Just the Zoo of Us

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)

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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!

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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)

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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!

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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)

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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!

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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.

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

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

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

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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.

Follow Kirsten on Twitter!

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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!

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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.

Follow Elliot on Twitter!

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

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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 ellen@justthezooofus.com 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

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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

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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 memberstories@maximumfun.org 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)

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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.

Follow Shakara on Twitter or Instagram!

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Cover photo: Chris Rogers via Getty images

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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 memberstories@maximumfun.org 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)

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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

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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)

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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

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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)

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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

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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)

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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

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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)

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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.

Follow Stephanie on Twitter!

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Cover photo: Pancaketom via Getty images

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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

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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)

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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!"

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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!

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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.

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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 :)

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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!

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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.

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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/

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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.

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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.

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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!)

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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/

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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.

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