207: Morgan Palmer – Animals at Home Network

Exploring ethical captive management of reptiles & amphibians through the lens of biological science, conservation, and human nature. The Animals at Home Network is a herpetoculture-based podcast network that hosts: Animals at Home Podcast by Dillon Perron, Project Herpetoculture by Phillip Lietz and Roy Arthur Blodgett, Reptiles & Research Podcast by Liam Sinclair and Ellie Hills, and Animals Everywhere by Bryce Broom. Each show on the network brings all members of the reptile community together to discuss reptile husbandry, scientific research, breeding, wildlife conservation, and more!

Morgan Palmer of Tierra Turtles discusses multiple topics that are of importance to him and his family, as well as relatable to myself. He talks about his fascination with turtles from the beginning to now, where he has built extravagant outdoor enclosures for his over twenty species of turtle. He emphasizes the need for turtles to have access to fresh air and sunshine, highlighting that it had completely changed his turtle’s behavior for the better. Morgan also discusses the need for a social media detox for many like himself, as the platforms that we find ourselves on for hours of the day can be detrimental to our mental health. He gives advice on what he has done to improve his relationship with social media, as well as using that to make more time for the more important aspects of life. Morgan also discusses the relationship that he strives to form with his daughter and the animals around her; highlighting that when kids learn early on how to treat animals, they will continue to do so throughout life.

SHOW NOTES:https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/207-morgan-palmer/

SHOW SPONSORS:
Visit Zoo Med Labs here: https://zoomed.com/ @ZooMed

CUSTOM REPTILE HABITATS:https://www.animalsathome.ca/crh

JOIN US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/animalsathome

Video Clips and Photos Used in Episode:
https://www.instagram.com/tierraturtles

Huge Snapping Turtle Photo Taken By Stu Hughes: https://www.facebook.com/groups/145005446090921/permalink/1474917883099664/?mibextid=K35XfP

WE DISCUSS:

00:00 Coming Up – ZooMed
00:25 Introducing Morgan Palmer – Tierra Turtles
2:20 Welcome Morgan – The Beginning + Day Job
6:00 Morgan’s Pets + Turtle Fascination
10:00 The Balance, Use + Negativity of Social Media
15:55 Social Media “Brumation”
18:06 Social Media Changes Through the Years
20:12 The Addiction Behind Social Media
21:04 The Positives of Social Media
24:29 Managing Time on Social Media
27:28 Reptile Hobby + The Digital World
29:14 Morgan’s Rules For Social Media
32:32 ZooMed Grassland Tortoise Food
33:37 Dangers in Posting Reptiles on Social Media
36:00 Morgan’s Rules Continued
39:20 Kids + Herpetoculture
50:44 Morgan’s Turtle Species + Brumation
57:49 Indoor Enclosure – Lighting, Substrates, etc
1:04:15 Outdoor Setups for the Turtles + Building the Pond
1:15:23 Tips For Turtle Keeping
1:17:37 Substrate in The Pond
1:18:50 Thinking About Turtle Lifespan
1:22:27 Closing Thoughts