Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. In New South Wales you must hold a current Reptile Keeper Licence to legally keep a reptile, and a separate licence to keep native frogs. We are legally required to sight your licence before completing a sale. If you don't have one yet, visit our Reptile & Frog Licensing page — we've put together a full step-by-step guide to help you get licensed quickly.

Thankfully, invertebrates, insects, arachnids, and similar and do not require a keeper's license in NSW. If you're unsure about a specific species, just ask us before purchasing.

Yes. Every animal we sell is captive bred and comes with appropriate documentation. Biota Studio holds all relevant NSW licenses to keep, sell, and educate on reptiles and amphibians. We do not deal in wild-caught animals. 

Yes, we ship nationally across Australia. All live animal orders dispatch on Mondays and Tuesdays only. This schedule protects animal welfare by ensuring your order arrives within 1–2 business days and doesn't sit in a depot over a weekend.

Every animal is individually secured to minimise stress and movement during transit. Seasonal heat or cool packs are included as appropriate. All orders arrive with 24-hour post-delivery care instructions. Insects are packed in escape-proof ventilated containers with appropriate substrate or packaging medium.

Contact us within 2 hours of delivery with photo or video evidence of the animal in the original, unopened packaging. Claims after this window cannot be accepted. Confirmed DOA claims are resolved with a replacement animal (subject to availability) or store credit of equal value. We do not offer cash refunds on live animals. Full details are on our Shipping Policy page.

We strongly recommend being home to receive a live animal delivery. Animals left in a hot or cold box for extended periods are not covered under our DOA policy. If you can't be home, consider delivery to a workplace or a trusted neighbour.

Not always,  in-store stock varies from what's listed online, some items are in store before online, and some items are online due to a sale on a breeders behalf. If you're making a trip specifically for an animal or product, contact us first to confirm it's available in store.