Reptile Sitter San Francisco
Ask around San Francisco for someone who will actually come to your home and care for a reptile, and you hit the same wall most exotic owners do: there is almost nobody. The listings you find are either boarding facilities that want you to pack up and transport your animal, or businesses based over in the East Bay who treat the city as an afterthought. And for a reptile, transport is not a small thing. A bearded dragon’s enclosure is a carefully calibrated little ecosystem — a basking spot dialed to the degree, a UVB bulb on a schedule, a humidity range held steady. Move all of that, and you are not just inconveniencing your pet; you are dismantling the system that keeps it healthy. What most reptile owners actually want is simple: someone who comes to the reptile, leaves the enclosure exactly where it is, and knows what they are looking at. That is the gap this page fills.
House of Guineas Pet Care is based in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset, and our team of exotic specialists provides in-home reptile care across the entire city. Your dragon stays on its own basking rock, your gecko keeps its own humidity, your tortoise grazes in its own space — and we come to them.
Why San Francisco Reptile Owners Choose Us
- Veterinary background. Our founder, Alexandria, is an exotic veterinary assistant — formerly at Bay Area Bird & Exotics Hospital — who also volunteers with the House Rabbit Society administering subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccines. Every specialist on our team is trained under that same clinical lens.
- Species specialization. Exotic pets and cats are all we do — reptiles, small mammals, and birds. That kind of focus is genuinely hard to find in San Francisco.
- Clinical-grade care. We can read a temperature gradient across an enclosure, confirm the basking spot and UVB output are where they should be, monitor humidity against your species’ target range, and recognize the early signs of illness before they become emergencies.
- Flexible scheduling. Early-morning visits before a flight, evening lights-out checks, mid-day misting or feeding — we build the schedule around your reptile’s routine and your itinerary, not the other way around.
Reptiles We Care For in San Francisco
- Bearded dragons — the most popular pet reptile we see, and one we know well
- Leopard geckos, crested geckos, and other geckos — from belly-heat leopard setups to room-temperature, high-humidity crested habitats
- Turtles and tortoises — aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial, each with their own water quality, basking, and UVB needs
- We also care for many other lizards — text us about your species and we will tell you honestly whether it is in our wheelhouse
A note on snakes, and one that reflects how closely we follow the animals we work with: San Francisco’s municipal code prohibits keeping boas, pythons, and venomous snakes within the city. So in San Francisco we focus on the reptiles that are legal to keep here. For legal, non-venomous species kept outside the city — on the Peninsula — we are happy to discuss snakes case by case. Knowing exactly which animals are and are not legal in the city is part of doing this professionally.
What In-Home Reptile Care Involves
Reptile care is environmental care first. On every visit our specialists confirm the temperature gradient — a proper warm-side basking spot and a genuine cool-side retreat, so your reptile can thermoregulate the way it needs to. We verify that the UVB lighting is functioning, since inadequate UVB is one of the most common and most preventable causes of illness in captive reptiles. We check humidity against your species’ target range and mist when the setup calls for it. We handle feeding to your animal’s schedule — fresh greens, appropriately sized insects, calcium and vitamin dusting, and gut-loading where needed — and we spot-clean the enclosure so waste and uneaten food do not sit. And through all of it we are watching: appetite, activity, shedding, posture, and the subtle early signs that something is off, so we can flag it to you before you land.
San Francisco Neighborhoods We Serve
We cover the whole city — from the Sunset and Richmond out west to the eastern neighborhoods and everything in between. Reptile keeping tends to cluster in a few areas, and we serve them all, including the Mission District, SOMA, and the Castro. Wherever you are in San Francisco, we can reach you.
Pricing for Reptile Visits
- 30-minute visits start at $85
- 60-minute visits start at $115
- Routine twice-daily care runs $140–$190/day depending on visit length and the complexity of the setup
Because this is in-city San Francisco, there is no Peninsula travel surcharge — the prices above are what you pay. If you would rather your reptile stay with us, boarding is hosted at our founder’s San Francisco home for $75/night. You can read more on our in-home exotic pet care page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you care for snakes in San Francisco?
San Francisco's municipal code prohibits keeping boas, pythons, and venomous snakes within the city, so in San Francisco we focus on the reptiles that are legal to keep here — bearded dragons, geckos, turtles, tortoises, and other lizards. For legal, non-venomous species kept outside the city, on the Peninsula, we are happy to discuss snakes case by case. Text us at 415-484-6493 and we will tell you honestly what we can do.
What if my reptile needs medication or assist-feeding while I travel?
Medication and assist-feeding are part of our standard service. Our specialists are trained in oral syringe feeding, topical applications, and administering medications on a set protocol, and our founder's clinical background as an exotic veterinary assistant — including subcutaneous RHDV2 vaccine administration at the House Rabbit Society — sets the bar. If your reptile is on a complex protocol, share it during the meet-and-greet and we will match the schedule exactly.
Can you maintain my reptile's heat and UVB schedule?
Yes — this is the core of what in-home reptile care is. On every visit we confirm the temperature gradient, verify the basking spot and cool side are where they should be, check that the UVB lighting is functioning, and monitor humidity against your species' target range, misting when the setup calls for it. Inadequate heat or UVB is one of the most common and preventable causes of illness in captive reptiles, so we watch it closely.
Do you offer reptile boarding?
Yes. Boarding is hosted at our founder's San Francisco home and runs $75 per night. We ask that you bring your reptile's usual enclosure and supplies so its environment stays as consistent as possible. That said, most reptile owners prefer in-home visits precisely because moving a calibrated enclosure is stressful for the animal — we are happy to help you decide which option fits your situation.
How much does a San Francisco reptile sitter cost?
Our 30-minute visits start at $85 and 60-minute visits at $115, with routine twice-daily care ranging from $140–$190 per day depending on visit length and the complexity of the setup. Because this is in-city San Francisco, there is no Peninsula travel surcharge. If you prefer boarding, that is $75 per night at our founder's San Francisco home. Text us at 415-484-6493 with your address and dates for a firm quote.
Ready to line up care for your reptile? Call or text us at 415-484-6493 and we will get a meet-and-greet on the calendar. You can also read more about our in-home exotic pet care service, our boarding option at the founder’s San Francisco home, or browse the full FAQ page. For species-specific fundamentals, see our reptile and amphibian care guide, and if you are still getting set up with a vet, our San Francisco Bay Area exotic veterinarians directory is a good place to start.