We here at Keeper Chat love our interns, volunteers, students, and docents. Y'all make the world go round and our appreciation is through the roof. 99% of you are angels and we adore you. HOWEVER, 1% of you have contributed to our suffering and this episode is directed to you. This week, we answer the question "do you have any advice for how to be most respectful to the zoo, other visitors, and of course the zoo keepers. Any stories of people/students doing projects on animals and being annoying...
Jul 05, 2022•35 min•Ep. 198
We takin BIG BEAST this episode. This thing is kinda disturbing if you look at it too long. Avert your eyes. We answer those burning questions like: Where are takin found? How many toes does it have? What does it eat and what eats it?
Jun 28, 2022•44 min•Ep. 197
If you don't like sharks, well....this isn't the episode for you lol. This week we answer questions like: what is the dental pattern of the Sand Tiger Shark? What are F&F up to during Pride month? Are there any confirmed fatalities from this shark? What is a hunting group of sharks called? and What is intrauterine cannibalism and should we maybe pursue a baby battle royale in humans??
Jun 21, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 196
Little vampire teeth, little poo ball, little no necked creature. Let's learn about the rock hyrax - something that was even included in the bible for whatever reason. Where are rock hyrax found? Where are the rock hyrax stans found? What does this little man do with his tiny little fangs? And what is his relation to an elephant?
Jun 07, 2022•58 min•Ep. 195
We say this a lot....but this episode is something else. And for what?? This week we learn about the quoll and answer your questions, like What's the vibe of this nocturnal carnivorous marsupial? What shapes of meat are most upsetting to Flora? Is Invisalign a nightmare? What is the size of a quoll pup? Where do cane toads fit into this puzzle? and What does RuPaul's Drag Race have in common with quoll parenting?
May 31, 2022•53 min•Ep. 194
F&F are back at it again answering some questions that have been rotting in an email inbox for 12 months. So, what are some fun animal mishaps that have occurred in our careers? You mean outside of the whole, becoming a zookeeper mishap? We can probably think of something.
May 24, 2022•38 min•Ep. 193
If you thought our weekly episodes were a ride, just you WAIT. This week we're providing a sneak peek into the bonus episodes, available ONLY to our beloved patrons on www.patreon.com/keeperchat . If you've been craving more grime, more chaos, and more content, then join the Keeper Chat Patreon family and get immediate access to over 40 hours of bonus episodes and more! Hold onto your butts, these episodes are just the beginning....
May 18, 2022•24 min•Ep. 192
Mmm the soothing sounds of Flora & Fauna ranting. We go to the archives and answer a listener question from....last year. What are our opinions on interactive exhibits at zoos? Are they worth it? Are they manageable? Are they the single worst idea anyone has ever had in the entire universe? What do you think?
May 03, 2022•48 min•Ep. 191
OOO Alliteration - how cute. How do we make an episode about an animal with 0 information? Well, we talk about more important things to fill the time, like roller coasters, cavity sam, and our eating habits. What is the Pesquet's parrot? Why is it commonly referred to as Dracula's parrot? Is it interesting at all? Where can it be found in the wild and what zoo can it be seen in? Tune in for all the answers to your burning questions.
Apr 26, 2022•45 min•Ep. 190
Did you think you weren't going to learn about something concerningly phallic today? Think again. This week we tackle the olm and answer questions like: What is neoteny? What did Charles Darwin have to say about this guy in On the Origin of Species? What are the odds he tastes like licorice? How does the olm use electron microscopy to perceive his environment? and Why does he LOOK LIKE THAT?
Apr 19, 2022•59 min•Ep. 189
Have you ever had close relations with a vampire? the invisible man? a little bug? It was probably the no-see-um who is all of those things combined. We chat about the little biting midges that everyone hates. We hate them so bad we tried to kill, like everything, to get rid of them, What is a no-see-um? Where are they found? How small are they? How many horrible diseases do they carry and what is their experience with DDT? Tune in to find out all this and more.
Apr 12, 2022•51 min•Ep. 188
In honor of the new Batman movie, we learned about the Mexican free-tailed bat. Actually that's a lie, we just wanted to talk about a bat. We answer questions like What is a patagium? How does this species use echolocation to one up other bats? Who on earth is in charge of the M&M wiki and are they ok? What about Texas makes this bat go buck wild? How would Flora and Fauna send secret messages to one another? and WHY does this man zoom around so fast?
Apr 05, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 187
Things lemmings don't do: commit suicide. Things Disney does: kills animals for profit. This week we learn about the wildly misconstrued lemming. Where did the idea that they commit suicide come from? Do they really not do it? How does Disney come into play and what atrocities did they commit? Why is Flora's soul mate probably a lemming and when does Ole Worm come knockin? Tune in to find out.
Mar 29, 2022•50 min•Ep. 186
It's been a hot minute since we dished on a reptile! Come learn about the Krait, a noodle with an edge. We answer questions like: What does it mean to be ophiophagous? Why does this snake genus have THE BEST name (#bungarus)? Where in the world can kraits be found? How does the venom of the krait affect its victims? Are Flora and Fauna claustrophobic? (spoiler: yes) and How does the krait fit into the Ninjago universe?
Mar 15, 2022•46 min•Ep. 185
Lil kitty cat that blends in with the otters. There isn't much to this lil guy but we talk about him anyway. It is what you have demanded of us. We chat about where jaguarundis are found, what they eat, and how high they can jump. They may be from Roswell and their favorite store might be Kohl's.
