Lizard Brain Radio

Yep, still here! I'm back from a work-induced hiatus. This episode was just me catching up with reptile happenings here and in herpetoculture in general. The chat came out in full force and we had a great conversation on a number of topics. Thank you for following along and glad to be back talking to you all again!

This was an awesome conversation. The Ready's went in depth on both the how and the why for their keeping of the Panther Chameleon. It was really nice to hear their thought process for setup, care and health of the animals. Great people to talk to! www.readysrainforest.com

50th episode! Pretty cool milestone and talking to a friend of mine about a bit of a hot button topic. UV! I like and I use Vivtech lights but I've also watched the various debates online and participated in several. This conversation was great, with Erica explaining what their products are and what they're capable of. And, importantly to me, what that allows you to do for and with your animals and their enclosures.

Sitting down with Justin to talk lizards, THN and all things reptiles! Don't forget to go to The Herpetoculture Network website and check out the raffle for Slate Reed. Drawing is Feb 27 on Snakes&Stogies!

Let's try this again. No intro, just straight into it because technology is fighting us. This was a great conversation about an iconic lizard species. The Uroplatus genus seems to take that next level of keeper dedication to find success and Yvette certainly has. Check her out on IG and at www.mistymountainphants.com

What an awesome conversation. Ron is a fixture of herpetoculture and has been integral to so much of the history of our hobby. And he was just an awesome guy to talk to. From giant Anole species to computer games and punk rock. This was a great time.

Very excited to talk to Houssam. Such a cool collection with a heavy emphasis on Nephrurus and just Australian lizards in general. He had some great insights about the hobby and I was really glad he shared those. He's also a budding field herper! It was cool to hear about some of his insights from his trip to Australia and I was happy to hear he's been herping here in the U.S.! Looking forward to seeing more pics as he gets them uploaded.

Zebra Skinks, cold water newts and dreams of giant enclosures for Dekay's Snakes! Talking with David was a blast. He has a diverse and unique collection and a perspective to keeping that I enjoyed hearing.

Ceratophora, Calotes, Cophotis, Anolis, Shinisaurus and on and on! All of the montane lizards and planted enclosures and humidifiers you could ever want! We had some technical difficulties to start the show but this was such an awesome conversation. Lizard eggs that incubate at 60 degrees!

Big lizards in big boxes! This was a great conversation about all different aspects of Monitor husbandry. We talked Rudicollis at length as well as Niles! Had some great input from the chat and that really drove the conversation. I wish Robert continued success and can't wait to talk to him again!

Jay Louis came on to talk about Savannah's as well as just generally all things varanid. What an awesome conversation! Jay is so knowledgeable and has some really interesting insights given his variety of experience. Check out his publication in the Biawak journal on www.varanidae.org! That site has so much information regarding Varanids and is completely free! You can find Jay at jlclreptiles on IG and Jay Louis on FB. Go check out the square headed golden lizards!

Crested Geckoes galore! Brian has an amazing collection of animals and a wealth of knowledge to share. This was a great conversation with bunches of interaction from the chat. Lots of good questions and conversation stemming from them! Be sure to check Brian out at the Las Vegas Super Show in September and on all his socials at AE Geckos!

Chuck Poland, international man of mystery. One half of The Reptile Fight Club. A man of distinguished tastes in tiny lizards and Simalia pythons. A cryptozoology rights activist. The McInWookie believes in you.

And Calotes, and Cophotis, and Ceratophora and and and...so many cool species! Ryu has an awesome personal collection of obscure species and she is continuing to have success both keeping and breeding them. She's also the senior keeper at Reptilandia, a new reptile facility being constructed in Texas. Their enclosures are amazing, their species diversity is incredible and she is front and center for all of it! This was a great conversation and I can't wait to see what Ryu does next both in her personal collection and in her work at this amazing facility!

Joe comes back for another conversation! This time, we concentrated on Aussie Geckos and Joe had a literal list of information to share with everyone. This was also one of the busiest chat groups we've had for any episode! Joe has such a varied collection and has kept so many species over the years that he can answer most any question. The great thing about Joe is that he is more than willing to field those questions and hang out to discuss with us. Great discussion!

Eric came back for round two! This time, we discussed Sceloporus species and Helmeted Basilisks as well as his future plans for the collection. It was neat to hear how he sets up these enclosures and the variety of living spaces that he has in each setup. It's obvious that he's put in the time and effort to set these animals up well and then to hear him speak you know he's again put in the time observing how his animals use these spaces. Eric is a wealth of knowledge and always willing to share. Great conversation!

Teresa was my guest tonight, in honor of Mother's Day. We talked reptile education and how our reptile business and facility fit into our family life. We also talked a bit about being in a relationship with a "reptile person". Great interactions from the live chat tonight!

