Just the Zoo of Us

join Ellen & special guest, naturalist and author of Secrets of the Octopus Sy Montgomery, for a look into the life and mind of some of the ocean’s most mystifying aliens: the giant Pacific octopus. We discuss an octopus’s least favorite texture, what happens when an arm goes rogue, the underwater city of Octopolis, how to make interspecies friendships, and so much more.

Links:

• Find Secrets of the Octopus wherever you get books!
• Find more of Sy's work at her website: symontgomery.com
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen comes out of her shell with hermit crabs & Christian is tickled pink by flamingos. In this week's beach episode, we discuss vacancy chains, shell economies, crustacean diss tracks, Florida postcards, and making new enemies in a flamboyance.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guests Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson for a revue of gay animals! We discuss manatee wuzzles, elephant matriarchy, giraffes necking in more ways than one, eagle throuples, the impact of prejudice on science, and so much more. This episode is a celebration of love, family, and community in - as our guest puts it - the animal queendom. 

NOTE: Since a lot of this episode is about the diversity of sexual behavior in animals, naturally it does contain more discussion of sex than most of our episodes, including behaviors that aren’t just motivated by reproduction. These discussions are not graphic or explicit, but it is a focal point of the conversation so I do encourage any young listeners to please check in with your grown-ups before listening.

Links:

• Check out A Field Guide to Gay Animals!
• Follow the podcast on Instagram!
• Follow Owen on Instagram and learn more about their work on their website!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian bubbles over with hype for the diving bell spider & Ellen tells some fish tales about the legendary oarfish. We discuss Hotwheels sisyphus, Doordash for spiders, diving technology, Pokemon, sea serpent mythology,  bioluminescence and so much more.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, naturalist and birder Dara Miles Wilson, about some of the brightest and boldest members of the corvid family: the tenacious and charming blue jays. We discuss the audacity of jays and their amazing hawk impressions, what to put in your birdfeeder and why you might want to add a little spice, why blue jays aren’t actually blue, and so much more.

Links:

• Follow Black AF in Stem on social media (linktree here) and check out the virtual and in-person events for this year's Black Birders Week!
• Follow Dara on Instagram or Twitter!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife biologist and author Sophie Osborn, for a review of the skydiving champions of the animal kingdom: peregrine falcons. We discuss the adaptations that let these incredible birds tear through the sky at literally breakneck speeds, biomimicry in aircraft design and sporting goods, the plague of pesticide and how we almost lost some of our most iconic birds, and the lessons that birds can teach us about our own role in the environment.

Links:

• Get your own copy of Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds by Sophie Osborn!
• Follow along with Sophie's work at her website!
• Watch peregrine falcons on the National Aviary's livestream, Peregrine FalconCam!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen earns her stripes with zebras & Christian DOES care about the honey badger. We discuss the mysteries of stripes, video games as scientific experiments, the important role of cool jackets in wildlife rehabilitation, zebras in unusual places, viral videos from 2011, venom resistance, cheetah mimicry, and so much more.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, biologist Dr. Chris Anderson, for a review of the funkiest lizards in the world: chameleons! We discuss  ballistic tongue projection, color changing and how cartoons get it wrong, eyes that move independently of each other, prehensile tails that act like a fifth leg, and so much more.

Links:

• Learn more about International Chameleon Day & Wildlife Madagascar's mission on their website here!
• Follow the IUCN Chameleon Specialist Group on Facebook or Twitter to learn more about chameleon conservation!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, conservationist and co-host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Peter Gros, to talk about the iconic red wolf and their ongoing recovery from the brink of extinction. We discuss the shifting landscape and attitudes in wildlife conservation over the last few decades, the role that captive breeding and re-introduction have played in reviving nearly lost red wolf populations, what makes these iconic animals so special, why large predators are so integral to a thriving ecosystem, and so much more.

Links:

• Check out Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, now airing on NBC!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & special guest Isaac answer questions from young listeners! We discuss the smallest animals, giraffe sounds, polar bear buoyancy, sturgeon skin, metabolism, and more. 

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & corvid scientist Dr. Kaeli Swift for a review of the clever little goths rummaging through a trash can near you: American crows. We discuss the twists and turns of a career in science, what crows can learn from funerals, how to tell a crow from a raven, and lessons in crucial skills like cheeto thievery and pizza crust gardening.

Links:

• Learn more about Dr. Kaeli Swift and her work on her blog, corvidresearch.blog!
• Follow Dr. Kaeli Swift on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or Twitter!
• Follow Marianas Nature to learn more about the wildlife of the Mariana Islands!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian explains why not to mess with the coral snake & Ellen puts the common cuckoo on blast. We discuss deadly neurotoxin, microfarts, what's up with those annoying flickering lightbulbs, sneaky disguises, evolutionary arms races, brood parasitism, bird genetics, and so much more. 

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & evolutionary morphologist Dr. Kassandra Ford as we get amped up about electric fishes. We discuss fish who use electricity to make mind maps, sabotage each other by jamming their signals, starve themselves with their own teeth, and ask the important questions like, “do you have a favorite fish skull?”

Links:

• Learn more about Dr. Ford's work at her website: https://www.kassandraford.com/
• Follow Dr. Ford on Instagram or Twitter!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Curious about the exclusive bonus content for Maximum Fun members? Enjoy some free samples from special episodes: "The Dewlap-Foraging Slug," Let's Learn Everything's "RATS! Cheddar Heist," "The Fakémon Lab," and "Our Favorite Animal."

 If you like what you hear, head over to https://maximumfun.org/join and sign up to get access to the entire bonus content library and SO much more!

Ellen & Christian answer questions from the audience! We discuss the podcast's humble origins, magical spells, our favorite ducks,  and more.

• Be a part of the MaxFunDrive & sign up to become a supporting member of the network and get access to exclusive content and beautiful gifts!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen softens up to the chinchilla & Christian breaks the ice with the walrus. We discuss Jackie Chan Adventures, fur slips, dust baths, tusks, whiskers, bells & whistles, Odysseus, and Lewis Carroll. Goo goo g'joob.

Links:

• Get involved with the MaxFunDrive & check out this year's awesome gifts & bonus content!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

This special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join. 

We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts!

J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:

Ellen & Christian Weatherford - “Just the Zoo of Us” 

Alex Schmidt & Katie Goldin - “Secretly Incredibly Fascinating”

If you’d like to hear more hosts competing for trivia supremacy, visit Maximumfun.org for the full version of this show.

Ellen & special guest, marine biologist Amani Webber-Schultz, suck up to the brilliant little moochers of the ocean: remoras. We discuss shark scales, suction cups, the most efficient way to eat tacos, scrapped Pokemon designs, and so much more.

Links:

• Check out Amani's podcast, Sharkpedia!
• Follow Amani on Instagram and TikTok!
• Learn more about MISS!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest Owen Klessel for some well-deserved PR for the most bizarre and fascinating and incredible animal you’ve never heard of: solenodons. This episode, much like the animal itself, is full of surprises like nose bones, echolocation, an unexpected defense mechanism, butt nipples, and a scourge of mongooses.

Links:

• Follow Owen's work on YouTube and TikTok!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian fishes for compliments about the fishing cat & Ellen goes rock climbing with rock hyraxes. We discuss cat eyes, fishing strategies, buck toothed vampires, toe shoes, Wikipedia drama, and more.

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest Shannon Roivas who brings us first-hand insight straight from her time spent in the forests of Tanzania studying our very own wild cousins: chimpanzees! On top of fascinating topics like the primate family tree, toe thumbs, termite popsicles and fear grimaces, our guest shares her unique experiences like naming chimpanzees, getting punched by one, and having the opportunity to watch them grow and learn in their very own home.

Links:

• Follow Shannon on Instagram!
• Learn more about Roots & Shoots and how you can get involved with conservation over at their website!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Romance is in the air as Ellen commits to the trumpeter swan & Christian catches the lovebug bug. We discuss clown shoe runways, air horn duets, bird monogamy, a mysterious case of missing bugs, and the true meaning of going out with a bang.

Links:

• Trumpeter swan sound found here via freesound.org
• Learn more about native swan conservation & how you can help: Trumpeter Swan Society
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & science educator and nature hype man Nick VanAcker to sing praises for some of our favorite true bugs: cicadas! We discuss how and why cicada choruses sing the song of the summer, why they spend so much of their lives underground before emerging and what’s so special about prime numbers anyway, the real parasitic fungus that inspired a cicada-themed Pokémon, and so much more.

Links:

• Follow Nick on TikTok!
• Check out more of Nick's work at his website!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian makes some noise for the Freddy Kreuger frog & Ellen picks a bouquet of bone-eating snot flowers. We discuss life as a mouth with legs, being born into literal Hunger Games, meme lore, whalefalls, and eating the bones.

Links:

• It Is Wednesday My Dudes
• Whale Fall (After Life of a Whale) by Sweet Fern Productions
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, deep sea biologist Dr. Thom Linley, for a literal deep dive into an animal that just might change the way you think about the creatures of the abyss: the ethereal snailfish. We discuss what it’s like to be among the first humans to ever see a species, life in the trenches - like, the actual Mariana trench, freedom from beauty norms and justice for the blobfish, slurping up meat-flavored jellybeans off the ocean floor, and the adorable side of the hadal zone.

