Building Community, One Gecko at a Time

After more than a decade of hands-on reptile breeding and care, owner of High Desert Geckos, Samantha Weist, has turned a childhood passion into a thriving small business. What began as a hobby breeding crested geckos has evolved into a downtown Redmond storefront teeming with snakes, arachnids, lizards and more. In a field largely dominated by men, West is carving her own path — and helping others, especially kids, build comfort and curiosity around reptiles.

Now, she’s preparing to expand into a larger location that will offer after-hours, hands-on animal education. The grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 31 at 905 S.W. Rimrock Way, Suite 101.

In this conversation with the Source, Weist shares how she got started, her favorite animals, and why she believes changing hearts and minds starts with showing people that snakes and spiders aren’t so scary after all.

the Source: How long have you been doing this?

Samantha Weist: Technically, I’ve been actively breeding reptiles for over 10 years, but about four years ago I opened up my storefront—originally on my property before moving it to the downtown location.

tS: What first got you into reptiles?

SW: When I was nine, I had my first reptile, a corn snake. I went several years without any after that, but about 10 years ago, my ex randomly said, “Let’s breed reptiles.” It was such a strange idea at first, but we started doing research, and that’s when I began breeding crested geckos as a hobby.

tS: That’s such a unique starting point!

SW: Yeah, it’s quirky, but what really hooked me was learning about genetics and seeing the babies hatch. That moment of realizing you created something — it just stuck with me.

tS: When did it go from hobby to business?

SW: After a while, I told my friends I wanted to open a reptile store. At first, it was just going to be geckos, but you can’t really run a whole storefront off geckos alone. I wanted to show people snakes, arachnids, all of it — and teach them that these animals aren’t scary. That’s really my biggest mission.

tS: That seems like such an interesting challenge — helping people unlearn their fear of these animals.

SW: Definitely. Just the other day, a little girl came in, probably 7 or 8 years old, and she started crying. At first I panicked, but her dad explained she has really high anxiety and was just overwhelmed — in a good way. She ended up loving the animals. It was emotional, but in the end, I knew I was doing the right thing by sharing my passion.

tS: Do you have any educational programs to help with that kind of outreach?

SW: Not at the current shop — it’s too small. I tried it once with a group of 5- and 6-year-olds, and with about 12 kids in such a tiny space, it was a lot. But at the new location, we’re going to have after-hours programs, interactive education and even sessions on building bioactive enclosures. It’s all about making the experience more immersive and family-friendly.

tS: That’s amazing. So what are your favorite reptiles now? Do you still have a soft spot for crested geckos?

SW: Crested geckos and corn snakes will always be my favorites since they got me into all this. But recently I got my dream animal — a Mali uromastyx. They’re herbivores with spiky tails and adorable little squishy faces. They’re really rare to find, so being able to add one to my collection has been incredible.

tS: That sounds like something kids would absolutely love.

SW: Totally! There’s definitely a connection for kids — they can really spark the imagination.

tS: How many people work in your shop?

SW: Right now, it’s just three of us, including me. But the new shop is going from 400 square feet to over 1,300, so we’ll definitely be hiring more as things get busier.

tS: Do you travel a lot for expos, too?

SW: I do! I hit expos at least once a month — Colorado, Washington, all over the West Coast. It’s still a very male-dominated space. A lot of people do it as a hobby, but for those of us building careers, it’s still rare to see women in the field. So I really appreciate when people notice that. Representation does matter.

tS: It really does. And your story about the little girl in the shop — that’s the kind of impact that can last a lifetime.

SW: I hope so. That’s why I do what I do.

This article appears in Central Oregon Pets Fall 2025.