Scales ‘n’ Tails

This location is five stars! We have had nothing but great experiences here. They are helpful and very efficient. The store is clean. They are patient with all of our questions as we are new snake owners. We tried the location in Englewood once (it was convenient as we were in that location and needed a feeder mouse) and will NEVER go back. The employees were clueless and gave us some very bad information. The employee had no idea how to correct her error, had to call the manger who was rude to us and charged us a re-​stock fee on a return even though it was the store’s fault and we never even left the counter! What Englewood does wrong, this Lakewood store does right. We’ve interacted with the manger (owner?) and he is informative and professional!

Rich (the manager) quoted me $ 150 for a salt and pepper hedgehog I had on hold. When I went in to pick her up, there was another employee working there (i don’t know his name). He had no idea how to handle the hedgehogs and he was obviously scared to pick one up. I could tell he hadn’t spent time handling them. He proceeded to charge me $ 190 for the hedgehog, and I told him that Rich had quoted me $ 150. He said no, all the hedgehogs are $ 190. He was unfriendly throughout my visit there. I called the store a week later and talked to Rich, he denied that he told me the price was $ 150 and said he had quoted me $ 169. He then started criticizing me about why I waited so long to call the store, as if this was my fault. I am a full time college student in Boulder I and have a lot going on, so calling them immediately wasn’t on the top of my to do list. He then said that his employee never told him about me questioning the price, and that he wasn’t sure if I had told his employee that the price was wrong. I find this ridiculous. He is questioning a customers truthfulness because his employee hadn’t reported the incident. He was very rude and refused to give me a partial refund, he offered me store credit but this was after he criticized me multiple times of waiting too long to call and questioning whether I had even asked the employee about the price difference (I DID!). I will not be coming back here. They obviously don’t know how to handle their hedgehogs or set a fixed price on them, and they give little information as to how to take care of them. luckily I did plenty of research before buying her and now she is healthy and sociable. They are rude people and I will be finding a new place to buy my hedgie food. It costs me $ 10 in gas to go to the store and back, so it is not worth it to get the partial refund from these rude people. Buy your hedgehogs from a qualified breeder, and don’t waste your time with these idiots.

This store is getting better than better by the day since Rich has taken over. It is CLEAN, animals are fed well and are healthy. He is expanding product and animals, staff is very knowledgeable and live their life for reptiles and animals alike.

I went into this store because i was ready to make the leap into my first reptile pet. The young lady working was amazing! She filled in my existing knowledge of crested geckos and helped me figure out if there was anything else i would need for them. When i was ready to take a look at there geckos she let me rummage around the cage and get a look at all of them with no pressure about speeding up the selection process. I went home with 2 adorable geckos and a few things for them. I highly recommend this store! Some places i have been to treat a novice like a child but Scales ‘n’ Tails seemed just as excited as i was about my new pets!

Wanted to like them as I’m looking for a new go-​to shop but…
You walk in the door and there’s an alarm that goes off when the store is totally open, not to mention there are actually two doors unlocked but you’re only supposed to enter one and it’s not marked at all. Parking was a nightmare and I got scowled at by the neighboring shop owner.
Some animals looked good and others looked terrible. Leopard geckos are so easy to take care of but the sole occupant in the back looked so awful I almost took him home as a rescue. The iguanas looked bored in their dull enclosure and the tortoises stank of poop. The Anole I could see was missing its tail, not uncommon but still a sign of mishandling (I have 6, all with tails).
They had no crickets, and the fruit fly culture I bought never produced more than about 30 and they were hydei not melanogaster. I had to immediately order online from somewhere else.
The store was cramped and filled with employee «friends» just milling about and no one asked what I needed. In fact I asked a question and the person wasn’t an employee.
I’m going to the other Scales next time, this was disappointing to the point I wondered if I should set up a shop… Not something an enthusiast wants to experience.

Evidently they are too busy on at noon on a Tuesday to give you decent service on the phone. I called to inquire about their snakes and the guy had two other conversations going on with people in the store. Here’s a business tip — if you’re too busy to talk to a potential customer — GIVE THE PHONE TO SOMEONE ELSE!

I LOVE SCALES N TAILS!!! The new owner is such a warm and friendly leader, and you couldn’t ask for better staff members (newer as well). I can’t ever seem to leave the store and I work there!
We have all kinds of wonderful creatures to tell you about ~ and happy to let you personally interact with many of our beautiful exotic creatures. You won’t find a friendlier and more helpful reptile crew than them, nor will you stumble upon more fascinating animals than the ones we care for at our store (Lakewood location).
Come check out the store, learn about our creatures, and have a «hands-​on» experience with some of our exotics if you wish. We are always more than happy to help and educate you!
Samantha Delphina
Scales N Tails
Lakewood (West Store)

I enjoyed the visit to Scales ‘n Tails.
There were plenty of (presumably) employees there, although some did seem a *bit* young to be employed. Family maybe?
In any case, they have a good selection of exotics, supplies, and food. I really just went in to play… and play I did. I held a baby Ball Python, some sort of Boa, Python, and a very friendly Rat Snake with beautiful coloring. They have hedgehogs, Caimans, Monitors, Tortoises and Turtles (Even a Snapping Turtle!) and more. Icky Spiders and Scorpions, naturally, but you take the good with the bad.
The employees were all friendly and chatty with us. We had fun. Thumbs Up.

