Animals at Home Network

Ralph Till is one of the premier breeders of the critically endangered Egyptian Tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) in the USA. In this episode, we discuss why Ralph chose to work with this species, their husbandry and breeding protocols, why they are critically endangered in their native range, and how private breeders are saving the species from extinction. If you are wanting to take your herpetocultu...

Chelsea Isdaner and her husband, Andrew operate Smoldering Serpents, a small-scale snake breeding project out of North Carolina. In the episode, we discuss their diverse group of snakes, DIY enclosures, and the process of advancing husbandry. Chelsea also talks about how she successfully breeds snakes in complex habitats and we analyze the myth that small snakes fail to thrive in large enclosures....

Chaz Thompson is the owner of the well-known UK-based Reptile Shop, Snakes 'N' Adders. Chaz also runs and regularly posts videos to the Snakes 'N' Adders YouTube channel which includes videos on ecology, snake anatomy, understanding Latin names, and much more. In the episode, Chaz breaks down the philosophy he uses to successfully run his store, the species he refuses to sell, we contemplate wheth...

In today’s Round Table we are joined by Troy Goldberg, Mike Tytula, and Nick Mark to discuss vivarium plants. In the episode, we cover substrate and drainage, lighting, fertilizer, microfauna including how to eradicate annoying hitchhikers such as fungus gnats and millipedes, how to use fungus to promote plant growth, best plant species for both tropical and arid, how to properly plant epiphytes a...

There is an opportunity for innovation and new leadership in the reptile hobby! Over the past few years, we have seen species diversity plummet, morph diversity boom, and industrialized care become a norm. Herpetoculture has reached a period of stagnation. Lack of innovation, creativity, and value is cannon fodder for AR groups. We must re-think reptile breeding to promote methods that are both re...

Tanner Serpa of SerpaDesign is one of the most well know herpetoculture-related channels on YouTube. In this episode, we discuss the art of herpetoculture, how to create dramatic and visually appealing vivaria, how Tanner got started with vivarium building and YouTube, creating a stunning animal room, and much more! SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/85-serpadesign/

Cohabiting reptiles is often a “blacklisted” practice in herpetoculture. Many Facebook groups prohibit discussion of cohabiting and will ban members who dare to bring it up! Is cohabiting as evil as it is made out to be? In today’s episode, Francis Cosquieri, Lori Torrini, Joseph Brabin, and Liam Sinclair discuss cohabiting. They cover rules for success, what to avoid, conspecific vs heterospecifi...

Ryan Dumas is the Head Keeper of the Herpetology and Fish section at the Cincinnati Zoo and a long-time reptile keeper. In this episode, we discuss keeping reptile species that are meaningful to the keeper, life as a reptile zookeeper, and environmental enrichment. Ryan also breaks down an animal wellness rating system that allows keepers to perform an audit on their current setups to highlight wh...

Dr. Chris Jenkins is the CEO and founder of the Orianne Society and the host of the Snake Talk podcast. In this episode, Dr. Jenkins tells us why he decided to pursue a career in wildlife conservation, and why he started the Orianne Society. Dr. Jenkins walks us through the many conservation projects the Orianne Society is involved with including re-wilding Eastern Indigo snakes and we also discus...

Are you ready for a new reptile? In this episode, Lori of Behavior Education, Mariah from Reptifiles, and Tyson from Habitats at Home discuss key considerations for keepers to contemplate prior to bringing home a new reptile. This episode is perfect for both new and experienced keepers. We discuss mistakes we've made in the past and provide advice on how to keep reptiles successfully.  DOWNLOAD PD...

Eric Burke is the most recognizable voice in the reptile podcasting niche. Eric has been the host of Morelia Python Radio for nearly a decade and has recorded 100’s of episodes. In this episode, we chat about his early days keeping reptiles, why he started MPR, and how his hobby has evolved over time. We also discuss how a herping trip to Australia in 2018 caused Eric’s perspective to shift away f...

