Animals at Home Network

Luke Cordall is the owner of LHC Pythons, a UK based snake breeding operation. In the episode, Luke gives us his interesting background in reptile keeping, as well as what species he currently keeps. We also discuss breeding ball pythons including how to improve racks, being mindful of how addicting morph breeding can be, and whether or not greed is taking over the hobby. We also cover the importance of keeping locality lines clean, the responsibility of keeping big snakes, and more!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/107-lhc-pythons/

Adeline Robinson is a full-time wildlife conservation artist that specializes in rare and exotic reptiles and aquatics. In this episode, Adeline tells us about her experience vending at nearly 20 reptile expos in 12 months, how she developed a passion for nature and art as well as what initially drew her to reptiles. Adeline explains in detail the process she goes through to produce near photo-realistic pieces of art, how she creates and sells prints, and she talks about graphic & logo design. We end the conversation with advice for new artists who are looking to progress their careers.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/106-adeline-robinson/

Olly Wilson is a reptile keeper and zookeeper out of the UK. In this episode, we discuss a couple of the interesting species Olly keeps including a species of horned mountain dragon (Acanthosaura lepidogaster) and Dune gecko (Stenodactylus spp.). We also discuss an interesting way to re-engage with the animals you currently keep by running at-home studies. Olly also tells us about his fruit beetle colonies (Pachnoda marginata peregrina & Chlorocala africana oertzeni) and we discuss the prospect of turning feeder insects into proper display enclosures.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/105-olly-wilson/

Dr. Frances Baines is one of the most well-known reptile lighting experts herpetoculture has to offer. Dr. Baines is a vet out of the UK and has decades of experience studying the optimal light requirements for captive reptiles and has spent years testing and advising reptile brands as they develop new lighting technology. In this episode, Dr. Baines fills us in on how she got started studying reptile lighting, we discuss how to replicate the solar spectrum including what function each section of the spectrum has. We cover lighting for nocturnal species, simulating dusk and dawn, D3 synthesis, and the remarkable role of vitamin D beyond calcium metabolism.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/104-dr-baines/

Dr. Catherine Love DVM is a 2020 veterinary graduate out of Indiana. In this episode, Dr. Love explains how vets specialize in reptile medicine and how they stay up-to-date with new husbandry recommendations. We also discuss the myth that "vets don't know anything about caring for reptiles", Dr. Love speculates why that myth exists and why it is not true (in most cases). We also chat about common ailments seen in the clinic including, MBD, nidovirus, and cryptosporidium.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/103-dr-love/

Dan is the founder and host of AmphibiCast, the original amphibian-focused podcast. In this episode, Dan and I discuss the positive impact keeping reptiles and amphibians has on the keeper and how focusing on animal care can improve your life. We also discuss the concept of "disposable species", i.e. how popular species tend to fall out of favor. Dan talks about the complexities of Dart Frog localities, how to get into dart frogs the right way and he tells us why he decided to start AmphibiCast.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/102-amphibicast/

Harvey Tweats and Tom Whitehurst return to the podcast to update us on their brand new, outdoor herp breeding facility. Tom and Harvey explain the layout of their facility including information about their outdoor enclosures, greenhouses, and pond as well as the species they work with. We discuss conservation and the importance of re-introducing animals to the UK landscape including reptiles, amphibians, and large mammals. We wrap up the conversation by discussing the intricacies of practicing good bio-security in an outdoor facility.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/101-celtic-ra/

Dan Mulleary is the owner and founder of DM Exotics. Dan's company focuses on reptile imports from mainly Asian countries and he currently lives in Thailand with his wife, Apple. In this episode, Dan tells us some incredible stories ranging from what life is like in Thailand (including eating snakes, frogs, and tadpoles), a close call he had with a sketchy reptile exporter, issues he had during his maiden reptile import, and his thoughts on the direction herpetoculture is headed!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/100-dan-mulleary

Lucas Lee is the owner and operator of Centralian Exotics and one of the hosts on the Carpets and Coffee Podcast on the MPR Network. In this episode, we discuss Lucas' background with reptiles, his current role as a field biologist, and his healthy obsession with Australian python species including Woma, Blackhead, and Centralian Carpet pythons. Lucas also tells us about the Master's Degree study he is currently working on which investigates the difference between maternal and artificial incubation.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/99-lucas-lee/

We discuss uromastyx lizard care and answer the following: Are uromastyx are easy to take care of? What uromastyx lizards eat and how often they need to be fed, the best uromastyx species to keep as a pet and much more!

Phillip Lietz owns Arids Only, a Uromastyx breeding facility in the US. Uromastyx are simultaneously one of the most beautiful and underrated genera in herpetoculture and in this episode, Phil explains why that is. Throughout the conversation we discuss, the different Uro species, why they are a challenge to breed, issues with the wild-caught market, how to have success as a reptile breeder, and much more! This episode is packed with valuable information!

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/98-phil-lietz/