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!...
Jan 17, 2024•54 min•Ep. 223
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 &...
Jan 11, 2024•52 min•Ep. 222
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!...
Jan 03, 2024•48 min•Ep. 221
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 Anima...
Dec 28, 2023•41 min•Ep. 220
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 mo...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 15 min
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!...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 219
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 o...
Dec 06, 2023•46 min•Ep. 218
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!...
Nov 30, 2023•49 min•Ep. 217
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 ...
Nov 23, 2023•48 min•Ep. 216
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!...
Nov 17, 2023•55 min•Ep. 215
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 T...
Nov 09, 2023•47 min•Ep. 214
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!...
Nov 02, 2023•44 min•Ep. 213
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-...
Oct 26, 2023•52 min•Ep. 212
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 K...
Oct 19, 2023•52 min•Ep. 211
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!...
Oct 11, 2023•57 min•Ep. 210
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 Zo...
Oct 05, 2023•58 min•Ep. 209
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!...
Sep 27, 2023•55 min•Ep. 208
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. Ra...
Sep 21, 2023•45 min•Ep. 207
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!...
Sep 13, 2023•50 min•Ep. 206
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!...
Sep 08, 2023•53 min
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!...
Aug 30, 2023•53 min•Ep. 205
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!...
Aug 23, 2023•53 min•Ep. 204
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 & ...
Aug 16, 2023•46 min•Ep. 203
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!...
Aug 10, 2023•53 min•Ep. 202
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! ...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 201
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!...
Jul 27, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 200
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!...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min
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 “...
Jul 05, 2023•58 min•Ep. 199
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 YouTu...
Jun 21, 2023•56 min•Ep. 198
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 fossil...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 197
