A NEW exotic pet shop in Bournemouth opened its doors for the first time last week.

BH Xotics is now open for business on Wimborne Road in Kinson. 

Owner Reece James, 28, from Kinson is "over the moon" with his new store.

Reece has always been interested in reptiles and had been breeding them in his garage before recently making the decision to take the plunge and open his own shop.

The shop supplies snakes, tarantulas, lizards, chelonians, reptile equipment, live food, frozen food and lots more. 

Bournemouth Echo:

The store is currently selling the world's longest snake species, the reticulated python.

The snake is currently nine months old, Reece believes he "will be a monster" as he gets older and grows to his full size. 

Reticulated pythons are native to south-east Asia and can grow up to 31.5ft, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. They are not venomous.

Reece said: "We have already had a lot of sales, snakes have been popular as well as tarantulas.

"When I was about four years old I had a lizard and a bearded dragon, since then it's been my life, I love them."

Bournemouth Echo:

Reece added: "I live just around the corner and I wanted to open a store here anyway because I like the area, there are lots of other reptile lovers around."

"I'm just over the moon that the store is up and running.

"The shop is already getting great feedback, I'm really chuffed with how the opening has gone.

"In a few years, I might look into moving to a bigger site so I can stock bigger animals and more of them."

BH Xotics is open Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00pm and Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00pm.

You can find BH Xotics at 1434 Wimborne Rd, Kinson, Bournemouth BH10 7AS.