Let's Talk About Gargoyle Geckos

Kevin Lux built Heket, an open-source AI tool that listens to his backyard pond all night and identifies frog and toad calls. His microphone is actually just a security camera aimed at the pond.

Mark and Crystal Mandica started the Amphibian Foundation ten years ago with one goal: keep the frosted flatwoods salamander from disappearing. This year their building was demolished, and they had to rebuild every lab at once across two new locations. Josh sits down with both co-founders to talk about what bringing a species back actually requires, why successful captive breeding is only the first step, and how a summer camp for kids ended up funding the early salamander work. Amphibian Foundation: https://www.amphibianfoundation.org Master Herpetologist Program: https://masterherper.amphibianfoundation.org Critter Camp: https://www.critter-camp.org Short Finned Mako: https://oceanconservancy.org/wildlife-library/shortfin-mako-shark/ Josh's Frogs: https://www.joshsfrogs.com

Thinking about a frog as a first pet? Curator of Tree Frogs and Toads Austin Rea is back to walk through everything a brand new keeper needs to sort out before buying an animal, whether you're a parent whose kid just discovered amphibians or you're finally setting up that tank yourself. We get into the two household deal-breakers that should stop you cold, how much space a frog actually needs, what daily care looks like next to a dog or a cat, the wild caught vs. captive bred question, the diseases worth knowing about, and Austin's picks for the best beginner species. Plus a breeding update from the tree frog and toad room! Austin's advice if you only remember one thing: monitor your humidity.

In late 2024, a single loaned-out pixie frog came back to our facility chytrid positive, and got loose in receiving. What followed: six months with no amphibian production, over 10,000 animals heat treated, thousands of swabs, $70,000+ in testing, roughly $1.25 million in lost revenue, and a phone call from the state suggesting we euthanize everything in the building. Josh sits down with Zach Brinks, VP of Live Operations (19 years at Josh's Frogs), and we get into exactly how the outbreak started, how effective heat treatment is, and what all of it means for you at home with one frog or a whole rack.

They're called viper geckos, they're roughly the size of your thumb, and they are not venomous in the slightest. Josh talks with Lori from the reptile department about one of the more underrated species we breed here! Lori covers the full setup, why these are a communal species,, what a proper enclosure looks like, basking and ambient temps, humidity, and where she lands on the ongoing UVB debate for nocturnal species. If you keep leopard geckos, a lot of this will feel familiar. Same region of the world, similar temperature needs, same tail-fat storage. The differences are the fun part: no eyelids, so they lick their eyeballs clean, and sticky toe pads that let them walk straight up glass.