Exotic Pets™
Science & Ideas
About
The show for people interested in pets that slither, hop, creep, fly or swim: from bunnies to iguanas, parrots to ferrets, snakes to tortoises. Information on the physical requirements of these exotic pets and how to manage the often challenging environment and correct diet essential to their welfare. Co-hosted by Dr. Doug Mader, author of "The Vet at Noah's Ark: Stories of Survival from an Inner-City Animal Hospital,"who is a world-renowned specialist on exotic animals, author of four major veterinary textbooks on reptile and amphibians, and a passionate educator. Ear
Episodes
- A Spiky Ball of Love — the African Pygmy Hedgie
Dr. Dan Johnson explains the appeal of African pygmy hedgehogs, highlighting their quiet nature, small size, low maintenance, and lack of odor. He suggests foraging enrichment activities using kibble, toys, and small pieces of fruits and v…
- Amazing Creatures in the Briny Deep
Cara Giaimo shares stories of sea creatures from her book, “Leaving the Ocean was a Mistake: Life Lessons from Sixty Sea Creatures,” which includes illustrations of the Vampire Squid, Sea Mouse, and Blobfish.
- Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere!
In episode #346, Dr. Dan Johnson notes that rabbits are the most common exotic pet he sees at his North Carolina clinic. Many rabbits visit daily, primarily for digestive problems linked to incorrect timothy hay consumption.
- An Animal Communicator Who Found Riley the Tortoise (4 times!)
Meredith Tollison, an intuitive, shares her experiences communicating with pets, specifically Riley the tortoise, whom she has helped locate four times by relaying physical descriptions provided by the animal.
- Running a Turtle Brothel
The podcast features Paul Radice of Angel's Hatchery, who breeds rare turtles such as the albino Chinese long neck water turtle. The facility maintains a breeding ratio of 4 males to 2 females to ensure egg fertilization.
- Caring for Exotic Pets and Wildlife
#343: Dr. Angela Lennox, owner of the Avian and Exotic Vet Clinic in Indianapolis, traces her concern for the welfare of animals back to the eight baby possums she rescued from a roadside as a girl, which morphed into a veterinary degree a…
- A Better World for Betta Fish
#342: Ariel Heinicke in Berkeley California created the Betta World for Bettas advocacy group to raise awareness about the harmful way these beautiful popular fish are warehoused and sold by the big box stores in small plastic "take out" c…
- Please Don't Gift a Snake or a Turtle to Anyone
#341: Doug Mader reminds you that whether it’s a tortoise that lives many decades, or a mouse that only lives a short while, it is never a good idea to give anyone a living thing — other than a houseplant!
- Alfred the Little Albino Tortoise Talks to Tracie
#340: Paul Radice at Angels Hatchery and his wife Judith were the first breeders to create Albino tortoises — and enchanted Tracie by introducing her to Albert, the great grandson of their first breeder Norman, who is now 130 lbs and still…
- The Sad Fate of the Southern Hognose Snake
#339: Jeff Beane is Herpetology Collections Manager for the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences where he has been documenting the shrinking populations since 1985. He talks about the Southern Hognose Snake in particular, which…
- Meet the Masters of African Cichlids: 50 Years, 45 Varieties, One Legendary Hatchery
#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.
- The Python Huntress in Naples, Florida
#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 snake…
- How About an African Emperor Scorpion as a Pet?
#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" — carr…
- Play with Beaktivity (and Your Food!)
#335: Avian specialist and house call parrot veterinarian Dr. Ann Bourke talks about having helped Sue & John with the development of the Beaktivity hanging parrot toy, which makes parrots happy because they can destroy a toy made with his…
- Reptile Got Mites? Give your snake a bath in olive oil!
#334: Dr. Doug discusses mites on snakes — and the different mites that get on lizards — and how to treat them with an olive oil rub down, or the medication Provent-a-mite.
- The Special Human-Animal Bond With Fish
#333: Dr. Doug Mader talks about his personal history with keeping fish as pets — feeling emotionally attached to them and their responsiveness to him as their caregiver. Another facet of the human-animal bond that is increasingly recogniz…
- Love Your Fish! (and they'll love you back)
#332: Dr Doug Mader talks about "the atypical human-animal bond" and how statistics are showing a new generation of fish and reptile owners who are forming bonds and interactions with their exotic pets. Tracie explains how Scratches, the n…
- How Tiny is Tiny?
