Strength In Leos Podcast

Welcome to part two of this two part series with Chris Charlton. By the end of the episode, you'll be able to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that lie ahead and are encouraged to take proactive steps to ensure the continued well-being of the Leopard Geckos hobby for generations to come.  

As the episode unfolds, we embark on a deep exploration of the challenges and potential threats that leopard geckos might face in the coming years. Chris draws from his extensive knowledge and experience within the leopard gecko community to shed light on the various factors that contribute to the uncertainty surrounding the future of this hobby. 

In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Stephen and Ashley Haude, the founders of Focused Cubed Habitats, renowned experts in reptile habitat design and enthusiasts. Join us as we delve into the secrets of creating exceptional reptile habitats that prioritize both the animal's well-being and aesthetic appeal. Stephen and Ashley provide invaluable insights into their journey as reptile enthusiasts and their passion for fostering naturalistic environments. The episode kicks off with an introduction to Stephen and Ashley Haude, who share their personal connection to reptiles and their motivation behind establishing Focused Cubed Habitats. Their commitment to enhancing the lives of reptiles through functional and visually appealing habitats shines throughout the discussion. 

In this episode, we sit down with Garrick Demeyer, owner of Royal Constrictor Designs, a leading breeder of ball pythons. But before he became an expert in ball pythons, Garrick got his start breeding many other species including leopard geckos. In our conversation, he shares his experiences and insights gained during his time breeding these popular reptiles. Garrick also discusses his journey into the world of ball pythons, including the challenges and rewards of running a successful breeding business. He shares his knowledge of ball python genetics and the different morphs that he works with. 

Seth shares his expertise on the care, behavior, and breeding of African Fat Tail geckos. He discusses the various morphs of African Fat Tails and what to look for when selecting a gecko as a pet. Seth also shares tips on creating the ideal care for these geckos, temperature, humidity, and how they differ from Leopard Geckos. 

Jim has been working in the reptile industry for over many years and has developed a reputation for his innovative designs and commitment to animal welfare. Next Level Displays a company that specializes in designing and manufacturing custom enclosures for reptiles and other exotic pets. Jim shares his insights into the latest trends in reptile enclosure design, including the use of advanced materials, automation, and other cutting-edge technologies.

We hope you enjoy this episode with Owen McIntyre and Eric Burke of Morelia Python Radio!

This episode is all about the Black Night Craze! The Black Nights are the most popular of the melanistic lines and Jay of Eco Geckos has done a great job with theses bloodlines. For this episode we go across the pond to hear his perspectives on the hobby and learn more about his projects.

As you guys know, I love hearing different perspectives from breeders across collection sizes, locations, and the amount of experience that they've had in the hobby. Leo is the owner of 130 Exotics and is a newer breeder on the Leopard Gecko scene. His desire for breeding ethics and gaining knowledge has caught my attention, especially as a newer breeder. In this episode, Leo gives advice for a newer breeder and discusses the things that have helped him along the way. 

Welcome to Session Fourteen of the Strength In Leos Podcast! This episode focuses on Crypto, a fear of many of those who keep reptiles and especially Leopard Geckos. Zac discusses some of the truths and myths of crypto and how having it might not be as scary as people think. Or maybe it is..

Rebecca Hassler is a veteran breeder of Leopard Geckos with over a decade of experience and has amazing lines to back it up! As the owner of Dragoon Gecko, based in Germany, she has paved the way in selective breeding and specializes in morphs such as Albey Snows, Ghosts, Electric Tangerines, and neons, to name a few. Rebecca took a break from social media for years, but she joined us today on the podcast to reassure us that she is still working on amazing lines and has a ton of knowledge to offer.

Dr. Travis Wyman is a geneticist and microbiologist who is joining us on the podcast today to teach us about everything genetics. Dr. Wyman is an avid keeper of rare snake species and is a huge part of our herp hobby. Tune in to hear about why genetics terminology is essential, which we dive in deep about, and many of the common mistakes that are made in the realm of reptile genetics.  

Welcome to Session Eleven of the Strength In Leos Podcast! We brought back the legend in the Leopard Gecko hobby, Ron Tremper!! Ron has made many appearances on the podcast before, but this was an excellent opportunity to have an update since his retirement. In this episode, we caught up from where we left off last time and discussed the future of Leopard Geckos.

We have an awesome episode for you guys lined up today. This episode is all about the Lemon Frost gene and regeneration research. Dr. Longhu Guo is a researcher at part of the Institute of Gerontology and the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology at the University of Michigan. Lab: https://guolabagingreg.com/ Paper: https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1009580  

Welcome back to Strength In Leos! This is the second part of the two-part roundtable, so make sure to check out the first part of this episode before listening through this one. This episode continues on some of the things we discussed in the first part but also builds on more topics. We discussed breeding tactics, sales, and shipping in depth from a breeder's perspective. Seth and Heidi have a lot of experience and stories to share in this episode, so enjoy!