Mar 08, 2022•49 min•Ep. 184
Antarctica stans, rise up! This frosty fish is full of surprises. We answer questions like what does it mean to be piscivorous? Why is icefish blood colorless? What is going on with their hemoglobin? Was the icefish created in Darwin's image? and Why does the ocean always give way to some of the absolute weirdest animals on Earth?
Mar 01, 2022•51 min•Ep. 183
H is for BONELESS HORSE. Also sometimes referred to as a horseshoe crab, but what even is it anyway? We chat about this frisbees closest relatives. Can horseshoe crabs sting me? Just how many legs is too many legs? Did Ariel use her legs to breathe? Find out in the latest ep.
Feb 22, 2022•48 min•Ep. 182
What about a little ape, huh? What about a little furry friend? This week we learn about some of our favorite primates, the gibbon! Learn answers to some your burning questions like What is brachiation? On a scale of 1 to 10 how much do the babies look like aliens? What is a gibbon song and why is it BEAUTIFUL? and What are some of Flora and Fauna's experiences working with gibbons?
Feb 15, 2022•45 min•Ep. 181
It doesn't fly and it's not a lemur, we are off to a great start. Tune in to hear about a little critter that yeets itself off limbs to forage for tasty leaves. We answer questions like: Where are flying lemurs found? What actually is a flying lemur? Where are Flora & Fauna's umbilical cords? What if steering wheels were made of skin? Are flying lemurs endangered?
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 180
Modern day dinosaur? Yes puhlease. This week we answer all of your big bird questions, like: what is a ratite? How fast can emus run? Are these Australian birds actually muppets? How do they support seed dispersal in their environment? and Are they the embodiment of new boot goofin? (spoiler: absolutely 100% yes)
Feb 01, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 179
Dirty buggies. There are 8000 of these, oh my god, I had no idea. This is overwhelming, so instead of giving you any factual information, let's talk about everyone's favorite movie franchise, Air Dung. Where do dung beetles live? If I took them on a field trip, would they love it? Do they live, eat, or breed in the poop? Or is this a trifecta situation. Are we overdue for another Egyptian phase? YES
Jan 25, 2022•57 min•Ep. 178
It's a plant! It's a rock! No ding dong, it's an animal. Buckle up and learn about this ocean friend. This week we tackle questions like: How can an animal reproduce both sexually and asexually? What's it like not having a butt? What's the difference between a polyp, colony, and reef? What ON EARTH are zooxanthellae and how do they help coral? and What can you do to help preserve coral reefs?
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 177
SPIDERMAN. It's trending. If Peter Parker was bit by a brown recluse his super power would have been just his flesh rotting away. Way less interesting. We chat about where these spiders are located and if we should be afraid of them or not. Will a brown recluse hunt me down and bite me? Can I live with 2000 of them and be okay? Will I be able to identify them and will it even matter? Tune in for a bit of doctor patient roleplay and more!
Jan 11, 2022•55 min•Ep. 176
Kicking off 2022 with a return to the Animals of the Internet! And starting off with the letter A....Albatross! Talk about a BIG BIRD, this man has the largest wingspan and could definitely dunk on Michael Jordan. Ever wanted to know about dynamic soaring and slope soaring? How about how albatross use their tubinares to measure airspeed in flight? What is philopatry and how does it relate to this bird's romance novel? The answers to this and many more available now!
Jan 04, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 175
Even. Toed. Ungulate. You love to see it. We chat about a really hefty creature. One that may or may not actually like spending time in the water. Who is to say? We learn things like: What do waterbuck eat? Are they serial killers? Why are waterbuck named that? How many ticks can a single waterbuck have? Why you wouldn't want to get a sniff of one, and more.
Dec 28, 2021•57 min•Ep. 174
Festive advice for the festive season! If you're applying to be a zookeeper, this one is for you! We answer the question: what are some green flags to look for when applying for and interviewing for zookeeping jobs?
Dec 21, 2021•36 min•Ep. 173
Been a hot minute since we've covered megafauna - strap in for a big boy. Also, to learn more than you probably expected about Invisalign. We answer questions like: Are we the world's premier even-toed ungulate fans? What was Pablo Escabar doing and how did it involve hippos? Are pygmy hippos just baby hippos? (NO, duh) and What makes hippos one of the most dangerous animals on the planet?
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 172
Having one physical form is so last year. Why not disguise yourself as anyone and anything like the mimic octopus! We answer questions about this stealthy cephalopod, such as what kinds of sea creatures can it mimic? How does it adapt to specific predators? If an octopus were to do a split, what would that look like? How is their mimicry used in predation?
Dec 07, 2021•48 min•Ep. 171
It's about time we talk about the foot fetishists of the animal kingdom. How can anyone resist those sweet baby blues? We chat about the blue footed-booby. Where are they found? What makes the Blue Footed-Booby have blue feet? Do they have huge knockers or what? What does a female booby look for in a mate? Do the babies commit horrible atrocities?
Nov 30, 2021•49 min•Ep. 170
Watch out, we got a waste management icon for you this week: the Opossum! Get answers to questions like: what does it mean to "play possum"? why are opossums so important for environmental cleanup? why are they such a mood? what fun marsupial qualities do they possess? and where can I get a pair of those fabulous fingerless gloves?
Nov 23, 2021•50 min•Ep. 169
