AmphibiCast

Tonight I am joined again by Zac Goodnow from Equatorial Ecosystems.  Zac and I discuss some common issues that pop up in both new and established vivariums such as plant die off, mold outbreaks, fungus gnats, snails, poor drainage, and -what to do with that expensive cutting you recently bought that just won't thrive.  If you've ever had something go wrong in one of your vivariums this...

Tonight I am joined by Dr. David Blackburn. David has spent the majority of his career studying African Frog species, as well as frog evolution and morphology.  We begin with a discussion on frog evolution, extinct frogs, and the frogs in fossil record; and we continue on to discuss several African species including the goliath frog and a very rare species of Xenopus. We also discuss some of the n...

Spindly Leg Syndrome is a condition that negatively effects developing tadpoles and causes them to develop thin "spindly" legs during metamorphosis.  The condition is ultimately fatal and as such it can be a difficult challenge for hobbyists and conservationists looking to breed dendrobatid frogs to overcome. Many have theorized why spindly leg occurs, but there hasn't been much in...

Tonight I am joined by Mike Novy of Rain Forest Junkys. We discuss the care and breeding of red eyed tree frogs, and how Mike fine tuned his husbandry methods over the last thirty years. Mike and I  cover everything from tadpole care to tank cleaning to supplementation.  We also finish tonight's show with a discussion about some recent drama resulting from a recent Youtube video featuring Mik...

This week I am joined by Nick Stacey of Fragile Planet Wildlife Park. You may remember Nick from Episode 19. where we discussed the beginning of his Atelopus breeding project. In this episode Nick gives us an update on his Atelopus balios and Atelopus barbotini breeding projects, and we also discuss how he successfully cares for an breeds Aneides aeneus (commonly known as the Green Salamander) For...

In this episode I am joined by Jay Sommers of Sandfire Dragon Ranch  and we discuss the history of Asian newt species in the hobby as well as the specialized care of the Laos Warty Newt.  To Support the Show by becoming a Patron, purchase AmphibiCast Merch and to receive listener discounts on In Situ Ecosystems vivariums check out: https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast Also, be sure to check out sandfired...

Tonight I am joined by fellow podcaster Fadi Naddeh of Daffy's Round Table and Daffy's Reptiles. We compare and discuss some different methods of rearing dart frog tadpoles, how Fadi got into podcasting, prolapses in Spanish Ribbed Newts, and we also discuss some of the worst dart frog enclosures we've ever seen on the internet! Be sure to check out Fadi's Podcast Daffy's...

Axoltols are renowned for their abilities to regenerate lost limbs. In tonight's episode I speak with Dr. Kate McCusker of the McCusker Lab about limb regeneration, growth rate, and the aging process in axolotls. For more information visit or for a virtual tour of Kate's lab visit: https://www.umb.edu/mccuskerlab/virtual_lab_tours https://www.umb.edu/mccuskerlab/research_team/catherine_m...

 As the dart frog hobby evolved over the past 50 years, many different species and locales came and went along with it.  However, for the longest time, we haven't had a clear picture of which species made it into the hobby, when they made it into the hobby and how they made it into the hobby. That is - up until now. Tonight I am joined once again by Devin Edmonds and we discuss his new paper...

Tonight I am joined by Naturalist Robert Villa.  In recent decades a phenomenon has developed around the Sonoran Desert Toad (AKA the Colorado River Toad) and the recreational use of its toxins for psychedelic purposes.  There is however, a great deal of misinformation out there regarding the topic.  So to set the record straight I am joined by Robert Villa.  Robert dispels many of the common myth...

Tonight I am joined by Dr. Jason Hoverman and we discuss the effects of environmental stressors on amphibian populations.  We cover some of the different types of environmental contaminants, what the effects are from exposure, how combinations of different stressors effect tadpole behavior,  and some of the ways that amphibians can be successfully treated after exposure.  For more information visi...

Tonight I am joined by Sam Sucre of Natural Tanks. Sam joins to us straight  from Panama and we discuss ending wild caught trade in favor of a more sustainable captive export trade. We also discuss Sam’s new project producing sustainably sourced red eyed tree frogs in Panama for export into the USA.    For more information about Sam and his work please visit: http://www.natural-tanks.com/ If you&a...

