HerpTime

Time to freeze my endangered Chinese crocodile lizards for the year! Well, not exactly, but it sounds funnier that way. My group of 2 males and 3 females are going into brumation in hopes that next year they breed. They have never been paired up with each other so let’s hope for the best come spring! So there’s no confusion, because I’m sure I’ll get comments about it — all these Chinese crocodile lizards were captive born and bred, and all originated from animals that were legally imported at a time when they were not protected. These animals were not taken from the wild, and would not survive there either. Captive breeding efforts in my case are to bolster the numbers in the reptile hobby to ensure we don’t lose the ability to keep them, and lessen any possible pressure of taking anymore from the wild. I know in their native countries there are active breeding programs and reintroduction, so the future does look bright at home and abroad for this prehistoric looking species. #HerpTime #reptile #lizard

Using my favorite @Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. for anoles, the 18x18x36 “Skyscraper” is an amazing cage for small arboreal species. I took a simple approach with this enclosure that I think just about anyone can mimic. A simple drainage layer with a homemade mix of ABG soil, lots of branches, and lots of bromeliads. Bromileads are a great group of plants to use for anoles as most anoles are native to habitat that’s full of them. They supply cover, they’re easy care, and can also supply small pockets of water to drink between mistings. The pair of red anoles I put in this enclosure will be able to breed and reproduce in the enclosure, with babies hatching and hopefully living along side parents. Some anole species are totally safe with babies, some will always eat them, but red anoles are a little unpredictable sometimes. These parents have generally lived alongside their babies peacefully, so let’s hope multiple generations can thrive in this new enclosure! #HerpTime #terrarium #vivarium

Trying out a fun new isopod kit from @Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. I know a thing or two when it comes to reptiles or amphibians, but I won’t even pretend I’m an expert on bugs! I have kept isopods in dozens of bioactive enclosures, but rarely as stand alone pets. This roly poly kit is a perfect way to get started. I added a few modifications to the soil and some extra cork and leaf litter, but I think the isopods will really enjoy it! I guess time will tell!

Tick tacks? No! These are the eggs of the 3rd smallest reptile on earth, Sphaerodactylus nicholsi or the Puerto Rican crescent gecko. Just one of the amazing examples of Caribbean micro geckos. Not a pet for handling, they do make excellent display annals for a terrarium and are quite inquisitive and intelligent. Even if you never decide to get a micro gecko, I hope sharing these videos exposes you to cool new animals you didn’t know about before. Thanks for watching! #HerpTime #lizard #gecko #microgecko

Building a bamboo biome 🎋 using some @Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. supplies and their 18x18x24, this enclosure will become home to a couple of neon day geckos (Phelsuma klemmeri). These geckos live in a very specific niche of dry bamboo forests on the island of Madagascar, so that’s exactly what is being mimicked here! Klemmeri are amazing little geckos with great personality, and an enclosure like this will be plenty for this pair to breed and even have some of their babies live along side them. This species lays its eggs inside the chambers of bamboo, which I’ve left a few good open spots for them to lay in if they decide to. They are also generally great parents (unlike majority of reptile species) and will get along with their young once they hatch. I’ve been growing out several of these beauties and can’t wait to set up a few more similar enclosures and try my hand at breeding these handsome little geckos.

Christmas is coming early to someone 🎁 what a fun box of micro geckos to unpack! This is how I ship reptiles all across the country, and even the world 🌎 There are a few frequently asked questions I may as well answer here instead of the comments: “Can they breathe?” — Yes, they can! Reptiles use much less oxygen than us, and the air exchange from the folds of the box is sufficient, but the tiny whole I make is more than enough to ensure it! “Is this unsafe?” — No, it is very safe. The packages with live animals must be sent priority overnight and are in transit less than 24 hours, with special markings on the package to indicate what’s inside and correct orientation. I ship 100s of animals a month, with a tiny fraction of a percent ever having an issue due to shipping. “Can you ship to me?” — It really depends. If you live in the continental United States, likely yes! I can ship just about anywhere in the US, so long as local laws allow for the animal you want. Outside of the US, it is much more complex and expensive, but it is possible for certain countries if you have a licensed importer. For those that have not received an animal by FedEx, I hope this video is a cool insight into how it’s done. Without being able to ship animals, the reptile hobby would likely barely exist, especially in the capacity it does today. 99% of my collection has come through shipping. It’s truly a privilege to be able to send animals through the mail, so doing it right is so important. Anymore questions I can try to answer in the comments. Thanks for watching!

