Online lecture on cognition in reptiles

The DGHT’s digital regulars’ table was launched this year. This platform is ideal for all those who prefer to watch lectures and exchange ideas with other reptile keepers from the comfort of their sofa, but don’t necessarily want to travel far to do so. On Thursday, 27 March 2025, the topic will be ‘Cognition in reptiles’.

The term cognition refers, among other things, to perception and thought processes and the results derived from them. What do reptiles think? What can they perceive and can they draw conclusions from situations? Tobias Machts introduces the topic and shows how cognition works in reptiles. Please register by e-mail to digitaler-stammtisch@dght.de.

Tobias Machts Monkeys in scales? Cognition in reptiles [German]
15. Digitaler Stammtisch der DGHT
Start at 8 p.m.

Presentation in Dingolfing about Greece

by Alex Negro Live lectures

On Saturday, 15 March 2025, reptile specialist Jochen Zauner will give an richly illustrated lecture on Greece in Bavaria. He will report on his two trips to the western Peloponnese in 2006 and 2023. The Peoloponnese is a peninsula in the south of the Greek mainland. It is the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula and therefore the area of Greece that extends furthest into the Mediterranean. In addition to the famous cities of Mycenae, Corinth and Sparta, the peninsula is also home to a diverse herpetological fauna. Between the Strofilia forests in the north and the barren mountain slopes of the Mani in the south, you will encounter some endemics as well as old favourites of the Balkan Peninsula.

Jochen Zauner Herpetological observations in the Peloponnese [German!]
DGHT regional group Niederbayern
Restaurant Aurora
Klausenweg 15
84152 Mengkofen
Begin of the presentation at 8.00 p.m.

Presentation in Basel about the Comoros

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

Dr Oliver Hawlitschek from the University of Zurich will be giving a great lecture on the Comoros on Wednesday, 5 March 2025 in Basel (Switzerland). The Comoros are a group of four volcanic islands in the Western Indian Ocean. Compared to similar oceanic archipelagos such as Hawai’i and the Galápagos, however, they are little known globally and little scientifically researched. The fauna is characterised by a large number of endemic species. Over the past 15 years, Oliver has studied the taxonomy, biogeography and ecology of the reptiles and amphibians living there and has been involved in numerous conservation projects. He will be presenting the results of this work on this evening – it’s sure to be very exciting!

Dr. Oliver Hawlitschek The Comoros, a hotspot of herpetological diversity in the Indian Ocean [German]
DGHT city group Basel
Restaurant Schiff
Baslerstraße 32
4102 Binningen
Vortragsbeginn 20.00 Uhr

Presentation in Frankfurt about feeders

by Alex Negro Book publications Live lectures

To kick off its 2025 lecture series, the regional group Saar-Pfalz has invited two speakers for Friday, 07 February 2025. The two successful terrarium keepers Walter Wiest and Stefan Greff will be talking about their book project and their efficient feeders breeding programme, which was only published by Natur und Tier-Verlag at the end of last year. High-quality feeders are essential for the successful keeping and breeding of predatory freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, small mammals and insectivorous birds. Variety is essential for a healthy diet. The best way to ensure such a varied diet for the animals you keep is to breed invertebrates yourself. In their practical guidebook, which they will present to us this evening, the experienced breeders describe how this can be done without much effort and is also fun.

Stefan Greff & Walter Wiest Breeding feeders at home [German]
DGHT Regional group Saar-Pfalz
Zoo school of Zoo Neunkirchen
Zoostraße 25
66538 Neunkirche
Lecture starts at 7.00 pm

Picture: The newly published book by the two authors, NTV-Verlag

Presentation in Frankfurt about feeders

by Alex Negro Book publications Live lectures

To kick off its 2025 lecture series, the DGHT Frankfurt city group has invited two speakers for Friday, 17 January 2025. The two successful terrarium keepers Walter Wiest and Stefan Greff will be talking about their book project and their efficient feeders breeding programme, which was only published by Natur und Tier-Verlag at the end of last year. High-quality feeders are essential for the successful keeping and breeding of predatory freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, small mammals and insectivorous birds. Variety is essential for a healthy diet. The best way to ensure such a varied diet for the animals you keep is to breed invertebrates yourself. In their practical guidebook, which they will present to us this evening, the experienced breeders describe how this can be done without much effort and is also fun.

Stefan Greff & Walter Wiest Breeding feeders on your own [German]
DGHT City group Frankfurt
Zoo school of Zoo Frankfurt
Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1
60316 Frankfurt am Main
Lecture starts at 7.00 pm, admission from 6.30 pm

Picture: The newly published book by the two authors, NTV-Verlag

Presentation in Hamburg about Madagascar’s chameleons

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

If that’s not an exciting and highly interesting start to the new lecture year! On Friday 10 January 2025, Falk Eckhardt, a long-standing member of the Chameleons Working Group, will be giving a detailed talk on the chameleons of Madagascar.

