Why Small-Batch Reptile Breeding is the NEXT BIG Opportunity | TC Houston

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

*Thank you for watching the episode! Comment below which species you'd like to see CBB in the future! 👇*

[@LonghornInOmaha]

It's a long shot, since pretty much only zoos have been able to do it, but caiman lizards are at the top for me. I'd try it here, but we've got 2 males and I don't know if the enclosure we're currently building could house 3 full grown adults. Great show, as always Dillon! I could listen to TC talk all day. 🦎👍

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

That would be amazing! Such a beautiful species. Thanks for listening, Cole. And I agree haha I could easily do a 6 hour long episode with TC 😂

[@santosleeli]

I'd love to see more CBB Schneider skinks! I'm in Canada as well and I believe 100% of the ones available here are wild caught.

[@monsterkajiu1912]

Whipsnakes/coachwhips and watersnakes, because they're underrated and misunderstood!!

[@ReptileMountainTV]

Thanks for having me on Dillon! I really enjoyed our conversation. I hope folks like the subject as well.

[@ReptilesandResearch]

To be honest reality was even better than what i misquoted you on! Badass!

[@ReptileMountainTV]

@@ReptilesandResearch ha thats awesome man! Hope you are well. Loved your newest vid.

[@ReptilesandResearch]

@@ReptileMountainTV Doing good mate, glad you liked it!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks for coming on TC! I had a blast chatting with you and I know the listeners are enjoying this one! 🙂 can’t wait for part 3 already!

[@ChameleonAcademy]

Very much enjoyed your perspective on small batch breeders. Excellent interview!

[@jakethesnakeaguilar1441]

Watching your channel over the last month on a daily basis has really made me think deeply about my experience and time around reptiles and the hobby. I'm currently working towards some big goals involving boas of Madagascar and I do believe a spark may have been lit to try putting content to KZbin. For all of the times, this channel has given me deeper perspectives, I just want to really thank you.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

I’m so happy to hear you found value in the content. Good luck with your projects, sounds like it’s going to be awesome!

[@joyrenenardozzi6226]

Thank for for persevering through your own discomfort to create this channel. I very much so enjoy watching these videos.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you for watching! :)

[@bobbyward360]

I’m so glad I found this channel! This show will help me through long days on the road.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

I'm happy you found the channel as well! Enjoy the content!

[@kated3165]

More breeders need to be like TC Houston!!! Thank you so much for your informative videos and for giving the reptile keeper community a higher bar and good standard of keeping and breeding! UVB meters are expensive BUT worth it! With it I was able to know my Arcadia lamps lasted a year and not just 6 months! Not to mention that you always know whats going on with those darn tricky lamps! Also changed the generic heating lamps to high quality halogen with good UVA output, and deep heater, and I have noticed my skink no longer wants out so he can go right to the sun patches around the house after his basking (like he used to). I'm guessing he is now getting something from these new lamps, that the old ones were lacking.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Couldn’t have said it better myself! I completely agree, TC lays out a perfect foundation for readers to follow. Imagine if all breeders were like him, herpetoculture would be in great hands!

[@linda3482]

Again a great discussion, and really nice to see TC Houston on it. His channel was my go to channel when we were planning on getting our blue tongue skink. We did get a Merouke skink because they are more common in Europe and living in rainy Holland we don't face the humidity problem. Got it straight from a breeder and saw the living conditions of the parents because of his warning about the amount of imported animal. His video's made me get a UV b light and really think over his diet. And now two years later never regreted getting a skink. So really, you do make a difference for new time keepers with the information you bring to us. Thank you for that.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you for listening to the episode, Linda 🙂 i’m not surprised to learn hear that TC‘s videos were such a help!

[@GeekyGeckoCreations]

Awesome cast!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you very much for watching

[@rigocervantes6651]

Amazing episode! I feel like I relate so much with both of you. Hopefully going forward we can have a boom in good small-batch breeders providing excellent care and diversifying the species kept.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

🙏🏻 I hope this episode inspires the next generation of small batch breeders!

[@kalamakritters3111]

This is awesome! I love how we are all getting better and improving the quality of life for the animals we are gaurdians of👍

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you for listening!

[@derrickjerome6098]

thank you so much i just started watching your channel but every episode i see i always take away something im just getting more and more into reptiles but really put out great material!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you very much, Derrick! Glad you’re enjoying it!

[@LoriTorrini]

Really reasonable outlook and I’m hopeful the future will look as you discussed sooner rather than later. TC is setting a great example for others.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks for listening, Lori! I completely agree!

[@johnschlesinger2009]

A great interview. If I was interested in buying another animal, TC is the sort of guy I'd buy from.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you for listening as always, John! And yes, I second that!

[@johnschlesinger2009]

@@AnimalsatHomePodcast Even more thanks, as I have found TCs videos, and have already enjoyed three of them!

