Josh's Frogs Podcast

Kevin Lux built Heket, an open-source AI tool that listens to his backyard pond all night and identifies frog and toad calls. His microphone is actually just a security camera aimed at the pond.

Josh and Kevin get into how Heket learns to tell a bullfrog from an airplane, why BirdNET inspired it, his plan for one-click sharing of verified calls to iNaturalist, and what season-long listening could add to frog call surveys. Plus how to run one at home, Kevin's other TurtlePond.us projects, and more!

This episode is part of our series featuring applicants to the Josh's Frogs Amphibian Conservation Grant.

Heket: https://turtlepond.us/heket/

Our conservation grants: https://joshsfrogs.com/conservation-initiatives

Mark and Crystal Mandica started the Amphibian Foundation ten years ago with one goal: keep the frosted flatwoods salamander from disappearing. This year their building was demolished, and they had to rebuild every lab at once across two new locations.

Josh sits down with both co-founders to talk about what bringing a species back actually requires, why successful captive breeding is only the first step, and how a summer camp for kids ended up funding the early salamander work.

Amphibian Foundation: https://www.amphibianfoundation.org

Master Herpetologist Program: https://masterherper.amphibianfoundation.org

Critter Camp: https://www.critter-camp.org

Short Finned Mako: https://oceanconservancy.org/wildlife-library/shortfin-mako-shark/

Josh's Frogs: https://www.joshsfrogs.com

Thinking about a frog as a first pet? Curator of Tree Frogs and Toads Austin Rea is back to walk through everything a brand new keeper needs to sort out before buying an animal, whether you're a parent whose kid just discovered amphibians or you're finally setting up that tank yourself.

We get into the two household deal-breakers that should stop you cold, how much space a frog actually needs, what daily care looks like next to a dog or a cat, the wild caught vs. captive bred question, the diseases worth knowing about, and Austin's picks for the best beginner species. Plus a breeding update from the tree frog and toad room!

Austin's advice if you only remember one thing: monitor your humidity.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find an amphibian vet through the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians: https://arav.org

Minimum tank size, care sheets, and setup guides on every animal page at https://www.joshsfrogs.com

Josh's Frogs is a Healthy Trade Institute certified facility, and every animal we sell is captive bred.

New episodes on YouTube and Spotify. If there's a species you want covered, tell us in the comments.

In late 2024, a single loaned-out pixie frog came back to our facility chytrid positive, and got loose in receiving. What followed: six months with no amphibian production, over 10,000 animals heat treated, thousands of swabs, $70,000+ in testing, roughly $1.25 million in lost revenue, and a phone call from the state suggesting we euthanize everything in the building.

Josh sits down with Zach Brinks, VP of Live Operations (19 years at Josh's Frogs), and we get into exactly how the outbreak started, how effective heat treatment is, and what all of it means for you at home with one frog or a whole rack.

They're called viper geckos, they're roughly the size of your thumb, and they are not venomous in the slightest. Josh talks with Lori from the reptile department about one of the more underrated species we breed here!

Lori covers the full setup, why these are a communal species,, what a proper enclosure looks like, basking and ambient temps, humidity, and where she lands on the ongoing UVB debate for nocturnal species.

If you keep leopard geckos, a lot of this will feel familiar. Same region of the world, similar temperature needs, same tail-fat storage. The differences are the fun part: no eyelids, so they lick their eyeballs clean, and sticky toe pads that let them walk straight up glass.

Triangle tree frogs (Dendropsophus triangulum) used to be lumped in with clown tree frogs, and about half of them don't even have the triangle they're named for. Josh sits down with Austin, who oversees tree frog and toad production at Josh's Frogs, to break down what these frogs actually are and how to keep and breed them.

Bioactive setups nearly identical to red eyes, sexing by body width and throat color, and a breeding process where eggs go onto submerged vegetation in an inch of water with clutches run around 700. The tadpoles are the smallest we work with, small enough to swim through a foam filter if you're not careful.

How big does the world's largest tarantula actually get? Josh sits down with Jayzun, the Curator of Arachnids at Josh's Frogs, to meet five giant tarantulas! Including a Goliath birdeater, (Theraphosa blondi), with a leg span pushing 10 inches.Jayzun has kept tarantulas for 26 years and has never once been bitten. In this episode he pulls the lids off some of the biggest spiders in the collection and explains what "giant" actually means, why leg span is a misleading way to rank them, and which giant species a first-time keeper should actually start with.Species featured:- Ornamental tarantula (Poecilotheria sp.) - an arboreal giant with medically significant venom and yellow warning colors- Colombian giant redleg / blood leg - dramatic, fast, and quick to kick urticating hairs- Brazilian blonde (Nhandu tripepii) - "Pinkie Pie," who does not like Jayzun- Brazilian salmon pink birdeater (Lasiodora parahybana) - Jayzun's pick for a first giant- Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) - The largest spider species in the worldShop tarantulas, supplies, and feeders: https://www.joshsfrogs.com#Tarantula #GoliathBirdeater #JoshsFrogs

Dial in your reptile care routine with expert advice from Josh's Frogs keeper Lori. This episode covers the essentials of Eublepharis macularis care, including ambient temperatures, basking spots, and humidity levels. We dive into preventing eye health issues, setting up bioactive enclosures, and solitary housing requirements. We also compare standard leopard geckos to the wild-type traits and care tweaks of the West Indian Leopard Gecko.

In this episode of The Josh’s Frogs Podcast, Josh talks with Aaron Capouellez from PA Woods & Forests, a traveling nonprofit conservation organization and media brand dedicated to reptile and amphibian ecology in Pennsylvania.

Aaron shares the inspiring story behind Frog Week, and breaks down how he’s using media, bioacoustics, and community engagement to protect native species. From educating over 2,000 students to protecting suburban frogs, Aaron proves that you don't need a massive grant or even a rainforest to make a real difference in wildlife conservation.

Ever wondered how a live frog safely makes its way from a warehouse to your living room terrarium? Spoiler alert: It’s definitely not like shipping socks or underwear! In this episode of the Josh's Frogs Podcast, we sit down with Simone from our vertebrate shipping team to show us the layers of the intricate, weather-dependent science of live animal transport. Simone shares an insider look at what it's like to handle up to 100 orders a day and breaks down the exact technology we use to keep animals safe. From custom-made gel packs and insulated foam boxes to the magic of EcoTherm packs. We also dive into tips for you when your new pet arrives, how we navigate extreme summer and winter weather, and much more!