Summary: Some echidna senses don’t make much sense, but they’re really cool! Join Kiersten as she discusses echidna senses. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean “Functional Diversity and Evolution of Bitter Taste Receptors in Egg-Laying Mammals,” by Akihito Itoigawa, Akashi Hayakawa, Yang Zhou, Adrian D. Manning, Goujie Zhang, Frank Grutzner, Hire Imai. Molecular Biology and Evolution, Volume 39, Issue 6, June 2022. https://do...
Jan 17, 2024•10 min•Ep. 64
Summary: Do echidnas dream? Join Kiersten as she travels into the sleep cycles of the echidna to find out if they dream. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: “Monotremes and the evolution of rapid eye movement of sleep,” J. M. Siegel, P. R. Manger, R. Nienhuis, H. M. Fahringer, and J. D. Pettigrew. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London , B (1998) 353, 1147-1157. “The Echidna Tachyglossus aculeates Combines REM and Non-REM As...
Jan 10, 2024•8 min•Ep. 63
Summary: Do echidnas ever get on each others nerves? Join Kiersten as she talks about the social structure of echidnas to find out! For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Short-beaked Echidna. Bush Heritage Australia, https://www.bushheritage.org.au Eastern long-beaked echidna, Animalia, https://animlia.bio “Home Ranges, Movement, and Den Use in Long-beaked Echidnas, Zaglossus bartoni, From Papua New Guinea,” by Muse...
Jan 03, 2024•9 min•Ep. 62
Summary: Ouch! Echidna spines are no joke! Join Kiersten as she discusses this amazing echidna anatomy. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeates) Fact Sheet: Physical Characteristics, San Diego Wildlife Alliance Library. https://iecl.libguides.com “Observations on Fur Development in Echidna (Monotremata, Mammalia) Indicate the Spines Precede Hairs in Ontogeny,” by Lorenzo Al...
Dec 28, 2023•8 min•Ep. 61
Summary: Echidnas don’t have a lot of natural predators but they do have some great defense strategies. Join Kiersten as talks defense in echidnas. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeates) Fact Sheet: Behavior and Ecology, San Diego Wildlife Alliance Library. https://iecl.libguides.com Eastern long-beaked echidna, Animalia, https://animlia.bio Music written and performed by...
Dec 21, 2023•7 min•Ep. 60
Summary: Making baby echidnas is weird! Join Kiersten as she talks echidna baby-making. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: “Echidna penises: Why They’re so Weird,” by Angela Heathcote, Australian Geographic , May 24, 2021. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au “Echidna trains: Explained,” by Australian Geographic , August 6, 2021. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au “Getting out of a mammalian egg: the egg ...
Dec 14, 2023•9 min•Ep. 59
Summary: We all gotta eat, right? The echidna eats insects. Take a trip with Kiersten as she travels through the digestive track of the echidna. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeates) Fact Sheet: Diet and Feeding, San Diego Wildlife Alliance Library. https://iecl.libguides.com “Characterizing the Gut Microbiomes in Wild and Captive Short-Beaked Echidnas Reveals Diet-Assoc...
Dec 06, 2023•9 min•Ep. 58
Summary: Join Kiersten as she takes a closer look at the habitats in which echidnas are found. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Short-beaked Echidna. Bush Heritage Australia, https://www.bushheritage.org.au “Home Ranges, Movement, and Den Use in Long-Beaked Echidnas, Zaglossus Barton, From Papua New Guinea,” by Muse D.Opiang. Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 90,Issue 2, 14 April 2009, pages 340-346. https://doi.org...
Nov 29, 2023•10 min•Ep. 57
Summary: Ech-what? Echindas are mammals that break all the rules of Nature! Join Kiersten as she takes us on a journey into the weird world of the echidna. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: “The Princeton Encyclopedia of Mammals,” edited by David W. Macdonald Echidna Fact Sheet, March 18, 2022. PBS Nature. https://ww.pbs.org “The Creature Feature: 10 Fun Facts About the Echidna,” by Mary Bates, Wired , Jul 3, 20...
Nov 23, 2023•10 min•Ep. 56
Summary: Rattlesnakes need love too! Join Kiersten as she talks about what threatens the survival of our scaly friends and how we can help. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin “Snake Fungal Disease” Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, https://cwhi.vet.cornell.edu IUCN Red List, https://www.iucnredlist.org “Timber Rattlesnakes” Pennsylvania DCNR, ht...