Links:

• Check out Thom's podcast, Deep Sea Podcast!
• Follow the podcast on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!
• Follow Thom on Twitter or Instagram!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen gets the zig-zagging zoomies with tiger beetles & Christian has an existential crisis over the giant siphonophore. We discuss the REAL fastest land animal on Earth, literally blinding speed, reverse Naruto running, world record technicalities, zooids (not Zoids),  and what it means to be an organism.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, environmental educator Jamison Cole, for a review of our very own backyard apex predators: bobcats! We discuss topics including but not limited to tail nubs, ear tufts, coyote pee, the bobcat’s Final Smash, relationship tips from nature, tomcat jowls, and the interconnectedness of every member of the ecosystem from the tiniest rodent all the way up to the bald eagle.

Links:

• Check out the Ocean Advocacy Workshop and Plastic Ocean Project
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & Christian share stories, observations and inspiration from special guest: you! We discuss what sounds fish make, memory transfer via cannibalism, and what to do when you're attacked by a zebra. 

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & returning special guest, wildlife biologist Alex Troutman, for a review of some of our favorite mohawked chatterboxes: belted kingfishers. We discuss topics including but not limited to the vicious mockery of birds who fish better than us, biomimicry in train engineering, the truth behind Hollywood bird calls and lion roars, and stories from the field including spooky sounds in the forests of Borneo.

Links:

• Check out Alex's books, including Critters of Georgia: Pocket Guide to Animals in Your State!
• Learn more about Alex and his work over at his website!
• Follow Alex on Instagram and Twitter!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

We're out traveling this week! In the meantime, please enjoy this episode of Bugs Need Heroes, in which Ellen joined hosts Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman for a conversation about bug-type Pokemon, the real-world bugs that inspired them, and the ecology we can learn from the world of Pokemon. Originally aired on the Bugs Need Heroes podcast on November 5, 2023.

Links:

• Get the original full version of the episode, including additional quiz segment, over at the Bugs Need Heroes podcast!
• Learn more about the podcast on their website!
• Follow Bugs Need Heroes on Instagram, Twitter and Reddit!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian digs into the star-nosed mole & Ellen goes for a deep dive into the Devil's Hole pupfish. We discuss flowery tentacles, mole lore in Avatar: the Last Airbender, waves in the desert, a Supreme Court ruling, and the future ecological impacts of nuclear testing.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen is joined by a familiar voice, science communicator Ralph Crewe, back with us to review the wiggly little living fossils full of teeth and blood: Pacific lampreys. We discuss the intersection between the natural and manmade world, what lampreys can tell us about the history of vertebrate evolution, the unique adaptations that have let them thrive from riverbeds all the way to the open ocean and back for hundreds of millions of years, and why you should thank a lamprey today. 

Links:

• Check out Ralph's work on YouTube over at Practical Engineering!
• Follow Ralph on Instagram and Twitter!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen gets hooked on the loggerhead shrike & Christian makes a clean getaway with the five-lined skink. We discuss tomial teeth, impalement, dropping tails, and regeneration.

Links:

• Check out Sparkbird and listen to their music on Spotify!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, fish biologist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Brenda Pracheil, for a review of the gentle giants that have been swimming up and down our rivers since the dinosaur age: sturgeon. We discuss being a fish lawyer, ancient genetics, scales, whiskers, caviar, woosh tubes, and more.

Links:

• World Fish Migration Day
• The North American Sturgeon & Paddlefish Society
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian leaves a glowing review for the bark scorpion & Ellen casts a vote for the pūteketeke. We discuss neurotoxin, biofluorescence,  the ghostly penguin dance,  and John Oliver's impact on the Bird of the Century.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & special guest, Bachelor star turned science communicator Kendall Long, review pigs! In this episode, we discuss pigs and their achievements in some surprising endeavors, from digging up truffles and thriving in the wilderness to playing video games and basking on the beaches of the Bahamas.

Links:

• Check out Kendall's podcast, Little Curiosities!
• Follow Kendall on Instagram and TikTok!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen falls down a rabbit hole with the stoat & Christian looks up to the barreleye. We discuss the weasel war dance, rabbit assassins, paradoxical eyes, and deep sea body horror.

Links: 

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

In celebration of World Lemur Day, Ellen is joined by anthropology professor Ben Freed for a look up into the treetops of northern Madagascar to review crowned lemurs. Our guest brings his insight from experience studying these charismatic primates to discuss topics like the rainforest dress code, what your cell phone has in common with lemur cognition, and the unbreakable interspecies bonds between primates that remind us humans of our own place in nature. 

Links:

• Learn more about the community-based conservation & ecotourism programs at Bobaomby Nature Conservation.
• Ben also recommends checking out the Lemur Conservation Foundation to learn more about conservation in Madagascar.
• Visit the Lemur Conservation Network's website for more opportunities to celebrate lemurs for World Lemur Day!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok! 

Ellen & special guest, ecologist and entomologist Kelly Zimmerman, review one of the world’s deadliest creatures. This killer could fit in a teaspoon, and yet humans just can’t seem to get rid of the darn things. In this episode, we discuss the humble mosquito’s formidable resilience, defend their often underestimated role in their ecosystems, and dish up a serving of girl dinner.

Links:

• Check out Kelly's podcast, Bugs Need Heroes!
• Check out Kelly's YouTube channel, Nerdy Naturalists!
• Follow Kelly on Instagram! 
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian turns heads with the snowy owl & Ellen lands a slam dunk with the polar bear. In this arctic-themed episode, we discuss why owls turn their head so much, feather acoustics, irruptions, fur fiber optics, and polar bear basketball.

Links: 

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen and special guest, science communicator and educator Alana Baliga, review the iconic little birds zooming around the cactuses and tumbleweeds: roadrunners! We discuss things like the glamorous highlights of working for a science museum, what Looney Tunes got right and wrong about Mr. Runner, and how these fascinating animals are able to thrive in the extreme climates of the American southwest. 

Links: 

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen joins the band of coatis & Christian gives us the buzz on gharials. We discuss Star Wars names, banana wars,  animal influences on computer science, problematic age gaps, and  the funkiest crocodilian snout.

Links: 

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant for a review of savannah royalty: African lions! We discuss what it’s like to be an ecologist working in the field alongside truly awe-inspiring wildlife, what makes lions such iconic big cats from their impressive mane all the way down to their surprisingly tactical tail, and why their relationship to us is so important for inspiring passion for conservation and learning to live peacefully with our wild neighbors.

Links:

• Learn more about Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and her work on her website!
• Check out our guest's podcast, Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian does the spider shake with daddies long leg & Ellen tells the story of the imperiled panda of the sea, the vaquita. We discuss spider myths, web design, porpoises, and what happens when wildlife conservation meets organized crime.

Links:

• Learn more about Earth League International & their efforts to save and protect the vaquita at their website.
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from October of 2019, Christian zooms in on the tardigrades & Ellen demystifies the unique platypus.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & special guest, zookeeper Kailey Hart, review the humble earth pig. We discuss their evolutionary loneliness, unique hodge-podge of surprising traits, tube-teeth, Pokemon, the PBS cartoon Arthur, and pro tips for planning your next zoo trip.

• Follow Kailey on TikTok!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen soaks up the sun with the leaf sheep & Christian gets biblical with the miraculous basilisk. We discuss photosynthesis, losing your head over parasites, outrunning physics, and mythology.

• To learn more about the All for Animals walk at the Woodland Park Zoo, visit their website & join our team if you're able!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & special guest, marine biologist and artist Meg Mindlin, review the mind-blowing rogues of the sea: cuttlefish! We discuss RNA editing, cephalopod brains, how cuttlefish are able to change their skin in the blink of an eye, use deception and disguise to win over mates, and how connecting with nature inspires art and innovation that makes the whole world a better place.

Links:

• See Meg's art and science at their website!
• Follow Meg on TikTok and Instagram!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian basks in the glory of the basking shark & Ellen sees right through the glass frog. We discuss the origins of gills, livers full of oil AND blood, and making little gelatin frogs for science.

• To learn more about protecting rainforests and the wonderful frogs that live in them, check out the Rainforest Alliance!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & special guest, ecologist Sophiane Nacer, review the powdered donuts of the skies: hoary bats. We discuss frosted tips, tree roosters, bat memes and why you should care about bats all year long and not just for Halloween. If you haven’t fallen in love with bats yet, I think you will by the time we’re done.

• Follow Sophiane on Twitter or Instagram!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen brings it home with the sockeye salmon & Christian looks for the bear necessities with the grizzly bear. We discuss our recent relocation to the Pacific Northwest, how fish use magnets to navigate over thousands of miles, and bear safety tips to keep you - and the bears - safe while you enjoy nature.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from February of 2022, Ellen hangs out with the slow loris & Christian observes leg day with the southern cassowary. We discuss armpit alchemy, the pitfalls of cute animal videos, rumbles in the jungle, and real life dinosaurs.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, evolutionary biologist Dr. Seth Coleman, for a review of the little birds with the ultimate rizz: satin bowerbirds! Anyone who’s ever tried to impress a crush can take some notes from this episode as we discuss building and decorating the ultimate bachelor pad, the value of a little practice courtship with the fellas, learning the delicate art of choosing the right mate, and so much more. One man’s trash does in fact become one bird’s treasure, and by “trash” I mean “toothbrush.”

Links:

• Follow along with Seth's science content on TikTok and Instagram!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen takes off with the story of the California condor and their miraculous return to the southwestern skies. We discuss how their bodies are adapted to scavenging, their unwavering dedication to parenthood, their plummet towards extinction, and triumphant recovery with a little help from their friends on the ground.

