The Bio Dude

10/07/2025

Check out this gorgeous bioactive terrarium from , created for a juvenile chameleon gecko.
A few elements of the hardscape work together to make this an exemplary enclosure. A cork background is a great way to make practical usage of the wall’s surfaces. Not only does the barrier provide a further sense of security, but it’s a texture that arboreal geckos can climb! Spider wood is also a great choice for small geckos, because it has lots of curved offshoots that fill smaller enclosures perfectly. A bamboo stalk and piece of driftwood were also used to add additional climbing opportunities. Note the elevated feeding dishes on the side of this tank, which promotes the natural foraging behavior of this species eating fruit and insects in the forest canopy.
Now let’s talk about the flora choices. Some standout pieces include the snowflake creeping fig, which provides lots of coverage growing upwards along the branches. The same principle applies to the silver satin pothos, except these have broad and strong leaves that can support lizard bodies. Towards the ground, a soft carpet was created using pilea. To fill in more space, additional clipping of various ferns were used.
To enter October's competition, tag us, DM us, email us, or share large, wide-angle photos of your bioactive tank in our Facebook group, Bioactive Reptile and Amphibian Setups USA. Tell us who lives in it and any other details you’d like to share. You must be located in the U.S. so that you are able to use the giftcard prize. Your bioactive tank must showcase proper husbandry to be considered. Invertebrate, reptile, and amphibian enclosures are all welcome.
-THE DUDE ABIDES
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

10/06/2025

Pacman frogs are the ultimate couch-potato predators of the amphibian world. Native to moist grasslands of South America, these frogs spend much of their time burrowed into damp soil, waiting for prey to pass by. They’re considered a beginner level frog that can thrive in a 24" x 18" x 18" terrarium or larger. They do well in a deep, moisture-retentive substrate like The Bio Dude’s Terra Firma, topped with leaf litter and live plants that provide coverage. Temperatures should range between 75–80°F during the day with a basking spot around 82–85°F, dropping to 65–70°F at night. Humidity should stay between 60–80%, achieved with daily misting and monitored using a digital hygrometer.
This juvenile Pacman frog is available for purchase in-store to join a bioactive forever home. Want to see a full list of available critters? Visit our storefront information page: https://www.thebiodude.com/pages/houston-reptile-store #:~:text=LIVE%20ANIMALS%20AVAILABLE%20FOR%20IN%2DSTORE%20PURCHASE
-THE DUDE ABIDES👍🏻
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

10/05/2025

Let’s dive into the fascinating world of tarantula paws!
Tarantulas and many other spiders have thousands of densely packed hairs on the tips of their legs. These hairs form the claw tufts, and are specially designed to help them climb surfaces. Each setae (hair) branches into even smaller structures called setules, which create molecular attractions with the surface through Van der Waals forces. It’s the same mechanism that geckos and some tree frogs use to stick to walls. Alongside these hairs, tarantulas also carry two to three claws in each tuft. When the spider presses down, the claws extend to provide extra grip on rough surfaces or their web. Their feet also act as sensitive detectors, picking up tiny changes in pressure and vibrations around them. This design helps tarantulas track prey and stay alert to potential threats.
Pictured: The claw tufts of a Brachypelma emilia Mexican red knee tarantula, and a Grammostola pulchripes Chaco golden knee tarantula, both here at The Bio Dude.
Sources: The Tarantula Collective, Cosmos, infinitespider.com
-THE DUDE ABIDES
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

10/04/2025

The hotdogs of the showroom. Caught this adult ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus) slinking through the sanservieria to get some Pangea CGD. We have a few juveniles available on our Morph Market and in-store for anyone interested in keeping these unique critters!
-THE DUDE ABIDES
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

10/01/2025

Which of the following tanks featured in this past month’s Tank Tuesday series do you think deserves the $25 BioDude giftcard? Vote for the one that you find most well-designed by liking the comment on this post that contains its picture! At 4 p.m. CST tomorrow 10/2, the winner will be determined and receive their prize! To enter October's competition, tag us, DM us, email us, or share large, wide-angle photos of your bioactive tank in our Facebook group, Bioactive Reptile and Amphibian Setups USA. Tell us who lives in it and any other details you’d like to share. You must be located in the U.S. so that you are able to use the giftcard prize. Your bioactive tank must showcase proper husbandry to be considered. Invertebrate, reptile, and amphibian enclosures are all welcome.
-THE DUDE ABIDES
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

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10/01/2025

Good news, Hawaiian mourning geckos are back in stock on Morph Market!🌿🦎You can find all available species we breed in-house at our facility here: https://www.morphmarket.com/stores/thebiodude/ -listings
-THE DUDE ABIDES👍🏻
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

09/30/2025

A habitat that’s just as eye-catching as the frogs inside🌿This lush bioactive paludarium for a group of Amazon milk frogs comes to us from Chuck McQuade.
The tank overflows with greenery that mirrors the tropical rainforest canopy these frogs call home. Chuck used several philodendrons, including philodendron brasil and philodendron birkin, along with tradescantia, begonia, a string of turtles, and a large anubias. The philodendrons and anubias offer broad leaves strong enough to hold the frogs, while smaller plants add shelter and cover.
Since they spend most of their time in trees, providing a hardscape to support their arboreal behaviors is important. Chuck mounted numerous cork tubes around the back and sides of the enclosure, with a variety of thick and thin branches interspersed.
As a higher-humidity dwelling species that hangs out around slow-moving water sources in the wild, a paludarium is a suitable choice for them. Chuck created a waterfall feature that will keep water circulating.
This submission will compete with September's other entries on our Facebook tomorrow at 4 p.m., where you can vote for which one you think deserves the big win. Think your setup could win October’s $25 Bio Dude gift card? Enter by tagging us, sending a DM, emailing, or posting wide-angle photos of your bioactive build in our Bioactive Reptile and Amphibian Setups USA group. Be sure to share details about your animal, show good husbandry, and confirm you’re in the U.S. so you can use the prize.
-THE DUDE ABIDES👍🏻
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

09/29/2025

If you’re into active, heavy-webbing tarantulas with arboreal tendencies, consider the green bottle blue tarantula Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens. These quick-moving, fast-growing critters come from the semi-arid regions of Northern Venezuela, where they spend their time making intricate webbed burrows beneath vegetation and debris.
-THE DUDE ABIDES👍🏻
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

09/27/2025

Had the lovely opportunity to connect with some future herpetologists from Bay Area Montessori House the other day. Josh showed them a few of our resident animals and talked about their unique adaptations. If your local organization is interested in collaborating with The Bio Dude on a project or just coming in to learn, please reach out to us for an appointment!
-THE DUDE ABIDES👍🏻
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]

09/24/2025

Poison dart frog habitats create excellent conditions for many moss species. These enclosures maintain steady moisture, cooler temperatures (relative to some other amphibian enclosures), and plenty of plant cover with indirect light, which all help moss thrive. Two of The Dude's top picks for dart frog tanks are fern moss and sheet moss. Fern moss works well mounted on to hardscape features like branches, while sheet moss forms a soft, natural carpet on the ground.
Looking for tips for how to successfully utilize live moss in your bioactive terrarium or palduarium? Check out the latest Bio Dude Terrarium Tips YouTube video or visit The Dude's Blog to learn more about their care requirements.
-THE DUDE ABIDES👍🏻
Location: The Bio Dude Inc Houston
15116 Highway 3 Bldg 4 Webster, TX 77598
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm Sat: 10am-5pm
Phone: (717) 305-0684
Email: [email protected]