#331: Exotic veterinarian Dr Jeff Jenkins in San Diego talks about doing surgery on "tiny things" like a Society Finch (that’s the species actual name, not an adjective!), spaying guinea pigs and neutering rats — all through surprising loc…
- His Octopus Friend Who Lived With Him
#330: Dr Don Harris really did have an octopus as a pet — in fact a series of them, as they don’t live very long, but are fascinating “companions.” Note: Octopuses are not actually pets for sale. You'd have to dive and find them as babies,…
- The Clients Are Exotic, Too!
#329: Dr. Jeff Jenkins in San Diego talks about his 40+ years running an Exotic Specialty Practice — the early pioneers of exotic animal medicine on whose shoulders he stands — and how he also enjoys the unusual humans who own unusual pets.
- My Rat is Crying Blood!
#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 trig…
- When Your Snake Has Trouble Shedding His Skin
#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).
- Ear Mites in Rabbits Hurt Like the Dickens
#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…
- Parrots & Cockatoos All Over Oz!
#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.
- C-Sections on Reptiles? Only as Last Resort!
#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.
- What is “Normal” in an Exotic Pet?
#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.
- Piggies as Pets
#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.
- Fighting the Good Fight for Ferrets in California
#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.
- Trying to Find A Fellow Exotic Pet Enthusiast?
#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.
- Parrots Say “Love is Not Enough”
#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…
- Bugs Bunny Had it All Wrong - No More Carrots!
#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 rab…
- Ferret “Deodorant” & Other Ferret Necessaries
#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 th…
- Bad Things Happen to Good Fish
#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 chlo…
- Why Does Your Tortoise Need a House of His Own?
#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…
- The Emotional Support Hamster Who Went to College
#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 ki…
- I Am Parrot — I Live to Destroy!
#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…
- “Ferret Stink” — You Either Love the Musky Smell or You Don’t!
#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. Mado…
- The Jumping Spider Craze
#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 exp…
- Are Humans an Invasive Species?
#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 Conserv…
- Always Demolish Your Sandcastles (for the Sea Turtles)
#310: Brooks Barrett is the senior aquarist at the Key West Aquarium where, amongst other things, she directs placing a prosthetic flipper on a turtle named Lola, who can live to 100 years old (and gets jellyfish as a treat). Brooks discus…
- Parrots Need Proper Playthings!
#309: Sue Thibeault and her husband John — parrot lovers who foster parrots who need new homes — created their company Beaktivity that makes the award-winning “parrot-designed” hanging enrichment toy that safely and creatively meets the en…
- Rabbits Are Lying to Us
#308: Dr. Madonna Livingstone in Scotland, author of the textbook “Exotics Made Easy” explains how rabbits — who are prey animals — could literally be dying but projecting the message “I’m fine.” The subtle little changes in their habits a…
- Senior Pet Care — Age Itself is Not a Disease!
#306: Dr. Doug talks about geroscience, the study of the effects of aging. When does a pet become geriatric: at 70% of their expected lifespan. A ferret or rat will be geriatric at 7.
- “Walking Dandruff” on Your Bunny?
#305: Dr. Doug Mader talks about mites, which are common on rabbits and sometimes look like dandruff that seems to walk in their fur — or may appear as brown “goo” in their big ears or a crusty nose. All of these mean you need to get to th…
- "Hedgies" Are the Trendiest Little Pet
#296: Dr Micah Kohles of the Woodland Animal Hospital outside Lincoln, Nebraska, explains how to best care for hedgehogs, who are "charming munchkins who have become an up-and-coming pet."
- Is Your Ferret Grinding His Teeth?
#304: Dr. Doug Mader says teeth grinding in ferrets (whether when asleep or awake) is a red flag that could mean he has stomach ulcers from bacteria, just like in humans.
- The Insect Jungle in Your House
#292: Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice (author of “Your Pets’ Secret Lives: the Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors”) says there are spiders everywhere and you are never more than four feet from one of them — although none will cause the havo…
- “Breast Cancer” in Rats — It’s a Thing!
#303: Dr. Doug talks about how rats get mammary gland tumors, a chain of glands that runs from their tail to over their shoulders, but they are benign 80% of the time and the rats often do just fine if operated on by a veterinarian experie…
- "Chins" Are Ridiculously Cute But Challenging Pets
#298: Dr. Micah Kohles of Woodland Animal Hospital in Nebraska, cautions that chinchillas are not a good starter pet for a child. They are very active, not cuddlers, a bit jumpy and nervous and require very specific nutrition and a habitat…
- I Am Mouse, Hear Me Roar
#289: Eleanor Spicer Rice, author of “Your Pets’ Secret Lives: the Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors,” writes about the wondrous conversations mice have that we cannot hear. Mama mice sing to their babies — who sing back! She recom…