Join Ellen & special guests Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson for a revue of gay animals! We discuss manatee wuzzles, elephant matriarchy, giraffes necking in more ways than one, eagle throuples, the impact of prejudice on science, and so much more. This episode is a celebration of love, family, and community in - as our guest puts it - the animal queendom. NOTE : Since a lot of this episode is about the diversity of sexual behavior in animals, naturally it does contain more discussion of sex ...
Jun 13, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Christian bubbles over with hype for the diving bell spider & Ellen tells some fish tales about the legendary oarfish. We discuss Hotwheels sisyphus, Doordash for spiders, diving technology, Pokemon, sea serpent mythology, bioluminescence and so much more. 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!...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & special guest, naturalist and birder Dara Miles Wilson, about some of the brightest and boldest members of the corvid family: the tenacious and charming blue jays. We discuss the audacity of jays and their amazing hawk impressions, what to put in your birdfeeder and why you might want to add a little spice, why blue jays aren’t actually blue, and so much more. Links: Follow Black AF in Stem on social media (linktree here) and check out the virtual and in-person events for this year'...
May 30, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife biologist and author Sophie Osborn, for a review of the skydiving champions of the animal kingdom: peregrine falcons. We discuss the adaptations that let these incredible birds tear through the sky at literally breakneck speeds, biomimicry in aircraft design and sporting goods, the plague of pesticide and how we almost lost some of our most iconic birds, and the lessons that birds can teach us about our own role in the environment. Links: Get your own copy of...
May 23, 2024•55 min•Ep 241•Transcript available on Metacast Ellen earns her stripes with zebras & Christian DOES care about the honey badger. We discuss the mysteries of stripes, video games as scientific experiments, the important role of cool jackets in wildlife rehabilitation, zebras in unusual places, viral videos from 2011, venom resistance, cheetah mimicry, and so much more. 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!...
May 17, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & special guest, biologist Dr. Chris Anderson, for a review of the funkiest lizards in the world: chameleons! We discuss ballistic tongue projection, color changing and how cartoons get it wrong, eyes that move independently of each other, prehensile tails that act like a fifth leg, and so much more. Links: Learn more about International Chameleon Day & Wildlife Madagascar's mission on their website here ! Follow the IUCN Chameleon Specialist Group on Facebook or Twitter to learn more...
May 08, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & special guest, conservationist and co-host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Peter Gros, to talk about the iconic red wolf and their ongoing recovery from the brink of extinction. We discuss the shifting landscape and attitudes in wildlife conservation over the last few decades, the role that captive breeding and re-introduction have played in reviving nearly lost red wolf populations, what makes these iconic animals so special, why large predators are so integral to a thriving ecos...
May 02, 2024•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ellen & special guest Isaac answer questions from young listeners! We discuss the smallest animals, giraffe sounds, polar bear buoyancy, sturgeon skin, metabolism, and more. 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!...
Apr 24, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & corvid scientist Dr. Kaeli Swift for a review of the clever little goths rummaging through a trash can near you: American crows. We discuss the twists and turns of a career in science, what crows can learn from funerals, how to tell a crow from a raven, and lessons in crucial skills like cheeto thievery and pizza crust gardening. Links: Learn more about Dr. Kaeli Swift and her work on her blog, corvidresearch.blog ! Follow Dr. Kaeli Swift on Instagram , TikTok , Facebook or Twitter ...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Christian explains why not to mess with the coral snake & Ellen puts the common cuckoo on blast. We discuss deadly neurotoxin, microfarts, what's up with those annoying flickering lightbulbs, sneaky disguises, evolutionary arms races, brood parasitism, bird genetics, and so much more. 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!...
Apr 11, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & evolutionary morphologist Dr. Kassandra Ford as we get amped up about electric fishes. We discuss fish who use electricity to make mind maps, sabotage each other by jamming their signals, starve themselves with their own teeth, and ask the important questions like, “do you have a favorite fish skull?” Links: Learn more about Dr. Ford's work at her website: https://www.kassandraford.com/ Follow Dr. Ford on Instagram or Twitter ! For more information about us & our podcast, head over ...
Apr 03, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Curious about the exclusive bonus content for Maximum Fun members? Enjoy some free samples from special episodes: "The Dewlap-Foraging Slug," Let's Learn Everything 's "RATS! Cheddar Heist," "The Fakémon Lab," and "Our Favorite Animal." If you like what you hear, head over to https://maximumfun.org/join and sign up to get access to the entire bonus content library and SO much more!
