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Hey all! 2022 was a crazy year and I got behind on the podcast. I’m so excited to be getting episodes out that are long overdue, however some of the information may be a bit out of date. I recommend giving our guest, Eliza Stott, a follow and checking out the amazing things she and Women in Wildlife has done since this program was recorded! This interview was with Eliza Stott, founder of Women in Wildlife and an amazing zookeeper and animal enthusiast. We chatted about what it takes to get a zookeeping job in Australia, her studies on parasites in wombats and other Australian species, and she walked me through her amazing travel plans to work with animals around the world (be sure to take a look at her social media to see her adventures!) Thanks as always for your support, looking forward to having more episodes out soon 😊 Take care of yourself y’all! Find Eliza on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biologist.eliza Support Women in Wildlife: https://www.instagram.com/women.in.wildlife WIW Website: https://women-in-wildlife.com/ WIW Private Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/266573704995652 And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our sponsor Vivtech: bit.ly/Vivtech-Products

Growing up falling in ponds looking for critters and observing frogs in vernal pools on her dad’s property, Ashley Dezan has been a reptile and amphibian lover for life. Passionate about advancing the keeping of rarer animals, Ashley is the owner and operator of Northern Lights Reptile Imports. This was an awesome conversation learning about the ins and outs of reptile imports and exports and hearing about her experiences working with some really unique species! Find Ashley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NLRImports Find Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northernlightsreptileimports/ And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our sponsor Vivtech: bit.ly/Vivtech-Products

Nicole Tam is an entomologist and herp enthusiast. Growing up with a love for arthropods, Nicole went on to conduct research on vector-borne diseases, mosquitos, and the reproductive cycle of tsetse flies. In addition to her work, Nicole talks about her experience with entomological museums and caring for and breeding beaked snakes! Tsetse fly image: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-Life-cycle-of-the-tsetse-fly-B-Viviparous-reproduction-cycle-of-tsetse-flies_fig2_329179423 Find Nicole on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/nt.buglord Find Nicole on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poikilo_/ And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our sponsor Vivtech: bit.ly/Vivtech-Products

Shannon Wild is a world-renowned wildlife photographer and cinematographer. Her work has taken her all over the world coming face to face with some of the most amazing animals many of us will only see on TV (because Shannon got the footage for us!). In this episode, we talk in depth about how Shannon got her start in photography, her adventures tracking a melanistic leopard through the jungle in India, and some of her other incredible experiences with animals ranging from Komodo Dragons to Cheetahs to Malagasy Giant Chameleons! Follow Shannon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannon__wild/ Check out “Wild in Africa: Bracelets for Wildlife”: https://wildinafrica.store/ Watch “Pursuit of the Black Panther”: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/shannon-wild-pursuit-black-panther/ Watch “The Wilds” The documentary about Shannon and Russell! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw-qEKR5uv8 And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/ModernMedusaPodcast? Check out our sponsor Vivtech: bit.ly/Vivtech-Products

This week I sat down with Laura Mae Riepl and we learn all about isopods! Not only is Laura at the forefront of bringing isopods to the layperson through her partnership providing clean up crews to Petsmart but we also talk about how she manages and maintains over 500 isopod cultures! We learn all about her tips for feeding and housing isopods, talk about the legalities of shipping isopods, and we express a mutual amazement (and a bit of fear) for the giant marine isopods! Check out Smug Bug and learn about all your isopod needs here! https://www.smug-bug.com/ Follow Laura on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smugbug Follow Laura on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smug_bugs And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our sponsor Vivtech: https://bit.ly/Vivtech-Products

This week I took some time to answer questions about me, give an update on the podcast, and honor animal advocate and enthusiast Betty White. If you want to buy merch to support the Betty White Challenge, look here: https://difalco-reptiles.creator-spring.com/ Follow the Pod: www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our Sponsor, VivTech Products! www.vivtechproducts.com/ Want to learn more? Check out the sources from my research here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_White https://woofrepublic.com/blog/betty-white-dogs https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/02/us/betty-white-animal-charities-iyw/index.html https://www.southernliving.com/culture/celebrities/betty-white-animals-hurricane-katrina-audubon-aquarium https://www.cnet.com/news/betty-white-challenge-urges-fans-to-donate-to-animals-in-late-stars-honor/ https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/betty-white-animal-advocate-pet-set-la-zoo-1235145541/ https://www.today.com/pets/betty-white-animal-lover-rcna10067 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/betty-white-on-her-love-for-animals-92610121/ https://www.lazoo.org/explore-your-zoo/blog/bettys-animal-business/ Image credit: Getty Images

