Advertise on podcast: Exotic Pets™

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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. Early episodes of this show were co-hosted by Dr. Karen Rosenthal, Director of Exotic Animal Medicine at several institutions of higher learning.

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Check latest episodes from Exotic Pets™ podcast

A Spiky Ball of Love — the African Pygmy Hedgie

2026/02/16

#348: Dr. Dan Johnson explains the appeal of African pygmy hedgehogs, noting their quiet nature, small size, low maintenance, lack of odor. He recommends scattering hedgehog kibble in a tray with ping-pong balls and other objects for foraging enrichment — along with small pieces of every imaginable fruit or vegetable.

Amazing Creatures in the Briny Deep

2026/02/09

#347: Cara Giaimo tells the story of many fascinating creatures in the sea, along with glorious illustrations of them, in her precious little book “Leaving the Ocean was a Mistake: Life Lessons from Sixty Sea Creatures” including the Vampire Squid, the Sea Mouse and the Blobfish.

Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere!

2026/02/02

#346: Dr Dan Johnson sees more rabbits than any other untraditional pet at his Avian and Exotic Clinic in Raleigh, North Carolina — and sees many every day, mostly for digestive problems caused by not feeding the right timothy hay.

An Animal Communicator Who Found Riley the Tortoise (4 times!)

2026/01/26

#345: Meredith Tollison, an intuitive who professionally makes communication connections between people and their pets, has been called upon to find Riley the tortoise FOUR(!) times. As with many "lost" pets, Riley has given Meredith physical descriptions of where she is so that her people can come find and fetch her.

Running a Turtle Brothel

2026/01/19

#344: Paul Radice breeds rare turtles like Elizabeth the albino Chinese long neck water turtle, which is now extinct in China. Angel's Hatchery keeps 4 males for every 2 females to ensure fertilized eggs. One could say they are running a Turtle Brothel!

Caring for Exotic Pets and Wildlife

2026/01/12

#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 along with a double board certification in exotic animal care, pro bono work in wildlife rehabilitation — and now a non-profit called Rewilding Indiana.

A Better World for Betta Fish

2026/01/05

#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" containers. The group's goal is to educate and advocate for Betta's welfare and improved standards of care by those who sell and those who acquire them.

Please Don't Gift a Snake or a Turtle to Anyone

2025/12/29

#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

2025/12/22

#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 lives with them.

The Sad Fate of the Southern Hognose Snake

2025/12/15

#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 has lost 97% of its habitat and is on the "Threatened" list but without the environment it requires is unlikely to rebound (and is quite a different creature from the eastern Hognose Snake which James Taylor featured in a song!).

Meet the Masters of African Cichlids: 50 Years, 45 Varieties, One Legendary Hatchery

2025/12/08

#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

2025/12/01

#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 snakes that have decimated the mammals in the Everglades — one python even had a deer and two fawns inside it when they caught it.

How About an African Emperor Scorpion as a Pet?

2025/11/24

#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" — carry their young on their back like a taxi service.

Play with Beaktivity (and Your Food!)

2025/11/17

#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 physical and mental needs in mind.

Reptile Got Mites? Give your snake a bath in olive oil!

2025/11/10

#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.