Animals at Home Network

Thomas Griffiths owns Tomaskas Ltd, an animal lighting and husbandry consultancy out of the UK. In this episode, we discuss the ban on halogen & other incandescent heat lamps in the USA. Thomas explains what the ban means for the reptile industry moving forward, how to fight the ban, and also the science behind why we need to use incandescent bulbs for our animals. Thomas also discusses the European ban on T5 fluorescent tubes and some new exciting technology in the UVB lamp space.

3:06 Welcome Thomas - What Is Going On?

12:51 The Halogen Ban

15:51 What is a Black Body Radiator? How Heat Lamps Work

26:18 Accidental Mismarketking - Heat Projectors

34:50 NERD Video - What they got wrong

43:18 NERD Video - What they got right

44:50 125W+ Is the Current Exception

46:02 The Zoo Med Labs Letter Leak

51:05 How To Fight The Halogen Ban

1:03:20 The Fluorescent Lamp Ban

1:05:44 New Exo Terra Bulbs

1:11:50 How Do UVB Fluorescent Tubes Function?

1:18:11 Understanding the Fluorescent Ban

1:30:18 What To Do Next?

1:35:52 Closing Thoughts

Til, Flo, Ben, & Stefan of The European Herpetoculture Podcast discuss the differences between European reptile keeping and American reptile keeping - in the differences in equipment, DIY enclosure builds, viewpoints, and willingness to experiment with enclosures. They each highlight the benefit of experimenting with reptile enclosures outside of social media, in order to develop a thought process on what works best for your individual reptile. Til and Ben dive into topics about native plants and how they can best suit a reptile from that native habitat, emphasizing the need for a naturalistic enclosure that embodies the natural environment of that animal. As they begin their journey with their new podcast, they also gain helpful advice from Dillon about how their podcast can be most successful - from questions to ask, equipment to use, and more.

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Shira Loa of Snake Therapy discusses her journey with snakes - from her initial fear of snakes, her first snake purchase, to her work in snake education and husbandry advancement. She shares details of how her first interaction with a snake led her to a journey with her own snakes, as well as beginning interactions with other people in order form a connection with them and snakes. Her passion for the therapeutic benefits that reptiles can bring to their keepers shows as she discusses the various mental health benefits that have been seen in both neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent individuals. Shira also discusses the Neurodiversity and Reptile Keeping Survey that she created in hopes of understanding more about what reptile keeping can offer neurodivergent people, leading to talk about the potential for overconsumption of reptiles and traits that neurodivergent people have for keeping reptiles more efficiently.

Thomas Marriott of Exotics Keeper Magazine discusses his recent expedition to New Caledonia to find Crested Geckos in the wild and to study the crested gecko's native habitat. He shared details about the environment, temperature, humidity, UV levels, and diet of wild Crested Geckos. Thomas highlighted the importance of replicating the natural habitat of crested geckos and debunked myths around their care, emphasizing the need for a varied and natural diet that includes insects, berries, and pollen. Thomas also discussed the creation of Blue River Diets, a brand that offers complete Crested Gecko diets made from natural ingredients. The diets are designed to closely mimic the geckos' natural diet in the wild, with a focus on sustainability and providing a high-protein and fragrant meal for the geckos.

SHOW SPONSORS:

JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathome

Crested Gecko Article: https://exoticskeeper.com/may20

https://exoticskeeper.com/

https://www.instagram.com/exoticskeeper/

https://blueriverdiets.com/

https://www.instagram.com/blue_river_diets/

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Luke Basulto, a tortoise biologist and conservationist, shares his passion for desert ecosystems, particularly the desert tortoise. He discusses the challenges facing the conservation of this species, including habitat loss, predation, and climate change. Luke emphasizes the importance of education and community engagement in conservation efforts, especially in underrepresented communities. Through his organization, Saving Slowpoke, Luke aims to connect people with nature and inspire them to protect these animals. Luke also shares a personal story about his father discovering a desert tortoise under a vehicle, which sparked his lifelong passion for these animals.

SHOW SPONSORS:

Custom Reptile Habitats: https://www.animalsathome.ca/crh

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Nick Stacey, is the founder of Fragile Planet Wildlife Park in South Texas, and the first person in the world to breed a rare species of toad, the Purple Harlequin Toad, Atelopus barbotini. Nick walks us through the method he uses to successfully breed the toads and also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a zoo from scratch.

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