AmphibiCast

This week I am joined by researcher and museum educator, Hugh Gabriel. On a recent research trip to Madagascar, Hugh made a ground breaking discovery - identifying and describing three new species of Guibemantis frog in a very specialized biome. These species of Guibemantis have a unique natural history that takes place in the axils of the pandanus tree. (Somewhat similar to oophaga and bromeliads...

Thanks everyone for an an amazing year! This week I'm joined by Mike Tytula for our annual AmphibiCast Holiday Fiasco.  In this episode Mike and I have an open conversation about traveling to Colombia, choosing which expos to vend, reptile and amphibian industry and content trends, and long term success with a large collection. We also discuss when and how to offer husbandry advice, and we as...

An AmphibiCast first! Live episode at American Frog Day 2024. Join me as I check out the event and interview some new people as well as some podcast favorites! We discuss everything from wild Colombian frogs, hobby trends, the value of community, chaos in Sleepy Hollow, what’s new at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, what happens when feeder insects go rogue in a 5 start hotel, and how did a water bu...

This week I’m joined by Troy Goldberg and we discuss what we’ve learned about the hobby, content creation, vivarium builds, and frog care over the past four years. Is the hobby stagnant? Is there too much content out there? Be sure to listen to this one! And thanks to everyone who supported the show for the past 4 years! This episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creations https://www.etsy.com/shop/G...

This week I am joined by Conservation Biologist, Blake Klocke and we discuss his work with Atelopus reintroduction, (including radio tracking!), understanding the value of amphibian natural history, amphibian plasticity, sampling salamanders in the hobby for Bsal, and much more! Be sure to follow Blake @amphibianblake This episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creations https://www.etsy.com/shop/Gray...

This week I am joined by Jack McDermott @jibbys.jungle . In this episode, we compare and contrast frog and fisheries management strategies.  We approach both amphibians and fish from a natural resources perspective, and we consider the human element, economic impact, sustainability goals, and whether or not the two strategies can overlap. We also discuss Jack's recent visit to Colombia, his o...

This week it is my pleasure to be joined by Logan Hope AKA That Bearded Bug Guy. Logan has a talent for elaborate custom vivarium builds and content creation, and he is involved in some very interesting amphibian, reptile, and invert projects. In this episode we discuss his journey through the animal hobby, designing and constructing custom vivarium builds, his oophaga pumilio project, and content...

Newly described as it's own species, Cruziohyla sylviae is a prime candidate for research. Captive populations are an important factor in ensuring the species' survival for a number of reasons.  And as such, a proper science based understanding of their care and breeding is vital.  This week I am joined by Sam Sucre of Natural Tanks. We discuss his recently published paper documenting Cr...

This week I am joined by Vivarium enthusiast, and professional puppeteer and filmmaker, Benjamin Fieschi-Rose. In this episode, Ben and I discuss the many crossovers between Vivarium building and  Film set design as art forms. We also talk about his frog and plant collections, some of the raw materials used both in vivarium background and set production, and Ben shares the story behind his film &q...

Native North American amphibian species don't often get their proper share of media attention. Thankfully though, Aaron Capouellez has created a media brand dedicated to the preservation of native Pennsylvania species. In this episode, Aaron and I catch up and discuss how the brand has grown, the value of community and media outreach, overcoming obstacles, and the complexity that goes into na...

This week I am joined by longtime dart frog hobbyist Chris Miller of edgewooddarts.com and www.ranitomeya.com In this episode Chris and I discuss the advent of the US dart frog hobby in the early 1990s, Keeping Golden Mantella vs Breeding Golden Mantella, and much more. Chris is also an accomplished orchid enthusiast and we take a deep dive into orchid care.  This episode is sponsored by Gray Ghos...

The Amphibian Hobby is a worldwide community, and each corner of the world has its own special niche. This week I am joined by Michaela (AKA Macs frog army on social media) and we discuss her journey into the Australian amphibian hobby, the challenges (and joys) of keeping only native species, navigating the permit system, how she cares for several species in the Litorea genus, Australian Exos, an...

