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 these kind of “left-of-center” species in comparison to the Ball python breeding obsession in the last fifteen years, saying that the diversity of the species we keep in the reptile hobby makes it all so much more fun and interesting. Chad also discusses his adventures in herping in Southern California, as well as aspects of loving the mundane chores involved in reptile keeping.

Golden Coast Exotics Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldencoastexotics/?hl=en

Golden Coast Exotics Morph Market: https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/goldencoastexotics/

Golden Coast Exotics YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEM0FGo4IQyTDQ91doyZCNQ

WE DISCUSS:

0:00 Introducing Chad Steffen - Golden Coast Exotics

2:00 Zoo Med Labs

2:25 Welcome Chad + His Start in Reptile Keeping and Breeding

13:18 Getting into Eastern Indigos

15:03 Magic Mind Shot

16:58 Eastern Indigo Enclosures + Enrichment

20:44 Outdoor Bearded Dragon Enclosures + Feeding

24:06 Chad’s Collection Over the Years

27:30 Species of Tree Boa, Sanzinia + Breeding

35:18 Zoo Med Tortoise Diet

36:24 Tree Boa Behaviors and Size

38:27 Diversity in Snake Species + Ball Python Market Crash

46:00 Dominican Red Boas - Diets, Breeding + Colors

57:44 Boa Enclosures + Hides

59:04 Royal Snakes - Behavior, Breeding + Diets

1:05:20 Other Left-of-Center Species

1:08:51 Number of Adult Species + Drive to Keep Snakes

1:11:23 Herping in California

1:14:03 Loving the Process of Keeping Reptiles

1:18:15 Future Species

1:20:48 Closing Thoughts