Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Exotic Pets™

#338: Paul Radice and his wife Judith at Angels Hatchery first brought this hardy colorful fish from the 3 largest lakes in Africa 50 years ago and are still breeding the 45 most popular varieties.

#337: Python Huntress on Instagram, Amy Siewe leads guided hunts to kill invasive Burmese pythons, her biggest kill being a 17 foot snake. A “herper” who loves snakes and used to breed small ones, Amy has eliminated over 750 of these snakes that have decimated the mammals in the Everglades — one python even had a deer and two fawns inside it when they caught it. 

#328: Dr. Doug talks about the red tears and runny nose that look like blood — but are not actually blood, but a symptom of a lowered immune system in a stressed ratty. Most rats purchased from pet stores have dormant viruses that get triggered by stress — but there are SPF colonies of rats (Specific Pathogen Free) which do not carry these conditions and cause you the stress of treating these conditions.

#239: Dr. Micah Kohles explains why foraging is a basic need that is essential to the wellbeing of all small mammals, who engage instinctually in this behavior. He describes how to support meaningful foraging activities to provide enrichment to guinea pigs, rats, gerbils and other little pets. 

#238: Dr. Karen Rosenthal describes the characteristics of a variety of snakes to help people choose the right kind for themselves.

#237: Tracie asks Dr. Doug whether exotics can get overweight — like the photos circulating on the internet about the gigantic snapping turtle nicknamed Chonkosaurus, who got too fat for his shell. Dr. Doug discusses the dangers of obesity in pets in general, but particularly exotics.

#236: Dr. Micah Kohles discusses avian nutrition and how to layer the right foods on top of basic nutrition from Zupreem by adding the variety of foods your particular species of bird needs — insects, nuts and seeds, fruit? [Hint: the shape of your bird's beak does indicate the right foods for her.]

#235: Dr. Doug tells the bizarre and hilarious story from his book "The Vet at Noah's Ark" about the woman who wanted a tranquilizer for her pet iguana so she could keep him quiet while she smuggled him into Australia — down her bra!

#234: Dr Michah Kohles [Compana Pet Brands Chief Veterinary Officer] explains the diversity of hays and leafy greens that bunnies and hamsters need to mimic their natural diet, in addition to their pellets.

#233: Musical director Alex Rybeck tells why Petula the corn snake is the perfect pet for him... low maintenance, undemanding and he isn't allergic to her like he is to dogs or cats.

#232: You can litter box train a bunny [but whatever you do, don't move that litter box!] Bunny proof your home, especially electric cords and cables. Rabbits can have delicate health, so find a "bunny veterinarian" and have a wellness exam twice a year to prevent possibly serious medical issues.

#231: Saskia Chiesa of the Los Angeles Guinea Pig rescue talks about how children lose interest in their first pet — a guinea pig — and the parents don't have a plan for what to do with them, so the piggies wind up neglected and discarded.

#230: Ace Tilton wrote the charming "Little Book of Dog Care" but it turns out they also love snakes and rescue ball pythons (5 at the moment) from people who "collect and neglect" them, then put them on Craigslist. Ace also has a Kenyan sand boa named Confetti, who has what they call "a kitten face."

#327: Dr. Doug Mader describes the monthly process in which a snake slips out of his own skin, like taking off a sock, inside out — and the sorts of problems to be aware of and to avoid (like never handling a snake that is molting).

#229: Dr. Doug talks about the circumstances that determine whether or not to clip a bird's wings. Should you do it yourself or have a professional handle it? And why you should do a "test flight."

 #227: Martha Rivera, curator of the Everglades Outpost, talks about the joys and challenges of running a refuge facility where people dump unwanted exotic pets. They also rehabilitate and release wildlife, often with Dr. Doug’s veterinary expertise. 

 #226: Musician Alex Rybek lists the advantages of having a snake as a pet --- Petula is quiet, hypoallergenic, undemanding and an object of beauty. [However, Petula’s weekly meal does require dangling a defrosted mouse with a forceps.] 

#228: Protect your vulnerable exotics from mercury-busting temperatures. Parrots, Jackson's chameleons, bunnies, small birds and mammals can all die in un-air-conditioned indoor spaces or outdoors, too. Dr. Doug suggests ways to keep them cool. 

 #225: Dr. Doug extols the virtues of friendly, easy to keep and affectionate guinea pigs as his favorite “starter pet” for kids. But he cautions to house them correctly or they can get bumblefoot! 

 #224: Dr. Doug Mader extols the wondrous sophistication and utility of a snake's forked tongue and explains “tongue flicking.” 

#326: Dr. Doug describes how to spot ear mites in your rabbit — a  common problem that is easily solved if caught early — and the challenge ahead of you if you’ve let the crusty result of ear mites clog up your rabbit’s ear opening, causing a great deal of discomfort to your bunny.

