AmphibiCast Folgen

Tonight I had a unique opportunity to talk with Dean Jansen directly from Victoria Australia. Dean is an avid vivarium enthusiast, and showcases many of his builds on his Youtube Channel Viv_scape. We start off discussing some of the nuances that go along with successful vivarium and paludarium builds, why Dean enjoys  horizontal to vertical conversions, and all the usual elements including lighting, plant selection and more. We then move on to discuss the state of the hobby in Australia, the licensing system there,  and what  it's like to keep native species only. Feel free to check out and subscribe to Dean's Youtube Channel Viv_scape and follow him on instagram @viv_scape

Jay Sommers of Sandfire Dragon Ranch is my guest tonight and in this episode we talk about the Neurergus genus of newts, their care and the current status of caudates in the hobby. Kaiser newts are arguably one of the most beautiful species in the hobby. But there are many more incredible species in the Neurergus genus and Jay has worked with them all. Many of you may remember Jay from Episode 27 where we talked about Phyllomedusa sauvagii and his experiences with some of the more commonly available  species in the hobby.  However, Jays real passion has always been in working with rare and unusual newts and salamanders. In the episode he goes into a great deal of detail on their history in the hobby, their current status in the hobby and how to keep them successfully.  We also touch on the implications of recent salamander related legislation and what the future holds for caudates in the hobby. 

Earlier this month a listener asked me which substate was best for a certain species. I started thinking about the different substrates that I have used over the past thirty years and rather than choose one, I thought it would be interesting to discuss some of the pros and cons associated with various substrates. When choosing a proper substate it is important that we consider the animal's natural history and whether or not we are looking to go naturalistic or utilitarian. Each species has its own specific needs and sometimes even individual animals benefit from different substates at different times. In this episode I discuss everything from humble paper towels to more derived and complicated substates, and situations where they are appropriate.