Welcome back to Strength In Leos! We're glad to bring you another Roundtable episode, this time featuring Heidi Nielsen and Seth Hoffpauir. This episode is more focused on social media, groups, proper education, and staying focused in the hobby. With so much negativity infiltrating the Leopard Gecko scene, how are we supposed to stay positive? This episode touches on these subjects and more.   

Welcome back to the podcast! In this episode, we brought back Kevin Baron, whose been on the podcast a few times now. This time we're catching up on where he started with his projects, where he is now, and where he's headed. The evolution of where Kevin has taken his projects and how he's gotten people to buy into them because of his excitement.  

Welcome back to Strength In Leos! We're glad to bring you another Roundtable episode, this time featuring Miles Schwartz and Gary Orner. Getting different perspectives is key, which is why we talked about different breeding approaches, dealing with the drama that often comes with the hobby, and how to separate yourself as a breeder. Enjoy! 

Enjoy this episode with Brian Butler of Altitude Exotics! Brian is a Crested Gecko breeder who specialized in high-end Crested Geckos. In this episode, we discussed his projects, photography, the reptile business, and common mistakes to avoid.

Welcome to Session Four! We're back at it with a first-time guest of the podcast, Dylan Konitzer of DAB Exotics, who has been building an awesome collection over the past. Listen in to hear more about Albey Snows and what it's like being a breeder who also is a show promoter for one of the biggest shows in Wisconsin.  

Gary Orner of Orner Exotics joins us on this podcast episode as a first-time guest! Gary has a breeding career of over a decade in Leopard Geckos alone and many more in the reptile hobby. Gary has a vast knowledge of Leopard Gecko history and experience. In this episode, we discussed his breeding operation, business expansion, reptile shows, and collaboration in the hobby. 

Just like every episode that we do with Chirs, this is another classic! In this episode, we catch up with Chris to discuss some must needed updates on breeding and his personal life. We also receive some great gecko advice and amazing motivation as always. 

Enjoy this bonus content with Matt! 

Welcome to Season Four of the Strength In Leos podcast! We're excited to be back at it and bring you guys some great content along the way. We brought on Matt Baronak to kick off the season premiere. We discussed some of the things that newer breeders are missing and talked all about the Joker Project! 

It's the season finale of season three! To wrap up this season, we brought John Scarbrough of GeckoBoa to discuss some much-needed updates about his operation. 

Jorge Diaz of Golden Valley Reptiles joins us on this episode of the podcast for some much-needed catching up. We caught up on how this past breeding season went, talked about reptile shows, and some of the tougher tasks that come with being a Leopard Gecko breeder. 

We're back on the podcast for our fifth round table breeder talk, this time with Heidi Nielsen of Xeno Gecko Morphs and Seth Hoffpauir of Huff's Heps. In this episode, we discussed some of the breeding that we hold ourselves to as breeders. In this day of age, there are many opinions on breeding ethics, but what should you do while breeding?  

We're back on the podcast for our fourth round table breeder talk, this time with Kevin Baron of Mutant Geckos and Miles Schwartz of Impeccable Gecko. This was an awesome episode since this was the first time both have been on the podcast at the same time. In this episode, we caught up on preparations for the 2021 breeding season (since this podcast was recorded earlier in the year). We also spent some time discussing some of the other species we have in our collection and would like to keep in the future.

Seth Hoffpauir joins us for Session Sixteen on the podcast to share some big news about a line of African Fat Tail morphs that he is working with. In this episode, we get into the nitty-gritty about concerns about these lines and future steps. While I had him we also got to talking about AFTs and his projects.

This episode is a continuation of the previous episode which was recorded about a year apart from each other. Shane Kelley from Small Town Xotics joins us again to catch up since the last time we talked. Coming from different parts of the larger reptile hobby, I attempted to really pic Shane's brain on the operational aspects of his hobby, leveraging relationships, and even his opinion on Leo morphs. 

On this episode of the podcast, Shane Kelley from Small Town Xotics chats about all things in the reptile industry. Shane is primarily a ball python breeder, but dabbles in hognose and leos as well. Shane naturally has a high affinity for networking, marketing, and social media within this hobby which he talks about in-depth in this episode. 

Luke O'Sullivan is a naturalist and herpetology masters graduate based in NW/Wales. Luke enjoys taking in-situ observations and photos on his many herping trips across the globe to enjoy reptiles and amphibians in the wild. In this episode, we discussed his journey as a herpetology student, herping, and even Leopard Geckos in the wild on his trip to Himachal Pradesh in Northern India! 

We're back! Coming directly off our Uncovering SaSobek series, we are continuing this season of the podcast with more great interviews. For this episode, I had the pleasure to talk with Jeremy Turgeon of NERD/Brassman Reptiles/Reptile Talk Podcast. Jermy is very knowledgeable in a wide range of species which he uses to his advantage in his personal collection and working at NERD. 

In this episode of the Uncovering SaSobek series, Matt and I take a deeper look into his 2021 breeding plans. As you know if you heard this series in chronological order, Matt had no plan to get back into breeding Leos. But as the podcast went on he caught the bug again and decided to get back into breeding. 

