08/20/2026
Small Scales is becoming Taproot Exotics.
Before I really start putting animals out into the world and building a following under this name, I've decided it's time for a change.
I still love Small Scales. It started as a little play on words, a small-scale operation centered around animals with scales, and it fit where I was when I chose it. But over time, I've realized it's also a fairly common idea in the reptile world, and more importantly, it doesn't say very much about me, the path I've taken to get here, or the philosophy I want behind what I'm building.
A taproot is the deep central root some plants put down beneath the surface. It anchors the plant, reaches deeper sources of water and nutrients, and stores what it needs to keep growing. Even when everything above ground is damaged or cut away, that foundation can remain, and from it, the plant can grow again.
I've had plenty of times in my life where I've had to start over, change direction, or grow back after being cut down. What has carried me through those setbacks has been the foundation I've built underneath: experience, knowledge, relationships, lessons learned, and work that often isn't visible from the outside. Every time I've had to rebuild, that foundation has gotten a little deeper and a little stronger.
It's also exactly how I want to approach keeping and breeding animals. I'm not interested in growth simply for the sake of getting bigger. I want to build slowly, deliberately, and on a foundation of good husbandry, thoughtful decisions, and projects I genuinely care about. The flashy part (the animals and babies everyone eventually gets to see) is only possible because of all the work happening beneath the surface. Taproot feels like the right name for both where I've come from and what I want to build from here.
Grow with intention.