[@pinkPIGSandCUPCAKES]

Only halfway through but wow this is great so far, I feel the need to share everywhere!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

🙂 glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for listening!

[@BackyardBio]

TLDR: Thank you. Dillon, I appreciate your approach to the hobby. As a 30 yr fresh water fish keeper, I come from the same school of thought. I would rather keep a small, well done tank, than keep a stock pond full of a single species. As I move towards none gilled pets, I’m excited to build above water “eco systems”. I’m glad I found your voice. I was working towards a crested gecko breeding plan but tubs and small plastic boxes turn me off. I am now working on an enclosure for a couple of green tree skinks. I’m excited to give them a setup that will elicit natural behaviors and be as beneficial to the animals as possible. You and many of yours guests have inspired me. Thank you!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you very much for watching the show, I’m glad to hear that it’s a source of inspiration for you. Good luck with your projects!

[@bearsbeetsbsg8]

I remember when TC first put up his video about how he changed the setups for his breeders and the improvements he saw. It really got me to step back and rethink how I want to approach snake breeding. Definitely helped set me onto the path of doing more research into overhead lighting and uvb.

[@McZooExoticPets]

Great info. Awesome questions. Much to consider. Got here from a more recent podcast.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Glad you found the episode, I really enjoyed this one as well!

[@WildLife_Perspective]

Great podcast! Enjoyed listening 💯

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks, Zach! Glad you’re enjoying it! 👌🏼

[@harrynewton9045]

I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this episode, thank you to both of you for having this discussion and I hope it will be meaningful to many other people in a similar way to how it has been for me personally. It’s really made me think much more about how I can/ will provide value within the hobby and community moving forward!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks, Harry! I think this will be a very motivating episode for many keepers. I felt exactly the same way after having this chat with TC!

[@ChameleonAcademy]

My perspective on the question as to whether people should make breeding their full time job is that both cutting corners and putting in the extra effort is done at all levels from bedroom corner breeders to basement breeders to dedicated building breeders. The way to ensure that the quality breeders rise above the rest is to educate the customer base to not only be aware that enriched care produces better reptiles, but that they should demand that level of quality. We create the community with our wallets. If we only care about cost then we will create a community of corner-cutting breeders. If we demand to know lineage and see the care that the mother and babies received before we buy then we will create a community of breeders that provide that level of quality. So, the way our community is able to jump to the next level and develop that critical mass was talked about (that will support more exotic vets and high quality breeders) is channels like this which highlight the breeders that are doing it right, show people what is possible, and educate that it is worth the extra cost to get an animal that is not only alive, but has been strengthened, nurtured, and enriched since before he was an egg developing inside his mother. I am encouraged by how much of the community has embraced the concepts of breeder quality and are willing to pay for it. We are on the right track and thanks to TC and Dillon for a great episode highlighting this better future that is being created.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Very well said, Bill! Thank you very much for listening to the episode. We will have to get you on the show one day in the future! 😎

[@ChameleonAcademy]

@@AnimalsatHomePodcast Just let me know when it fits in your schedule!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Awesome, will do! I will shoot you an email in the next week or so!

[@ReptileShowReporter]

Awesome concept much for others to learn

[@danielhale3312]

When I started to have snakes again in this last year. I made sure to do all the research first to see where the hobby had gone to, it was the 90s last time I'd had one. My 3 snakes have full bioactive setups with Arcadia DHP and UVB, with plenty of live plants, hides and things for them to climb on. Even though they don't come out much during the day, it's there for them when/if they do.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

That is fantastic 👌🏼

[@coopsreptiles2588]

Great one guys!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks, Coop!

[@speedymadr6]

Great conversation in this episode. My local shop built a rack which had uv for all shelf’s which was pretty cool. It was interesting to hear how uv and heat actually increased the number of babies and their health. If I ever breed I will want to do it this way 👍

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Yeah I was very excited to hear about TC‘s success with adding halogen and UV. I’m hoping in the next few years breeding racks that include lighting will be the norm!

[@matts1072]

Thanks for this video. I have wanted to get into breeding. I'm 41 now but I'd like to build towards something I can do when I retire. I only want to work with one or two species but I'm not sure which yet. I have the resources but I want to make sure my heart is completely in it.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks for watching, Matt! Yeah great idea. Take some time, do lots of research and narrow down a couple of species that you’d like to work with. That would be a fantastic retirement project!

[@tyliful]

great interview.

[@gdjherp1295]

"You can't polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter", seems to be what some breeders/still practice. But the tide is turning. Great interview, and very honest discussion. 👍

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Haha yes that’s exactly it!

[@craftbroodexotics2974]

Challenge accepted! I am working on small batch, animal focused breeding now!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Right on! 💪 good luck in the breeding season!