Hardly any other lizard family is as well known as the chameleons. This is mainly due to their many special features, such as their independently movable eyes, rapid colour change, sling tongue, pincer-like feet and prehensile tail. Madagascar is considered the centre of species diversity in this family. Almost half of all chameleon species, including the world’s smallest and largest species, live on this island. There are currently around 100 species on Madagascar, divided into four genera. Representatives of the two original genera Brookesia and Palleon are predominantly small, brownish in colour and usually stay close to the ground. Their ability to change colour is limited and their tail is rather short. The two other genera Calumma and Furcifer, on the other hand, show all the classic characteristics of the ‘typical’ chameleon.

In his lecture, Falk will discuss the distribution and lifestyle of Madagascan chameleons. Special attention will also be paid to the short lifespan of some species, which Falk has also worked with professionally over a longer period of time. The importance of chameleons in Malagasy culture will also be discussed. That really sounds like a wonderful chameleon evening!

Falk Eckhardt Madagascar’s chameleons [German]
DGHT regional group Hamburg
Clubhouse “Am Sportplatzring”
Sportplatzring 47
22527 Hamburg
Presentation starts at 8.00 p.m.

Picture: Furcifer labordi female, photographed by the presenter

Online lecture about terrarium lighting

by Alex Negro Live lectures Webinars

The tenth digital regulars’ table of the DGHT takes up a particularly interesting topic for terrarium keepers: Terrarium lighting! On Thursday, 31 October 2024, physicist Sarina Wunderlich will present a wealth of knowledge about light and lamps in terrariums. She regularly tests lamps, explains the results and how to interpret them – and what is important when it comes to terrarium lighting. Her website www.licht-im-terrarium.de is probably well known to many people by now. Questions can be asked and discussed after the presentation. Attendance is free and highly recommended!

Sarina Wunderlich Light in terraristics[German!]
Digital regulars’ table of the DGHT
Online lecture, please register via digitaler-stammtisch@dght.de
Start of lecture: 8 p.m.

Presentation in Dortmund about chameleons

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

Wolfgang Schmidt, long-time member of the AG Chameleons, will give a detailed lecture on chameleons in Bergkamen on 01 November 2024. Wolfgang has already kept and successfully propagated a large number of chameleon species at home. He has also been travelling with his wife to the various habitats of chameleons for years, be it in South Africa, Socotra or Saudi Arabia. It is sure to be an exciting and colourful talk, just the thing for chameleon lovers!

Wolfgang Schmidt Observations of chameleons in the wild and in the terrarium [German]
DGHT city group Dortmund
Restaurant Olympia
Im Alten Dorf 2
59192 Bergkamen
Meeting from 5.30 p.m.
Presentation starts at 7.30 p.m.

Presentation in Frankfurt about Madagascar

by Alex Negro Live lectures

On Tuesday, 01 October 2024, Rainer Dolch will give an exciting lecture at Frankfurt Zoo. Rainer Dolch has been working for the Mitsinjo Association in the eastern highlands of Madagascar for years, so he will be giving a first-hand report.

As a remnant of the ancient continent of Gondwana, Madagascar has been isolated in the Indian Ocean for more than a hundred million years. Due to the long period of isolation, evolution has gone its own way here and has produced a unique animal and plant world.

These include the lemurs, which comprise more than a hundred species, endemic predators such as the mongoose-like vontsiras and the puma-like fossas, as well as representatives of the tanreks – a group of mammals related to elephants and aardvarks – reminiscent of hedgehogs and shrews. Madagascar’s extinct megafauna also included several species of hippopotamus and giant lemurs as well as the giant ratite Aepyornis. The island’s animal world that still exists today is also massively threatened with extinction due to human influence. In his lecture, Rainer Dolch presents approaches for the urgently needed protection of this unique living world.

Rainer Dolch From Aye-Aye to Fossa – A laboratory of evolution: Can Madagascar’s unique living world still be saved? [German language]
Grzimek House
Zoo Frankfurt (Entry via Rhönstraße)
Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1
60316 Frankfurt am Main
Presentation starts at 6.00 p.m.

Presentation in Dortmund about Namibia

by Alex Negro Reiseberichte Live lectures

Regina Liebel will give a detailed presentation about a great trip to Namibia on July 5, 2024 in Bergkamen near Dortmund. After the European Championship match, of course ;) .

Regina Liebel A round trip over 3481 km through Namibia [German]
DGHT City Group Dortmund
Restaurant Olympia
Im Alten Dorf 2
59192 Bergkamen
Meeting from 5.30 pm
Lecture starts at 7.30 pm

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