Automated misting systems are useful way to mist vivariums on a schedule. In this episode I discuss the components, installation tips, maintenance, and benefits of using a misting system in your amphibian's vivarium This episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creations https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrayGhostCreations Exo Terra is our sponsor this week. For all your amphibian needs visit: Exo-terra.co...

The world is a stressful place. For many of us, the amphibian hobby is a means of escape and a place where we can find peace of mind.  But, the hobby does also require a great deal of commitment ,and it can also become a stressor in and of itself when we are struggling with personal issues.  Managing animals when we are struggling can be a significant obstacle to overcome. But there is support for...

There are many stakeholders in the amphibian universe. From breeders and hobbyists, to researchers, land managers, and policymakers. -all  of these groups need to be engaged as a community if trade is to be continued in a clean and responsible way. But how is this accomplished and what challenges are faced along the way?  This week I am joined by researcher and wildlife engagement specialist, Alex...

This week I am joined by Ivan of Tesoros de Colombia and we discuss some new projects that are underway at Tesoros and the ACA. We talk about some of the new species soon to be available through legal import, including Amereega and Andinobates, as well as how local coffee farmers are helping conservation efforts. To learn more, visit: https://tesorosdecolombia.com/ https://activeconservationallian...

This week’s epdisode is designed with the beginner in mind.  When we start out as hobbyists, it’s very common to make mistakes. Husbandry and care can be researched, but our knowledge  base always grows through experience. In this episode, I discuss some common beginner mistakes and how to fix them.  I cover what to do  if you start out with an impulse purchase frog, how to to positively engage th...

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Bd is one of the most infamous agents of amphibian disease world wide. But did you know that there are multiple lineages other than the Global Panzootic Lineage and that the fungus can be affected by a virus?  New research involving the fungus and mycoviruses has shed a fresh light on the virulence of chyrid. In this episode I am joined by researchers Mark Yacoub ...

The Japanese Giant Salamander (Andrias japonicus) is one of the world's most iconic amphibian species. In this episode I am joined by Director of Buishido Adventure Travel limited and CEO of Sustainable Daisen -  Richard Pearce, directly from Japan.  Sustainable Daisen is a not for profit organization that focuses on Japanese Giant Salamander conservation through habitat preservation,  conser...

This week I am joined by professional vivarium specialist and long time frog hobbyist, Rob Mohr. Rob has made a career out his passion for the natural world, and in this episode we discuss his role at one of the largest private vivariums in the United States - the Seattle Spheres. We discuss plants, the logistics of maintaining massive living walls, water parameters, and how a massive full grown t...

This week I am joined by Armen of HerpTime.  In this episode we discuss what it takes to be a breeder, Armen’s new frog breeding projects, social media and more! We also take a deep dive into anoles and compare and contrast anole vs frog husbandry.  This episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creations https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrayGhostCreations Exo Terra is our sponsor this week. For all your amphib...

This week I am joined by Dayyan Saylany. Dayyan is known across Youtube and social media as Reptiliatus, and in this episode we discuss his passion for reptiles and amphibians; and his journey into content creation. We also talk about Dayyan's frog  experiences including why he developed a care video for juvenile-subadult pacman frogs, and how he successfully raised a  Cruziohyla craspedopus,...

This week I am joined by Drew Martinez. Drew is the owner of Carnivero. - a nursery that specializes in carnivorous plants. In this episode, we discuss Drew's tenure in the dart frog and plant hobbies, his fascination with carnivorous plants and how to successfully care for everything from Nepenthes pitcher plants, to Venus Fly traps and Platycerium! Drew also shares a few stories and observa...

Streams are unique habitats that are home to many different species of amphibian. But,  do changes in stream dynamics effect amphibian lifecycles? And if so, how?  This week I am joined by researcher, Madaline Cochrane and we discuss her paper, "Individual growth rates and size at metamorphosis increase with watershed area in a stream salamander." We focus our discussion on her work with...

This week I am joined again by Ben Baker of Fantastic Frogs. In Episode 160, Ben and I discussed a host of topics including his tenure as a zoo keeper and frog breeder. In this week's episode we continue our conversation with a deep dive into more of Ben's career and insights. We discuss Ben's experiences tracking and studying wild Golden Mantella, the long term sustainability of ca...