[@warlic203]

Great content! Love it!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks, Mitch!

[@monsterkajiu1912]

I want to start breeding herps like what TC is doing when I space to move around.

[@carlscanlan4550]

Another great video, can't wait to start my ethical micro batch breeding. 😊👍

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks for listening Carl! Look forward to hearing about your project 😁

[@theupturnedsnout1254]

I definitely would pay more for a certain breeder, in fact I had a bad experience with a hognose I got at a repticon. She simply would not eat no matter what I did, I was bring her to an exotic vet as well, but nothing ever worked and she eventually passed. It was awful, and it what made me decide next time I look for a snake to buy I will be doing a lot more research into breeders. I'd actually love to get one snake discovery's hognoses, but even getting on her waiting list is difficult. I just know Emily make sure her babies are eating on a regular schedule before sending them to their new homes. Great conversation as always.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you for listening, I’m glad you enjoyed it! And yes, I don’t think you are alone. I think many of us would prefer to pay a little extra if we knew the animals were coming from a good home.

[@MOONOVERMIAMI]

Hello great video information

[@rudmerbakker491]

Had a lot of fun with this one

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thanks for listening, Rudmer! We certainly had fun recording it!

[@nataliaprado2337]

Wonderful episode! I would love to see more KZbin channels dedicated to progressive animal care and prioritize welfare. I can't take one more person standing in front of a rows of racks talking about "husbandry". I do hope the hobby can make leaps forward before it's legislated away from us.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you, Natalia! Completely agree ☺️

[@brewkeepyr4647]

Question? Does halogen lighting produce both infrared A & B? Reason I ask is products such as a deep heat projector

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Yes, tungsten filament lamps including halogen bulbs produce both infrared A and B. Carbon filament lamps such as deep heat projectors produce mainly infrared B

[@brewkeepyr4647]

@@AnimalsatHomePodcast that is so wonderful to know. While I think the deep heat projector is a nice piece of equipment, it's good to know I don't need both. I think having both might be a little overkill. Thanks Dylan!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

No problem! 🙂

[@L.V.exoticpets]

What was the brand of bulb that gave off deadly UV

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Hmm good question, I’m not sure the brand by but I’m very certain that it was coil/compact UVB bulbs

[@tyliful]

i produced merauke bts about two years ago. hoping to produce some more skinklets this 2021 season.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

That’s awesome, good luck this breeding season!

[@ReptileMountainTV]

@@AnimalsatHomePodcast YESS!

[@Ascensionadventures]

I’m really glad I came to this one because @50:00 that’ll be me tbh

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Glad you listened to this one, TC is amazing!

[@Bulldog2108]

I enjoyed this episode and I commend TC for improving his care but I feel the fact that he is line breeding himself contradicts his argument of small batch breeding, and breeding for health. He says he only cares about health not colour but he is intentionally inbreeding to improve the look of his animals? The nature of line breeding means you create surplus or less than desirable animals compared to what he is trying to achieve in the process. Animals that he will have to sell, and I am guessing he will sell them for less than the ones that make the cut phenotypically, otherwise why is he trying to achieve a "superior" looking animal? P.s the podcast is fantastic, your guests run the gamut of reptiles enthusiasts and I really appreciate a change from the heavy metal getting drunk route that many reptile podcasts feel like they have to take. Your interview style is great, you ask great questions and you let your guests speak. The over all message of simply improving knowlegde and care for the animals is awesome too!!

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Thank you for listening to the show! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. I don’t remember him talking about line breeding for phenotype? You’ll have to post the timestamp so I can re-listen to that section. And thank you very much for your feedback/thoughts of the podcast. That is exactly what I was going for! I figured we didn’t need another heavy-metal, beer drinking podcast 😂

[@Bulldog2108]

@@AnimalsatHomePodcast pretty much bang on the 26 minute mark. He refers to line breeding for a trait. Cheers

[@Bulldog2108]

I will add he is doing his best to do it as reasonably as possible, but there is still an element of intentional inbreeding and obviously a desire to make them look better which goes against his moto of health being the overriding factor when it come to his care and breeding projects.

[@bobothegreat7305]

I heard blue tongue skinks are super difficult to breed ! But what good small batch reptile breeding would be profitable

[@nogames8982]

Maybe because my first reptile was a tortoise, I have always provided UVB for my reptiles. It just seems common sense, especially with species that are usually out during the day.

