AmphibiCast

Tonight I had a unique opportunity to talk with Dean Jansen directly from Victoria Australia. Dean is an avid vivarium enthusiast, and showcases many of his builds on his Youtube Channel Viv_scape. We start off discussing some of the nuances that go along with successful vivarium and paludarium builds, why Dean enjoys  horizontal to vertical conversions, and all the usual elements including lighting, plant selection and more. We then move on to discuss the state of the hobby in Australia, the licensing system there,  and what  it's like to keep native species only. Feel free to check out and subscribe to Dean's Youtube Channel Viv_scape and follow him on instagram @viv_scape

Jay Sommers of Sandfire Dragon Ranch is my guest tonight and in this episode we talk about the Neurergus genus of newts, their care and the current status of caudates in the hobby. Kaiser newts are arguably one of the most beautiful species in the hobby. But there are many more incredible species in the Neurergus genus and Jay has worked with them all. Many of you may remember Jay from Episode 27 where we talked about Phyllomedusa sauvagii and his experiences with some of the more commonly available  species in the hobby.  However, Jays real passion has always been in working with rare and unusual newts and salamanders. In the episode he goes into a great deal of detail on their history in the hobby, their current status in the hobby and how to keep them successfully.  We also touch on the implications of recent salamander related legislation and what the future holds for caudates in the hobby. 

Earlier this month a listener asked me which substate was best for a certain species. I started thinking about the different substrates that I have used over the past thirty years and rather than choose one, I thought it would be interesting to discuss some of the pros and cons associated with various substrates. When choosing a proper substate it is important that we consider the animal's natural history and whether or not we are looking to go naturalistic or utilitarian. Each species has its own specific needs and sometimes even individual animals benefit from different substates at different times. In this episode I discuss everything from humble paper towels to more derived and complicated substates, and situations where they are appropriate. 

Hobbyists, zoo keepers and breeders all understand the value that quality prey items have in a captive diet.  As our understanding of amphibians increases, so does our concern for their well-being. There are many different prey items to choose from, yet there is one that's always had a bit of mystery surrounding it. Of course I am referring to... -the silkworm.  Silkworms have been in the trade for a long time yet they always seem to be unavailable for purchase and information on their care is often scant and inconsistent. Thankfully we have people like Susan Marquardt to set the record straight. Susan is the founder of  Beastmode Silkworms and in this episode she shares her insights into how to best acquire, raise and feed silkworms. She also shares the caveats to their care and clarifies some of the rumors that surround them. 

For more information visit beastmodesilks.com

Jay Sommers has successfully kept and bred hundreds of species in his 30 year tenure working with herps. He is currently heading operations at Sandfire Dragon Ranch and in tonight's episode we discuss a variety of topics including his work with Phyllomedusa sauvagii (commonly known as the waxy monkey tree frog), his attitudes towards hobby staples vs. uncommon species, and his thoughts on the importance of supplementation. 

Kathy Wormald is the CEO of Froglife,  a UK based charitable organization that works towards the conservation of native UK species. In this episode we talk about the goals of Froglife, concerns unique to UK herps,  engaging the public and much more. 

Finding a veterinarian familiar with amphibians can often be a challenge.  As amphibians continue to become more popular, both experienced and new keepers will in all likelihood need access to veterinary care at some point.  As such, it is my pleasure to  have  Dr. Andrew Logan DVM and my guest tonight.  Dr. Logan is a veterinarian committed to furthering veterinary concerns unique to amphibians. He also operates his own consulting business and offers treatment and husbandry advice to zoos and medical professionals that may not be familiar with treating our amphibian friends. We talk about a wide variety of topics including  common husbandry  errors,  parasites, the role of UV lighting, and much more. 

Islands around the world are homes to amphibians that face unique challenges. Life on an island can be tough... But no place is tougher than New York...  Many people don't realize that the NY Metropolitan area is comprised of several  islands. In fact, The Bronx is the only Borough of NYC connected to then mainland.  Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties all reside on Long Island, which is the largest island in the US.  Due to  dense human  populations and significant habitat fragmentation, NY amphibians face challenges like no others. My guest tonight  is Dr. Jeremy Feingberg and he is an expert on urban frogs. Jeremy is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Museum and he recently discovered a new species of Leopard Frog right here in New York City.  Jeremy is also a native New Yorker and in this episode we discuss his work studying NY frogs, urban ecology, bioacoustics, and a whole host of other interesting topics.  

In this episode we once again venture outside the glass box, and into the world of chameleons. My guest tonight is the one and only Bill Strand. Bill is the host of the Chameleon Academy Podcast and operates the Chameleon Academy website. Bill has decades of experience keeping and breeding chameleons and in this episode we talk about some similarities in our respective hobbies,  husbandry issues, the role of social media in the hobby and of course, a Bill offers plenty of sound advice on how an amphibian keeper can best transition into a successful chameleon keeper. 

Stefania (AKA the Dart Frog Queen)  is my guest tonight.  We talk about her journey through  the amphibian hobby and why she created her influential Youtube Channel.  Although Stefania is not actively involved in the hobby anymore, she was kind enough to come our of retirement and share her insights with us.  Some of the topics we discuss include the importance of a good mentor, mossy frogs (theleoderma corticale), streamlining a large collection and what it takes to be a responsible hobbyist.