AmphibiCast

Horned frogs (Also fondly known as "Pacman Frogs" are commonly kept by both beginners and advanced hobbyists. They have relatively simple care  requirements and can make a great entry level amphibian. In this episode, I run down some basic husbandry and care requirements that every pacman frog beginner should be familiar with. 

This week's episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creations. For unique amphibian, reptile, and arachnid art, visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrayGhostCreations

To Support the Podcast by becoming a Patron for as low as a dollar a month, for a 10% discount off of an In Situ Ecosystems vivarium, and for frog merch, visit https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast

Note*  in the substrate portion of this episode I mistakenly referred to Zoo Med as the brand  that makes jungle mix. It is actually made by Zilla. 

Beginner Pacman Frog Checklist:

1. Escape proof enclosure - 2-5 gallons for small froglets, 10 - 20 for subadults and small males 20-30 plus for large adult females

2. Substrate that holds moisture, drains well and is deep enough for frog to burrow (Zilla jungle mix / plantation soil types)

3. Water dish with dechlorinated water for soaking

4. Supplemental Heat / lighting - maintain daytime temp of 78-85 evening drop to low 70s. Use a timer for 12 hour on 12 hour off day / night cycle ( try to provide a gradient with a warm side and a cool side in the enclosure

5. Temp gun / digitial thermometer to monitor tank temps

6. Some sort of hide 

7.  If opting for a naturalistic tank ,pothos and springtails make for a simple beginner setup (always wash plants off well first)

8. Feeders and proper supplements to dust them with

9. If providing UVB use a quality low intensity bulb 

10. Handle only if necessary. Moist nitrile gloves come in handy- otherwise clean, moist oil / lotion free hands only and as little as possible!

11.  Time! remember frogs can live up to 15 years.


If you'd like to dive deeper into beginner care please check out 
Episiode 29. The Great Substrate Debate 
Episode 33. Top Ten Beginner Species Countdown
Episode 117. Top Ten Beginner Mistakes

For additional care info visit Devin Edmond's page at https://amphibiancare.com/2005/06/05/horned-frogs/

For more about wild ceratophrys diet, "What does a Pacman eat? Macrophagy and necrophagy in a generalist predator (Ceratophrys stolzmanni" ) by Szekely, et al. 2019, visit: https://peerj.com/articles/6406/

For more about UVB , "UV-B, Vitamin D3, and amphibian health and behaviour," by Browne et al. 2009  visit: https://www.amphibianark.org/research/Amphibian-UV-B-and-vitamin-D3.pdf

All links are the property of their respective owners. I do not claim authorship of the aforementioned papers / resources. 

Ameerega is arguably one of the most stunning genera of dart frogs. Although they are not as common in the hobby as  dendrobates or oophaga, they are still a vibrant and interesting genus with a variety of colorful species  that make a fine additional to a properly sized vivarium.

This week I am joined by Canadian Hobbyist and Breeder, Sean McIntyre. Sean and I discuss Ameerega as a genus, and some of the of the species and locales of Ameerega that he currently works with.  We dispel some misconceptions about care and we take a deep dive into proper husbandry and breeding.  We also talk about the dart frog hobby in Canada and why Ameerega are less common in the US hobby.


To support the show by becoming a Patron, for merch, and for a 10 % discount off of an In Situ Ecosystems vivarium visit https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast?fbclid=PAAabeX2cIbRO-Q_9vJCgJGrqYX9eq4gY7Q0YCChxHERWcBeJHQrdjWCxLpbM_aem_th_Ade73qNlgaBGtRi5SLiBbjM24KGWDbtAApGDBFgLZ69m_LQaXNqeXGNgdM6lqcv58WE

This Week's episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creations. For unique wildlife, reptile, amphibian, and arachnid art visit:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrayGhostCreations

More about this week’s guest:
Sean McIntyre is a dart frog hobbyist from Canada who specializes in Ameerega. Be sure to follow Sean @redbeard0511 

This week I am joined by Steve Reyes. Steve is a fellow dart frog keeper with decades of experience in the amphibian and reptile  hobbies. Within the past few years, though Steve has narrowed his focus towards working with large obligates and he keeps and breeds several species and locales.  In this episode, Steve walks us through his approach  to successfully maintaining and breeding these sensitive species. We talk about enclosure setup, caring for neonates, and his supplementation routine.  Steve is also an avid podcast listener and we finish off the episode with a discussion about what makes a good podcast, some of our influences, and our favorite shows.


