Nature

Just the Zoo of Us

Join us, Ellen and Christian Weatherford, while we review your favorite species of animals and rate them out of ten in the categories of effectiveness, ingenuity and aesthetics.
More information can be found at justthezooofus.com 😊
Got a species you want us to review? Submit your animal friend to us at ellen@justthezooofus.com and when we review your animal we’ll give you a shoutout! 😊
Cover art by Mrs. Brainbow (Taylor Gordon-Wood). Theme music by Louie Zong.

Latest Episodes:

243: Diving Bell Spider & Oarfish Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

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!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

242: Blue Jay w/ Dara Miles Wilson! May 30, 2024

Show notes

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's Black Birders Week!
Follow Dara on Instagram or Twitter!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

241: Peregrine Falcon w/ Sophie Osborn! May 23, 2024

Show notes

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 Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds by Sophie Osborn!
Follow along with Sophie's work at her website!
Watch peregrine falcons on the National Aviary's livestream, Peregrine FalconCam!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

240: Zebras & Honey Badger May 17, 2024

Show notes

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!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

239: Chameleons w/ Dr. Chris Anderson! May 08, 2024

Show notes

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 about chameleon conservation!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

238: Red Wolf w/ Peter Gros! May 02, 2024

Show notes

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 ecosystem, and so much more.

Links:

Check out Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, now airing on NBC!
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!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

237: Kid Questions with Isaac! Apr 24, 2024

Show notes

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!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

236: American Crow w/ Dr. Kaeli Swift! Apr 18, 2024

Show notes

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!
Follow Marianas Nature to learn more about the wildlife of the Mariana Islands!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

235: Coral Snake & Cuckoo Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

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!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

234: Electric Fishes w/ Dr. Kassandra Ford! Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

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 to our website!
Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
Follow Ellen on TikTok!

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

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