In this episode I answer some questions submitted by listeners.  I enjoy listener feedback and I thought that this episode would be a fun way to answer some common (and a few uncommon) questions about many of the topics that I cover on the podcast For listener discounts on In Situ Vivariums visit : https://insituecosystems.com?ref=amphibicast To support the show consider becoming a patron https://...

Tonight I am joined by Youtuber, Mike Lardis of Slithering Salamander Scapes. Mike is a long time salamander enthusiast and an accomplished paludarium builder. We discuss some of his build methods, the importance of good water quality, and how he built a salamander room for his collection. We also discuss care points for red salamanders (pseudotriton), tiger salamanders (ambystoma) and greater sir...

There is current legislation under way in the US that may significantly affect our rights to work with amphibians, reptiles, birds, invertebrates and non domesticated mammals. In this special episode I am joined by USARK President -Phil Goss, and we discuss the Lacey Act Amendments in the America Competes Act of 2022, where the bill is currently, and what the effects will be if it is passed into l...

Tonight I kick off the first episode of the "Salamander Series." In these episodes I will be focusing on some serious salamander subjects! Tonight I am joined again by Amphibian Foundation Co-founder, Mark Mandica who has dedicated his life towards salamander conservation. We discuss the frosted flatwoods salamander conservation project and how frosted flatwoods were bred in captivity fo...

Tonight I am joined once again by Mark Mandica -Co-founder of The Amphibian Foundation. We discuss continuing education in herpetology, and how Mark has created online and in-person college level classes that are accessible to everyone. Mark also talks to us about caecilians, Pipa pipa (commonly known as the Suriname Toad) and some upcoming classes that include a course on amphibian husbandry.  Ha...

Bumble bee toads (Melanophryniscus) are a highly sought after species among amphibian enthusiasts. Yet, they are notorious for being only sporadically available. Thankfully tonight's guest has figured out a way to breed them both successfully and consistently. It's my pleasure to be joined tonight by Laura Abrtaham of ARTphibians LLC, and we discuss how she breeds her toads, how to care...

Tonight I am joined by fellow dart frog enthusiast, Brandon Willis. Brandon originally started out in the plant hobby after being inspired by bonsai trees. He went on to develop his own unique style of building vivariums and then found an interest in dart frogs. Brandon is also an active National Guardsman who does many of his builds during his free time while on deployment.  We also discuss some...

Flightless fruit flies are one of the most popular prey items for dart frogs, glass frogs, mantids, spiders, baby chameleons and more.  In this episode I run down the basics of how to culture your own flies at home, and I share some tips that I've picked up along the way.  Culturing flies can be a bit intimidating at times , especially for beginners, but it doesn't have to be! So if you...

Tiny arthropods known as springtails (Collembola spp.) are popular among vivarium enthusiasts for their "cleanup crew" abilities.  We often hear about their use in “bioactive” vivariums. Tonight I am joined by entomologist, Dr. Ann Fallon and  we discuss the biology, reproduction and lifecycle of Folsomia candida. For more information  about springtails and Dr. Fallon visit: https://ento...

In 2013 Dr. Matthew Dugas co-authored a paper about the important role that carotenoid supplementation plays in oophaga pumilio reproduction. The findings have greatly influenced captive dart frog husbandry methods for almost a decade now and most hobbyists today incorporate carotenoids into their supplementation regiments.  It is my pleasure to have Dr. Dugas as my guest this week and we discuss...

Tonight I am pleased to be joined once again by Dr. Andrew Logan DVM.  We talk about how to identify bacterial infections in amphibians and some of the treatment options available. We also discuss what to expect during a routine health check and we finish off with a discussion on glass frog care. 

Tonight I am joined once again by Mike Tytula of Alpha Reptile. We have a good old fashioned casual conversation about what ever comes up including his trip to Costa Rica, what it was like being stung by a bullet ant,  his Ameerega breeding project, and some of the challenges that go along with creating content for youtube and podcasting.  And to all the listeners out there, we wish you an enjoyab...

Poison Dart Frogs are synonymous with toxicity. In fact, species in the Phyllobates Genus are among the most toxic animals on earth. They owe that toxicity to their ability to produce batrachotoxin.  In this episode I am joined by Chemist, Dr. Justin Du Bois, who is an expert on batrachotoxin. We discuss the origins behind the scientific study of batrachotoxin, its effect on other living organisms...