MIDDLEBURG – So, your child wants a pet for Christmas.

Most children ask for puppies and kittens. The average child will beg their parents for a pet at least 1,584 times before the age of 18. Almost every parent has heard, “But you won't have to do anything!”

But what about your not-so-average child? What do you do when Timmy wants a ball python for Christmas? Or a leopard gecko? Even an alligator? Wild Things Exotic Animals at 2500 Blanding Blvd, has got your little one with the weird wish list covered this Christmas.

A family-owned business, Wild Things prides itself on its boas, pythons, monitors, geckos, amphibians, crocodilian, ferrets, hedgehogs, chinchillas, skinny pigs, sugar gliders and and more

“Ninety-nine percent all the animals in the store are bred in-house by us," owner Matt Crews said. "By breeding the animals ourselves, we have better control over the health and quality of the animals we offer. It's almost like creating a living artwork."

In addition to the pet store, Crews also has three 23-foot buildings where he breeds ball pythons, boas and crocodiles, so another 800 or more animals at their private facilities.

"It's a tremendous amount of work but an experience that's unmatched. Because we breed most of them in-house, I see the whole life cycle. It's just amazing," he said.

Ball pythons are the most popular animal that he breeds and sells.

"They only get to about four feet, they're very docile and come in every pattern and color you can imagine, but we breed everything from the leopard geckos, king snakes and corn snakes,” Crews said. “We also specialize in silver geckos, one of three bloodlines in the county. We also do a lot of tarantulas and scorpions.”

There are animals he doesn’t personally breed.

"They are all captive bred. Breeding tarantulas is extremely laborious, so we buy them when they are very, very little and raise them for about a year until they are ready to be sold,” Crews said. “Tarantula owners have come from all over the south to see his eight-legged stock. We also sell rhino iguanas."

Crews said that while not exactly a lap dog, the Rhino Iguana's pudgy, scaly body is perfect for cuddling up on the couch and binge-watching your favorite holiday movie.

"They are particularly known for being affectionate and pet-like,” he said. “They run over to you. They want to be held and cuddled. They like certain people. They really pay attention to human behaviors and emotions."

You may be looking for something a little smaller. Why not get a morning gecko?

"Morning geckos are pretty fascinating creatures. They are all female,” Crews said. “They reproduce by cloning themselves. I started with just two, and now we have three full colonies of hundreds of geckos."

Or, for your little gamer, a lovable, round Pac-Man frog? They come in various colors and are one of the easiest to maintain of all frogs. Plus, they eat everything that fits in their mouth, hence pack man frog. What child wouldn’t be entertained by that?

Or you may be looking for something a bit furrier.

"We have short-tailed possums for Brazil, baby hedgehogs that we breed in-house, guinea pigs, rabbits, sugar gliders, chinchillas, skinny pigs ferrets," Crews said.

Admittedly, he doesn’t know as much about mammals.

"We also take in any exotic animal that needs a home that we have the licensing, housing and ability to take in,” he said. “We take them in and try to find them a new home.”

Although Wild Things has a licensed amnesty location by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Crews prefers his pets to have a forever home.

"The staff is well educated and tells the customers the good and bad up front. We prefer not to sell to anyone who won't be able to take care of it," he said. "Each animal has a range of needs; temperature that the animal can thrive at is very important, different spectrums of lighting for the reptiles, humidity, space, all those things have to come into play when buying exotic animals. The environment itself is something that you have to think about."

While you may be scrambling to find the perfect present for your little one, remember that Christmas is only one day a year. Reptiles pose an average of a 10-15-year commitment. During that time, they will need food, health care, a clean environment, and larger habitats as they grow – and that's putting it mildly, Crews said.

While lizards and snakes make excellent pets, ensure your child is willing to put in the effort to take care of their cold-blooded new friend properly.