Animals at Home Network

Zion joins me on the podcast to discuss one of the most iconic—and notoriously challenging—snakes in herpetoculture: the Emerald Tree Boa. We break down the biggest mistakes new keepers make, how Zion refined his husbandry through trial and error, and what it really takes to keep these incredible snakes thriving in captivity.We also discuss the differences between Northern and Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boas, the pros an...

In Part 2 of our Green Tree Python series, Rain and I take a deep dive into the history, genetics, and breeding of one of the reptile hobby's most iconic species. We explore the origins of green tree pythons, the history of captive breeding, and why locality information and bloodlines are often far more complicated than many keepers realize.We also discuss the differences between true breeding lines and designer animals, how locali...

What if you could build your reptile enclosure before spending a single dollar? In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Wilson, creator of CritterCAD, a 3D vivarium design platform that helps keepers design naturalistic enclosures, experiment with layouts, and evaluate their husbandry using a species-specific CARE score. We discuss how the software was built, the challenges of turning husbandry into a digital tool, the role of comm...

Green tree pythons may be one of the most misunderstood snakes in the reptile hobby.In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of locality lines, designer chondros, imports, pedigree claims, and the economics driving the modern green tree python market. How much do breeders actually know about the origins of the animals they’re producing? And how much of the market is built on speculation?From wild-type animals and l...

In this episode, Daniel Yates presented his research on the neuroscience of reptiles. Daniel shared his PowerPoint presentation titled "Learning Science and How to Deal with People for My Reptiles," focusing on the brain anatomy of reptiles and how it compares to human brain structure. He explained key concepts, including the three "humps" of the reptile brain (forebrain, mid brain, and cerebellum), the optic tectum's role in proce...

In this episode of the Animals at Home Podcast, I’m joined by reptile keeper and podcast host Adam Sehy for a wide-ranging conversation about reptile keeping, outdoor husbandry, podcasting, breeding decisions, and balancing reptiles with real life.

We discuss Adam’s journey into reptiles and podcasting, how his show evolved from a curiosity-driven learning project into a successful reptile media platform, and why he rece...

What if the key to working with reptiles isn’t control… but trust?In this episode, I sit down with Nick Campbell to break down a completely different approach to reptile keeping—one built on trust, confidence, and curiosity rather than force or compliance.Nick shares his journey back into the reptile world after years away, starting with an emerald tree boa and quickly expanding into more advanced species like gr...

In this solo episode, I dive into two topics that constantly spark debate in the reptile community:👉 Do you actually have the right to own reptiles?👉 And when does collecting animals cross the line into hoarding?We explore the idea of reptile ownership through the lens of public safety, personal responsibility, and what it means to be part of a structured society. If you benefit from living in a community, do you also have to acc...

In this episode, I’m joined by Brendan Hettinger, an animal protection officer who has seen the worst cases of reptile keeping firsthand. We break down the dark reality behind reptile rescues, hoarding situations, and how well-intentioned keepers can unintentionally cause serious harm.We also discuss what animal control actually sees, why bad cases shape legislation, and what responsible keepers can do to protect the future o...

In this episode, Dillon interviewed Malthe, a 24-year-old Danish zookeeper who shared his journey into zookeeping and his current role at a zoo in Hanning. Malthe discussed his education and training as a zookeeper in Denmark, which involves a combination of school and practical work experience. He described his daily responsibilities, which include cleaning enclosures, preparing animal diets, and conducting enrichment activities. ...

This is a true crime story about a man who sold human remains online, operating within the dark and controversial world of the oddities market. While this overlaps with the reptile and exotic animal community, this case goes far beyond that into illegal trade and disturbing online activity.In this episode, Nathan Carlos Rupley joins the podcast to discuss the dark side of the oddities market and the uncomfortable realities behind h...

Thomas Marriott, General Manager of Exotics Keeper breaks down what he observed during his second trip to New Caledonia — this time during the dry season. Many keepers picture New Caledonia as consistently humid and tropical year-round, but Thomas shares the surprising environmental shifts that occur during the dry season and how those shifts directly impact wild Crested Gecko behavior and habitat use. Thomas also shares insi...

Josue Gimbernard of miniBIOTA discusses his various tank builds that links with each other, interconnecting energy, water, and nutrients that circulate on their own. We also talk about the story of how he got started into this project and the inspiration behind the different ecosystems. Josue goes into detail on his miniBiota tanks including the Freshwater Lake, The Shoreline, The Coastal, and The Seagrass Meadow Biomes, including ...

In this episode, I’m joined by Mariah Healey from ReptiFiles to break down how to properly calculate reptile enclosure size, and we also discuss how to provide proper heating for your reptiles. We discuss how to move beyond outdated “minimums,” focusing instead on usable space, thermal gradients, and species-appropriate behavior. Topics include:

• How to calculate the minimum enclosure size
• Why enclosure dimension...