Nov 09, 2023•11 min•Ep. 55
Summary: There are sooo many myths about rattlesnakes that Kiersten had to do a second episode! Join Kiersten as she dispels more myths about rattlesnakes. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator by Manny Russo America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin Music written and performed by Katherine Camp Transcript (Piano music plays) Kiersten - This is Ten ...
Nov 01, 2023•11 min•Ep. 54
Summary: Rattlesnakes are the only types pf snakes with a rattle, hence the name. But how much do you know about the rattle? Join Kiersten as she tells you everything you ever wanted to know about a rattlesnake’s rattle. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator by Manny Russo “How Do Rattlesnakes Rattle?” By Cameron Duke, Live Science, August 12, 2023. https://www.livescience.com Mus...
Oct 25, 2023•11 min•Ep. 53
Summary: Rattlesnakes are excellent hunters, but how do they do it? Join Kiersten as she explains how rattlesnakes hunt and catch their prey. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator by Manny Russo “Pit Viper Can Detect Prey Via Heat” by American Museum of Natural History, https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/news-posts/pit-vipers-can-detect-prey-via-heat “Snakes’ Flexible, Heat-S...
Oct 18, 2023•12 min•Ep. 52
Summary: Rattlesnakes are solitary animals. Are you sure? Join Kiersten as she turns what we know about rattlesnake lifestyles on its head. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin “Social Lives of Rattlesnakes”, by Rulon Clark. Natural History, March 2005. “Kin Recognition in Rattlesnakes,” by Rulon W. Clark. Proc. R. Soc. London B (Suppl.) 271,...
Oct 11, 2023•9 min•Ep. 51
Summary: Fangs and venom are two of the amazing adaptations that rattlesnakes are known for and feared for. Join Kiersten as she discusses these two valuable assets. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show notes: America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator by Manny Russo Music written and performed by Katherine Camp Transcript (Piano music plays) Kiersten - Th...
Oct 04, 2023•11 min•Ep. 50
Summary: There are so many myths about rattlesnakes. Join Kiersten as she dispels some of these harmful myths. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin “Coexisting with Rattlesnakes” by Bryan Hughes. Live lecture through Desert Rivers Audubon. www.desertriversaudubon.org Music written and performed by Katherine Camp Transcript (Piano music plays)...
Sep 27, 2023•9 min•Ep. 49
Summary: How do rattlesnakes make baby rattlesnakes? You might be surprised! Join Kiersten as she gives you a rundown of rattlesnake reproduction. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator by Manny Russo Music written and performed by Katherine Camp Transcript (Piano music plays) Kiersten - This is Ten Things I ...
Sep 20, 2023•10 min•Ep. 48
Summary: Even though rattlesnakes are only found in the New World, there are a plethora of cool species. Join Kiersten as she take a few close up looks at some wicked cool rattlesnakes. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator by Manny Russo https://www.savethebuzztails.org https://waterlandlife.org https://www...
Sep 13, 2023•11 min•Ep. 47
Summary: Rattlesnakes are terribly misunderstood animals. Join Kiersten as she kicks of this series on rattlesnakes with anatomy For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: America’s Snake: The Rise and Fall of the Timber Rattlesnake by Ted Levin Rattlesnake: Portrait of a Predator by Manny Russo Music written and performed by Katherine Camp Transcript (Piano Music plays) Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten m...
Sep 06, 2023•12 min•Ep. 46
Summary: Join Kiersten as she talks about the conservation status of the coelacanth and how we can help! For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: https://www.iucnredlist.org “Coelacanth: A Living Fossil From Eons Past (2023 Update),” by Lance Wilkins, Call Outdoors, https://www.calloutdoors.com “Coelacanth, the Famous “Living Fossil” Fish, Gets Endangered Species Act Protection, Scientific American , March 29, 2016. Ht...