As we continue in this series, this episode focuses on Eublepharis pure species. When Matt was at A&M Gecko, he was part of bringing some of the first subspecies of Leopard Gecko into the states. Later down the line, he brought in Eublepharis Hardwickii and became the first to breed them in the US. 

We are back with Matt Baronak of SaSobek Reptiles in the Uncovering SaSobek in this series. Here in Part III, we talk about one of my favorite subjects, Leopard Gecko history. Matt covers a bulk of the knowledge that he has along with the groundbreaking work he did with Leos. We cover the history of so many morphs including the G-Project, the Afra project, the W&Y, RAPTORs, and so much more. 

Matt Baronak joins us again for the second part of the Uncovering SaSobek series on the Strength In Leos Podcast. The episode begins with a small history lesson with many of the popular lines that we see in Leopard Geckos today. As we progress, we touch on how the hobby has changed since Matt's peak, how he selected his projects, and even reptile behavior towards the end of the episode. 

Uncovering Sasobek is a multi-part series that shines a light and picks the legendary Leopard Gecko Breeder brain, Matt Baronak. Matt has made many contributions to the Leopard Gecko since stepping away from the hobby. Many may know him from his YouTube videos or Facebook. In this series, we get to know Matt and the knowledge he's gained over his breeding career.

It's the late 2000's and a young Leopard Gecko breeder in his mid 20's from the east coast of the U.S. is hatching out countless world firsts and stunning the world of Leos. This young breeder turns out to be Matt Baronak of SaSobek Reptiles. Matt is a legendary figure in Leopard Geckos who is known for his linebred projects, countless world firsts, introducing new morphs to the hobby, and most notably his YouTube channel. So join us for this multi-part series that uncovers SaSobek. 

Frequent guest here on the podcast, Chris Charlton from Suburban Geckos, joins us today for our season premiere. In today's episode, we talked about many of the trials and tribulations that come with Leopard Gecko breeding. If you've been breeding for any amount of time you know that the journey is a marathon and not a sprint. I'd also like to add that when we discussed morphs such as the Clowns, we had no intentions of being over-critical or bashing anyone working with them.

We're back with the Uncovering SaSobek series to talk about the beast that lives inside Matt. As many of you know, he has accomplished a ton in his breeding career, but anything worth having never comes easy. This obviously means a ton of sacrifice and constantly having to push yourself to be better in order to stay at the top. So today we talk about the pressures and mentality that Matt had which played a part in his breeding "greatness". 

Chris Charlton has come on this podcast multiple times now, and every time, I am amazed by the great information that he shares. On this episode of the podcast, we caught up from the last time we spoke and discussed some big changes over Suburban Geckos. In our conversation, we focused on what it really took to be successful as a Leopard Gecko breaded, along with great advice that has helped Chris get to where he is now. 

Jorge Diaz is a dedicated hobby-based breeder of Leopard Geckos and the brains behind Golden Valley Reptiles. He continues to work with high-end genetics and providing healthy Leopard Gecko morphs. In this episode, we touched on many topics that can help get people started into breeding or refine genetics for people who are more experienced. 

Brian has been an animal enthusiast his entire life, owning pets such as mice, rats, hamsters, cockatiels, pigeons, doves, hawks, owls, snakes, and many other species. In this episode, Brian takes us on a journey of his reptile experiences throughout his life, along with his unique perspective. Brian is most notably known for his reptile shows where he tends to take a very different approach than most. 

In this episode of the podcast, I was lucky enough to get on with two great breeders for a round table episode. Today we're joined by Heidi Nielsen of Xeno Gecko Morphs and Seth Hoffpauir of Huff's Herps. We decided that it would be beneficial for us to discuss how we do things in our personal collections. So we did just that and talked about our experiences as well as how we go through the breeding process. 

This episode is all about stress in Leopard Geckos! I want to talk about stress and its importance in keeping the amazing creatures that are Leopard Geckos. I feel like too often we talk about the cases which is really important. But how do you find the cause if you don’t even realize that your gecko is stressed? Today I really want to talk about responses to stress and how you can look out for these in your Leos.

We're taking y'all back to good ole' days of Leopard Gecko breeding. For this episode, I had the great opportunity of speaking with Jason Haygood, who used to own and operate The Best Geckos. Many may know Jason from his work with the Gecko Genetics Tangerine. We made sure to do a deep dive into the history of this stunning line and touch on some of the differences that divide this era from the era when Jason was prominent as a breeder.  

In the hectic world that we live in today conservation, an how we appreciate animals in the wild is usually lost in the shenanigans of society. Dan Rumsey is a Zoo Keeper and the Head of Reptiles at the Australian Reptile Park. Dan is a very passionate Zoo Keeper who uses his work to educate others on the amazing animals he works with on the daily. In this episode, we go into a deep dive into what it is really like being a Zoo Keeper and how he uses his job to inspire others to care about these amazing animals.