Links:

• Article: "Inside the Race to Save a Single Condor Egg After Avian Flu Killed Its Mother"
• Video: "Yurok Tribe Song in Honor of Prey-go-neesh (Condor)"
• Yurok Tribe's YouTube channel 
• Learn more about the Yurok Condor Restoration Program & how you can help
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & special guest, paleontologist Adele Pentland, review the reptiles who once ruled our planet’s skies: pterosaurs! Even though they’ve been gone for millions of years, the fossils they left behind can tell fascinating stories about how they lived. We discuss what life was like for the largest creatures to ever fly, where Pokemon got paleontology right and wrong, and how knowledge of the present can inform theories about the past. We also get some insight into what it’s like to study fossils in Australia and use snapshots of the past to bring these bizarre and fascinating animals back to life, from digging in the Outback to naming an entire species. If you think having to get your laptop out of your bag is annoying, try getting pterosaur bones through airport security.

Links:

• Check out Adele's podcast, Pals in Palaeo!
• Follow Adele on Instagram!
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen howls at the moon with the grasshopper mouse & Christian lures us in with freshwater mussels. We discuss brain chemistry, an evolutionary uno reverse card, lion software on mouse hardware, tongue-feet, pretty boogers, and the worst day of a poor unsuspecting fish's life.

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & special guest, podcaster and wildlife educator Danielle LaRock, review one of our world’s most misunderstood, maligned, and magical creatures: gray wolves. We’re not just talking teeth and claws and fluffy coats - we’re also discussing alliances with crows, howls that rattle your very soul, the irreplaceable ecological role of wolves, their conflicts with humans, and how we can all make peace with our wild neighbors.

Links:

• YouTube video: "How Wolves Change Rivers"
• YouTube video of Danielle & Kekoa the wolf at the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center
• Check out Danielle's podcast, National Park After Dark, and follow them on Instagram!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian explains the pitfalls of antlions & Ellen snaps back with the trap-jaw ant. We discuss metamorphosis, structural engineering, sand doodles, the Sarlacc, Darwin's thoughts on Australia, Pokémon, sticky babies, and a literal scientific arena. 

Links:

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, naturalist Ivan Kwan, for a review of the scaly friends with the world’s most chaotic energy: Asian water monitors! We talked about the history and landscape of Singapore, smelling in stereo, Krakatoa, and the giant lizards showing up where you least expect them, from treetops to shipwrecks, racetracks and even toilets. It’s their world, we’re just living in it.

Links:

• The photo Ivan mentioned of the water monitor in the shipwreck can be found on photographer Kriss Sieniawski's Instagram. 
• Follow Ivan on Twitter and Instagram!
• Check out Ivan's podcast, Wild Red Dot!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen nose what's up with the proboscis monkey & Christian sizes up the sarcastic fringehead. We discuss the form and function of a uniquely bizarre nose, the impact memes can have on conservation, and why you might want to think twice before reaching into a hole in the sea floor.

Links:

• The Borneo Nature Foundation
• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, biology professor and researcher Sarah Lower, for a review of nature’s very own glimmering fairy lights: fireflies! We discuss how to do the beetle dance, tips for packing a bioluminescent picnic, and the shockingly diabolical world of fireflies - from friendly fire to catfishing, thievery, and snailshakes.

Links:

• The Lower Lab website 
• Dr. Lower's Twitter 
• Mass Audubon's Firefly Watch Community Science Project 
• iNaturalist 
• The Xerces Society's Firefly Atlas 
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Christian cheers for pom-pom crabs & Ellen explains what makes mourning doves so coo-l. We discuss how crabs clone their own pets,  what type of milk pigeons order in their lattes,  and a suspicious pattern of criminal activity.

• For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, biologist and host of Nat Geo WILD’s TV series “Monster Fish” Zeb Hogan, for a review of the giants lurking in the waters of the world’s rivers and lakes: freshwater megafish. We discuss how and why fish are able to reach massive sizes, what it’s like to research and work alongside these enormous creatures in their own homes, and how we can help protect and conserve the natural habitats we all rely on to thrive.

Links:

• Check out Zeb's book, "Chasing Giants: In Search of the World's Largest Freshwater Fish"
• Keep up with Wonders of the Mekong on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen dives into the brown pelican & Christian goes wild with Przewalski's horse. We discuss gular pouches, aerodynamics, stud piles, and conservation success stories.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Cover photos: David Baileys (pelican) & Irén Udvarházi (Przewalski's horses), via Getty images

Join Ellen & special guest, biologist and science communicator Brooke Fitzwater, for a review of the tiny indestructible ogres of the swamp: the mangrove rivulus! We discuss parasites and their role in courtship and reproduction, what fish would put on their tinder profiles, and life as a fish who isn’t quite sure about this whole “being a fish” thing.

Links:

• Learn more about Brooke's research and follow her on Twitter, TikTok or Instagram!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Cover photo credit: Cardet co6cs CC4.0, via phys.org: https://phys.org/news/2021-06-mangrove-rivulus-fish-hints-mechanism.html

For the second and final week of the 2023 MaxFunDrive, we're answering your questions and sharing your stories! We get into all of the exciting places the podcast has taken us, how it's helped you all connect with the animal kingdom, our favorite Muppets, and more.

Links:

• Be a part of the MaxFunDrive & sign up to become a supporting member of the network and get access to exclusive content and beautiful gifts!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

It's a special trip in the time machine for the MaxFunDrive! Christian chomps on the megalodon & Ellen laments for the thylacine. We ask the important questions: What were they like? Are they really gone? Should we bring them back? 

Links:

• Learn more about the MaxFunDrive and be a part of supporting our show!
• Colorized footage of the thylacine, via the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
• Paper: "Resolving when (and where) the Thylacine went extinct"
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Cover photos via the Smithsonian Institution

We're out traveling this week! In the meantime, please enjoy this episode of Planthropology, in which Ellen joined host Dr. Vikram Baliga for a conversation about grass-type Pokemon and the real-world plants that inspired them. Originally aired on the Planthropology podcast on March 1, 2022.

Links:

• Check out Planthropology and follow on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or TikTok!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
• Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen &  tabletop roleplaying game podcaster and expert game master Eric Silver for an exploration of Dungeons & Dragons character classes and the real-world animals that embody them. We discuss animals with maxed out dexterity, charisma and strength. If you’ve never played D&D, don’t worry! We give explanations of the basics along the way so that anybody can enjoy.

Links:

Follow Eric on Twitter and Instagram!

Check out Eric's podcasts: Join the Party, Games and Feelings, Tell Me About It, and more over at his website!

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Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen & special guest, marine biologist Chelsea Bennice, for a review of the multifunctional, multicolored, multi-armed aliens of the ocean: octopuses! We discuss octopus handshakes, donut brains, swiss army mouths, goat eyes, toxic friendships and Eiffel towers.

Links:

Follow Chelsea on Facebook or Instagram!

Learn more about octopuses at OctoNation.com, where you can find educational resources, merch and connect with the octopus fan community! 

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Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen struts with the greater sage grouse & Christian pops off about the pistol shrimp. We discuss what happens at a lek, whether or not the sage grouse poses a threat to the United States military, what pistol shrimps can teach you about your pressure cooker, and the Shrimp of Theseus.

Links:

Vox: "This goofy bird vs. the fossil fuel industry"

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Join Ellen and special guest, President and CEO of the Texas State Aquarium Jesse Gilbert, for a review of the living tanks of the sea: loggerhead turtles! We discuss the challenges faced by sea turtles in a changing world, the aquarium's work rescuing and rehabilitating loggerhead turtles and other marine life, and the magic of connecting with another species.

Learn more about the Texas State Aquarium at their website and follow along with their work on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord! Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Cover photo: NOAA

Christian throws down with the Japanese rhinoceros beetle & Ellen goes on a journey through evolutionary history with the Indian muntjac. We discuss the toxic masculinity of beetles and why the Indian muntjac's bark is just as bad as their bite.

Links:

The muntjac video shown to Christian

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Ellen & special guest, primatologist and biological anthropologist Dr. Michelle Rodrigues, review the ballerinas of the Central and South American rain forests: spider monkeys. We discuss what life in the treetops looks like through a spider monkey’s big beautiful eyes, the latest innovations in butt-scratching technology, and the power of friendship.

Follow Michelle on Twitter and Instagram, and learn more about her work at her website!

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Cover photo: jkraft5 via Getty images

Ellen luxuriates in the vicuña & Christian takes a bite out of crime with the cookie cutter shark. We discuss adaptations to life in the Andes, vicuña wool as political bribery, suctorial lips, and how to play an Uno Reverse card on some of the ocean's top predators.

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Cover photos: Tadas Jucys via Getty images & Paulo Oliveira via The Guardian

Join Ellen & paleontology researcher and fellow Floridian Alec Baines for a review of the saltwater guardians, American crocodiles. We discuss the archosaur family tree, flower-picking and other crocodilian leisure activities, what to do if you find yourself in the chompin’ zone, and falling in love at a punk croc concert.

Follow Alec on Instagram and Twitter!

Learn more about their science communication work:
http://www.creaturefeatureservices.com/podcasts

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Cover photo: zmeel via Getty images

Christian attends the caecilian cotillion & Ellen gets friendly with the rubber boa. We discuss life as a humble amphibian wiggling around in the mud and explain how even limbless creatures can still throw hands.

The Caecilian Cotillions Song: https://youtu.be/xxsUQtfQ5Ew

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Cover photos: Chris Harrison via kingsnake.com (caecilian) & andrewnydam via Wikimedia commons (rubber boa)
http://gallery.kingsnake.com/photo.php?id=343343
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charina_bottae1.jpg

 Join Ellen & science journalist Bethany Brookshire for a review of the lumpy little tide pods disrupting ecosystems all over the globe: cane toads. We discuss toxic shoulder pads, retro nature documentary excellence, poison butts and teacher toads, ugly animals, and the complicated relationships humans have with the wildlife around us.

