Animals at Home Network

Liam Sinclair is a reptile keeper out of the UK. He is currently completing a bachelor's degree in Animal Management with the goal of working in a zoo setting focusing on conservation. In this episode, we discussed how to properly do reptile husbandry research, we analyzed captive animal welfare and discussed UVB, IR, morphs, and varying snake diets! SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.co...

Rebecca is the familiar voice behind the popular YouTube Channel, Leopard Gecko! In this episode, Rebecca tells us why she started her YouTube Channel, and how it has evolved over time. We also discuss leopard gecko care including common mistakes, proper substrates, UVB lighting, and IR-A/IR-B heat sources. Rebecca tells us what equipment she is currently using to keep her geckos healthy and thriv...

Adam Wickens is a fellow Canadian content creator with a YouTube Channel that is starting to take off! Wickens Wicked Reptiles is only about 15 months old and has already reached nearly 17k subs! In this episode, we discuss Adam's popular and sometimes controversial "top 5 list" videos, keeping reptiles outdoors in Canada and also the ideal size of a reptile collection. SHOW NOTES: https://www.ani...

Emma Lock is the creator behind the popular YouTube Channel, Emzotic! In this episode, we discuss the animal encounters in Em's childhood, her work as an animal educator in the UK as well as how and why she started her YouTube channel. Of course, we also discuss her new book, Animal Kind and chat about the important role animals can play in a person's life.  Show Notes: https://www.animalsathomene...

Angela is the manager of the reptile section in The Road Show, a store located in Michigan. In this episode, we discuss the procedures Angela and her team use to responsibly operate the store. This includes selling animals to customers who have demonstrated knowledge of the species they want to purchase, providing care sheets and on-going care support, species-specific kits and the promotion of en...

Troy Goldberg is a long time dart frog keeper and breeder with a YouTube Channel of nearly 10k subs. In this episode, we discuss the quality of care found in the dart frog community, Troy's garage which has been converted into a jaw-dropping frog room as well as the many DIY projects Troy has featured on his YouTube page. The dart frog community treated natural enrichment within captive habitats a...

Jude Farthing is a budding reptile enthusiast who has a hard line position on one of the more controversial topics in the reptile industry: live feeding. Jude came from the rat keeping hobby before a family allergy pushed him into the hypo-allergenic world of reptiles. This episode explores the ethical treatment of rodents in the reptile industry and grapples with the challenge of being fair to ca...

Jordan Jones is one of the 15+ whistleblowers in the Wildlife in Need scandal. Wildlife in Need was opened by Tim Stark in 1999 and initially intended to function as rehab and release for native animal species. Early on the non-profit took a dark turn toward exotic animal exploitation. Jordan, who was once a volunteer at the establishment tells horrific stories of captive conditions the animals ar...

Dr. Andy Anderson DVM is an exotic vet in the United States. In this episode, we discuss many important topics including Vitamin D hypervitaminosis (also known as Vitamin D toxicity), obesity in reptiles, tips for finding a good exotic vet, and the importance of UVB. Dr. Anderson also answers a few rapid-fire questions including, morph related genetic disorders, common reptile illnesses, and of co...

Dru Reeves is the primary admin on the Facebook group, Chameleon Central. Chameleon Central boasts an impressive 23k+ members making it the largest chameleon group on FB. However, its most impressive feat is the group's helpful and effective demeanor. In the episode, Dru shares his road map for running a successful FB group including admin strategies, group rules and more! Dru and Dillon also disc...

Emily Medeiros is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to the animal world. Over the past 6 years, Emily has worked at Reptilia (Canada's largest indoor Reptile Zoo), bred and cared for 300+ reptiles, she works at a holistic pet food store and is an expert on dog and cat nutrition and she also owns and operates a reptile education business in a remote city in northern Alberta. On top of that, Emily...

Peter and Carrie of Reptelligence are today's guests. In this episode, we discuss the basics of animal training including classical and operant conditioning, learning history, and how behavior is shaped using positive reinforcement. We also discuss how these methods can be applied to reptiles. The Reptelligence team leaves us with examples of success stories they have had working with their own an...

