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About us

The keepers behind Planar Familiars

Two friends. One growing collection. A standard we hold at home and bring to yours.

Photo of us coming soon

How it started

We met over ten years ago across a table at our local game store, in the middle of a Magic game. We were friends long before any of this, and for most of that time animals were Jose's world more than Mason's.

That changed a couple of years ago, when Jose brought Mason on at the local pet store. The bug bit fast. Working side by side, comparing setups and swapping ideas, a job turned into a shared obsession. When the chance to start breeding came our way, we took it, and not just to produce animals. We wanted to change how the word "breeder" looks and feels: do it openly, do it right, and share what we learn along the way.

Jose brings years of roots in the local animal community and a decade of hands-on keeping. From there we figure it out together, always researching, always trading ideas, and pushing each other to do better by every animal in our care. That's Planar Familiars.

The two of us

Jose & Mason

Two friends who fell into this hobby together and never climbed back out. Same passion, same standard - no front of house and back of house, just the two of us.

Photo coming soon

Jose

Keeper & enthusiast

I've been drawn to animals my whole life. I grew up watching every nature show I could find, collecting books, and keeping whatever critters I was allowed to. My brother and I had a Russian tortoise as kids, and once I moved out, my first reptile of my own was Deuce, my savannah monitor.

Ten-plus years later, reptiles and inverts still fascinate me for their sheer diversity, and years in the industry have made me a local go-to for animal questions. Outside the collection, I collect oddities and even make my own wet specimens.

Photo coming soon

Mason

Keeper & enthusiast

I came to this the fun way. Jose got me a job at our local pet store, and that was that. My first reptile was a boa constrictor imperator, and a couple of years in, I'm all the way hooked.

Emerald tree skinks are my favorite, highly active, friendly, and honestly just amazing animals. What I love most is getting to know each one's personality, since every animal is different, and figuring out exactly what makes them happiest. I also build the enclosures, and I build them well. A good tank is half the fun.

Between the two of us, there's always someone who's kept, fed, or fussed over the exact animal you're asking about.

What we stand for

The animal comes first

It's a short list, and we mean all of it.

I

Done right, not done fast

Proper husbandry takes time. We'd rather tell you your setup needs work than nod along and take your money.

II

We explain the why

We'll walk you through what your animal needs and why, so you get better at this - not more dependent on us.

III

We'll talk you out of it

If an animal isn't right for your home or experience level, we'll say so. We've lost sales that way and we'd do it again.

IV

These are our animals too

Everything we recommend is something we do ourselves, every day, in our own collection.

Come say hello

Book a visit, meet the familiars, or just reach out with a question. We answer everything - no question too basic.

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