Eric Burke, of the Morelia Python Radio network, and Justin Smith, of The Herpetoculture Network, joined me for this one! Both are very well known in herpetoculture but did you know their stories share alot of similarities? Both started in reptiles with their dad. Both became heavily involved in the social media and podcasts aspects of reptiles. Both had collections that became very specific to snakes and then even more niche in the types of snakes they kept. And both have now transitioned to keeping lizards and diversifying their collections. We had a great conversation about all of the transitions that took these two men to this unique point in herpetoculture. I can't wait to see where they each go from here!

Phillip of Arids Only is back! This time, we talk about his work with Xenagama. They're a neat small desert species that hails from the same harsh African environs as some of Phillip's Uromastyx. He's been very successful with a variety of desert species and he's always so willing to share information with all of us.

The Bradley family attended Tinley NARBC and had a great time, as always! This episode is a recap of the show and the auction and all of the reptile nerdery and shenanigans that went on. Great conversation with the live chat as well!

This was an awesome conversation! Jonathan has a wonderful collection of beautiful chameleons and is especially successful with the Ambilobe locality of Panther Chameleon. He is a proponent of individually raising baby chameleons and has a wealth of knowledge on that husbandry strategy. His website also has extensive lineage information on all of the chameleons that he's working with as well as links to genetic studies relating to the variety of Panther Chameleon locales! Jonathan's approach is definitely evidence based and data driven. I learned alot from his insights and look forward to seeing his work progress in the future.

I had a great time talking to Jameson this week. He keeps a fantastic collection of lizards in a very sleek setup. Everything is clean, well lit and uniform. I was interested to hear that he's a very simplistic keeper when it comes to planting yet he uses full spectrum lighting, automated misters and is intimately knowledgeable about the rhythm of his room in regards to environmental parameters. He's a dedicated, successful keeper of some very unique animals. Be sure to check out Gahagen Laboratories on all your favorite social media platforms!

Fire Skinks are one of those nostalgic species that never really seemed to catch on. They're beautiful, hardy and a great size. As it turns out, they've also got tons of personality and a handful of beautiful morphs! Richard's collection and breeding success are both very impressive. I can't wait to see what he does going forward!

Had a COVID related cancellation for this episode so it's just me hanging out! Had a great conversation with the live chat and gave a fairly extensive collection update. Plans for the shop going forward in 2022 and various reptile related things I'd like to get done. Thank you for following along with me!

What an awesome discussion. Roy is keeping a multitude of species from the Guyana shield region and then has an entire temperate room! Large biotopes are his enclosure style of choice and he has been very successful with them. His Spilotes enclosure is amazing! Monkey Anoles, Alligator Lizards, naturalistic setups, region specific tropical plants. Just an extremely dedicated methodology concerning modern herpetoculture. Can't wait to see baby marmoratus!

The gecko guy! Joe has an amazing collection and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to geckos. He's also got a species list that is probably unmatched when it comes to the number and variety of species that he's worked with. And then we had a great conversation. Just a nice guy and an easy person to talk to. What a great package. All of the lizard nerdery that you could want plus good conversation. That's the goal.

Dustin has quite the varied collection of geckos and snakes with a heavy emphasis on Indo-Australia. He's also a skilled enclosure builder and a field herper! It was fun to pick his brain for building and painting techniques. He's lucky enough to live in the American southwest and takes full advantage by being an avid field herper. A young person who's gone head first into herpetoculture and is doing very well. I'm excited to see how he continues from here and I encourage you to check him out at gecko.sphere on IG. Make sure to click on that Vivariums story list. It's awesome!

Zac Loughman is a profesor at West Liberty University and the chair of the Zoo Science major. That's awesome enough for me but he's also involved in nearly every other facet of herpetoculture and herpetology possible. He's a crayfish biologist working with federally protected species. He's an author (keep an eye out for The Complete Hognose!). He's a field herper (check dr_crawdad on IG for his recent trip to Kansas). And he's the cohost of Colubrid&Colubroid Radio on the MPR Network. This was a great conversation and I was happy to have Zac come on the show. Listen in and then go forth and practice evidence based herpetoculture!

Another long one! Great conversation with a great guy. Wally has a prolific social media presence and is incredibly successful with a variety of geckos and a huge range of isopods. Definitely seek out Supreme Gecko on Youtube, Facebook, TikTok and more. You should also be able to find both Wally and myself at NARBC Tinley Park next weekend!

Another awesome conversation. Phil has kept and bred a multitude of Uromastyx species as well as several other desert dwellers. There's even a few Anolis in there if you scroll far enough! A knowledgeable and insightful keeper with some beautiful animals. So glad I got to pick his brain. And next time, Xenagama!

Alex Myers, of Alex's Agamids, and Kasey Schultz, of Zion Hill Exotics, published THE article in Reptiles Magazine concerning all things Sailfin. And then they came on and told me all about it! This was a great conversation about an infrequently kept, but impressive, group of lizards. Couldn't have had a more knowledgeable and personable pair to talk to on the subject. The trend continues on LBR. Far ranging conversations with the positive characters of the lizard world.