[@leekestner1554]

I was thinking about the reptile hobby and a thought occurred to me. We have a planet in crisis. The water levels are rising. In 30 years many of the island location breeds are going to be drowned. Then the only ones left from these drowned islands are the ones in zoos and with reptile breeders. Then I thought about how the human genome was cracked. The people working on this didn't have enough computer power to look at those billions of bits of information in the genome. So they asked people to connect their home computers to the scientist's computer system while they were at work. What would have taken 10 or more years to decipher took them I think it was around 3 years. I don't think the zoos of the world have the resources to save all the reptiles we are going to loose due to the rising oceans of climate change. I think it is going to take lots of small dedicated breeders to assist where ever they can. Zoos can handle the big species like the Komodo Dragons. A few people that can do what NERD does with the monitors can take on the big guys. Small breeders are ideal for the smaller reptiles that will otherwise be lost. With communications between the small breeders exchanging what they know and find out as well as exchanging breeding stock we could save these species. Just like ordinary people made deciphering the human genome possible, reptile lovers can work together to save the doomed reptiles on these soon to be flooded islands. I could not possibly do what NERD is doing for the monitors and big snakes. I am not even sure I am up to managing dwarf island species of big snakes. But I could learn to manage lizards. I could learn to manage snakes that didn't go over 30 lbs. Individually a person isn't big enough to save the world. But with a network of people, we could save a precious corner of it.

[@nogames8982]

Years ago when I first got my tortoise I went to tortoise forum and they were constantly preaching against the coil UVB bulbs saying that it damaged tortoises eyes. I also preach hard to get a solar meter. But you would be surprised how much pushback and resistance they get to both of those suggestions.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Once you get a solar meter, it’s impossible to imagine not having one! I guess the resistance comes from the initial expense but as you know it is totally worth it

[@nogames8982]

@@AnimalsatHomePodcast yes, the price tag makes it a little hard to swallow. But to me it's worth it.

[@xiaoranmo7308]

Off the topic I think he should install solar panels I guess since he uses most electricity during day time.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

It’s an interesting idea, however I doubt they would ever pay for themselves. Solar panels are actually fairly inefficient, especially in a state like Colorado where half the year you’d have to shovel snow off them

[@nathanrupley]

I have plans for small batch breeding, but will mostly focus on inverts. I have a lot of ideas about how to include a small breeding operation, into a small business (non profit?) that does nature education, art education, and sells a few species of plants, fungi, and some supplies.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

That sounds amazing!

[@dustintinsley3899]

Lol I'm working with Halmahera bts

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

Excellent!

[@sjsmith9637]

I think reptile people would be surprised to find that puppy mills are very much alive and well they're just hidden. ALL very literally all puppies sold in a pet store are from mills. Most dogs in shelters also come from either mills or from 'back yard breeders' where someone thought they could make a quick buck. In contrast, dogs bred with parents shown in conformation or sports are almost never dumped in shelters. While you can get a 'pure bred' dog at a pet store purebred doesn't mean well-bred. That all to say I think it makes the switch into small-batch breeders you need to legislate and change the way animals are distributed. Waiting around for bad breeders to ruin the natural ecosystem of Florida isn't going to help and we don't want PETA to make the laws for us. When people over correct they almost always want to control the number of animals kept by the breeder but that doesn't say anything about the husbandry of the animals. A smarter way to go would be to ban the sale of animals in retail shops. This would do two really important things, 1 it would make it impossible for industrial breeders to offload enough animals fast enough, and 2 it would decrease impulse purchasing. I think this really is the solution to most problems. Keep reptile shows the way they are, let people sell their animals from personal websites, but end retail and warehouse sales. Very literally the only people who would be affected by this would be people breeding thousands of animals and shipping them to Petco's. I think this would then drive people to find smaller breeders and in doing so it would open the market up to more people.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

It's an interesting thought! Puppy sales have been banned for 15 years or more where I am (Canada), I would imagine that has drastically reduced the puppy mill issue. I don't see an issue with banning live animal sales in big-box stores, they really are the main culprit when it comes to selling unethically sourced reptiles... however, I think allowing niche reptile shops to sell live animals is still important.

[@sjsmith9637]

@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I think there could be a work around where reptiles are sold on commission, the reason being it would lock up the cash flow a tiny bit but wouldn't inhibit smaller breeders. It's basically just a tiny inconvenience to a small batch breeder but it would be a real kink in the system for a warehouse. The main issue is determining what a small reptile store is vs a petco because those big box stores will be looking for loopholes. And let's me honest there are plenty of awful small reptile stores too buying in bulk form Underground Reptiles....

[@rjallen70]

Your idea that vivariums for reptiles is the technological advancement is wrong. Planted terrariums have been around since the '50s, it was definitely the way when I was coming up in the 70s. The rack, or the farm model is actually the technological advancement, not the other way around.

[@AnimalsatHomePodcast]

You can even find records of people keeping captive reptiles in natural enclosures all the way back into the 1800s. I completely agree, the rack systems were an absolute regression. I speak about this quite often. Maybe in this episode I framed it slightly different. Anyone who started keeping after 2000ish is completely disconnected from the way things were pre-morph craze so vivarium keeping can safely be labeled “advancement” for most keepers.