Animals at Home Network

John Courteney-Smith MRSB, the Head of Science and Innovation at Arcadia Reptile returns to the podcast! John is the author of a series of incredibly popular reptile and amphibian guides including Bio Activity and the Theory of Wild Re-Creation ®  and his latest, Fire, the Sun & Its Replication in Reptile Keeping . In the episode, John expands on his concept of the 3 parameters of overall nutritio...

In this episode, Israel Spruch from Crocohilics Conservation Center explains exactly how he successfully breeds one of the rarest crocodilian species. Year after year Iszy has been able to breed the west African Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) and he gladly shares the exact “recipe” for how to breed them. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/1-israel-spruch/  

In this episode, Dillon announces his plan to change Animals at Home from a show to a Network and in doing so welcomes Bryce Broom to the team. Bryce is the host of the Animals Everywhere podcast which is officially the second show to exist under the Animals at Home Network. In this episode, he tells his incredibly inspirational story, how the responsibility of his reptile collection kept him in a...

Paul Rosolie is the Author of Mother of God as well as his latest book, The Girl and the Tiger. In this episode, we discuss the importance of interacting with nature, Paul's insane solo expeditions deep into the Amazon Rainforest, and the incredibly important role the Amazon Rainforest ecosystem plays on the planet. Paul also lets us in on his experience working on the Discovery Channel show, Eate...

Joseph Brabin in the creator of the JTB Reptiles. In this episode, Joseph talks about the electromagnetic spectrum and how to apply that knowledge to the way we heat/light our reptiles. We also discuss the inherent issues with the Pet Tube community and whether or not the husbandry advice they give is accurate and valuable. Joseph also walks us through the brumation process he uses to temperature...

Stefan Wennekes is the creator of the Terrarium Channel on YouTube. He has a very diverse collection of reptiles including a variety of turtle species, Chinese crocodile lizards, Borneo Earless monitors, Green Mambas, and more! Stefan has one of the nicest large collections out there. Despite having a large number of animals, Stefan still maintains very high care standards. In the episode we chat...

If you are a reptile business owner in any capacity, then this episode is a MUST LISTEN! Josh Willard is the founder and owner of the well-known company Josh's Frogs. Josh's Frogs is one of the largest producers of captive-bred dart frogs in North America.  In this episode, Josh tells the story of why and how he started Josh's Frogs as well as the philosophy he used to grow it from a small start-u...

Dillon Damuth is the founder of Gecko Labs and a founding partner of the organization Urban Ark Conservation. In this episode, we discuss Dillon’s very diverse and rare collection of animals. We talk about the importance of quality of care over quantity of production breeding and we also discuss conservation in the reptile trade. Specifically, Dillon gives the listeners a few great tips for how th...

Dr. Sergio Balaguera-Reina is a conservation biologist who re-discovered the Apaporis Caiman after a 60+ year gap in the scientific literature. The Spectacled Caiman subspecies was first described in 1955 by Fred Medem. However, political unrest in Colombia made any further research impossible until 2018. In this episode, Sergio tells us about the expedition and current research surrounding the Ap...

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...