In this Bonus Episode of the podcast, I read the article I wrote for ReptiFiles.com. This article uses the 5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare as a guideline to performs an audit on the current state of the reptile industry. ARTICLE: https://www.reptifiles.com/5-freedoms-provisions-animal-welfare/ Check Out Custom Reptile Habitats! HERE: https://www.animalsathome.ca/crh

Jason Norman of The Reptile Project is the guest on today's episode. Jason and Dillon cover a ton of ground during their discussion including caiman lizard care, how to apply for and the benefits of acquiring 501-(c)(3) non-profit status for reptile education businesses and Jason also explains the latest project he is a part of—building a reptile zoo from scratch. The episode ends with an in-depth...

The Komodo Dragon is one of the most iconic species of reptile on the planet. Kate Gore is a Herp Keeper at the Chattanooga Zoo and in this episode, she discusses the zoo's current Komodo Dragon breeding project. In August the zoo hatched three healthy male Dragons, however, these are likely not the result of successful copulation between the two adult dragons. In this episode, Kate explains virgi...

Richard is the creator of the YouTube Channel Northern Exotics. In this episode, we discussed a personal hardship Richard overcame and the role his animals played during that time. We also discussed the process of focusing on individual animal care, including some great questions raised by Richard that if answered, will progress the reptile industry forward. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomene...

Tom Moran of Tom’s Big Spiders is today’s guest! Tom’s Big Spiders is a blog, YouTube Channel and Podcast. Tom is an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to the tarantula hobby. In this episode, Tom tells us the story of how he initially started in the hobby as an arachnophobe with a single spider and how that snowballed into a 100+ spider collection. We also discuss the reasons behind start...

Dr. Kelsey Chapman brings us stories from her vet clinic in Calgary, Alberta. Dr. Chapman provides advice for those considering a career in the field of veterinary medicine. We also discuss surgical operations on reptiles, her best/worst days in the clinic and common health issues found in the reptile industry. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/34-dr-kelsey-chapman/

Roy Arthur Blodgett was one of the first individuals in the USA to hatch a captive clutch of Amazon Puffing Snake eggs ( Spilotes sulphureus).  In this episode, Roy tells the story of how he acquired his first pair of puffing snakes as a young teenager. We discuss his early days in the hobby, as well as the decade long break he took from it. Roy has re-entered the hobby with a very conscientious m...

Is a career in an animal-focused field still on the table without a university degree? Mallory Lindsay is a conservationist, an educator, and a content producer. In the episode, Mallory tells us how she began on her path to becoming a conservationist and educator. She provides great advice for those of us who want to pursue an animal-related career but don't have university credentials to back it...

Josh Jones is PIJAC's deputy director, government affairs and staff liaison to the Herp Committee. The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) is an organization that helps keep the pet industry healthy and functioning. Specifically, PIJAC focuses on animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, environmental stewardship and the protection of our right to own pets. In the episode, Josh and I disc...

Josh Halter is the owner and founder of The BioDude, a company that focuses on bio-activity in the reptile and amphibian hobby. In this episode, we cover the full range of bio-active questions starting with setting up your first bio-active vivarium to more advanced topics such as bio-active for snakes and arid climates. Josh also shares the story of his journey from closing his frog breeding compa...

In this episode, Sam Perrett goes into great detail about lighting and heating. These two related topics are often misunderstood and misused in the reptile hobby. Replicating the sun is an extraordinarily difficult task. However, almost every living thing on the planet uses the sun as an energy source, therefore, it is our duty to continue to advance the hobby towards better use of light and heat....

Ryan McVeigh is the brand manager of Zilla, the popular reptile supply company. However, that is only one of the many hats Ryan wears within the reptile hobby. This episode is a must-listen if you are part of a herpetological society or are planning on founding one. Ryan explains what makes the herp society he founded (Madison Area Herp Society) one of the most successful herp societies in the cou...

In this bonus episode of The Animals at Home Podcast I chat with an individual who left a critical and rude comment on one of my videos. I reached out to her to see if we could work out our differences through verbal conversation rather than a keyboard war in the YouTube comments. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/bonus-rude-commenter/