In tonight's episode I sit down with fellow podcaster Dillon Perron of The Animals at Home Network and we discuss the concepts behind high level keeping. As the amphibian and reptile hobbies have grown over the past few decades, our attitudes towards keeping have advanced as well. It is now common practice to house animals in more naturalistic enclosures, replicate their normal lifecycles with seasonal variations, and to provide them with some form of behavioral enrichment.  Dillon and I have an open discussion about many of these points,  we compare and contrast some of our own experiences, and we share how we have each progressed through our respective hobbies. 

For listener discounts on In Situ Vivariums visit https://insituecosystems.com/?ref=amphibicast

Many of us are aware of global amphibian decline on some level.  But have you ever wanted to know about the real  causes behind it? -If so, this is the episode you have been waiting for! Tonight I am joined by Dr. Jacob Kerby. Dr. Kerby is  Associate Chair of Biology at the University of South Dakota and he is also a leading expert on global amphibian decline. In this episode we talk about everything from amphibian diseases, the effects of pollution and tile drainage, Dr. Kerby's role as a member of the BSAL task force ,and we even talk about how some frogs calls are unique "dialects" based on location. 

For more information please visit the Kerby Lab at dakotaherps.org

In last week's episode I was joined by professional zoo keeper, Mason Kleist and we discussed animal husbandry from a zoo keeper's perspective. However,  a few days after our discussion, there was an incident at the El Paso zoo involving a woman who unlawfully entered a primate exhibit. The story made international news, she was subsequently arrested after her video went viral, and she is now facing charges. In this Bonus Episode, Mason joins us again to discuss the event as well as the ramifications and consequences associated with the woman's  irresponsible actions.

-Note- Although this is an amphibian focused show, there is no discussion of amphibians in this episode.  However, I hope you will find this episode interesting. 

In this episode I'm joined by Mason Kleist of the El Paso Zoo. Mason is a professional zoo keeper and we discuss animal husbandry  and care from a zoo keeper's perspective.  Mason is also an avid dart frog hobbyist and we discuss his experiences with keeping amphibians both personally and professionally. 

In this episode I discuss the care and breeding of Epipedobates anthonyi, commonly known and the Phantasmal Dart Frog 

When we think of vivariums we almost immediately think of plants. Well planted vivariums are not only visually appealing, but in many situations plants are a vital part of amphibian husbandry.  In this episode I am joined by Zach Goodnow of Equatorial Ecosystems and we discuss some of the finer points of keeping plants successfully in a vivarium setting.  We cover topics that include lighting, water quality, substrate choices, plant selection and placement, and how to  best plant a vivarium to accommodate a specific species.  If you are looking to  up your plant game then this is the episode for you. 


if you'd like to support the show check out 
https://www.patreon.com/Amphibicast

For listener discounts on In Situ Vivariums visit https://insituecosystems.com/?ref=amphibicast

Have you ever been curious about the tarantula hobby? Well, in this episode of Thinking Outside the Glass Box I am joined by Richard of the Exotic Pet Collective Podcast and we talk about all things tarantula. Richard has been keeping tarantulas for over 2 decades, he hosts the Exotic Pet Collective Podcast and he runs the successful Tarantula Collective YouTube Channel.  We discuss the hobby, tarantula care, enclosure builds  and overcoming arachnophobia.  In fact, if you are an arachnophobe, I highly recommend giving this episode a listen. You may be surprised by how many similarities the tarantula and amphibian hobbies share. 

Feel free to check out the Exotic Pet Collective Podcast for more content that includes an interview with your host -Dan Drobates - that is all about dart frogs! And subscribe to the Tarantula Collective on YouTube 

In this episode I'm joined once again by Mike Novy of Rainforest Junkys. We talk all about the care and breeding of the highly coveted  Cruziohyla crasoedopus , and later into the episode we talk about members of the Glass Frog Complex and some current issues involving legislation in the hobby. 

Microfauna are an integral part of naturalistic vivariums. Many keepers are utilizing isopods as supplemental cleanup crews and, as the hobby develops, they are becoming more and more popular. Rachel Schindler of Pet Pedes and Pods was kind enough to sit down with me tonight and share some of her insights into isopod keeping. Rachel breeds and works with dozens of different varieties of isopods and millipedes; and in this episode we not only talk about how to keep  isopods successfully as cleanup crews, but also how to keep some of the more collectible species on their own.  We also get into millipede care and the state of the isopod hobby. 

Feel free to follow Pet Pedes and Pods on Instagram and visit www.petpedesandpods.com

No hobby is complete without a set of tools to go along with it and in this episode I share some of my experiences with some of my favorite husbandry tools. From day-to-day maintenance tools,  to emergency necessities,  these are all must have items for any frog room. 

For listener discounts on In Situ Vivariums visit https://insituecosystems.com/?ref=amphibicast