An awesome conversation with Nipper this week. He's herped just about everywhere and is only 6 species away from completing his lifer list in Europe! It was a great opportunity to get a European keepers perspective and we had a far ranging conversation that I hope to continue in the future.

Kris is back and we talk Coleonyx Geckos for quite awhile! Love talking to Kris as he has a unique perspective and is a relentlessly positive individual. Coleonyx are an awesome group of North American and US native geckos that I hope to see gain popularity in herpetoculture. They're definitely an animal that is worth your time and consideration and Kris is the one to talk to about them. Check him out at Badlands Herpetoculture on FB or IG.

Australian Addiction Reptiles is just that! Justin has Pythons, Skinks and Geckos of all sorts from the land down under. He's also an accomplished field herper, author and a professional in the scientific field. www.australianaddiction.com is where you can find all of his Australian Addictions as well as the order forms for his books, which I highly recommend. And, if you're in the market for yet another herp podcast, check out The Reptile Fight Club on the MPR Network where Justin is a co-host. This was a great discussion and I can't wait to see what his next project will be!

Teresa joins in the discussion! Scott and Tie do educational demonstrations similar to Teresa and I except they're based in Australia. They're also published authors and very accomplished venomous keepers. It was an awesome discussion among the four of us and I'm so happy that the Eippers came on together. Please also be sure to check out the HERpers Facebook group, a females only group that was started by Tie to give the ladies of herpetoculture their own space. You'll find Teresa there as well!

This was an awesome episode where we took a deep dive on Ebanavia at the end! We also talked Cordylids and Platysaurus along with multiple herpetoculture topics and trends. Eric is a good dude and I encourage you to check out the Ebanavia Keepers and Breeders group on FB for more information on this cool group of species.

This was a cool episode. Michael keeps an incredible assortment of Uromastyx and he's more than happy to share information with folks. Uromastyx are a unique group of lizards that aren't frequently kept and are even less frequently bred. They come in an amazing variety of colors while also being from some of the harshest desert environments on earth. Sounds perfect!

This was a cool episode where we talked all sorts of geckos and lizards along with Ian's general attitude and ideas regarding herpetoculture. His posts suggest an "old school" vibe and I definitely saw that same sentiment come through. It was a great conversation. Also, be sure to follow him on TikTok at alim0ny!

I've heard Kris nerd out on Coleonyx before and knew I had to talk to him. We ramble over all sorts of topics during this episode and it's great. His collection is quite varied and so was our discussion. Kris did mention during this episode that he'd like to do a Coleonyx specific episode in the future so watch for that. Check out Badlands Herpetoculture on IG to see more!

Very excited to talk to Eddie this week. His social media feeds are filled with all sorts of unique lizards and he has the added bonus of keeping many of his animals outside. We talk everything from Monitors to Aldabra Tortoises to Serrated Cone-heads!

This episode falls on Easter Sunday so I decided to have my wife as my interview. We talk her approach to lizard keeping, interacting with the very large species that we keep and enclosure building.

This episode we talk a large variety of lizards with Dillon of the Gecko Lab. geckolabs on IG and www.geckolaboratory.com is where you can find Dillon and his collection. Also, be sure to check out the Abronia Alliance for their cloud forest preservation initiatives!

Very excited to talk to Clint this week. He has a huge collection of geckos as well as skinks, invertebrates and several snake species. He's even bred File Snakes just recently! We talk quite a bit about what goes into the care of such a large and diverse collection. Clint is a wealth of knowledge and I encourage you to look him up on both FB and IG under Reinhart Reptiles.

I had to reschedule this week's guest so I'm flying solo! I discuss collection updates along with our collection in general. There's also alot of great Q&A and interaction with the live chat.

I'm very excited to talk to Eric this week as he's one of the few people in the US keeping and breeding the available Basilisk species and is also doing amazing things with his enclosure builds. You can find him @casqueheaded on IG as well as www.basilisklizards.com

I was very excited to talk to Heather. She has one of the best collections of Bearded Dragons that I've ever seen. She also has the unique opportunity to keep a large majority of her collection outdoors. This was a great conversation and I look forward to seeing her new projects.

This episode is wide ranging, as are Phil's experiences in herpetoculture and his collection! We talk everything from geckos to keeping venomous with a stop at Sungazers along the way!

Frank's collection really does resemble living art. He keeps some of the more beautiful and "difficult" species in the hobby and he does so in some very impressive enclosures. I was very happy to hear about the experiences that got him to this point and his impressive plans for the future.

This week we talk Merten's Water Monitors, varanids in general, enclosure construction, herpetoculture history and cockroaches!

This week we talk to Sean Childers of The Chicago Reptile House! He's got an awesome, varied collection and is an avid field herper. I called him a fixture of Midwest herpetoculture when I described our live interview portion and he most certainly is. A good dude with a unique perspective.

Join us as we talk geckos, skinks and all manner of lizard topics with Bill Stewart. He's successfully kept a huge variety of lizards and offers great insight into the care and husbandry of these amazing animals.