Mar 28, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ellen & Christian answer questions from the audience! We discuss the podcast's humble origins, magical spells, our favorite ducks, and more. 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 , Instagram & Discord! Follow Ellen on TikTok !...
Mar 27, 2024•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ellen softens up to the chinchilla & Christian breaks the ice with the walrus. We discuss Jackie Chan Adventures, fur slips, dust baths, tusks, whiskers, bells & whistles, Odysseus, and Lewis Carroll. Goo goo g'joob. Links: Get involved with the MaxFunDrive & check out this year's awesome gifts & bonus content! 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!...
Mar 20, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep 232•Transcript available on Metacast This special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join . We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts! J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “ Go Fact Yourself ” are joined by: Ellen & Christian Weatherford - “ Just the Zoo of Us ” Alex Schmidt & Katie Goldi...
Mar 18, 2024•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ellen & special guest, marine biologist Amani Webber-Schultz, suck up to the brilliant little moochers of the ocean: remoras. We discuss shark scales, suction cups, the most efficient way to eat tacos, scrapped Pokemon designs, and so much more. Links: Check out Amani's podcast, Sharkpedia ! Follow Amani on Instagram and TikTok ! Learn more about MISS ! For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website ! Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads , Facebook , Instagram & Discord! F...
Mar 14, 2024•43 min•Ep 231•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & special guest Owen Klessel for some well-deserved PR for the most bizarre and fascinating and incredible animal you’ve never heard of: solenodons. This episode, much like the animal itself, is full of surprises like nose bones, echolocation, an unexpected defense mechanism, butt nipples, and a scourge of mongooses. Links: Follow Owen's work on YouTube and TikTok ! For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website ! Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads , Facebook ...
Mar 07, 2024•42 min•Ep 230•Transcript available on Metacast Christian fishes for compliments about the fishing cat & Ellen goes rock climbing with rock hyraxes. We discuss cat eyes, fishing strategies, buck toothed vampires, toe shoes, Wikipedia drama, and more. 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!...
Feb 29, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & special guest Shannon Roivas who brings us first-hand insight straight from her time spent in the forests of Tanzania studying our very own wild cousins: chimpanzees! On top of fascinating topics like the primate family tree, toe thumbs, termite popsicles and fear grimaces, our guest shares her unique experiences like naming chimpanzees, getting punched by one, and having the opportunity to watch them grow and learn in their very own home. Links: Follow Shannon on Instagram ! Learn ...
Feb 22, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Romance is in the air as Ellen commits to the trumpeter swan & Christian catches the lovebug bug. We discuss clown shoe runways, air horn duets, bird monogamy, a mysterious case of missing bugs, and the true meaning of going out with a bang. Links: Trumpeter swan sound found here via freesound.org Learn more about native swan conservation & how you can help: Trumpeter Swan Society For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website ! Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads , Faceb...
Feb 14, 2024•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & science educator and nature hype man Nick VanAcker to sing praises for some of our favorite true bugs: cicadas! We discuss how and why cicada choruses sing the song of the summer, why they spend so much of their lives underground before emerging and what’s so special about prime numbers anyway, the real parasitic fungus that inspired a cicada-themed Pokémon, and so much more. Links: Follow Nick on TikTok ! Check out more of Nick's work at his website ! For more information about us ...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Christian makes some noise for the Freddy Kreuger frog & Ellen picks a bouquet of bone-eating snot flowers. We discuss life as a mouth with legs, being born into literal Hunger Games, meme lore, whalefalls, and eating the bones. Links: It Is Wednesday My Dudes Whale Fall (After Life of a Whale) by Sweet Fern Productions 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 31, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Join Ellen & special guest, deep sea biologist Dr. Thom Linley, for a literal deep dive into an animal that just might change the way you think about the creatures of the abyss: the ethereal snailfish. We discuss what it’s like to be among the first humans to ever see a species, life in the trenches - like, the actual Mariana trench, freedom from beauty norms and justice for the blobfish, slurping up meat-flavored jellybeans off the ocean floor, and the adorable side of the hadal zone. Links: Ch...
Jan 25, 2024•50 min•Ep 224•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 