To learn more please feel free to follow steve @rainforest_rarities 

Aposematism and chemical defense are common traits among many species of amphibian. California Newts, Dart frogs, and Fire Bellied Toads are prime examples.  But, if we look at the three, we notice that not all are colored equally despite all being toxic. California newts and some species of dart frog for example,  both produce lethal toxins; but why is one brightly colored all over and why is one brightly colored on its underside only?  Is aposematism a better adaptation than camouflage and if so why do some species exhibit both traits?

And to confuse matters further, how do we make sense of the following poison frog paradox? -"A frog is poisonous and bad to eat. It's evolved bright warning colors so that predators will avoid it.  But wait! In order for the predator to learn that the frog is poisonous doesn't it have to eat one first anyway?" How does that make any sense!

Well, if you feel confused by the poison frog paradox, this is the episode for you! This week I am joined by Dr. Karl Loeffler-Henry and we discuss how he was able to solve this paradox by studying how aposematism evolved and what the tradeoffs are.  We discuss his paper, "Evolutionary transitions from camouflage to aposematism. Hidden signals play a pivotal role," and we talk about how brightly colored organisms survive long enough to warn predators when they are easier to predate than their cryptic peers. Dr. Karl Loeffler-Henry goes on to describe how high degrees of aposematism facilitate speciation, which may partially explain why there are so many different locales of dart frogs. 

To learn more about this week's topic and Dr. Loeffler-Henry's work, Visit: 
https://carleton.ca/biology/people/karl-loeffler-henry/
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ade5156


This Week's episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creations. For unique wildlife, reptile, amphibian, and arachnid art visit:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrayGhostCreations

To support the podcast by becoming a Patron, for Merch, and for a 10% listener discount off of an In Situ Ecosystems vivarium, visit: https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast


About this week's guest:
Dr. Karl Loeffler-Henry is a postdoctoral fellow in the Sherratt Lab. His research  focuses on how natural selection influences animal coloration.  He explores evolutionary  questions using a variety of tools including computer-based simulations, phylogenetic comparative analysis, theoretical models, behavioral experiments and biomechanical comparisons.

Keeping amphibians and reptiles enriches the lives of millions of people world-wide.  According to the National Institute of Health, "Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood." (1) 

In addition, it should also be noted that private hobbyists and other entities maintaining captive amphibians have contributed substantially to conservation and preservation efforts. The AZA Amphibian Husbandry Guide states that, "There are many reasons to keep amphibians in captivity including for purposes of exhibition, education, conservation, preservation, and for hobby and personal interests." (2)

However, despite all the benefits to both keepers and the species they work with, there are entities out there who aim to damage and destroy the world of responsible and ethical keeping . Full out bans, white lists, and harsh legislation are becoming more and more common nowadays.  As responsible keepers, we have an obligation to educate others and to advocate for ourselves before it’s too late. 

This week I am joined by Tony Wigley of ResponsibleReptileKeeping.org  Tony's mission with the RRK is to advocate for the reptile and amphibian hobbies by educating others and to dispel the numerous myths that perpetuate within the anti reptile and amphibian hobby narratives. The RRK works as a media platform that includes a podcast, youtube videos, and a newsletter that is accessible to enthusiasts at all levels. It’s my pleasure to sit down with Tony this week and discuss many of the serious issues facing herpeteculture today. 

To learn more, to become a member, and to get involved, visit:
https://responsiblereptilekeeping.org/


To support the podcast by becoming a Patron, for Merch, and for a 10% listener discount off of an In Situ Ecosystems vivarium, visit: https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast

More about this week's guest-
Tony Wigley is a journalist, podcaster, and founder of Responsible Reptile Keeping. Tony has four decades of experience in herpeteculture, and is well versed in all aspects of the reptile industry.  