Further viewing:

• Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (1988)
• Cane toad mating call (up close in 4K)

Learn more about Bethany's work at her website and follow her on Twitter!

Check out her new book, Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains and her podcast, Science for the People!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Ellen dives into the magical world of narwhals & Christian warms up to Japanese macaques. We discuss inside-out teeth, hot tub parties, and how misunderstandings and scams shaped unicorn mythology.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photos: dottedhippo via Getty images (narwhal) & sorincolac via Getty images (snow monkeys)

This episode originally aired on December 25, 2020. This version of the episode includes minor updates and audio edits.

 Join Ellen & special guest, ecologist and science communicator Olivia deBourcier, for a festively themed review of reindeer! We talked about what makes them so well suited to the chilly climates they thrive in, from the tips of their impressive antlers all the way down to their clicky hooves, plus what it’s like to work with them and the threats they’re facing in their natural habitats.

Links:

• Follow Olivia on Instagram or Twitter!
• Check out Beyond Blathers and follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok!
• Check out the the Pangolin Holiday Spectacular mentioned in the episode!
• Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photo: lightpix via Getty images

Ellen is joined by the hosts of fellow Maximum Fun podcast Let's Learn Everything for a review of the little furry guys leaving tiny pawprints all over human history: rats! We discuss their role in the black plague, the intricacies of rat intelligence and emotions, and how they’ve been represented in folklore and pop culture. We’ll set historical records straight, display our best teamwork behavior, and take a trip down to your favorite family entertainment center and pizza restaurant chain.

Links:

Check out Let's Learn Everything wherever you get podcasts & follow along with them on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Discord!

Follow Ella on Twitter or TikTok!
Follow Caroline on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok!
Follow Tom on Twitter, Instagram or TikTok!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photo: MikeLane45 via Getty images

Christian chews on some facts about the American beaver & Ellen celebrates the festive Christmas tree worm. We discuss giant rodents, ecological engineering, coral reef symbiosis, and the prettiest worm.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photos: photographybyJHWilliams via Getty images (beaver), johnandersonphoto via Getty images (Christmas tree worm)

Join Ellen & science communicator, birder and professional nerd Ralph Crewe for a review of a little bird with the loftiest ambitions: chimney swifts. We talk about competitive birding, planetariums, and what it’s like to eat, sleep, and bathe entirely midair.

Links:

Check out Ralph's YouTube channel, Isn't That Something, and his work on Practical Engineering. Local to Pittsburgh? Check out Nerd Nite! Follow Ralph on Twitter and Facebook.

Cover photo: Jonathan Irons via iNaturalist

Ellen goes on an odyssey through history with the wild turkey. We discuss their path alongside humans for thousands of years, from prehistoric America to praise from Benjamin Franklin, the brink of extinction and nets fired out of cannons.  

Further viewing:

Rocket Netting Turkeys, a video demonstration by the LSU AgCenter 

Paul Kelly's Gobbling Demonstration

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photo: svetlanafoote via Getty images

Join Ellen & shark scientist Melissa Márquez for a review of the giant garbage disposals of the ocean: tiger sharks. We discuss sharks as links to our world’s past, what it's like to work with the ocean as your office and wild sharks as your colleagues, teeth and slime and jelly-filled pores.

Melissa's books:

Mother of Sharks, a picture book for ages 5 to 8

Swimming with Sharks (Wild Survival #2) : Volume 2, an adventure book for ages 12 to 15

Learn more about Melissa's work on her website, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Christian sticks to velvet worms & Ellen hangs out with binturongs. We discuss sticky situations, some unconventional means of reproduction, prehensile tails, and popcorn-scented pee.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photos: Geoff Galice via Wikipedia (velvet worm) & exs via Getty images (binturong)

Join Ellen & special guest, invertebrate photographer, zookeeper and science communicator behind "She's Got Legs" Caitlin Henderson, for a review  of the best huggers of the arachnid world: huntsman spiders. We’ll discuss why your yard glitters at night, fake webs for real spiders, cartwheels, backflips, spider unions, spider spaghetti, and why the most dangerous thing about these little guys is how much we fear them.

Follow Caitlin's work on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tiktok!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photo provided by Caitlin Henderson :)

Ellen has a bone to pick with the Iberian ribbed newt & Christian channels the spirit of the Australian ghostshark. We discuss insides becoming outsides, amphibian space flight, living fossils, and reset the "episodes since last Naruto reference" counter to zero.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photos: Peter Halasz via Wikipedia (Iberian ribbed newt) & Fir0002/Flagstaffotos via Wikipedia (Australian ghostshark)

Join Ellen & special guest, entomologist Johanna Schwartz, for a review of animals you may not have thought to appreciate before: wasps. From the world’s smallest insect, the fairyfly, to the infamous giant hornet, the wasp world is full of imposters, cockroach brain surgery, pollination and pest control.

Check out Nature Check on YouTube & Twitch! Our appearance can be found here.

Follow Johanna on Twitter!

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Christian shreds on the bowmouth guitarfish & Ellen shakes things up with the timber rattlesnake. We discuss the shark-ray spectrum (which is not a laser beam that turns you into a shark),  weird teeth, how a snake's rattle works, and why you should peacefully leave them alone.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photos: Tomas Kotouc via Getty images (bowmouth guitarfish) & tamers1 via Getty images (timber rattlesnake)

Join Ellen & special guest, ecologist and history podcaster Natalie Sabin, for a post-mortem of the dearly departed dodo. We discuss the unique traits that allowed the dodo to thrive in its island home, what went wrong for them when humans appeared, and why they left such big heavy footprints in our hearts.

Listen to Across the Ages wherever you get podcasts!

Follow Natalie on Twitter for more wildlife ecology, bats, nature & history!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photo: "Adriaen van de Venne's 1626 depiction of a dodo he claimed to have seen" via Wikipedia

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! This week, Ellen puts the spotted lanternfly in the spotlight & Christian spills his guts on the crown-of-thorns starfish. We discuss stinky trees, winged invaders, crunching up corals, and eyes where you least expect them.

Learn more about what to do if you see spotted lanternflies in the USA: https://www.phila.gov/2018-08-31-spotted-lanternfly-in-philadelphia/

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photos: arlutz73 via Getty images (spotted lanternfly) & Velvetfish via Getty images (crown-of-thorns starfish)

Join Ellen & special guest, illustrator and author Alexander Vidal, for a review of a tiny bird with an ambitious itinerary: the rufous hummingbird. We discuss cottagecore nests, how wildlife moves all over our continent, birds that look like bugs and bugs that look like birds, and a lesson in confidence from the world’s littlest dinosaurs. 

Get Alexander's book, Wilds of the United States: The Animals' Survival Field Guide!

Follow Alexander on Twitter and Instagram!

Hang out with Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! This week, Christian gets salty over the marine iguana & Ellen glides along with the literally treehugging colugo. We discuss archipelagos, snot rockets, Darwin's garbage takes, Godzilla, skin parachutes and baby hammocks.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photos: Patrick_Gijsbers via Getty images (marine iguana) & Didasteph via Wikimedia commons (colugo)

Join Ellen & special guest, marine biologist Sophie Wolvin, for a review of the ocean's little jello casseroles full of live bees: moon jellyfish! We’re gonna talk about what to do if you get stung by a jellyfish, what it’s like to care for the delicate jellies, their vortex of death, jellybeans and blooms, and I confess to some heinous jellyfish crimes.

Follow Sophie on Twitter and learn more about her work at her website!

Listen to Sophie discuss young adult fiction with biologists on the Midlight Crisis podcast!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen lets Pallas's cat out of the bag & Christian probes into the world of the sensitive kiwi. We discuss grumpy cats, spawncamping, chilly beans, buff legs and giant eggs.

Check out Benjamin Lancer's paper on dragonfly attention in Nature!

Watch Wildlife Instincts: Pallas's Cat - Master of the Plains on YouTube!

Learn more about how you can help the kiwi!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!

Cover photos: Radovan Zierik via Getty images (Pallas's cat), Lakeview Images via Getty (kiwi)

Join Ellen & special guest, podcaster and invertebrate enthusiast Tom Sharpe, as we leap into the world of the tiny menace: fleas! We discuss the intersection of entomology and Pokemon, blind leaps of faith, tiny little cowboys riding their trusty steeds up cave walls, the history of fleas on leashes, and more.

For more of Tom's invertebrate podcasting, check out Grubbing in the Filth: An Invertebrate Podcast! Follow along on Twitter & Instagram.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord & join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Cover photo: Jugas via Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian barks about the loud wet dog of the Pacific coast, the California sea lion, and Ellen gets to know her bottomfeeding best friend, the giant isopod. In this episode, we discuss our recent trip to Monterey Bay, pinniped evolution, whale falls, and Hello Kitty Darth Vader. 

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord & join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Cover photos: cwinegarden via Getty images (sea lion), Monterey Bay Aquarium via Twitter post (giant isopod)

Join Ellen & special guest, anthropologist & cetologist Drew Smith, for a review of the adorable little apex predators zipping through the waves: dolphins! We talked about animal charisma, dolphin culture and society and play, a West Side Story-style rivalry, a whale’s favorite ice cream flavor, and how these animals so different from us have flipped and whistled their way into our human hearts.

Follow Drew on Twitter!

Learn more about upcoming Paleolithic historical fiction novel Jih's Journey   here!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord & join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Cover photo provided by Drew Smith

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen brings a flair for drama with the hognose snake & Christian shatters expectations with the lightning-fast strike of the cone snail. We discuss feigning death, longleaf pine forests, and stealthy assassins of the reef.

