Animals at Home Network

Dr. Connor Long is a veterinarian and long-time reptile keeper out if California. In this episode, we discuss how going through vet school changed the way Connor practices herpetoculture, including how to avoid one of the most common reasons for death in captive reptiles. Dr. Long also talks about an incredible arid bioactive setup he created for his leopard gecko. He tells us about the aspects of the build that worked as well as the aspects that failed. We wrap up the episode discussing his 25-year-old ball python and how an equipment failure led to a life-threatening illness as well as a new enclosure design intended to prevent that from occurring in the future.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/117-dr-connor-long/

Chris Leone founded Garden State Tortoise in 2011 with his wife Casey. Garden State Tortoise is a breeding facility, a rescue, and a permanent home for many different species of turtle and tortoise. In this episode, Chris discusses how GST started and the type of work they do today. He tells us about Otis, the incredible Eastern Box Turtle that recently went viral on YouTube as well as a mysterious blue box turtle he found in the wild. Chris also breaks down a blog post that he wrote that focuses on a poisonous attitude often seen in herpetoculture.

SHOW NOTES:https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/116-garden-state-tortoise/

Jeff and Maddox Stewart are a father and son duo who share a passion for herpetoculture. In this episode, we discuss the powerful bond that can be established between family members through herpetoculture. Jeff tells us how important it was for him to foster Maddox's interests and Maddox explains the pros and cons of sharing the hobby with his dad. of course, we also discuss how they got into reptile keeping in the first place and what species they currently keep.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/115-exotic-idiotics/

Scott and Tie Eipper are a husband and wife team who run the wildlife-based business, Nature 4 You out of Queensland, Australia. Scott and Tie are also authors having written husbandry guides for keeping amphibians and venomous snakes as well as several naturalist guides for the reptile and amphibian species of Australia. In the episode we discuss, protocols for keeping venomous snakes including free-handling, ethically keeping large monitor species, replicating lunar cycles, and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/114-nature-4-you/

Ryan and Erica McVeigh are the founders of the newly launched reptile brand, VivTech. In this episode, Ryan discusses why they decided to start VivTech as well as some of the issues with large corporate reptile brands. Ryan also talks about the importance of supporting both USARK and conservation initiatives and explains how he has folded that into the brand's mission. Of course, we talk about the current VivTech products available including the UV LED bulbs, and the future tech Ryan plans on bringing to herpetoculture within the next few years.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/113-vivtech/

Michael Starkey is the Executive Director and Founder of Save The Snakes, an organization dedicated to snake conservation and mitigating Human-Snake conflict. In the episode, Michael explains why it was The W.H.O's decision to classify snakebite as a "neglected tropical disease" that motivated him to found the organization. We discuss the work Save The Snakes does, and how it impacts snake conservation. Michael also tells us about snakebite, including what to do if you're bitten and what to avoid. Michael also lays out the future plans for Save The Snakes.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/112-save-the-snakes/

Eddy Garabito is a blue tree monitor (Varanus macraei) keeper and soon-to-be breeder out of Brooklyn, New York. He is also a strong DIY hobbyist and an inventor who is using 3D printers to create some incredible, new reptile products designed to promote better husbandry. In this episode, we discuss Eddy's passion for blue tree monitors, general care for the species as well as why he wants to breed the species. Eddy also walks us through some large DIY enclosures he has built for his monitors and we wrap up the discussion by talking about the 3D products Eddy has created. Eddy has designed a clever deli cup holder and also a unique arboreal hide/ egg laying box.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/111-father-blou/

Emma Sampson is a popular Canadian Reptile YouTuber with over 100k subscribers and an animal educator. In this episode, Emma tells us about her cross-country move from Ottawa to Nova Scotia with over 50 reptiles in tow. We discuss what life is like as a reptile-related content creator and Emma also tells us about her new animal education and virtual zoo business venture. Emma fills us in on her cat gecko and Parson's chameleon breeding projects too!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/110-emma-sampson/

Matthew Shackleton is a Veterinary Physiotherapist and ex-zookeeper out of the UK who specializes in the rehabilitation of exotic animals. Matthew is highly interested in how the captive environment and management predispose animals to pathology. In the episode, Matthew explains what Vet PT is, and he breaks down his Masters Thesis which studied the gait of Komodo Dragons and how lameness presents in them. We also discussed how to improve the captive environment of our reptiles to promote healthy and natural movement.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/109-matthew-shackleton/

Quinn Chavez is a reptile keeper, YouTube creator, and artist out of Southern California. In this episode, we discuss "Herp Corner", a YouTube web series dedicated to highlighting unusual and unknown reptile and amphibian species. Quinn shares information about species of worm lizards, blind snakes, Mexican mole lizards, and more! We discuss some bizarre facts about Charles Darwin, how to participate in Citizen Science, and the ecological damage domesticated cats wreak on the environment.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/108-quinn-chavez/