References
(1)https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets#:~:text=Interacting%20with%20animals%20has%20been,support%2C%20and%20boost%20your%20mood.
 
(2)https://assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/amphibianhusbandryresourceguide.pdf

This week I am joined by Crystal Mandica of the Amphibian Foundation. Crystal is  co-founder, Director of Education, and  Collections Manager of almost 600 amphibians at the Amphibian Foundation. In this weeks episode, we discuss what it takes to manage such a large operation day to day.  We also talk about the value of education and community outreach, running a critter camp for young people interested in reptiles and amphibians, and how the AF grew from a small conservation project in  Crystal and Mark Mandica's basement into the well known amphibian not for profit that it is today!

In addition to their amphibian conservation work, the Amphibian Foundation also offers a variety of in-person and online courses for anyone interested in herpetology. To find out more about Crystal's work, to volunteer, donate, or to enroll in critter camp visit: https://amphibianfoundation.org/

To Support AmphibiCast by by becoming a Patron, For Merch, and for a 10% discount off of an In Situ Ecosystems vivarium, visit: https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast

This week's episode is sponsored by Gray Ghost Creations. For unique amphibian, reptile and arachnid art visit: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GrayGhostCreations

Film is an art unto itself and in this episode I chat with Simon "Si" Harper and Aura Manjarrez about their upcoming project -creating a nature documentary about the bolitoglossa genus of salamanders. We discuss Si's science background and his interest in bolitoglossa as well as Aura's film making background. We also discuss some of the challenges that go along with making a film and what their goals are once production begins. 

To find out more and to support the documentary  visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/rainforest-amphibian-conservation-documentary?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefined


https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simon-Harper-4


Be sure to follow Simon and Aura on social media 

In this episode I sit down with Carlos Galvis, Chris Buttermore, and Jack Small. We discuss the unique challenges facing wild Oophaga Lehmanni,  the work that Cali Zoo is doing to maintain assurance colonies, and their work releasing  frogs into back the wild. Wild lehmanni are arguably much more fragile than their captive counterparts and pose special husbandry challenges in an assurance colony.  We talk about how Cali Zoo came into possession of their founding stock, the work that it takes to develop a reintroduction plan, the first release back into the wild, and the challenges associated with tracking released individuals.  We also cover the Cali Zoo mission and what the future holds.

This week's guests:

Carlos Galvis is Head of Population Department at Cali Zoo, Colombia, Esp Management and Conservation of Endangered Species IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group

Chris Buttermore is Curator of Amphibians as the Dallas World Aquarium and PhD student at Auburn University

Jack Small is a Dart Frog Hobbyist and Breeder, Accomplished Photographer, and Co-Host of 2023  American Frog Day 

To learn more visit: https://www.zoologicodecali.com.co/


To Support the Podcast by becoming a Patron, For Merch and a 10% listener discount on an In Situ Ecosystems vivarium visit: https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast

This week we continue the AmphibiCast Artist Series with Laura Airey Le. Laura works with colored pencil to create stunning drawings of a myriad of species including arachnids, reptiles, and dart frogs. 

Have you ever been to a zoo or aquarium and marveled at the artistry of each enclosure or exhibit?  Well, each one of them starts with an artist and an idea. 

This week I am joined by professional artist Ron Rundo. Ron specializes in creating zoo quality enclosures and epoxy backgrounds that are both visually stunning and incredibly functional.  Ron designs, sculpts and paints each piece by hand with exceptional attention to detail. In this episode, we discuss why Ron chose to work almost exclusively with epoxy,  what he looks for in a design,  the importance of matching each build with its inhabitant and where he draws his inspiration from. 


To view Ron's work and for commissions, visit: https://snakescapes.com/

To Support the Podcast by becoming a Patron, For a 10% discount off of an In Situ Ecosystems vivarium, for Merch, and to support dart frog conservation visit: https://linktr.ee/AmphibiCast