For more information on longleaf pine forest conservation, check out the Longleaf Alliance.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord & join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Cover photos: Mark Kostich (hognose snake) via Getty images, Richard Ling (cone snail) via Wikipedia

Audio from Don Giovanni via Wikimedia Commons

Join Ellen & special guest musician from Jukebox the Ghost, comic artist behind "Candy Hearts" and "I Hope This Helps," and birder Tommy Siegel for a review of the touring musicians of the North American skies: sandhill cranes. We talk about the mental health benefits of birding, how crane couples keep the romance alive, what a musical interpretation of their iconic call might sound like, and more.

Follow Tommy on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Learn more about his work on his website. Calendars, prints and stickers of Extremely Accurate Birds can be ordered here!

Learn more about Jukebox the Ghost at their website & listen to their new album Cheers wherever you get your music!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord & join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Tune in to Science & Sorcery at 2pm eastern on Friday, July 22nd for a D&D adventure!

Cover photo: bookguy via Getty images

Crane sound effect recorded by Tim Kahn, obtained via freesound.org 

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's poisonous amphibian showcase, Christian takes competition to a whole new level with the rough-skinned newt and Ellen takes a leap of faith with the pumpkin toadlet. We discuss an evolutionary grappling match, the drawbacks of being too tiny, and glowing bones.

Learn more about how you can help the Atlantic Forest by visiting Copaíba's website.

Check out Ellen's guest appearances this week:

"Don’t Go in the Water: A Guide to the Wonderful & Wacky Animals of Florida" on Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast

"Manatees" on Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

"Top 10 Most Popular Animals in the World" on the 10ish Podcast

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord! 

Join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Cover photos: Carlos Otávio Gussoni via iNaturalist (pumpkin toadlet), randimal via Getty images (newt)

Join Ellen & special guest, science writer Nick Lund, for a special episode nominating our very own top 3 candidates for the national bird of the United States of America! In addition to our bird selections, Nick gives us insight into the process that actually goes into designating official state birds, the history behind the bald eagle’s use as the country’s symbol and why the turkey was once famously suggested to be America’s Next Top Wattle.

Follow The Birdist on Twitter!

Check out our guest's books:

The Ultimate Biography of Earth: From the Big Bang to Today! - Told in a lively, illustrated biography form to deliver its cutting-edge science in the most compelling way, here is the story of Earth, from the chaotic Hadean eon with its huge oceans of molten rock to today’s Cenozoic era, aka the Age of Mammals (and that includes us humans). Great for young curious minds!

American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Maine -A photographic field guide with one bird featured per page. Each concise species account includes measurements, scientific name, identification description, voice, behavior, and the habitat it is likely to be found in. Photographs by Brian E. Small.

More of Nick's writing and science communication work can be found at his website.

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram & join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! This week, Ellen steppes up to the plate with the saiga & Christian gar-ners support for the alligator gar. We discuss the inner workings of the saiga's bizarre nose, the funky antelope's conservation roller coaster ride, river monsters, and forbidden boba pearls.

Learn more about saiga conservation & how you can support them with the Saiga Conservation Alliance!

Hear about gars from Dr. Solomon David on his episode of Ologies from December of 2020: Garology (LONG CUTE ANCIENT PATIENT BOOPABLE NIGHTMARE FISH) with Solomon David

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram & join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Cover photos: Victor Tyakht (saiga) & Bill Roque (alligator gar)

Join Ellen & conservationist, wildlife educator and streamer Maya Higa to talk about one of the toughest, bravest predators in the sky: red-tailed hawks! We talk about the joys of falconry and wildlife rehabilitation, the reckless raptor lifestyle, environmentally-friendly window decor, what to do if you find a baby bird on the ground, and what it’s like to work alongside these modern-day dinosaurs.

Follow Maya on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter & Instagram!

Learn more about Alveus Sanctuary & follow along with their work on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitch!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram & join Ellen for weekly video game streams on Twitch!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian reads the manual to the Japanese spider crab & Ellen turns up the heat with the Saharan silver ant. We discuss optical physics, exoskeletons, and the highs and lows of arthropod life from the dunes of the Sahara desert to the bottom of the ocean. 

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram & join Ellen for weekly animal-themed video game streams on Twitch!

Cover photo: Arrlxx via Getty images (Japanese spider crab) & Bjørn Christian Tørrissen via Wikipedia (Saharan silver ant)

Join Ellen & special guest, entomologist Ilan Domnich, for a review of a fascinating family of bugs that are always one slow, methodical step ahead of the competition: assassin bugs! We discuss why their bite packs such a powerful punch, how they’re able to outsmart both predators and prey with downright machiavellian tactics like corpse armor and spawncamping and trap-setting, and what wonders you’ll find when you take a minute to stoop down and appreciate the intricacies of insects. This episode is quite long, but trust the process because this episode is PACKED with mind-blowing revelations about the cutthroat world of bugs.

Visit the Bugs 101: Insect-Human Interactions course on Coursera!

Follow Ilan on Instagram!

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Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's trip to the childhood arcade, Ellen rolls around at the speed of sound with the European hedgehog & Christian crashes the party with the eastern barred bandicoot. We discuss the hedgehog's formidable defenses, the bandicoot's triumphant return from extinction, and the role these two remarkable critters played in our very own childhoods.

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Email or DM us for a link to our Discord server. :)

Cover photos: lostbear via Getty images (hedgehog), JJ Harrison via Wikipedia (bandicoot)

Join Ellen & special guest, zookeeper & host of the We Out Here podcast Alexi Grousis, for a review of a unique and mysterious creature bouncing around rainforest canopies by the light of the moon: owl monkeys! We talk about how owl monkeys have adjusted to thriving in the twilight, what’s going on behind those big bright eyes, and what it’s like to work with these little fluffy forest sprites.

Check out The We Out Here Podcast on your podcast app & follow them on Twitter and Instagram!

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Join the Weatherfords for a fantasy roleplaying adventure as Christian plays a Dungeons & Dragons homebrew one-shot written by Ellen! In this week's episode, Monax Tufdert  takes on a clandestine mission of the reptilian persuasion from a local government official. Along the way, he seeks to befriend a dog, rescue wildlife in peril, and restore ecological balance to the wetlands.

All sounds used in this episode came from freesound.org & attribution can be found here.

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Ellen & special guest, herbivore ecologist and researcher Kirsten Engeseth, who joins us all the way from Norway to review the fluffiest, softest living tank you’ve ever seen: the muskox! We talk about how these real-life Banthas keep warm in the harsh arctic winters, band together to defend their herd with unwavering honor, and do their absolute best to overcome the challenges of new environments and a changing world.

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For the second and final week of the MaxFunDrive, we're answering your questions and sharing your stories! We share some deeply personal intimate details like our inspirations behind the podcast, what the journey has been like to make it over the last 3 years, and how much ham we could eat in one sitting.

Be a part of the MaxFunDrive & sign up to become a supporting member of the network and get access to exclusive content and beautiful gifts!

Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on our membership goals and news about upcoming livestreams.

Follow @ginkgozee on Instagram for beautiful, Just the Zoo of Us inspired artwork!

Join Ellen & special guest, archaeologist and cryptid enthusiast Elliot Helmer, on a search for the truth about our most mysterious neighbor: Bigfoot. We discuss hominid evolution, cryptid ecology, the importance of oral history and traditional knowledge, and what Bigfoot can teach us about ourselves and our own relationship with nature wherever you fall on the spectrum of skepticism.

 Visit the Black Trowel Collective to learn more about & support their mutual aid initiative for archaeology students, as well as the Na'ah Illahee Fund to  support their organization's work regenerating Indigenous communities.

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Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from August of 2020, Ellen explains why emus don't bother flying and Christian dives into the mysterious world of the cryptic whale shark. We discuss the evolution, de-evolution and re-evolution of flight, an actual military war between humans and birds resulting in a victory you might not expect, and eyeballs covered with teeth.

Send in questions for our upcoming Q&A episode to [email protected] or message us on social media! Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Cover photo: cpaulfell (emu) & Chainarong Phrammanee (whale shark), via Getty images

Join Ellen & special guest, conservationist and podcaster Jack Baker,  for a review of the charming and humble pangolin! We discuss how the pangolin’s unique adaptations tip the scales in favor of this walking pinecone and what challenges they face in the world today.

Check out Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn!

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Cover photo: 2630ben via Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's sixteen-legged episode, Christian weaves a web of truth about the Joro spider & Ellen pulls no punches with the day octopus. We discuss what the media hype gets wrong about the Joro spider,  how to eat cephalopod ink & why octopuses and their "swift, explosive motion" are complete reef menaces.

If this podcast has had an impact on you or your life, we want to hear from you! Send in your story or just tell us what this show means to you by emailing [email protected] OR leave a voice message at (323) 601-8719. We’re working on some special episodes coming up soon, and you just might hear your message shared on the podcast! 

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Cover photo: Arrlxx via Getty images (Joro spider) & slowmotiongli via Getty images (day octopus)

Join Ellen & special guest, entomologist and animal scientist Shakara Maggitt, for a review of the gentle giants of the insect world: phasmids! You may know them as stick bugs, leaf insects or any of their other many common names.  We discuss learning to love bugs, what makes the abundantly diverse stick bug family so weird and wonderful, and even why you might want to consider incorporating bugs into your own culinary repertoire.

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Cover photo: Chris Rogers via Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen wallows in the unique charm of the babirusa & Christian gives us a look into the mysteries of the Greenland shark. We discuss teeth mutiny, Icelandic food, and life in the slow lane.

