Animals at Home Network

Phil was a guest on Trap Talk, he and MJ discuss a great deal!

Phillip Lietz of Arids Only and Project Herpetoculture discusses a wide scope of topics regarding the reptile keeping hobby, from the species of reptile that he breeds, domestication of reptiles, a little about aquaculture, and some double standards you see in various pet keeping communities. Phil talks about some of the science revolving around domestication of various reptile species, the advances that we would like to see regarding lighting, and some details of how invasive/native species interact in our world. Philip offers extremely well-thought out viewpoints on herpetoculture that every reptile keeper should keep in mind as we...

Phil re-launches PH with a conversation with Ron St. Pierre!

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Liam Sinclair of Reptiles & Research joins today’s episode to discuss hybridization and domestication in captive reptiles in herpetoculture. Liam shares details of the breeding process, going in depth on genetics, lineage, breeding for certain traits, and much more. He even discusses more controversial topics such as inbreeding, overall domestication for captive reptiles, and culling species in different ways. He also touches on husbandry as it relates to hybrid species. If you’re interested in the ins and outs of breeding and the science behind it, this episode is a great watch!SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/238-liam-sinclair/SPON...

Ed Taoka of “Sonny and Cher Reticulated Pythons” joins today’s episode to discuss his experience with Reticulated Pythons, and more specifically, in handling and socializing with them and his daughter. We discuss how he began his journey in keeping retics, feeding moments vs handling, their high level of intelligence, and more! Ed shares his knowledge of snake body language, being in tune with animals, and the process of taming an animal, leading to how he keeps retics around his child.SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/237-ed-taoka/JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathomeLINKS FROM THE EPISOD...

Josh Halter of The Bio Dude discusses all about the recent challenging situations that The Bio Dude has been facing in recent times: from how Covid affected the business, the new tariff situation, and more. He talks in depth about the business practices that he has set in place in order for The Bio Dude to remain a productive business for himself and the staff, as well as some changes he has made to ensure he is a good owner of the business. Josh also discusses future plans for The Bio Dude, including isopod consumables from ethically sourced fish...

Dr. Zac Loughman joins today’s episode to discuss the creation of Colubrid Fest, a colubrid only reptile show filled with insightful speakers, engaging panels, with proceeds going directly back into funding research for the reptiles most commonly kept in the hobby. Zac shares details about how Colubrid Fest came to be, as well as the overall purpose behind its creation. We also talk about Zac’s personal reptile collection, husbandry research at West Liberty University, conservation efforts vs preservation, and much more! Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the show on September 13th & 14th.

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In this episode, we sit down with reptile and amphibian photographer Zac Herr, the creative force behind the popular Instagram account @IAmMakingArt. Zac shares the story of how he got started photographing reptiles and amphibians, along with practical tips for capturing stunning shots—whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting into nature photography. We also dive into his brand-new photo book "What is that?", a beautifully curated look at some of the planet’s most fascinating (and often misunderstood) creatures. Whether you’re into animal photography, reptiles, or just love a good creative journey, this episode is packed w...

Christian Cave of Caveman Wildlife joins the podcast to chat about his new documentary filmed in the Amazon Rainforest, catching the world’s largest snake: The Green Anaconda. Christian tells the very detailed and interesting story of how he found, caught, measured, and captured all of the moments of the journey in finding the Green Anaconda. Christian discusses the documentary filming process from start to finish, including drone footage of the environment, some ending thoughts from commenters about the documentary, and a important conversation about sensationalism in the wildlife content creation genre. We also briefly discuss Genesis 1:26 and Christian’s in...

Jordan Lindon of Midland Reptile Rescue in Birmingham, UK discusses his experience in running his reptile rescue, the finances involved, the importance of a strong community, and the operations day-to-day. This episode is a great one to tune into if you are someone with aspirations to run a reptile rescue; this truly goes over Jordan’s experience and viewpoints in the function of a reptile rescue in the community. Jordan also talks about mistakes to avoid, legislation viewpoints, species he sees frequently surrendered, and his set-up from taking in surrenders to adopting out. SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/232-m...

Rus of Aquarimax Pets discusses everything there is to know about this very small, low-maintenance pet shrimp called “Hawaiian Volcano Shrimp”, from their native environment, life span, size, and their husbandry in captivity. For anyone curious about keeping a species like this, Russ details the needs of the shrimps such as the tank size, water conditions, temperature, enrichment, decor, and more. Rus also discusses ways that these shrimp are kept in a less than ideal conditions and how that can be improved when keeping them in captivity. This episode is filled with information about the Hawaiian Volcano Shrimp, from a ho...

