free, too.

Most orders ship within 1–2 business days. Live animals and frozen items go out on Mondays or Tuesdays so they don't get stuck in transit over a weekend.

In-store pickup & Toronto local delivery

In-store pickup is always free. Choose Pickup at checkout and grab your order at the shop — 570 Parliament St, Toronto. It's the easiest, safest option for live animals if you're nearby.

Local delivery covers Toronto and the surrounding area, with same-day and next-day options at checkout. Next-day delivery is free on orders over $75. Because it's quick and hand-carried, local delivery is the best way to get live animals and frozen food — and the special-handling fees below are waived on it.

Live animals

Reptiles & amphibians ship through a specialist live-arrival courier in insulated, ventilated packaging. Shipping is quoted per order — contact us for a custom quote, or get your own estimate from Reptile Express using our shop's postal code, M4X 1P8. If you're local, in-store pickup or local delivery is the gentlest option.

Live fish are available for local delivery only right now (Toronto area) so they arrive healthy — we're adding safe nationwide live-fish shipping soon.

Frozen food & live feeders

Frozen food (rodents, fish, bloodworms) ships in an insulated, ice-packed box on a fast 1–2 day service so it arrives still frozen. Live feeders (crickets, worms, larvae, etc.) ship with a heat pack when needed to keep them lively. This careful packaging adds a small fee — $8.99 for frozen, $3.99 for feeders — that simply covers the materials and hand-packing.

It's waived whenever you pick up or choose local delivery, and feeder/fish orders ship free once you hit $75.

Large & oversized items

Bigger items — light fixtures, long T5 bulbs, large décor — ship on their own rate shown at checkout (long bulbs add $9.99 for a protective tube). A few very large items, like our biggest glass terrariums, are in-store pickup only — they're too large to ship safely.

Your order may arrive in more than one box

If your cart mixes, say, frozen food and dry supplies, they'll arrive in separate boxes — cold items and room-temperature items can't safely share a package. Each box is priced fairly for what's in it.

Shipping at a glance

Damaged or incorrect orders

If your order arrives damaged or incorrect, contact us within 48 hours of delivery — and right away for live animals — and we'll make it right. See our refund policy for full details, or get in touch.