Reptiva Mission Satement - Made by a Keeper Who Gets It

Hey new friends.

Here’s the deal: I’ve been looking for a solid reptile tracker for what feels like forever. There are a million apps for dogs and cats, a handful of generic reminder apps (which are about as helpful as a shedding gecko), and absolutely nothing that helps me remember things like:

• When did I last change my UVB?

• How long was Simba’s brumation last year?

• Was it spring? Summer? Was I even conscious then?

My memory is not great on a good day — and on top of that, here’s who I’m caring for right now:

1 hatchling tortoise

2 crested geckos

1 chameleon gecko

3 bearded dragons

1 leopard gecko

…plus two axolotls, and a historical list of fish tanks that have personally traumatized me. (RIP my beloved blood parrot cichlid, Ruby. Gone to a bigger tank because my home cannot defy the laws of physics.)

Look, I’m human. I’m fallible. I’m extra fallible with ADHD yanking my brain in 47 directions at all times. Between all the misting, soaking, feeding, humidity-tweaking, and heat-lamp-checking… something inevitably falls through the cracks.

So I finally decided: I’m creating the app I’ve always needed.

I am not an app developer by trade — just a keeper who wants to do better and make it easier for other keepers to do better too. I want everything recorded in one place, on my phone, not on a crusty spreadsheet I forget even exists because it’s hiding on my laptop.

That’s where Reptiva comes in.

Reptiva is made for keepers, by a keeper. I’m working on the beta launch now, and my goal is to release the initial version before 2026.

At the start, Reptiva will include three pet categories:

Snakes. Lizards. Tortoises.

And each pet will be fully customizable. You choose exactly what you want to track - temps, humidity, feedings, shedding, weight, medications, bulb changes, misting schedules, all of it. No unnecessary clutter. No cutesy nonsense. Just the data you need.

This is the base model. Later, I’ll add tools for breeders, live feeder tracking, aquatics, and more. Slowly but surely, Reptiva will grow into a truly valuable tool for keepers with multiple pets and multiple habitats each requiring their own special flavor of chaos.

And just so you know who’s talking to you - hi, I’m Mel. A real person. A real keeper. A real human with a 10-tab brain and a lot of lizards. I’m building this because I need it… but also because our reptile community has been massively underserved.

Not everyone “gets” the reptile thing.

But those of us who do? We’re passionate. We care deeply. We deserve tools that actually help instead of vague care sheets written in 1997.

Most of what we know comes from Reddit threads, Facebook groups, and trial-by-fire husbandry. We crowdsource. We experiment. We make the best choices we can.

If Reptiva can make even one part of that easier - and eventually become a real, trusted resource for new keepers too - that’s the dream.

And if you’re still reading, then please know this: I want your feedback. Now, during beta, and later. Tell me what you wish your tracker could do. Tell me what breeders need. Tell me what you think after trying it. Help me shape this thing into something actually useful.

I’m here for YOU.

(…And, okay, also for me. But mostly you.)

I just created the Instagram - social media isn’t my natural habitat, but I’m trying. Gotta start somewhere.

Reptiva will eventually be available on desktop too, so you can see all your data in beautiful, no-nonsense clarity. No glitter. No cartoon frogs. Just clean info that makes husbandry easier and keeps our awesome reptiles thriving.

That’s the mission. That’s Reptiva.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

Melyssa Collins

Reptiva dreamer

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