Dr. Billy Sveen discusses his new scientific paper, Captive Equivalence As A Minimum Welfare Standard For Captivity-Managed Herpetofauna, highlighting the ethics of keeping herps in captivity in comparison to the wild and all that goes into considering the lives of each counterpart. For anyone wanting to improve their care in captivity, or even those wanting to start thinking about the ethics of their care differently, this episode is a must-watch. Dr. Billy Sveen notes The Five Domains of care in captivity and compares them to how the wild counterparts live, with considerations of survival rates, habitat losses, suffering in...

Daniel Solis of Oropel Lodge discusses his experiences surrounding nature in South America, as well as reptile keeping and breeding in the past in this episode. Daniel thoroughly talks about his dilemma with keeping reptiles in captivity, whilst appreciating wildlife as they are in the wild. He also enjoys wildlife photography, outlining a couple experiences with capturing wild reptiles in their natural habitats. Daniel Solis also runs the Oropel Lodge, a destination to see and experience wildlife and tourist activities in Costa Rica. We discuss all of the possibilities that people can experience at his lodge, from photography excursions...

HerpTime joins us to talk all things anole, how to keep them, how to breed them, and his philosophies regarding line breeding them. JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/ReptilesandResearchPRODUCTS TO USE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/reptilesandresearchPHAILOZOO 15% OFF DISCOUNT CODE: R&RPHAILOZOO ENCLOSURES: https://phailozoo.co?sca_ref=8248864.jO3NsidwAzTHE REPTILE KEEPER 15% OFF DISCOUNT CODE: RNR15THE REPTILE KEEPER: https://thereptilekeeper.com/?amc=TRK-7-5601fbEMAIL► reptilesandresearch@gmail.com

Chris of Reptiles & Oddities discusses his extensive experience with reptiles in this episode, starting with his unfortunate experience at Rattlesnake roundups, then moving on to his more positive experiences with his personal species. Chris talks about the influence that these events brought to his personal reptile keeping, leading him to build his own DIY enclosures and focus on husbandry without a heavy financial burden. Chris discusses the building process of his DIY enclosures in great detail, allowing newer DIY builders to follow along and build their own. We also discuss his relationship with wildlife officials and law enforcement in...

A groundbreaking new study has revealed that keeping snakes in rack systems may actually stunt their brain development. In this video, we dive into the data, explore the study’s methods, and discuss what it means for reptile care and welfare going forward.

Ralph Till of The Kleinmanni Assurance Project joins the podcast to discuss his new project alongside his team members, working to ensure a future for the Egyptian Tortoise through the establishment of thriving, genetically diverse populations in carefully managed assurance colonies. He discusses his experience with the tortoise species, the issue with them growing in popularity over the last couple of decades, as well as some information on their care standards. Ralph goes over the creation of the program, how it came to be, future goals, as well as a little insight on his experience in working with zoos...

Mark Perpetua of Mark’s Perpetua’s Reptile Encounters discusses his experience in keeping crocodilians, what led him to keeping them, and the logistics of keeping them. He also briefly talks about the New York alligator seizing, discussing the regulations in the area and why it makes sense that the animal was taken from that keeper. Mark discusses how he keeps his crocodilians as well as outlines his advice for any prospective keepers, involving their diets and enclosures. He also goes over his book that he wrote, outlining the basics of crocodilian evolution, biology, natural history and conservation. If you’...

Zach Porritt of @a.life.exotic discusses his large, tropical greenhouse that houses multiple animal species cohabitating in a beautifully constructed environment. He dives into all of the details of the building process of the greenhouse, the climate he deals with, temperature management and ventilation, as well as the overall investment of the greenhouse. Zach also goes over all of the species that he keeps in the greenhouse and the logistics of keeping them all together in the same space. This episode is an incredibly in depth description of such a well thought out structure, filled with information on...

Myke Clarkson, a television producer, reptile conservationist, and wildlife enthusiast discusses his experiences in his television producing career from the start to now. He talks about the story of a snake bite that turned into a TV show, his experience in producing animal-related shows down the line, including his National Geographic show, Dead By Dawn. Myke also discusses the sensationalism that can occur in the media and how he has managed to steer clear of that when it comes to animals-related media. He also shares details of his passion for aquatic snake keeping, from the ins and outs of...