Another feeding time with some @Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. supplements, showing off some geckos I haven’t shown off before. These Ilha Maracá geckos (Coleodactylus septentrionalis) have been in my care for a few months now and I’ve really started to dial in what they like. On top of the feeding and supplementation, I’ve found they thrive in high humidity environments, higher than any gecko I’ve kept before. Unlike other species of micros, namely sphaerodactylus, which require semi tropical conditions, these geckos have been thriving with conditions similar to dart frog care. These are temporary “quarantine” conditions, but I do plan to build something a little nicer for my several groups I have going here. Maybe even try some cohabing with dart frogs down the line? Time will tell! The main goal is to first get a grasp on the conditions they prefer for breeding. I have gotten a few eggs, but not the numbers I’d like to see. With uncommonly kept species like this, trial and error is the only way. All I know is I’m sure they’ll use every bit of the calcium and vitamins dusted on these crickets if they’re gonna continue to lay eggs! #HerpTime #reptile #gecko

Hatching a baby southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata) last summer 🐊 This species holds a special place in my heart as some of my earliest herping memories include catching them. They were a much less common species to come across than the western fence lizards of SoCal, so finding one as an elementary school kid was the highlight of the week! Come full circle, alligator lizards have maintained their position as some of my favorites, so hatching some only seemed right. Though I only hatch these for fun, the pure joy and fun of herping/ herp keeping is what started all this for me… it’s nice to have these side projects as a constant reminder of why I do what I do. This early bird hatched about half a day before its siblings, and all made it out safe and sound and found new homes with friends.

My weekly bug unboxing 📦 gotta thank Timberline for the consistent and quality feeders. This is just a quick peak into the process of how I unbox and care for crickets before I feed them to my animals. Overall it’s about an hour process to unbox, set up, and prepare veggies. Once it’s done I will wait at least 24 hours to ensure the crickets ate what I provided them (this is called “gutloading”). Then it’s time to feed! Feeding the entire collection usually takes me about 3-4 hours every time I do; the exact time depends how distracted I get just watching the lizards eat lol. A lot of lizards require a lot of bugs. I definitely recommend reaching out to Timberline for any breeders needing any sort of quantity for their collection! Hope this little glimpse into part of the daily life of being a herp breeder reminds you it’s not always just hatching cool animals… a lot of work goes into it before. And this is the easier part… wait til the crickets get digested and that has to get cleaned!

Making an extravagant mossy vivarium for some very special little herps! These amphibians, called fire salamanders, come from forests all over the European continent, so ferns and mosses were a must. Though not very aquatic at this stage, they will still definitely use the water area provided. A lot of preparation and work went into an enclosure like this, but in the end it is so worth it. Having access to a lot of moss was definitely the key to making this enclosure look "aged". I so enjoy these little salamanders, as they're basically moist lizards. But who said HerpTime only does lizards, it's in the name! All herps are welcome, because it's always HerpTime! #terrarium #vivarium #asmr

Taking micro to a new level, had to break out to 0.01g scale! These micro geckos are all Sphaerodactylus, the genus which is home to the smallest reptiles in the world! Sometimes through up close and detailed video it’s hard to understand the smallness of these animals. Hopefully this video gives a better idea to everyone that hasn’t seen them in person! Though these geckos are fast, delicate, and lightweight, they really do make amazing terrarium inhabitants. Since they are so small, it’s easy to make a home for them that gives them plenty of space in relation to their size. Generally, handling should be avoided because of their delicateness and speed. I often describe the experience of keeping them as that of a pet fish: build a beautiful home for them, and enjoy watching them interact within it! The difference is these guys are so much more intelligent and really will look back at you. It’s an unreal experience for an animal that weighs less than a feather to look you up and down. They’re by no means a good first pet reptile, or second, or third… but with a little prior reptile experience and an ability to enjoy a pet without handling, these are easy to care for and extremely rewarding animals to keep. Hopefully this video peaks some interest for those that find these creatures just as captivating as I do! #HerpTime #reptile #gecko #microgecko

I’m dreaming of a White Christmas 🎄 well white with calcium and vitamins that is! Using @Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. I’ve never found a supplement that sticks better to the crickets for so long. I coat them with calcium and vitamins because in the wild these lizards have dozens if not hundreds of different species of insects and invertebrates they’re eating, all with different levels of nutrients. Well I just cant provide all of those here in captivity, but the right supplementation makes up for it!

Incubating reptile eggs can be one of the most intimidating parts for a hobbyists interested in breeding their reptiles for the first time. I know it was for me when I first began. So I decided to make a video with this @Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. Reptibator showing how easy the set up is. I know many people who have used these with success (myself included) and it really is a great first incubator! You can see for this video I collected several eggs of different species of micro gecko, and this was just a small haul. Most don’t realize that reptile eggs are a lot hardier than we give them credit for, but the right temps and humidity are still important for increased success. These micro gecko’s can hatch in their parents enclosure, but in a controlled environment like this Reptibator, the hatch rate is much higher. These gecko’s also lay hard shelled eggs, which is why I placed them in sand. For other species like my anoles, most other lizards, snakes, etc this step isn’t necessary and they can go directly on the incubation media. Though not super in depth, I hope this video encourages some of you interested in breeding reptiles to do some more in depth research online, and take the leap! It’s an amazingly rewarding hobby that never gets old!

Some cool footage of my Vietnamese bird poop frogs (Theloderma asperum) also called pied warty frogs. They lay small clutches of 1-3 eggs at time, only a couple centimeters above the water line. When the tadpoles push out of their egg and fall into the water they will have a symbiotic relationship with their mom. She sheds her old skin, and the tadpoles eat it! Pretty amazing to see this type of “care” taking place in amphibians. By far not the best footage, but still thought it was worth sharing for the people out there that find this stuff so fascinating like myself! #amphibian #frog #nature