204: Shira Loa – 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!

Shira Loa of Snake Therapy discusses her journey with snakes – from her initial fear of snakes, her first snake purchase, to her work in snake education and husbandry advancement. She shares details of how her first interaction with a snake led her to a journey with her own snakes, as well as beginning interactions with other people in order form a connection with them and snakes. Her passion for the therapeutic benefits that reptiles can bring to their keepers shows as she discusses the various mental health benefits that have been seen in both neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent individuals. Shira also discusses the Neurodiversity and Reptile Keeping Survey that she created in hopes of understanding more about what reptile keeping can offer neurodivergent people, leading to talk about the potential for overconsumption of reptiles and traits that neurodivergent people have for keeping reptiles more efficiently.

SHOW NOTES: https://www.animalsathomenetwork.com/204-shira-loa/

SHOW SPONSORS:
Visit The BioDude here: www.thebiodude.com @TheBioDudeJoshHalter
CUSTOM REPTILE HABITATS: https://www.animalsathome.ca/crh

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

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

LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
Survey: https://bit.ly/SnakeTherapySurvey
https://www.youtube.com/@snake_therapy
https://www.patreon.com/SnakeTherapywithShiraLoa
https://shiraloametalwork.com/pages/snake-shed-metal-art-jewelry
http://www.instagram.com/snaketherapy_shiraloa
https://www.thelittlezoo.org/

We Discuss:
0:00 Coming Up
1:44 Welcome Shira – Her History With Snakes
5:05 Purchasing Her First Snake
8:59 From Fear to Fascination – How did it happen?
11:35 Shira’s Home for Snakes – 9 Total!
13:50 The Start of Snake Therapy
18:45 Interactions With Animals Is Therapeutic
21:25 Shira’s Work With The Little Zoo Non-Profit
23:20 Helping People Connect With Snakes
25:55 The Therapeutic Benefits That Snakes Can Give
28:32 Caring For Animals Helps With Mental Health
30:24 The Response From Social Media
32:35 The Bio Dude – Substrates and Diets
33:37 Neurodivergence & Reptiles
45:42 Neurodiversity and Reptile Keeping Survey
57:24 Reptiles Don’t Have To Just Be For “Reptile People”
59:43 Overconsumption of Reptiles
1:04:47 Neurodivergent Keepers Can Make Better Keepers?
1:07:18 The Content’s Purpose and Reach
1:11:13 Animal Welfare and Our Connections
1:14:05 Shira’s Next Projects
1:17:25 Shira Loa Metal Work
1:19:03 Closing Thoughts