Ectothermic Nirvana reptile store features creatures of all shapes and sizes – Brainerd Dispatch

BRAINERD — Ectothermic Nirvana in downtown Brainerd is not like most pet stores.

Instead of featuring furry and fuzzy animals, the store specializes in smooth, scaled creatures of countless colors and forms. Lizards, snakes and geckos are just a few of the reptiles that call the store home.

Ectothermic Nirvana opened in 2022, offering a diverse array of reptiles and aiming to educate customers how to properly care for them, building interspecies friendships in the process.

Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch

Cassie Reynolds, the store owner, said Ectothermic Nirvana provides all the resources for locals to tend to their reptiles including supplies, tanks and feeders.

“We also have a collection room downstairs,” Reynolds said. “So it’s kind of like a mini zoo.”

Reynolds runs all of the store’s operations herself, though her husband and children also help out. Reynolds said she seeks to differentiate her store from others by providing customers with the expert advice and education needed to keep their reptiles happy and healthy.

While some reptiles, like leopard geckos and bearded dragons, are available at most large chain pet stores, Reynolds said their care instructions are often insufficient or entirely wrong and can lead to the reptiles becoming sick or dying.

Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch

Because Ectothermic Nirvana specializes in reptiles, the store can provide more accurate advice and recommendations, Reynolds said. The store also aims to keep their species in enclosures that are the proper size.

“I used to keep animals as a child, fuzzy things like guinea pigs,” Reynolds said. “I wanted to own a pet store when I was younger, then grew out of it.”

Reynolds said her passion specifically for reptiles developed gradually after keeping fish and other pets. She appreciated that, unlike many other pets, reptiles can be given replicas of their natural environments with plants and soil when in proper enclosures.

“When I started getting back into keeping pets, it started with fish,” Reynolds said. “So there was an explosion of fish, and then that turned into turtles, and then reptiles that don’t go in the water. I like how you can set up a natural habitat for them.”

Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch

After several years of learning how to provide reptiles with expert care, Reynolds went ahead and opened a store.

“I decided to open the store because I had been keeping reptiles for five or six years professionally, and then just jumped the gun,” Reynolds said.

Reptiles are not the only animals at the store. Ectothermic Nirvana also is home to several species of frogs, crabs, fish and spiders. The store’s basement features Reynold’s personal collection of larger reptiles, many of which were rescued from poor conditions.

Reynolds said she contemplated opening the store in St. Cloud or Little Falls, but ultimately chose Brainerd because it was already her home. Reynolds said she explored Facebook groups of reptile keepers in the area and knew a community for the store existed.

Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch

Ectothermic Nirvana initially opened on South Seventh Street and moved to its current location at 708 Laurel St. in April 2024. Reynolds said she values being part of the community of small businesses downtown.

“All of our store owner neighbors are super great,” Reynolds said. “I love the food co-op and I love Big Jay’s Pizza Arcade, they’re my favorite people, and the people next door are awesome.”

One of Reynold’s favorite parts of running a reptile store is interacting with children and seeing their joy upon meeting or getting to hold a lizard or snake.

“When I get the chance to let kids hold the beardies, or we have a blue tongue skink that’s super awesome, they’re just so excited,” Reynolds said.

Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch

Ectothermic Nirvana brings reptiles to events and fairs a few times each year to educate children about the creatures, which Reynolds said are fun opportunities to engage with the community and show that reptiles don’t have to be scary.

Running the store isn’t an easy job. Cleaning is very time-consuming, and keeping all of the animals fed and healthy takes large daily commitments, but Reynolds said the work is rewarding.

“I’m responsible for 150 other lives. That’s a big thing,” Reynolds said.

Like with all animals, building bonds with reptiles can be a remarkable experience. Holding a snake or lizard on your arms or shoulders creates an unmatched sense of wonder, and Ectothermic Nirvana seeks to make the relationships between reptiles and humans healthier and stronger.

Jasmine Shackleford / Brainerd Dispatch

Jasmine Shackleford, Reporter Intern, may be reached at [email protected] or (218)-855-5851

Jasmine Shackleford is a reporter intern with the Brainerd Dispatch for the summer of 2025. She is a student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she is pursuing a degree in journalism and urban studies and will be entering her third year in the fall. She has previously lived in upper Michigan, northern Wisconsin, California and Minnesota.