 If this podcast has had an impact on you or your life, we want to hear from you! Send in your story or just tell us what this show means to you by emailing [email protected] OR leave a voice message at (323) 601-8719. We’re working on some special episodes coming up soon, and you just might hear your message shared on the podcast! 

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Cover photo: Ellen Weatherford (babirusa), dottedhippo via Getty images (Greenland shark)

Join Ellen & special guest, fellow animal science podcaster and Cool Bug Appreciator Katie Goldin, for a review of the spectacular and delectably devious cuckoo wasps! We discuss what makes these glittering jewels of the insect world such perfectly crafted little menaces terrorizing a wasp nest near you in this exhilarating exposé of espionage, exploitation, and exoskeletons.

Katie Goldin is the host of Creature Feature, which can be found wherever you get podcasts. You can also follow Katie on Twitter!

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Cover photo: Ines Carrara, via Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's especially odoriferous episode, Christian gives high marks to the Egyptian vulture and Ellen gives props to the grandstanding, handstanding eastern spotted skunk. We discuss where the pharaoh's chicken ranks in the scavenging pecking order,  how to ACTUALLY get rid of the smell from a skunk spray using chemistry,  and why it's important to appreciate even our stinkiest friends.

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Cover photos: Byrdyak via Getty images (Egyptian vulture) & Weber via Getty images (spotted skunk)

Join Ellen & special guest, conservation biologist Dr. Christine Wilkinson, for a review of the oft-maligned powerhouses: hyenas! We discuss the diversity of the hyena family, eating bones, girlbossing, how pop culture has missed the mark on hyena representation, and compassionate conservation.

Follow Christine on Twitter and check out their website for more!

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Cover photo: David O'Brien via Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen hangs out with the slow loris & Christian observes leg day with the southern cassowary. We discuss armpit alchemy, the pitfalls of cute animal videos, rumbles in the jungle, and real life dinosaurs.

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Cover photos: warmer via Getty images (slow loris), Julien Viry via Getty images (cassowary)

Join Ellen & special guest Tharusha Wijewardena for a review of the charming and endangered Blanding's turtle. We discuss what to do if you see a turtle crossing the road, what cartoons get right and wrong about turtles, the perils of longevity and cute fluffy predators, and the conservation work that’s going into helping our tough-shelled friends.

Follow Tharusha on Twitter and learn more about the Headstarting Project over at the Toronto Zoo's website.
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Cover photo: Caverhill via Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian drops in on green iguanas and Ellen reels in the blue marlin. Topics include pendulous dewlaps, frozen lizards falling from trees, the powerhouse of the cell, and flailing knives.

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Cover photos: Christo Goosen via Pexels (green iguana) & Kelly Dalling via Getty Images (blue marlin)

Join Ellen & special guest, animal trainer Aeralyn Rudnick, for a review of the relentlessly charming turacos! They are here to tell us all about what it’s like to work with these spectacular little goofballs, how to win their hearts over with the power of berries, baby bird glow-ups and the science behind their rainbow of brilliantly pigmented colors that really do make them actual living paintings.

Follow Aeralyn's work on TikTok and Instagram, and find more information at their website!

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Cover photo courtesy of Aeralyn Rudnick

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen chills out with icefish & Christian tells us why the wombat really shines. Topics include Crystal Pepsi, secret fish cities, poop cubes and blacklights.

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Cover photo: keiichihiki via Getty images (wombat), Marrabbio2 via Wikipedia (icefish, Chionodraco hamatus)

Join Ellen & conservation biologist Stephanie Martinez for a review of the little deceptively adorable critters tunneling through the grasslands: ground squirrels! We talk about the hazards of field work, sleeping your problems away, the science of splooting, jiu jitsu matches, squirrel romance, tippy taps and furry little neighborhood watch programs.

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Cover photo: Pancaketom via Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian tells us how the bull shark gets fresh by staying salty & Ellen takes a stab at the knife-faced green heron. We discuss Jaws, the atlatl, and zoooOOOP!

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Cover photo: Divepic, wildpix645 (via Getty images)

Join Ellen & marine biologist Rosie Steinberg for a review of some beautiful animals that you might not have even known were animals: carnation corals! We talk about the living Ship of Theseus, what a coral smells like, intense turf wars being fought in super slow motion, and life as a hivemind of squishy clones.

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Cover photo: johnandersonphoto via Getty Images

Join Ellen & reptile keeper Dominique DiFalco for a review of the fabulously lashed crested gecko! Learn all about the joys of loving and caring for reptiles, the mind-blowing physics that keeps geckos clinging even to smooth glass, and what makes these wide-eyed, velvety soft lizards such special little friends.

Follow along with Dominique's work on Facebook (her group is currently on pause for the holidays but will be back soon) and Instagram!

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Cover photo:  sue29, via Getty Images

Join Ellen and special guest, science communicator & podcaster Ashley Hamer, for a review of the towering leaf-eaters of the African savannahs: the northern giraffe! We discuss how giraffes keep their tongues from getting sunburnt, built-in compression socks, the perils of necking, and more.

Follow Ashley on Twitter and check out her other work on her website!

Cover photo: Leo Mercon, via Getty Images

Join Ellen & special guest bat enthusiast Nate Marshall for a review of the not-so-sinister vampire bats!  In this episode, we discuss leaf noses, Pope tweets, bat friendships, and more.

Follow Nate on Twitter and check out his podcast for more bat content!

Cover photo: belizar73,  Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen squares up with the formidable tarantula hawk & Christian gives the buzz on vulture bees.  We discuss why you should give the tarantula hawk plenty of personal space, their video game boss fight strategy, and putting meat back on the menu for some very interesting little bees.

Join Ellen & special guest Carly Haywood for a review of the scaly, pig-snouted friends of the underbrush: nine-banded armadillos! In this episode, we discuss whether you should be afraid of getting leprosy from an armadillo, what “pancaking” is and why they do it, and little tiny clone parades scuttling through the underbrush.

You can follow Carly on Twitter at @MotherOfDasypus :)

Cover photo: Svetlana Foote, via Getty images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian brings the acorn woodpecker to trial for its rampant vandalism & Ellen goes for a ride in a time machine with the West African lungfish. Along the way, we discuss the physics of using your face as a jackhammer, snot cocoons, and Sonic hedgehog.

Cover photos: Luis Echeverri Urrea via Getty images (woodpeckers), voltan1 via Getty images (lungfish)

Join Ellen & special guest, science writer & naturalist Rosemary Mosco, for a review of the little grey guy strutting down a street near you: the pigeon! We discuss the history of why pigeons live alongside us, how they evade the clutches of even the world’s fastest predator, ways pigeon couples keep the romance alive, and the joy of appreciating these metropolitan doves.

You can find Rosemary's work, including her brand new book A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching at her website: rosemarymosco.com

Cover photo by Junichi Yamada, via Getty Images.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode inspired by Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Ellen basks in the unexpected glory of the ocean sunfish & Christian pays respect to the mischievous tanuki. You'll learn what to bring to a sunfish's dinner party and how the tanuki earns the title of power couple.

Join Ellen & special guest evolutionary biologist Dr. Kory Evans for a review of the dimensionally innovative flatfish! Learn the story of why these quirky fishes developed such peculiar body plans and how their bizarre adaptations help them live their best life beneath the sand. We discuss migrating eyes, transient feet, and which cartoons got flounders right and wrong.

Keep up with Kory and his lab's work on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sternarchella

Cover photo: Jodi Jacobson via Getty Images

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's festively spooky episode, Christian kicks off the celebration with the painted bat & Ellen counts up points for the iconic Dracula parrot.

Photos: Merlin Tuttle (painted bat), Ondrej Prosicky (Dracula parrot)

Join Ellen & special guest, entomologist Derek Hennen, for a review of our many-legged friends, the myriapods! We’re talking millipedes, centipedes, and pauropods: what the difference is between these long guys, how they manage to scurry around without tripping over all of those feet, and what they’re up to down there underneath the leaf litter.

Join the millipede fan club: @DearMillipede

Cover photo by Derek Hennen, of "one of the prettiest cherry millipedes (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae) I've come across!"

Just the Zoo of Us and One Bad Mother got together to celebrate MaxFun Block Party!

If you enjoyed this conversation we had with host Biz Ellis, be sure to subscribe to One Bad Mother on maximumfun.org!

Ellen inspects an army of fish clones, the Amazon molly, and Christian finally digs in to the details of the inimitable aardvark. Learn how clones are made in nature, what's going on inside the aardvark's porcine snout, and why it's so crucial to never leave home without tippy-tappies.

Amazon molly photo by Manfred Schartl. Aardvark photo by Michael Viard via Getty Images.

We've got big, exciting, great news! Just the Zoo of Us is joining the Maximum Fun network! Listen to our announcement for more information about the network, the date of our first episode as members, and a very special treat if you stick around to the end (it's less than two minutes!).

Check out Maximum Fun & their other wonderful shows over at www.maximumfun.org :)

Join Ellen & special guest Mallory McNulty for a review of our porous friends, freshwater sponges! Get the real answers to your burning sponge questions, like what a sponge feels like in your hands, how a completely stationary animal gets to new places, what kind of role they play in their ecosystem & why freshwater sponges have earned their chance in the spotlight!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian reviews the reptile disguised as an earthworm, the Mexican mole lizard, and Ellen evaluates the eclectic, enigmatic echidna.

Join Ellen & special guest, naturalist Ivan Phillipsen, for a review of the iconic common loon! In this episode, we discuss why they got stuck with such a rude name, how they’ve managed to master both water AND air, and the hidden meanings behind those ethereal (and slightly spooky) songs in the night.

