Oleksii Marushchak is the Head of Research & Development at BION Terrarium Center in Kyiv, Ukraine. BION Center started in 1993 as a commercial import-export operation but has since pivoted its focus to captive breeding and prorogation with emphasis on rare and endangered species. In this episode, Oleksii discusses BION's philosophy, how they keep and breed their reptiles, and also their Responsible Herpetoculture initiative that aims to steer reptile-keeping in the right direction. We of course also discuss the heartbreaking events that have taken place in Kyiv this year and the damage and loss BION has suffered as a result. Oleksii leaves everyone with a simple call-to-action for how we can help!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/132-bion/

Why do we need species diversity in the reptile hobby? Why did species diversity suffer in the reptile hobby? How can we focus on regaining diversity in a hobby dominated by ball pythons and leopard geckos? Why are beginner species important? This episode has so much to unpack! Please welcome Charles Thompson from Snakes 'N' Adders.

Gut Loading at its basic level is feeding feeder insects to benefit your reptile nutritionally. But 9/10 reptile keepers miss the finer details that would enable their success. What nutrient profiles do we prioritize? Does the way we house insects influence their nutrition? Are we making mistakes with hydrating our feeders? Does where we place food in the container influence how much they eat? What are the best feeder insects? Is there one? Should we be feeding wild-caught feeder insects? As you can tell there's is an art to gut loading, as you are about to find out!

Show Notes: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/1-art-of-gut-loading/

In this bonus episode of the podcast, we have the pleasure of welcoming a brand new podcast on the Animals at Home Network! Liam Sinclair and Ellie Hills are the hosts of the Reptiles and Research Podcast which will be available on both the Animals at Home Network (audio-only) and the Reptiles and Research YouTube Channel (video-only). In this episode, Ellie and Liam introduce themselves and let us know what we can expect from their podcast which is primarily focused on increasing species diversity in herpetoctulure.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/bonus-rr-podcast/

Why isn't there a professional registry for reptiles? Have you ever thought about insuring your group of animals but been denied by insurance companies? Why is indiscriminate inbreeding so popular in herpetoculture and how does this relate to the downfall of many popular dog breeds? All of this and more are discussed in this episode of the podcast! Rain is a long-time reptile keeper, breeder, and importer and also has extensive experience in the canine world. We discuss the importance of following breed standards, tracking bloodlines, and the power of animal registries.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/131-rain/

Ben Owens is a reptile keeper and Ph.D. student out of the UK. and is also the founder and director of Captive and Field Herpetology, an initiative focused on bridging the knowledge gap between herpetofauna in captivity and the wild. In this episode, we discuss how C&FH began as well as how the peer-reviewed journal aspect of the business works, we cover what Ben has learned from time spent in the field, especially misunderstands of humidity and temperature. Ben warns the listeners about the dangers of observer bias when observing wild specimens, how he is using CF&H to help combat incidents of snakebite, and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/130-ben-owens/

Dr. Frans de Waal is a world-renowned primatologist, most known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates.  Dr. de Waal's first book, "Chimpanzee Politics" is considered one of the most influential works on the topic, and has since authored many other equally important books. He is really one of the great scientists of our time. In this episode, Dr. de Waal discusses his latest book, "Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist" including defining the difference between "sex and "gender", if the toys children play with are socially constructed or biological determined, Donna the transgender chimp, alpha leadership and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/129-frans-de-waal/

Rex Colubra is a long-time reptile keeper and the creator of the YouTube Channel, Rex Colurba’s All-Animal Channel. In this episode, Rex walks us through how to bond and connect with your reptiles, including how to tame an aggressive snake. Rex treats each animal as an individual, sentient being, which is the key to building trusting relationships with the animals you interact with. We discuss reptile intelligence and how underestimated reptile cognitive function is, even within groups of advanced keepers. Rex also tells us about a large co-hab set up with Boa imperator (Hog Island boas) and Epicrates cenchria cenchria (Brazilian Rainbow Boa). We wrap up the episode by discussing building DIY enclosures.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/128-rex-colubra/

Brandon Millichamp is the currently President of The Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society (TARAS). In this episode, Brandon tells us about his collection including an interesting breeding project he is working on with the 3 species in the Leioheterodon genus (Madagascar hognose). The majority of this conversation is focused on the importance of having a well-function herpetological society in your community. Brandon talks about how TARAS has been successful in, helping government bodies reverse anti-reptile keeping bylaws, raising large grants for reptile conservation research, creating emergency action plans, and more. This episode will motivate you to get involved with your local herp society today!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/127-brandon-millichamp/

Darcy Madsen of Crab Central Station returns to the podcast to discuss her incredible and compelling journey attempting to do something that has only been done a handful of times in history, breed hermit crabs in captivity! Darcy explains the life cycle of hermit crabs which start out in a microscopic planktonic larval stage and walks us through previous failed breeding attempts. Of course, we also discuss the recent successful breeding that saw Darcy and her two daughters, Brooke and Faith, bring more than 30 captive breed crabs to land.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/126-ccs-2/