Stop leaving yourself vulnerable to data breaches. Go to my sponsor https://aura.com/randr to get a 14-day free trial and see if any of your data has been exposed. Reptile breeding is taking a new step up with hybrids making healthier pet reptiles! Heather Moye of Fairytail dragons LLC chats to us about she used hybrids to strengthen her lines and make better pet reptiles!JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/ReptilesandResearchPRODUCTS TO USE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/reptilesandresearch

Victoria Teague of PassionateSnakes discusses her experience with various species of snakes, primarily in the colubrid variety when it comes to her specific enclosure design to help snakes feel more comfortable out in the open. Victoria talks about her Mandarin Rate Snake as the motivator for creating an enclosure that she would see the snake more often in, discussing the need for shelving and hiding spaces built within the enclosure. She also briefly discusses her recent health journey, talking about how her recent focus on herself has created more motivation and happiness in keeping her reptile species more effectively...

Nathan Carlos Rupley discusses his experience with reptile and invertebrate keeping alongside his passion for nature in the real world; talking about his feelings behind connecting with nature and rewildling, and how that connects with the reptile keeping hobby. He shares details of his upbringing in Africa, then moving on to adapting to life in the United States, primarily discussing his viewpoints on rewildling rather than becoming reliant on the consumer oriented world. Nathan also continues to discuss various aspects of recognizing plants, using plants for medicine, and the toxicity of some plants that we could potentially use in...

Logan Hope of ThatBeardedBugGuy discusses his very popular Mourning gecko room in his home, housing over a hundred geckos, as well as some opinions about keeping tiny reptiles in such large enclosures. He also discusses in depth his Vietnamese Blue Beauty snakes, their enclosure setups, lighting, diets, and their very intelligent behaviors. Logan also talks about how he first got started in the exotic pet keeping world with bugs and tarantulas, leading him to share details of their enclosures, why he keeps them, and the fear surrounding spiders. We also talk about the story of his alligator that he...

Snakes will be domesticated, heres how! Brian Reeder breaks down the processes of domestication and how you can see it in action right now with pet snakes! Credit for snake in the thumbnail: https://www.instagram.com/selectivescales Find Brian Reeders Day Lilies: https://www.facebook.com/SunDragonDaylilies JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/ReptilesandResearch PRODUCTS TO USE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/reptilesandresearch EMAIL► reptilesandresearch@gmail.com

Rebecca Hassler of Dragoon Gecko discusses her over fifteen years of experience in breeding leopard geckos, offering advice to newer leopard gecko breeders on how to get started breeding ethically. She shares details on how to succeed in breeding even before purchasing your gecko pairs, characteristics she looks for in breeding quality reptiles, and husbandry of leopard geckos, leading into the actual steps of breeding. Her undeniable passion for leopard geckos and breeding them is evident as she discusses the steps in breeding leopard geckos on a simplified level, as well as the beginnings of socializing them so that...

DESCRIPTION: In this episode, Phil and Roy welcome Jon Asher to the show to discuss his perspective on herpetoculture and his experience keeping and breeding crown giant anoles and Chamaeleolis!

Please like, subscribe, and share this episode, if you feel so inclined. To offer direct support to the show with a tip or donation, consider subscribing to our Patreon ( www.patreon.com/projectherpetoculture ) and have a look at our generous sponsors at the affiliate links below! SHOW NOTES: Follow Jon on IG: @crowngiant and @chamaeleolis MERCH: https://www.projectherp.com/shop OUR SPONSORS: Custom Reptile Habitats: https...

Tommy Maxwell of Tommy’s Reptiles discusses his start in reptile keeping, focusing primarily on keeping Frilled Dragons in outdoor enclosures. He also briefly discusses his experience as a U.S. Navy Rescue Swimmer as well, highlighting reasons for joining, picking his job, and eventually retiring. Tommy discusses many aspects to frilled dragons including the enclosures he keeps them in, cohabitation, their personality, diet, size, natural behaviors, and more. He also goes over his struggles in breeding the species, with hopes to have clutches in the next couple of years. We also talk about his Spotted Turtle and Terrapin tu...

Reptile Breeding is a passion for every reptile breeder! But how many of them line breed vs inbreed? The distinction between the two can make or break your breeding program!

In this video, I discuss my thoughts on the creator of Tiger King (Eric Goode) making a docuseries focused on the reptile trade and smuggling. The links to everything I cite in the video are below. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro - The Reptile King 1:00 What will this series be about? 2:40 Video Breakdown 3:44 Who is Eric Goode? 6:38 Who will be in the series? 8:22 Reptile Smuggling 13:33 Why Smuggle Reptiles? 15:30 Trafficking Overlap 17:29 Who is Tom Crutchfield? 23:04 Miami was the Wild West (Insane Criminal Activity) 30:01 Back to Tom Crutchfield 35:06 Croc Docs 35:41 Extinct or Alive Fraud 40:14 Eaten Alive with Paul Rosolie 44:15 Who is Tyler Nolan? 45:37 Who...