Aug 16, 2023•11 min•Ep. 45
Summary: Join Kiersten as she takes a trip through time with the fossil record of the coelacanth. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: “Coelacanth Fish Fossils, Mawsonia Woodward, 1907,” by Prof. Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam, Ali Taher, Mohammad Ahmad, Mostafa Khalaf-Prinz Sakerfalke von Jaffa. https://issuu.com “The first late cretaceous mawsoniid coelacanth (Sarcopterygii: Actinistia) from North America: Evidence of...
Aug 09, 2023•11 min•Ep. 44
Summary: Are they limbs or are they fins? What are those things on the side of the coelacanth? Join Kiersten and a guest host to find out! For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Shoe Notes: “Coelacanth Fossil Sheds Light On Fin-to-limb Evolution.” Science Daily, https://www.sciencedaily.com Anatomy: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fish/anatomy.html Music written and performed by Katherine Camp Oxford Languages Dictionary Merriam-W...
Aug 02, 2023•11 min•Ep. 42
Summary: Coelacanth reproduction is the most mind-blowing episode yet! Join Kiersten as she digs deep into the life cycle of this ancient animal. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: Anatomy: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fish/anatomy.html Vims Fish Collection: Coelacanth, https://www.vims.edu Goliath Grouper - https://marinesanctuary.org “New Scale Analysis reveal centenarian African coelacanths,” Kelig Made, Brun...
Jul 26, 2023•10 min•Ep. 43
Summary: How does this deep sea fish find food? Just like everything else with the coelacanth, it’s fascinating! Join Kiersten as she explains how the coelacanth hunts and what it likes to eat. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: “The coelacanth rostral organ is a unique low=resolution electro-detector that facilitates the feeding strike,” by Rachel M. Berquist, Vitaly L. Galinsky, Stephen M. Kajiura, and Lawrence...
Jul 19, 2023•11 min•Ep. 41
Summary: Is the coelacanth a ‘living fossil’? Join Kiersten and a guest co-host as they discuss this controversial topic. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean Show Notes: ‘Coelacanths as “almost living fossils”’ by Lionel Calvin and Guillaume Guinot, Front. Ecol. Evol., 13 August 2014, https://www.frontiersin.org “Resolving the Phylogenetic Position of Coelacanth: The Closest Relative Is Not Always the Most Appropriate Outgrou...
Jul 12, 2023•10 min•Ep. 40
Summary: What are those coelacanth doing in the deep water of the ocean? Join Kiersten as she discusses some of the coelacanth’s behavior. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean. Show Notes: Coelacanth, Smithsonian, https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/fish/coelacanth “New Insights About the Behavioral Ecology of the Coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae Video Recorded in the Absence of Humans Off South Africa” by Jiro Sakaue, Kazuhiko Maed...
Jul 05, 2023•9 min•Ep. 39
Summary: Where do coelacanths live? Join Kiersten as she talks about the habitat of the coelacanth. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean. Show Notes: A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth by Samantha Weinberg “Madagascar may be a secret stronghold for ‘living fossil’ fish” by Stephanie Pappas, www.livescience.com African Coelacanth, NOAA Fisheries, www.fisheries.noaa.gov Coelacanth, Smithsonian, https://ocean.si...
Jun 28, 2023•9 min•Ep. 38
Summary: Join Kiersten as she takes you on a surprising journey from the head of the coelacanth to the tail. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean. Show Notes: A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth by Samantha Weinberg https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fish/anatomy.html Music written and performed by Katherine Camp Transcript (Piano music plays) Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten minute, ten episode pod...
Jun 21, 2023•12 min•Ep. 37
Summary: In 1938 something amazing happened in a small town off the eastern coast of South Africa. Join Kiersten as she reveals the unbelievable story of how the coelacanth, a fish thought extinct for millions of years, was rediscovered. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean. Shoe Notes: A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth by Samantha Weinberg Music written and performed by Katherine Camp Transcript (Piano musi...
Jun 14, 2023•8 min•Ep. 36
Summary: Even though we don’t know much about caecilians they still need our help. Join Kiersten as she talks about what threats caecilians face and how we can help. For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean. Show Notes: IUCN Red List: www.iucnredlist.org “Fatal fungus found in third major amphibian group, caecilians,” by Natural History Museum, Phys Org; phys.org/news/2013-05-fatal-fungus-major-amphibian-group.html Chytridiomycosi...
May 31, 2023•10 min•Ep. 35