Save yourself the trouble and drive the extra 20 mins to the Scales N Tails in Northglenn.
I started my dealings with this store about two years ago when I purchased my red footed tortoise. The staff never actually asked me if I needed any help during that visit. I more or less went up to a guy and said, «I want to buy that tortoise.» The employee never asked me any questions, (i.e-did I have the correct housing for this pet, even though I did). He just sold me the tortoise and sent me on my way.
I’ve been in here 6 – 10 times over the last year. I’m never greeted when I come in, and none of the staff ever ask if you have questions, or need help. Pretty much the only way you will get anyone here to notice you is if you set fire to something.
Yesterday took the cake for me, and I will never again go into this store. I went in to purchase two dishes for my box turtle. I was never greeted, never asked if I needed help (granted I didn’t). All of the employees disappeared away from the counter with one of their friends that obviously didn’t work there. I picked out two dishes, and my husband and I waited patiently at the counter to check out. About five minutes later, here come two of the employees with the friend, and stop about ten feet from where we are standing. They had one of the snakes that is for sale, never acknowledged that we were waiting, and didn’t even come to the counter to check us out. Just looked at me. Needless to say, I returned the items to the shelf, and drove up the the Northglenn Scales N Tails.

I purchased a chameleon and a complete setup for her from this location. The staff is definitely knowledgeable about their reptiles however, I did have to prod and poke for information, the staff member seemed lazy and didn’t really want to be answering such basic questions. This was clearly my first reptile and I feel like they could have prepared me a little better. I’ve gotten more information on how to properly care for my chameleon from the staff at Petsmart.
BUT, this store does carry the best products over other general pet stores and reptile pet stores I’ve been to by far. They’re the only ones I’ve found with quality branches for inside the aquarium with enough height to keep my chameleon happy!

I became familiar with Scales’n Tails when I was living up in Thornton, near their other location. I own a salmon hyper boa, and she has a voracious hunger. I’ve visited reptile stores all over the southwest, and what amazes me about this place is their selection. Scales’n Tails some how manages to bring in all these seemingly exotic reptiles and pets. Snake-​necked turtles? hedgehogs? albino Burmese pythons? yellow bumble poison dart frogs? caymans?!?
I go into this store to pick up food, but I also browse their selection of animals. It’s like going to a reptile zoo without paying.
I strongly suggest watching their specials if you do plan on purchasing a pet from here. Some of their designer snakes are on the pricey side… but someone has to pay for the lease on that retail space.
All that staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The only store where I didn’t experience that was the Broadway location — I will not be going there again.

EEK! Methinks NOT! This store (NOTE: this only refers to the Lakewood store) was horrible. Staff were totally oblivious to people around, totally unhelpful, and seemed to want to avoid people. Andrew was the staff member I spoke with, but only in passing as he would just grunt short 2 work answers. will this clip work? «It may» was the response I received, then he waddled on. And he’s the store manager.
While looking around the cages were FILTHY. Feces littered every cage, including the walls. The baby cages had a dead corn snake, and when I said something he replied he’d look at it later. I am actually going to call Lakewood animal control on this store and make a formal complaint with the owner of all locations.
As I said, this is ONLY for the Lakewood store off Wadsworth. I went to the 104^th Ave location in Northglenn and it’s a totally different environment… clean cages, friendly staff, and they care. Read that review for more info about that store. Take the extra 10 – 15 minutes and drive to that location, it’ll be worth your time and sanity.

My son and I walked in so that he could get a lizard like I had promised him. After checking out the lizards, I realized that they were just a little too active for him. I asked about snakes for children, and having done a little bit of internet research, I was pleased that I was referred to a ball python. My son loved the snake and the whole set-​up (tank, heat lamp, under-​tank heater, hide, water dish, grape vine and fake plants) all seemed reasonably priced to me. I have been back several time for information, advice and different merchandise/​feeders, and have been pleased with the overall service each time. Good selection and they seem to take proper care of their reptiles.

i went to get a tank set up when i adopted a turtle. i have tried to purchase a light, a heater, and a filter and all 3 times the equipment was broken. i get the feeling they picked up on the fact that i didnt quite know what i was doing and took advantage by selling me defective merchandise at high prices. also, im no expert, but it seems like the animals in the shop are not well taken of (over crowded, dirty water). i gave them 2 stars because they took in a abused tortise. hopefully they took care of him. i wont be back. its not a good feeling to be preyed upon.

If you’re into reptile stores, this is a good one. I, personally, am a rat person, not a snake person, but I do think snakes are beautiful and I enjoy watching one once in a while. They do not have good conditions for their ‘feeder’ mammals at all, but I still have not seen a reptile store that does– and the reptiles are well cared for.
There are also chameleons and tortoises, and the water turtles are the best cared for I’ve seen in the area, with an indoor pond that must be at least 300 gallons. Scales and Tails also occasionally rents out very large snakes for photos shoots and the like.
It’s an independently owned shop with four locations, and fairly knowledgeable staff is a perk of that independent ownership. I used to work at a pet store, and we regularly referred customers here.