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with two amazing Aussie keepers – Tie Eipper & Emma Dixon! Join us as we talk all about how Emma and Tie got into herps, laws and rules regarding keeping reptiles in Australia, and how the reptile hobby differs in the US and Australia! Tie & Emma are admins for the HERpers facebook group and they both have their own businesses as well! Tie focuses on elapids, perenties, and other cool venomous with Nature 4 You and Emma is building some incredible jungle carpet morph projects! Follow Nature 4 You on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/naturefouryou Follow Nature 4 You on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/wildlifedemonstrations Follow Zemac Reptiles on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/zemac_reptiles Follow Zemac Reptiles on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/zemacreptiles Join HERpers! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2741262562643265 And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our Sponsor, VivTech Products! www.vivtechproducts.com/

We all turn to our local reptile shops when we need some supplies, feeders, or maybe a new animal, but what does it take to keep that shop up and running? This week I got to sit down with Amanda Rua of Wiregrass Exotics in Ozark, Alabama to ask all those questions! Join us as we cover everything from sourcing healthy animals to finances for opening a new store to having to turn people away when they come in asking for vape pens! And don’t forget to check out Wiregrass at all the spots below! Check out their Morph Market! https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/wiregrassexotics/ Follow Amanda on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/wiregrassexotics Like Amanda on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wiregrasspetsandsupplies Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our Sponsor, VivTech Products! https://www.vivtechproducts.com/

If you are looking to decorate, you need to check out the incredible artwork of Adeline Robinson! Adeline is a passionate herp keeper turned full-time artist whose work can be seen at shows across the country. Join us as we talk about Adeline’s journey into art as a career, her experience keeping animals (specifically tree monitors) and how she works to encourage other reptile artists! Sorry it’s been a bit since the last upload! Life got in the way and I’ve been physically, mentally, and emotionally drained for the last month. I have 3 amazing podcasts (including this one!) already recorded and ready to go, so I’m ready to get back on track and continue to push out some awesome content! Buy some art! https://www.adelinerobinsonart.com/ Follow Adeline on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adeline_robinson_art/ Like Adeline on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdelineRobinsonArt Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our Sponsor, VivTech Products! https://www.vivtechproducts.com/

This week I got the opportunity to talk with another incredible scientist -- Chelsea Connor! Chelsea is PhD student researching anoles and founder of the Twitter game #DidYouAnole? Outside her studies, Chelsea is an advocate for BIPOC representation in STEM with her work on Black Birders Week & BlackAF in Stem. Join us as we talk about her advocacy, her research, and we discuss her home country of Dominica! Follow Chelsea on Instagram: @OutToChelsea Follow Chelsea on Twitter: @ChelseaHerps Chelsea’s LinkTree (art, affiliates, and research): https://linktr.ee/ChelseaHerps Follow BlackAFinSTEM: https://www.blackafinstem.com/ Check out MISS Elasmo: https://www.misselasmo.org/ And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our Sponsor, VivTech Products! https://www.vivtechproducts.com/

I first “met” Kina Mae Campbell because I was a fan of her artwork, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out she was a reptile keeper too! Join Kina and I as we discuss her diverse collection, how she chooses what she wants to breed versus what animals she deems pets, and of course we have to talk about plants a bit! I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it! Follow Exotic Entities Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exotic.entities/ Like Exotic Entities Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KinaMaeSnakes/ Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our Sponsor, VivTech Products! https://www.vivtechproducts.com/

Originally interested in reptiles through her kids, Kori Martin has found her passion in herpetoculture! Join us as we talk about Kori’s animals (ranging from ball pythons to carpet pythons to blackhead pythons), what makes a good “beginner” snake, and Kori’s experience going from never owning a reptile before to having over 20 clutches in the last two years! Kori Martin Reptiles Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/korimartinreptiles/ Kori Martin Reptiles Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=kori%20martin%20reptiles Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast Also stay to the end to check out a preview for the new “Corn Stars” podcast from the Herpetoculture Network hosted by Justin Smith of Palmetto Coast Exotics and Joe Phelan of Port City Pet. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/theherpetoculturenetwork/cornstars-ep-1-intros-and-why-corns And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ Check out our Sponsor, VivTech Products! https://www.vivtechproducts.com/

If you don’t know Pia Bartolini yet, you’re missing out. Besides being an incredible vet tech, a genius when it comes to all things nido virus, and a phenomenal friend, Pia is also one half of the amazing Reptile Preservation Institute. RPI is an organization focused on conservation, specifically of venomous species, to provide captive specimens to venom labs around the country. Interested in this incredible cause? Check out the RPI fundraiser, auction, and patreon below! RPI FUNDRAISER/AUCTION LIVE THROUGH THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021: https://www.facebook.com/RPI.ReptilePreservationInstitute/posts/1235602286889212 RPI Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ReptilePreservationInstitute RPI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reptilepreservationinstitute/ RPI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RPI.ReptilePreservationInstitute Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/

