AmphibiCast

In this weeks episode I run down 10 common mistakes made by beginners in the dart frog hobby. For Patreon, Merch, and a 10 percent discount off an In situ ecosystems vivarium visit - https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast

For the past few decades, Chytrid has had a profound effect on amphibian populations worldwide. In Panama, species within the Atelopus genus have been particularly effected.  Thankfully though, new strategies are being developed to mitigate disease. This week I am joined by Brian Gratwicke of the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project . Brian is also the...

As amphibian medicine continues to advance, so has our understanding of what constitutes proper captive husbandry. practices.  Both hobbyists and conservationists place tremendous value in the lives of their frogs and both will often (if not always) look for answers when death or illness present in their collections. Since many amphibian illnesses cannot be detected by the naked eye, in these case...

This week I am joined once again by Josh Allen.  Josh has years of experience as a guide and naturalist in Peru, and he has a special interest in poison frogs. We discuss some of the impacts that habitat destruction and gold mining have on Peruvian Dendrobatids within the Cordillera Sira, his encounters with some of the rarer species of ranitomeya, and how to identify suitable wild ranitomeya habi...

In this episode I discuss some of the principles and methods behind naturalistic aka bioactive keeping as it relates to amphibian husbandry. I cover how and why husbandry progressed from sterile to naturalistic, how to effectively manage waste in a naturalistic enclosure through careful planning, the importance of moisture, drainage and ventilation, and what to expect from an effective cleanup cre...

Have you ever dreamed of building a giant, naturalistic vivarium for your frogs? What does it take to construct, scape, plant and stock a 48 cubic foot vivarium (4ft by 2ft by 6ft)? In this  4 part series we will build a hypothetical large format vivarium from the ground up and address the challenges and rewards that go along with it! In this episode (Part 4), I am joined by Troy Goldberg and we d...

Have you ever dreamed of building a giant, naturalistic vivarium for your frogs? What does it take to construct, scape, plant and stock a 48 cubic foot vivarium (4ft by 2ft by 6ft)? In this  4 part series we will build a hypothetical large format vivarium from the ground up and address the challenges and rewards that go along with it! In this episode (Part 3.), I am joined by Alex Menke of Frog Da...

Have you ever dreamed of building a giant, naturalistic vivarium for your frogs? What does it take to construct, scape, plant and stock a 48 cubic foot vivarium (4ft by 2ft by 6ft)? In this  4 part series we will build a hypothetical large format vivarium from the ground up and address the challenges and rewards that go along with it! In this episode, (Part 2.) I am joined by Brandon Willis. We di...

Have you ever dreamed of building a giant, naturalistic vivarium for your frogs? What does it take to construct, scape, plant and stock a 48 cubic foot vivarium (4ft by 2ft by 6ft)? In this  4 part series we will build a hypothetical large format vivarium from the ground up and address the challenges and rewards that go along with it! In this episode (Part 1.) I am joined by Bill Rodman of In Situ...

This week I am joined by Aaron Capouellez. Aaron is the founder of PA Woods and Forests and he specializes in studying amphibians and other organisms native to Pennsylvania. In this episode, we discuss specific Pennsylvania biomes, frog species native to the area, and how to best recreate these biomes in a captive setting. We also discuss the challenges of keeping native species, such as the Ameri...

We've all been there at some point. We've worked hard to acquire a healthy frog, toad, or salamander, we've done our homework and set it up properly, but unfortunately it passes away. The experience can be difficult and frustrating to say the least.  However, if we want to improve our methods and grow as hobbyists, it's important that we learn as much as we can from the experie...

Oophaga pumilio are well known for their vivid and variable coloration. But did you know that they have extremely sophisticated mating behaviors that select for certain colors?  In this week's episode I am joined by researcher, Yusan Yang and we discuss her work studying mate selection in wild oophaga pumilio. We talk about mating both male and female behaviors associated with color selection...

This week I am joined by Dr. Alessandro Catenazzi. Alessandro is a conservation biologist who assesses amphibian populations for the IUCN red list, We discuss what the IUCN is, how species and populations are assessed, and what the future holds for endangered frogs.  We also talk about frog species native to the Peruvian cloud forest biome, and how many endangered species are actually on the rebou...

