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:

198: California Condor Jun 21, 2023

Show notes

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 YouTube channel
Learn more about the Yurok Condor Restoration Program & how you can help
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
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197: Pterosaurs w/ Adele Pentland! Jun 16, 2023

Show notes

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 fossils in Australia and use snapshots of the past to bring these bizarre and fascinating animals back to life, from digging in the Outback to naming an entire species. If you think having to get your laptop out of your bag is annoying, try getting pterosaur bones through airport security.

Links:

Check out Adele's podcast, Pals in Palaeo!
Follow Adele on Instagram!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
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196: Grasshopper Mouse & Freshwater Mussels Jun 09, 2023

Show notes

Ellen howls at the moon with the grasshopper mouse & Christian lures us in with freshwater mussels. We discuss brain chemistry, an evolutionary uno reverse card, lion software on mouse hardware, tongue-feet, pretty boogers, and the worst day of a poor unsuspecting fish's life.

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

195: Gray Wolf w/ Danielle LaRock! May 31, 2023

Show notes

Ellen & special guest, podcaster and wildlife educator Danielle LaRock, review one of our world’s most misunderstood, maligned, and magical creatures: gray wolves. We’re not just talking teeth and claws and fluffy coats - we’re also discussing alliances with crows, howls that rattle your very soul, the irreplaceable ecological role of wolves, their conflicts with humans, and how we can all make peace with our wild neighbors.

Links:

YouTube video: "How Wolves Change Rivers"
YouTube video of Danielle & Kekoa the wolf at the Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center
Check out Danielle's podcast, National Park After Dark, and follow them on Instagram!
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194: Antlions & Trap-jaw Ants May 24, 2023

Show notes

Christian explains the pitfalls of antlions & Ellen snaps back with the trap-jaw ant. We discuss metamorphosis, structural engineering, sand doodles, the Sarlacc, Darwin's thoughts on Australia, Pokémon, sticky babies, and a literal scientific arena.

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

193: Asian Water Monitor w/ Ivan Kwan! May 18, 2023

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, naturalist Ivan Kwan, for a review of the scaly friends with the world’s most chaotic energy: Asian water monitors! We talked about the history and landscape of Singapore, smelling in stereo, Krakatoa, and the giant lizards showing up where you least expect them, from treetops to shipwrecks, racetracks and even toilets. It’s their world, we’re just living in it.

Links:

The photo Ivan mentioned of the water monitor in the shipwreck can be found on photographer Kriss Sieniawski's Instagram.
Follow Ivan on Twitter and Instagram!
Check out Ivan's podcast, Wild Red Dot!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

192: Proboscis Monkey & Sarcastic Fringehead May 10, 2023

Show notes

Ellen nose what's up with the proboscis monkey & Christian sizes up the sarcastic fringehead. We discuss the form and function of a uniquely bizarre nose, the impact memes can have on conservation, and why you might want to think twice before reaching into a hole in the sea floor.

Links:

The Borneo Nature Foundation
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

191: Fireflies w/ Dr. Sarah Lower! May 03, 2023

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, biology professor and researcher Sarah Lower, for a review of nature’s very own glimmering fairy lights: fireflies! We discuss how to do the beetle dance, tips for packing a bioluminescent picnic, and the shockingly diabolical world of fireflies - from friendly fire to catfishing, thievery, and snailshakes.

Links:

The Lower Lab website
Dr. Lower's Twitter
Mass Audubon's Firefly Watch Community Science Project
iNaturalist
The Xerces Society's Firefly Atlas
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

190: Pom-Pom Crab & Mourning Dove Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

Christian cheers for pom-pom crabs & Ellen explains what makes mourning doves so coo-l. We discuss how crabs clone their own pets, what type of milk pigeons order in their lattes, and a suspicious pattern of criminal activity.

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

189: Freshwater Megafish w/ Zeb Hogan! Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, biologist and host of Nat Geo WILD’s TV series “Monster Fish” Zeb Hogan, for a review of the giants lurking in the waters of the world’s rivers and lakes: freshwater megafish. We discuss how and why fish are able to reach massive sizes, what it’s like to research and work alongside these enormous creatures in their own homes, and how we can help protect and conserve the natural habitats we all rely on to thrive.

Links:

Check out Zeb's book, "Chasing Giants: In Search of the World's Largest Freshwater Fish"
Keep up with Wonders of the Mekong on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube!
Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Discord!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

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