Nick Mark aka Mr. Vivarium joins us on today's episode to discuss plants! Nick recommends plant species for both tropical and arid vivs, he lays out common mistakes made, how to quarantine and treat plants for pests, substrate mixes, and more! Nick also discusses a Central American Biotope that he has in the works as well as a new reptile-related business he is launching. SHOW NOTES: https://www.a...

In the bonus episode, I chat with Roy Camacho who is both a new ball python keeper and a listener of the podcast. Roy tells us how he got into keeping ball pythons, and how YouTube has influenced his care. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/bonus-roy-camacho/

Ashley Dezan is the founder and owner of Northern Lights Reptile Imports. In this episode, Ashley tells us the story of how she started her business and gives us the “day-in-the-life” of a reptile importer. She also explains what CITES is, how it impacts herpetoculture, and what she has to do to ensure she complies with the regulations. We also discuss the ethics of importing WC reptiles. SHOW NOT...

I have finally finished creating my Patreon Page. In this short bonus episode of the podcast, I briefly lay out who the Patreon page will work and what that means for the future of the podcast! JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathome

Dr. Tariq Abou-Zahr MRCVS is an exotic vet and long-time reptile keeper out of the UK. In this episode, we discuss when our reptiles should be taken to the clinic, how often they should have health check-ups and common health issues seen in herpetoculture. We also chat about Tariq's collection, breeding projects, as well as his opinion on minimum snake enclosure size and morphs.  SHOW NOTES: https...

Tyson is the creator of the popular Instagram account @Doc. Merten and the owner of the custom reptile enclosure business, Habitats at Home. In this episode, we discuss Tyson's history with reptiles and enclosure construction, how to use natural history as a framework for enclosure design, and current issues with the way herpetoculture approaches bioactivity.  SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathome...

Chain pet stores typically have a bad reputation within the reptile hobby. In this episode, I chat with an employee of a chain pet store to discuss what working there is like from the perspective of a hobbyist. We discuss the many mistakes chain pet stores make that lead to misinformation and my guest provides solutions that retailers could implement to improve. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsatho...

Is rack keeping ethical? On today's bonus episode of the podcast, Liam Sinclair of Reptiles & Research and long time keeper/breeder Michelle Verheyden debate this question. Does rack keeping sacrifice reptile welfare? Is rack keeping ever okay? Is rack keeping gold standard husbandry for some species? Is it a necessary evil in order to produce reptiles at a competitive price? Listen now to hear ho...

Cooper  Van Der Wal is a biologist, zookeeper, and the creator behind the popular YouTube Channel, Coop's Reptiles. In this episode, we discuss his role at the Australian Reptile Park and University lizard lab. Cooper also discusses the strict rules that regulate the Australian reptile hobby and whether or not they are effective. Plus we chat about his private collection, breeding projects, and Yo...

Tom Crutchfield is undoubtedly one of the most well-known names in American Herpetoculture. As one of my previous guests put it, "what Tom hasn't done in the hobby, isn't worth doing". The most fascinating thing about Tom is despite his vast amount of experience in the hobby, he still continues to remain open-minded and allow the reptiles to teach him new things daily. In the episode, we discuss h...

Cory Aymar of Toothless Reptiles is back! In this episode, Cory fills us in on the massive monitor breeding facility he built in his front yard. He discusses the challenges and successes he has had with the building and of course, we chat about his success breeding various (Lace), salvator (Water), and the elusive salvadorii (Crocodile). SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/74-cory-aym...

In this short bonus episode,  I discuss the hedonic treadmill, how it negatively impacts keepers, and how we can overcome it. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/bonus-hedonic-treadmill/

Zac Loughman, Ph. D. is a professor of biology at West Liberty University. In this episode, Zac breaks down his most recent paper: "Utilization of Natural History Information in Evidence based Herpetoculture". We discuss how reptile natural history can be used to develop husbandry practices, where folklore husbandry came from as well as how to bridge the gap between academics and hobbyists.  SHOW...

In this Round Table discussion, we cover the topic of accessing natural reptile behavior in captivity. Of course, seeing our captive reptiles display natural behavior is the foundation of good husbandry, but the question is which behaviors do we want to see? Surely we do not want every possible natural behavior to be present in a captive setting. Wild-type behaviors do not always equal to higher w...