Ivan's podcast, The Science of Birds, can be found wherever you get your podcasts. For more information, visit their website at https://www.scienceofbirds.com/

Join Ellen & special guest, ecologist Gavin Campbell, for a review of the surprising little bugs zipping just beneath the surface of a pond near you: backswimmers! In this episode, Gavin tells us his stories of raising dragons, a mysterious entomological cold case, and his very own super villain origin story.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen details what makes the Philippine eagle soar above the competition & Christian sings praises for the humpback whale.

Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife biologist Ashley Bray, for a review of the tigers of the sky: great horned owls! In this episode, we discuss fake ears, silent feathers, tactical pantaloons, and more.
Ashley is the creator & host of the Get Out Alive podcast, which can be found at www.getoutalivepodcast.com (listener discretion advised!)

Join Ellen & special guest, shark scientist & co-founder of MISS Jaida Elcock, for a review of the chronically anxious scorpion of the sea: thresher sharks! Topics include the unique features that make thresher sharks particularly amazing, what it's like to study sharks, how to safely share the ocean with them, marine science in Finding Nemo, and more.

You can learn more about MISS's work promoting diversity and inclusion in shark science & support their organization at their website: https://www.misselasmo.org/

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian reviews how the mudskipper gets the best of both worlds & Ellen strongly relates to the smelliest living dinosaur, the hoatzin.

Join Ellen & special guest, ecologist Asia Murphy, for a review of the fossa! In this episode, we discuss their catlike (but not feline!) features, an unusual bachelor-deterring disguise, and what makes the buffed-up fossa such a unique and gorgeous animal.

This episode was made in collaboration with the Lemur Conservation Network! Learn more about the wildlife of Madagascar & how we can help protect them at www.lemurconservationnetwork.org

Join Ellen & special guest, evolutionary biologist Dr. Jen Tinsman, for a review of Madagascar's striking blue-eyed black lemurs! In this episode, we discuss Madagascar's incredible biodiversity, the relationships between humans and lemurs, and just how charming these arboreal friends are.

This episode was made in collaboration with the Lemur Conservation Network. Learn more about their work supporting conservation in Madagascar at their website: https://www.lemurconservationnetwork.org/

Join the Weatherfords for an animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen takes a look at the long-snouted Malayan tapir & Christian checks every nook and cranny for lone star ticks.

Join Ellen & special guest, horticulturist Dr. Vikram Baliga, for a review of... plants! We left the animal kingdom for this look at some of the fascinating adaptations that plants have made to stay thriving. In this episode, we discuss millenia-old trees, diabolical beetle-trapping lilies, living toilets, cold-blooded plant warfare happening right in front of our eyes, and other fun facts guaranteed to give you a deeper appreciation for the plant life all around us.

Join Ellen & special guest, marine neurobiologist Alice Chou, for a review of the ocean's feisty boxers, mantis shrimps! In this episode, we discuss why the mantis shrimp is so good at punching stuff, what's up with their funky disco eyes, and other delectable treats for your brain.

Join Ellen & Christian for a special episode answering questions from our beautiful listeners about topics including (but not limited to): making the podcast, things we've learned about animals and nature, our favorite video games, and more!

Join Ellen & special guest Patch, creator of zoology-meets-gaming web series TierZoo, for a review of North America's iconic raptor, the bald eagle. In this episode we discuss the intersection between ecology and video games as well as how the bald eagle measures up to its competitors.

Find TierZoo on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!

Join Ellen & special guest entomologist Charles Wallace for a review of nature's oft-maligned rogues, cockroaches! In this episode, we bust myths about the roaches that cozy up to human spaces, learn about some of the fascinating strategies that different types of roaches all over the world use to thrive, and give these hardy insects some long overdue praise.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen reviews the ocean's most adorable monsters, sea otters, & Christian rates the dazzling blue-ringed octopus.

Join Ellen & special guest, biological anthropologist Dr. Lara Durgavich for a review of the arboreal royalty, orangutans! In this episode, we discuss how orangutans have adapted to make themselves at home in the tree tops, how we see ourselves reflected in their faces & behavior, and how we can help support orangutans in their habitats.

Join Ellen & special guest, marine ecophysiologist Dr. Yanasivan Kisten for a review of the unassuming yet impressive Cape stumpnose! In this episode, we discuss the crucial role that estuaries play in a healthy ecosystem & spotlight how this little silver fish that can stand up to some pretty big challenges.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian teaches us why you should resist that urge to feed the bears & Ellen takes a deep dive into the heavily fortified extremophile, the scaly-foot snail.

Join Ellen & special guest wildlife biologist Alex Troutman for a review of the most dedicated beach babes of all, Kemp's ridley sea turtles! In this episode, we discuss what we can learn about life from sea turtles, why it's so important to be kind to our beaches, and how we can all make the shores a little friendlier to the wildlife that we love.

Join Ellen & special guest ecologist Dagmar der Weduwen for a review of the sharpshooting archerfish! In this episode, we discuss the archerfish's unparalleled precision, cunning, and attitude as well as what it's like to work with them in the lab.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen gives the buzz on periodical cicadas & Christian unfurls the sails of the Portuguese man o' war.

Join Ellen & special guest, comedian Vinny Thomas, for a review of the champion of the sagebrush, the pronghorn! In this episode, we discuss how this charming little ungulate outran extinction, attempts to face modern challenges, and continues to do the absolute most at all times.

Follow Vinny on Twitter, Instagram & TikTok!

Intro & outro music: "Adventuring", Louie Zong

Join Ellen & special guest, biologist & naturalist Gina Zwicky, for a review of the amphibian master of disguise, the Vietnamese mossy frog! In this episode, Gina makes the case for frogs as simple yet refined masterpieces, shares some tricks of the frog-finding trade, and geeks out with Ellen over science communication via anime.

Intro & outro music: "Adventuring", Louie Zong

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's very fossorial episode, Christian reveals the hidden nightmares of the stargazer fish and Ellen digs into the buried secrets of the pink fairy armadillo.

Join Ellen & special guest, arachnologist Dr. Sebastian A. Echeverri for a review of the overpowered bards of the arachnid world, jumping spiders! In this episode, we discuss jumping spiders' incomparable processing power, hunting skill, and flair for the dramatic.

Episode cover photo by our guest himself, Dr. Sebastian Echeverri!

Intro & outro music: "Adventuring", Louie Zong

Join Ellen & special guest, evolutionary biologist Jimmy Bernot, for a review of the microscopic crustaceans truly running the world, copepods! In this episode, we discuss what makes copepods so successful at what they do, the role that parasites play in an ecosystem, and the biodiversity you can find among fish boogers.

Intro & outro music: "Adventuring", Louie Zong

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen's heart is stolen by the trash bandit opossum & Christian digs up all the dirt on the burrowing owl.

Join Ellen and special guest, conservation biologist Gabi Fleury, for a review of the punk nerds of the big cat family, cheetahs! In this episode we discuss how cheetahs go so fast, what sets them apart from the rest of the cats, and conflict between humans and wildlife.

Join Ellen & special guest, artist and arachnid enthusiast Tea Francis, for a review of our fuzzy, chunky, leggy friends: tarantulas! In this episode we discuss why tarantulas deserve admiration, how (and why) to respect their boundaries, and what it's like to live with hundreds of tiny roommates in the Spider Room.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! Christian returns with the secretive underground cave puppy, the olm, and Ellen reviews the uniquely stunning maned wolf.

Join Ellen and special guest, marine biologist Elizabeth Mills, for a review of the often-overlooked ride-or-die friends of the sea, barnacles! Topics include (but are not limited to): barnacle reproductive anatomy, whale armor, zombie crab mechs, and whether or not geese are fruit.

Join Ellen and marine biologist Dr. Christopher Mah for a review of the mysterious, complicated, many-armed predators of the deep, sea stars! In this episode, we discuss why sea stars are so important to marine ecosystems, their secret drama playing out in slow motion, and their captivatingly unfamiliar beauty.

Join Ellen and special guest, environmental scientist & host of the Beyond Blathers podcast Olivia deBourcier, for a review of a festive icon, the reindeer (also known as caribou)! In this episode, we talk about what makes reindeer so lovable (spoiler alert: so many things), what it's like to work with them, and the challenges they're facing in their native habitats.

Join Ellen and special guest, entomologist Aaron Fairweather, for a review of the industrious, conniving, world-conquering ants! In this episode, we discuss what makes ants so successful, the theatrical levels of drama going on under our feet every day, and as a special treat, a free idea for a D&D character.

Join Ellen & special guest, field biologist Madison Bush, for a review of a couple of very leggy friends, orb weavers & wolf spiders! In this episode we discuss the World Wide Web, moustaches made out of eyes, and buff Tom Holland.

Join Ellen and special guest, herpetologist Travis Kurtz, for a review of Washington's very own Olympic torrent salamander! In this episode, we go over what makes salamanders so charming, the mysteries that make this little one so special, and what it's like to study them.

Join Ellen and special guest, conservationist & primatologist Keriann McGoogan, for a review of Coquerel's sifaka! In this episode, we chat about what makes sifakas so special as well as what it's like to work with and study them in the wild in Madagascar.

This episode was made in collaboration with the Lemur Conservation Network for the World Lemur Festival. You can celebrate World Lemur Day on Friday, October 30! https://www.lemurconservationnetwork.org/world-lemur-day/

Join Ellen and special guest, marine biologist Ryan Hegseth, for a review of the scalloped hammerhead! In this episode, we review what makes this hammerhead shark so successful and charming in addition to some slight detours along the way, visiting topics like octopus hickeys, learning to fight fear with education, and Shark Week.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode Ellen untangles the slimebeast of the ocean floor, the hagfish, and Christian kicks it up a notch with the relentlessly stylish secretary bird.