People often make comparisons between reef tanks and planted vivariums due to their complexity and beauty.  They both require substantial care and effort, yet despite their many challenges, they ultimately reward the keeper with a perfect slice of the natural world.  This week I am joined by reef aquarist turned dart frog breeder,  Kyle Martin. Kyle and I discuss his transition from keeping reef a...

This week I am joined by Jack Small. Jack is one of the organizers of this year's American Frog Day and in this episode we discuss how the event started decades ago, how it grew over the years, what sets it apart from other expos,  and what we can expect this year. We also discuss how Jack keeps amd breeds his dendrobates truncatus, and we talk about how important the greater dart frog commun...

Tonight I am joined by Dr. Kyle Summers. Dr. Summers has studied dendrobatids extensively since the 1980s and he has contributed immensely to the dart frog knowledge base. (Ranitomeya summersi is in fact named in his honor). In this episode we discuss different types of mimicry in Ranitomeya, differing degrees of toxicity between mimics, and monogamy in Ranitomeya imitator. We also discuss his dar...

The Amazon Milk Frog (rachycephalus resinifictrix) is a popular species among amphibian hobbyists. In tonight's episode I review a paper on Amazon Milk Frog Husbandry  written by French Scientist Fabien Mignet and discuss some of the key husbandry points. Tonight's podcast contains a reading of a scientific paper with all credit to the original author. Mignet, F. (2015). Biology and Capt...

Hi everyone! I wanted to share some quick announcements about the show and some upcoming events! 1. Order Anura is hosting a Fundraiser in the Podcast's name to support Panamanian Frog conservation. Each 5 dollar entry gets you a chance to win a pair of dart frogs and some really cool plants! The fundraiser for Project Golden Frog is from August 11th through August 27th.  Follow and message @...

This week I welcome back Troy Goldberg for episode 100. We discuss rack systems for dart frog vivariums, the care and breeding of large obligates, and the importance of putting out quality online frog content.  To support the show by becoming a Patron, for AmphibiCast Merch, for a 10% listener discount on In Situ Ecosystems vivariums, and to support Panamanian frog conservation visit: https://link...

As the Amphibian Hobby continues to grow, more and more people are keeping frogs and other amphibians as pets.  However, situations often arise where keepers can no longer keep their animals.  Many keepers look out for rescue organizations, but there are only a handful that accept amphibians.  Running an amphibian focused rescue operation also poses a unique set of challenges.  This week I am join...

Oophaga pumilio "blue jeans" is one of the most visually stunning frogs in the world. Yet, there hasn't been a concerted effort to breed them in captivity up until now. This week I am joined once again by Audrey of Urban Amphibia, and we discuss her Oophaga pumilio "blue jeans" captive breeding project, some behavior quirks that are unique to the locale ,and how to get a p...

Over the years, it has become common practice to incorporate specialized UV lighting into the husbandry of many herp species.  Although we don't often associate UV lighting with captive amphibians, there may be a place for it as technology continues to evolve in a more frog friendly direction. In this week's episode I am joined by Ryan McVeigh of VivTech. Ryan has dedicated years of his...

When we think about dart frogs, we almost always  immediately picture the beautifully blue Dendrobates tinctorius "azureus." Once thought to be its own species (research is still ongoing), Azureus has been the focus of attention for both beginner and advanced hobbyists for half a century. However, there hasn't been a thorough account of how Azureus came into zoos and private collect...

This week I am joined by Edgardo Griffith of the EVACC Foundation in Panama. Edgardo has dedicated decades of his life working towards preserving the Panamanian Golden Frog (Atelopus zeteki). In this episode we discuss how it all started, what the situation is today, and what the future holds for the world's most iconic and endangered amphibian species.   To support / donate towards the Panam...

In this weeks episode I discuss some money saving options for those interested in keeping frogs on a budget.  To support the show by becoming a Patron, for a 10% listener discount off In Situ Ecosystems Vivariums, for AmphibiCast Merch, and to support Panamanian Amphibian Conservation click  https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast