About Us

Fellow reptile enthusiasts, have you tried scouring the Internet in search of products which support your love of reptiles, only to hit a dead end? Perhaps the selection was lean or not quite the style you were looking for. We understand! Expressing what you’re passionate about is important and Fatty Pancake seeks to deliver products that allows you to do just that!

Whether you are a current, former, or pining-to-be owner of a reptile, we support your love and desire to share this unique passion with the rest of the world. Each product is designed by artist and fellow reptile enthusiast Melissa Hitchcock in her quest to introduce new art into the community. Whether it’s humorous or serious, simple or intricate, the wide range of designs provide diversity for all types of owners looking for a variety of merchandise.

So slither, crawl, or sprint your way to our catalog! Don't see a design with your preferred beloved species? Don't fret! Sign up on our mailing list to see what new work is on the way!

What inspired the name?

In short, it was a nickname given to one of the owners bearded dragons named Sienna.

Sienna's Story-The Original Fatty Pancake

Sienna was a motley little bearded dragon found on a craigslist ad that looked like she had been through a lot. Her nails were over grown, she had a giant cyst on her face, and more importantly, she looked utterly ready to give up on life. After rescuing her, Mel slowly worked to bring her health back up.

After a month of intense rehab, Sienna was strong enough for undergo the surgery to remove the facial cyst obscuring her vision. During the operation, the vet felt lumps inside the lizard's abdomen and requested to do an X-Ray. When the results came in, what the vet discovered was rather alarming! Sienna's reproductive tract had, at some point, ruptured due to a blockage which prevented her from laying any developed eggs. This tear caused them to leak into her body cavity and explained why she looked so overweight while hardly weighing anything. After removing all the eggs, the vet spayed Sienna in order to prevent further complications and her new road to recovery began.

And recovered she did!
Sienna rebounded very quickly! She put on healthy weight, relearned how to hunt her food again, and her energy levels shot through the roof. However her skin was so stretched from all the eggs stuffed inside her that it never shrank to normal size. Every time she went to lay on her basking spot, her stomach would ooze out like pancake batter poured on a gridle; earning her the nickname, fatty pancake!

After surgery, the cycst along with several odd black scales were sent off for a biopsy. Sadly, the results returned a positive diagnosis of melanoma. This did not slow Sienna down and for three full years, she lived a warm and wonderful life. Unfortunately her cancer did metastasize and began impacting Sienna's quality of life. After many vet visits and all options were exhausted, the hard call was made to give Sienna her dragon wings.

Mel dedicated her store in honor of her little Fatty Pancake.

Where are you based out of?

Our small studio is located right at the feet of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A true gem of a location when it comes to inspiration for the work we do!

About the Artist

Melissa Hitchcock grew up mostly in the rural areas of Central Colorado after her family made a mass exodus from Michigan's suburb. This allowed the artist to gain inspiration from nature and wildlife that surrounded her. In a small garden next to the house, a collection of garter snakes made their home during the summer months, which the artist would catch and draw. Most of the snakes became rather accustomed to handling over the years and would often just sit quietly until placed back near where they were caught. It wasn’t until the Crocodile Hunter TV series aired that Mel's love of reptiles took off.It wasn't until five years ago the artist adopted her first bearded dragon but since then lizards have been on the brain.