Join Ellen & special guest Jazmin Murphy (AKA Sunny) for a review of the iconic coyote! In this episode, we discuss how coyotes have adapted to thrive in a wide variety of environments and what makes them so delightfully special.

Join Ellen and special guest Chelsea Connor for a review of the Dominican anole! In this episode we talk dewlaps, eyespots, and what it's like to work with these little lizards with big attitudes.

Photo: Chelsea Connor

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian charges in with the American bison and Ellen explains the quirky appearance and lifestyle of the giraffe-necked weevil.

Join Ellen and special guest Tori Wingerter for a review of Florida's very own dinosaur burger, the gopher tortoise! We dig in to what makes these mini tanks so special and delightful, and why they're so important to their ecosystems.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen brings it home with the common pigeon & Christian explains what makes the sea krait a real spicy noodle.

Join Ellen and special guest Jasmin Graham for a review of the most dangerous snoot in the water, the sawfish! In this episode we discuss what's up with that wild saw on their face, what makes them such impressive predators, how they're affected by human activity, and what we can do to help.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian takes us on a tour of the pika's digestive system & Ellen shows some love to the North American giant millipede and its role as an unsung ecological hero. (Heads up: this episode mentions poop a lot.)

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen explains why emus don't bother flying and Christian dives into the mysterious world of the cryptic whale shark.

Join Ellen and special guest Kelly Diamond for a review of Hawaii's peculiar and charming waterfall climbing gobies, o'opu nopili! In this episode we talk about the unique adaptations that these gobies have developed to allow them to overcome some impressive obstacles, as well as the adaptations the scientists had to develop to overcome some unexpected challenges in studying these unique fish!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian gives us the lowdown on a shimmering jelly bean, the golden mole, and Ellen sets the record straight on piranhas.
Photos: Galen Rathbun (golden mole), Gregory Moine (red-bellied piranha)

Join Ellen and special guest Patsy DeLacey for a review of the "bleeding heart" monkey, the gelada! In this episode we talk about what makes this monkey so unique AND so beautiful, as well as what it's like to work with them in the Simien Mountains.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen squares up with the wolverine & Christian takes us on a leisurely stroll down Nightmare Lane with the Suriname toad. Check it out!

Photos: Jonathan Othén (wolverine) & Matthieu Berroneau (Suriname toad)

Join Ellen and special guest, the bookworm with a worm book, Prof. Oné R. Pagán for a review of the mysterious squiggles straight out of science fiction, planarians! In this episode we learn about what makes these worms so fascinating and how they serve as research models that could help save human lives.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian leaps to new heights with the bold jumping spider & Ellen desperately resists giving the North American porcupine a great big hug.

***Photos by Tibor Nagy (bold jumping spider) and Janice Sveda (porcupine)***

Join Ellen and special guest Charlotte Hacker for a review of the elusive fluffball of the mountains, the snow leopard! In this week's episode we talk about what makes these beautiful cats so hard to find and so worth protecting.

***Photo: Dennis W. Donohue***

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen takes us to the Galápagos Islands to learn about the vampire finch & Christian tells us what makes the Eastern indigo snake really shine.

***Photos: Dr. Simon J. Pierce (vampire finch) & Kevin Schafer (indigo snake)

Join Ellen & special guest Benjamin Lancer for a review of the sand puppy, AKA the naked mole rat! In this week's episode, we dig in to what makes these wrinkly little guys such marvels of nature and what unexpected adaptations they've developed that lets them thrive in their crowded underground burrows.
Photo: Oregon Zoo

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode Ellen reviews the spiciest pancake in the desert, the Texas horned lizard, and Christian dives deep into the world of the sperm whale.

Join Ellen and special guest Dr. Catherine Macdonald for a review of... sharks! In this episode, we tour the diversity of sharks, learn about some of the incredible ways they have adapted to excel, and examine the relationships humans have with sharks & how you (yes, you) can help them.

As of the day this episode airs, Just the Zoo of Us will have been broadcasting for one full calendar year! In this episode, we celebrate by answering fun and thoughtful questions from our listeners and friends. We're incredibly thankful for everyone who has joined and supported us on this amazing journey.

Join Ellen and special guest Yi-Kai Tea for a review of the mind-blowingly diverse and impressive wrasse family! In this episode we go over the crucial roles wrasses play in their ecosystems, how expertly they've adapted to excel in those roles, and of course how striking their beautiful colors and markings are.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian reviews the towering moose & Ellen squeals over the desert rain frog.

Join Ellen and special guest Dr. Sarah McAnulty for a review of the sparkly dumpling of the sea, the Hawaiian bobtail squid! In this episode we talk about the amazing inner workings of these soft round friends, their complex relationship with very special bacteria, and the amazing science communication project Skype a Scientist!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen warns you not to touch the deceptively fuzzy caterpillar of the southern flannel moth & Christian waxes poetic about the chambered nautilus.

Join Ellen and special guest Tyus Williams for a review of the strikingly striped tiger! In this episode, we basically just gush about how amazing tigers are for an hour. It's wonderful.

Join Ellen and a special guest for a very serious and definitely completely true review of an incredible animal so rare that only one person on Earth has ever studied it: 6-year-old Isaac.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian treats us to some delightfully absurd hippo facts and stories & Ellen sings praises for the northern mockingbird.

Join Ellen and special guest Emily Bell for a Florida native wildlife review! In this week's episode, Emily deepens our appreciation for a Florida icon, the green anole, as well as the native ecosystem, impacts of invasive species, adaptability in the face of competition, and the beauty dwelling in even the most ordinary, everyday little lizard: in the words of Rev. S. Lockwood, "everything that is commendable, clean, inoffensive, pretty, and wonderfully entertaining, provoking harmless mirth, and stirring up in the thinker the profoundest depths of his philosophy."

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen clacks her beak over roseate spoonbills & Christian climbs to new heights with Matschie's tree kangaroo.

Join the Weatherfords and special guest Thomas Rillstone from the History of Aotearoa New Zealand podcast for a review of the tuatara! In this episode we get educated on what makes this ancient reptile and other New Zealand wildlife so special, with a few fun surprises along the way.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian hypes up the showstopping fashion sense of the red velvet ant and Ellen recounts what makes the Solomon Islands skink a very unique friend.

Join Ellen and special guest Corina Newsome for an animal review! In this week's episode, Corina shares her insight on Harris's hawk, with sharp talons and even sharper minds, as well as birding, wildlife education and science communication.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen explains the special ears of the fennec fox & Christian gives us the story about the Atlantic horseshoe crab's blue blood.

Join the Weatherfords and special guest Kattie Stoneman for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Kattie shares insight into the giraffe world from her experience working with these very tall friends.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's mollusc mania, Christian hypnotizes us with cuttlefish wisdom and Ellen confronts some biases against snail intelligence.

Join the Weatherfords and special guest Corbin Maxey from Animals to the Max for an animal review! In this week's episode, we get to know our wildlife expert friend and Corbin takes the reigns to rate and review the Burmese python.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen whistles a tune about the antelope fairy, Kirk's dik dik, and Christian brings us back to the abyss of horrors with the Bobbitt worm!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian lights the way with the humpback anglerfish & Ellen kicks back with the desert kangaroo rat.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen reviews the spectacular real-life fairy, the luna moth, and Christian rates the grey bag bear, the koala.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian gives us a lesson on the role of the Inca tern's droppings in United States history & Ellen tells the story of the European eel doing the absolute most.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's special live episode at Cultivate in Jacksonville Florida, Ellen meets a Sudan plated lizard face-to-face and Christian tells us why we would not want to meet an orca face-to-face.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian explains where the supremely elegant blue-footed booby gets its very serious and dignified name and Ellen howls about the controversial dingo.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen reviews Vietnam's best-dressed citizens, Delacour's langur, and Christian backs up the Komodo dragon's swagger.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian does a spot-on impression of a potoo & Ellen drops some knowledge bombs about the African giant pouched rat.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's dragon-themed episode, Ellen focuses her complete attention on the sentry dragonfly and Christian spotlights the decorated diva of the sea, the leafy.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's very special very spooky episode, Christian debunks some myths about the black widow spider & Ellen illuminates the mysterious vampire squid.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen chills out in the capybara language & Christian begs you not to touch the Gaboon viper.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian zooms in on the tardigrades & Ellen demystifies the unique platypus.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this episode, Ellen conglobates with the roly poly and Christian revels in the fabulous keel-billed toucan.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian educates us on the mata mata turtle and Ellen praises the world's most dedicated dad bod, the emperor penguin.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen sings the song of the coquí and Christian blasts us with some hot & spicy knowledge on the bombardier beetle.

Join the Weatherfords for an animal review! In this week's episode, Christian spots South America's greatest overachiever, the jaguar, and Ellen "falls" in love with the clever bearded vulture.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen poses for a selfie with the world's worst mom, the quokka, and Christian sees the true colors of the peacock mantis shrimp.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode inspired by the Georgia Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta, Christian reviews the alien spaceship of the sea, the giant manta ray, and Ellen gushes over the "original" panda.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen explains how and why the chameleon changes its colors and Christian educates us on the Punk Rock Icon of New Zealand, the kea.

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode all about dismantling unfair animal prejudices, Christian caves to peer pressure and sets the record straight on the blobfish, and Ellen shifts the narrative on the three-toed sloth.

Join the Weatherfords for an animal review! In this episode, Ellen cuddles up to the fluffy Malayan sky puppies and Christian gives us the buzz about western honey bees.