In what I’ll refer to as an “after dark” episode, join me as I interview crested gecko breeder Emily Azevedo of Moon Lily Reptiles! We talk everything from getting started in crested geckos to handling a prolapsed hemipene during a breeding loan. Check out Emi’s accounts and animals below and check out her awesome merch! Follow Emi or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonlilyreptiles/ Like Emi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moonlilyreptiles Emi’s website and merch! https://www.moonlilyreptiles.com/ Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ and Follow Joe: https://www.instagram.com/portcitypet/

This week I interviewed conservation biologist Gina Zwicky! Gina is an incredible interviewee and walked me through her research with malaria in the Saban Anole, her experience as a private reptile keeper and a biologist, and her work studying chytrid fungus! I highly recommend following Gina on Twitter to keep up with her frog watching, swamp-kitten-saving, and sulcate owning antics! Follow Gina on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GinaGoesOutside Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ and Follow Joe: https://www.instagram.com/portcitypet/

If you don’t follow Dr. Emily Taylor already, I hope you see why you have to after this episode! I was so lucky to sit down with Emily and learn about her experience as a environmental physiologist, biology professor, and general lover of all things creepy crawly during this interview. Join us as we talk about Dr. Taylor’s rattlesnake research, her business providing rattlesnake proof fencing and removal, and her research on female representation in herp-based research. Follow Dr. Taylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snakeymama/ Follow Dr. Taylor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/snakeymama Follow Coast Snake on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coastsnake/ Follow Coast Snake on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoastSnake Check out RattleCams!!! https://twitter.com/Rattlecams Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ and Follow Joe: https://www.instagram.com/portcitypet/

From assisting on iguana research in Honduras to volunteering with elephants at her local zoo, Chelsea Richardson knows a thing or two about taking every opportunity provided to work with the animals you love. Join us as we talk about rattlesnake aversion training for dogs, wildlife rehabilitation, exotic animal pet sitting, and bone processing and beetle cleaning, we really cover it all in this episode! Follow Chelsea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scaled_sitting.n.services Like Chelsea on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScaledSS Visit the Scaled Sitting & Services website: https://scaledsittingandservices.com/ Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ and Follow Joe: https://www.instagram.com/portcitypet/

Two weeks, two Ericas! Tonight I got to chat with Erica Mede McVeigh of the new company VivTech! VivTech is here to solve the everyday problems of reptile keeping, even those you don’t realize are a problem yet. Join us as we talk about starting a company from the ground up, Erica’s experience as a research volunteer studying Massasauga Rattlesnakes, running a reptile rescue, and get a sneak peek into what you can expect with the launching of VivTech! Excuse any sound in the background of this episode, the grind doesn’t stop when you are starting a new business and Erica was hard at work while we talked! Follow Erica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoologicvettech/ Like VivTech on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VivTech-Products-101392638835485 Follow Friends of Scales Reptile Rescue: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofScales/ Follow Erica’s Art: https://www.instagram.com/thebubblywombat/ Follow ExergyExotics: https://www.instagram.com/exergyexotics/ Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: https://www.instagram.com/modernmedusapodcast/ Follow the Host: https://www.instagram.com/difalcoreptiles/ and Follow Joe: https://www.instagram.com/portcitypet/

Today I was joined by Erica Perras of Arboreals Anonymous! Primarily an arboreal keeper (duh), Erica has a really impressive chahoua gecko, leachianus gecko, and green tree python collection. We sat down and discussed her journey with reptiles, including starting, stopping, and restarting her collection 5 or so years ago! Enjoy this convo where we chat everything from bottle feeding a serval, managing a nidovirus positive green tree python collection, and how Erica combines her love of animals with her electroplating artwork! Follow Erica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arborealsanonymous/ Like Erica on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Arboreals-Anonymous-154738758552983 Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: @ModernMedusaPodcast on Instagram Follow the Host: @DiFalcoReptiles on FB and Instagram and Follow Joe: @PortCityPet on FB and Instagram

Took some time off to move and just handle a bit of life craziness but I’m back with an interview with Summer Grace Mitchell aka “Girl with Scales”! Besides being an incredible Morelia keeper, Summer is also a phenomenal musician and she wrote our new intro! Thank you Summer! Today we chatted about keeping different Morelia species and what draws us to them, how Summer grew up participating and learning from the online reptile forums, and how she has managed to make a living working in marketing and social media for a large ball python breeder. Enjoy the episode and learn more with the links below! Find Summer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlwithscales/ Subscribe to Summer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrG1e2vu1jpK5FV2kdIcI5Q And support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ModernMedusaPodcast And don't forget to... Follow the Pod: @ModernMedusaPodcast on Instagram Follow the Host: @DiFalcoReptiles on FB and Instagram and Follow Joe: @PortCityPet on FB and Instagram