We chat with milksnake mutations about hybrid snake breeding. The infamous inperial milksnake and jungle corn are discussed throughout. Could this be the first steps down the path to domestication? JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/ReptilesandResearch PRODUCTS TO USE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/reptilesandresearch

John Kinney discusses his start in reptile keeping in the late 70’s and 80’s, working up to his large snake collection before moving away from the reptile hobby. He shares details of the issues he had during the time of keeping reptiles and the ethics behind it, as well as his experience in the animal testing pharmaceutical world. John shares what his previous duties were in that facility, the ethics behind it, his opinions on animal rights and PETA, and much more. Later on he highlights why he got back into reptile keeping and how he views the community toda...

We are joined by herpetologist Tom Major and Ben Marshall from  @herpetologicalhighlights  to discuss how to become a herpetologist and much more!

Ben from Unseen Diversity discusses his tool, “My Vision for The Hobby” that he has created within Notion. This new project’s purpose is to find the “why” in reptile keeping, forming a plan for the future in reptile keeping and in life in general, finding how and what you will do for your goals, and more. He discusses the need in finding why you want to keep reptiles in order to prioritize them, execute your visions for the species you keep, improvements on their enclosures and care, as well as the setups you keep them in. Ben also briefly di...

DESCRIPTION: In this episode, Phil and Roy welcome Paul Duren to the show to discuss his perspective on herpetoculture and his experience keeping and breeding scrub pythons using maternal incubation! Here's Zoom's AI description: "The team discussed their experiences and perspectives on herpetoculture, including their journeys into snake keeping, breeding and caring for various species, and the importance of trusting the animals' instincts. They also explored the impact of the morph market on herpetoculture, the importance of temperament and adaptability in animal keeping, and the potential for herpetology to become more mainstream. The conversation concluded with a focus on...

Zoe and Jackson of The Anti Venom Support Group discuss their experience in dealing with snake bites and the anti-venom that comes along with it, covering both circumstances surrounding wild/native snake bites versus snakes in private collections. They both share details about the science of anti-venom, the shelf life, where it is made, and the expenses around obtaining anti-venom. Zoe and Jackson have also started their own center and support group that strives to assist venomous snake keepers in obtaining permits, the venom itself, and creating bite protocols to remain safe and keep these species of snakes responsibly...

DESCRIPTION: In this episode, Phil and Roy welcome Allen Repashy back to the show to discuss the origins of Rhacodactylus in herpetoculture, and the process of building Repashy Superfoods! Allen is a pioneer in herpetoculture, responsible in part for establishing a number of species, and also for advancing the realm of hero nutrition. In this episode, we discuss all of that, and a whole lot more! Please like, subscribe, and share this episode, if you feel so inclined. To offer direct support to the show with a tip or donation, consider subscribing to our Patreon ( www.patreon.com/projectherpetoculture...

Chad Steffen of Golden Coast Exotics discusses his reptile keeping and breeding hobby with a variety of very interesting and rarer snake species, as well as his passion in breeding high-quality, healthy snakes. He shares details of how he first got started in the reptile keeping hobby, starting in keeping Eastern Indigo Snakes, and the enrichment that he provides those species. Chad highlights the other species that he keeps such as bearded dragons, species of tree boas, Dominican Red Boas, Royal Snakes, and more, diving into the behaviors, diets, and breeding of each. He also discusses the interest in...

DESCRIPTION: In this episode, Phil and Roy offer a state of the union after our recent hiatus from the show! Please like, subscribe, and share this episode, if you feel so inclined. To offer direct support to the show with a tip or donation, consider subscribing to our Patreon ( www.patreon.com/projectherpetoculture ) and have a look at our generous sponsors at the affiliate links below! MERCH: https://www.projectherp.com/shop OUR SPONSORS: Custom Reptile Habitats: https://customreptilehabitats.com/PH Cold Blooded Caffeine (apply the code 'projectherp' for 10% off): https://coldbloodedcaffeine.com/?ref=PH FairyTail Dragons: https://fairytaildragons...

DESCRIPTION: In this episode, Roy welcomes Adam Trimmings, Jonas Keil, and Savannah Noland to the show to discuss Abronia! We hear about their varied and extensive experiences keeping Abronia lizards - the dos and don'ts for success with the genus, and a whole lot more! Please like, subscribe, and share this episode, if you feel so inclined. To offer direct support to the show with a tip or donation, consider subscribing to our Patreon ( www.patreon.com/projectherpetoculture ) and have a look at our generous sponsors at the affiliate links below! SHOW NOTES: Follow Adam on IG: @adamsdragons Follow...