#325: Dr Rick LeCouteur describes the natural phenomenon in Australia of thousands of kinds of parrots flying free and loose all over the place, causing havoc with their destructive beaks, and delight with their beauty.

#324: Dr. Doug discusses what an “egg bound” reptile means and the various ways to prevent and manage a snake whose eggs are stuck inside her.

#323: Dr. Doug Mader explains how you cannot know that something might be amiss with your exotic unless you are well informed on what “normal” looks like.

#322: British exotic Pet veterinarian Dr. Madonna Livingstone talks about the joys of living with guinea pigs — and how to keep them happy and healthy.

#321: Pat Wright, CEO of LegalizeFerrets.org has been fighting the California state ban on ferrets for 35 years — but now his group’s petition to the Fish and Wildlife Department might actually result in long overdue legalization.

#320: Murray Forbes in Zurich developed the Scratches social APP to connect people who embrace non-traditional pets — and want to find romantic or platonic friends to celebrate their unique pets. 

#313: Dr. Madonna Livingstone, author of the veterinary textbook “Exotics Made Easy,” discusses the brilliance of parrots and how they need activities and environmental enrichment. Foraging is so important for them, with homemade foraging toys her favorites: twist a parrot’s food into a toilet paper roll so he has to forage for it. They are "social eaters” so have parrot-friendly foods for him to eat while you are dining. Set up two stands at opposite ends of a room and let him fly between them.

#336: Dr. Doug explains that scorpions — which are over 200 million years old, the oldest living animal on earth, — are unusual as an exotic pet. African Emperor scorpions — "ominous looking, yet fairly gentle with grasping pincers" — carry their young on their back like a taxi service.

#319: Claire Hamblion in England talks about how her company, Supreme Pet Foods, is devoted to proper nutrition for small mammals — and debunking the image of Bugs Bunny eating a carrot, which has given people the wrong idea about what rabbits need, which is only the green tops of the carrots!

#318: Amanda at Marshalls is the first to say that ferrets really are stinky — which is why they created a special odor eliminator just for them, as well as their paper-towel derived bedding pellets, which are important to the health of these little critters who like to chew their bedding.

#312: Dr. Greg Lewbart returns to discuss koi ponds and how these ornamental fish (called “living art” by the Japanese) can need medical help from doctors who are members of the American Association of Fish Veterinarians, whether from chlorine toxicity or environmental disasters like the L.A. fires. [The world record price for a Grand Champion koi is $1.6 million, so clearly there is a need for vets specialized in pet/ornamental fish medicine!]

#317: Dr. Doug Mader recommends getting your tortoise outdoors as much as possible, but at night they need protection from marauding raccoons who will attack the tortoise’s nose, toes and even legs. Zoo Med’s new tortoise house solves the problem... your tortoise ambles up the ramp and you raise it up like a moat in a castle and it becomes the door you close until the safety of daylight.

#307: Ethan Haber started the small mammal company https://happyhabitats.net/ and designed an array of amazing products to let you take your hamster or mouse with you anywhere — for exercise and a chance to see the world. Ethan was that kid who begged his father for a pocket pet, but only got Mookie the hamster when he was 19 — then took him to college as his ESA. Now he’s a hamster entrepreneur making delightful products for gerbils, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, etc.

#316: Avian specialist Dr. Julia Shakeri says that toys for parrots should be viewed as essential “medical devices,” because they fulfill vital natural instincts in what are basically wild, non-domesticated animals — so she was very happy to consult with the creators of Beaktivity activity toys to make sure they fulfill a bird’s natural drive and at the same time avoid “toy trauma” from poorly designed interactive toys.

#315: Dr. Madonna Livingstone in Glasgow talks about “descenting ferrets” which is routine in the U.S. but illegal in the UK and elsewhere. Spoiler alert: it doesn't make them odor free! Their skin emits a natural musky odor, too. Dr. Madonna has EIGHT ferrets of her own at home (recently there were 10 of them) so she knows a thing or two about the fragrance! Ferret tip: they need 8 hours a day of dark sleep to keep them well (and minimize the odor). 

 #314: Dr. Rick LeCouteur is not officially an arachnologist (spider expert) but he has always been fascinated by them and knows a wonderfully amazing amount about them (and it seems nearly every living creature on the planet!) Dr. Rick explains the charm of jumping spiders, which is why Zoo Med's new Jumping Spider Kit is such a success.

#311: Dr. Gregory Lewbart — Professor of Aquatic, Wildlife & Zoological Medicine at North Carolina State University — talks about his recent (30th!) trip to the Galapagos Islands and the work he has been doing there at the Wildlife Conservation & Research Institute — where they are happy for the controlled tourism but also committed to protecting the flora and fauna from those invading humans!