Just the Zoo of Us

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!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

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!

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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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!

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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!

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

Follow Ellen on TikTok!

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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! 

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

Follow Ellen on TikTok!

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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!

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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

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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!

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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!

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

Cover photo: jkraft5 via Getty images

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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.

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

Follow Ellen on TikTok!

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

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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

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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

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 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!

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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)

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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

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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!

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Cover photo: MikeLane45 via Getty images

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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)

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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

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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

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Cover photo: svetlanafoote via Getty images

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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.

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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.

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

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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!

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Cover photo provided by Caitlin Henderson :)

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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)

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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)

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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!

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

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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)

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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!

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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)

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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!

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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!

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

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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.

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Cover photo: Jugas via Getty images

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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)

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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

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

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

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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 

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo