Animals at Home Network

Greg Watkins-Colwell is Senior Collection Manager of Herpetology and Ichthyology at the Yale Peabody Museum, where his work spans natural history collections, systematics, biogeography, research, and public education. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and the Science Advisory Board of Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo.

Phil and Andis chop it up.

Zion joins me on the podcast to discuss one of the most iconic—and notoriously challenging—snakes in herpetoculture: the Emerald Tree Boa. We break down the biggest mistakes new keepers make, how Zion refined his husbandry through trial and error, and what it really takes to keep these incredible snakes thriving in captivity.We also discuss the differences between Northern and Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boas, the pros and cons of captive-bred versus imported animals, enclosure design, humidity management, heating, UVB, quarantine, and why patience may be the single most important quality for anyone considering this species. Whether you already keep Emerald Tree Boas or have always dreamed of owning one, this episode is packed with practical husbandry advice and fascinating insights.SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/256-emerald-tree-boas/SPONSORS: Visit The BioDude: https://www.thebiodude.com/ Visit Zoo Med Labs here: https://zoomed.com/JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathomeLINKS FROM THE EPISODE:https://www.emeraldtreeboas.org/https://www.instagram.com/emeraldtreeboashttps://www.instagram.com/zvivarium/Photos and Video in Episode:Provided by Zion0:00 Intro
3:04 Welcome, Zion! Background
6:30 Getting his first Emerald Tree Boa
11:59 Initial Emerald Tree Boa Setup and Mistakes
25:44 Northern vs Basin Emerald Tree Boas
40:28 Who Should Keep an Emerald Tree Boa?
50:20 Setting up a Proper Emerald Tree Boa Enclosure
55:40 Emerald Tree Boa Heating and Lighting
1:16:38 ETB Humidity, Substrate & Ventilation
1:34:38 Basin vs Northern Husbandry
1:38:08 ETB Perching Behaviour
1:42:56 Dealing with Wild-Caught Imports
1:46:11 ETB Health Issues
2:21:15 ETB Feeding Routine
2:30:26 EmeraldTreeBoas.Org & Closing Thoughts
2:42:20 Outro

In Part 2 of our Green Tree Python series, Rain and I take a deep dive into the history, genetics, and breeding of one of the reptile hobby's most iconic species. We explore the origins of green tree pythons, the history of captive breeding, and why locality information and bloodlines are often far more complicated than many keepers realize.We also discuss the differences between true breeding lines and designer animals, how localities can become mislabeled throughout the trade, and the breeding practices required to produce consistent, healthy animals. If you're interested in Green Tree Pythons, reptile genetics, or responsible breeding, this episode is packed with fascinating insights and historical context.SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/255-green-tree-pythons/SPONSORS: Visit The BioDude: https://www.thebiodude.com/ Visit Zoo Med Labs here: https://zoomed.com/JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathome

What if you could build your reptile enclosure before spending a single dollar? In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Wilson, creator of CritterCAD, a 3D vivarium design platform that helps keepers design naturalistic enclosures, experiment with layouts, and evaluate their husbandry using a species-specific CARE score. We discuss how the software was built, the challenges of turning husbandry into a digital tool, the role of community-driven care information, and where CritterCAD is headed next. Whether you're planning your next enclosure or just love innovative reptile-keeping tools, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/254-crittercad/SPONSORS: Visit The BioDude: https://www.thebiodude.com/ Visit Zoo Med Labs here: https://zoomed.com/JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathomeLINKS FROM THE EPISODE:CritterCAD: https://www.crittercad.com/ https://www.instagram.com/crittercad/Photos and Video in Episode:Provided by Daniel Wilson0:00 Intro
3:40 Welcome Daniel & Background
11:11 Career & Education
13:16 Intro to CritterCAD31:29 Live CritterCAD Demo and picking enclosure
40:11 Substrate
57:48 Backgrounds
1:03:42 Lighting
1:10:45 Generating a Shopping list
1:12:45 Plants & Adding the Animal
1:16:28 Care Score
1:26:00 Adding Custom 3D Assests
1:38:00 Final Words on CritterCAD
1:41:50 Outro