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:

170: Wild Turkeys Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Ellen goes on an odyssey through history with the wild turkey. We discuss their path alongside humans for thousands of years, from prehistoric America to praise from Benjamin Franklin, the brink of extinction and nets fired out of cannons.

Further viewing:

Rocket Netting Turkeys, a video demonstration by the LSU AgCenter

Paul Kelly's Gobbling Demonstration

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Cover photo: svetlanafoote via Getty images

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169: Tiger Sharks w/ Melissa Márquez! Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Join Ellen & shark scientist Melissa Márquez for a review of the giant garbage disposals of the ocean: tiger sharks. We discuss sharks as links to our world’s past, what it's like to work with the ocean as your office and wild sharks as your colleagues, teeth and slime and jelly-filled pores.

Melissa's books:

Mother of Sharks, a picture book for ages 5 to 8

Swimming with Sharks (Wild Survival #2) : Volume 2, an adventure book for ages 12 to 15

Learn more about Melissa's work on her website, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

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168: Velvet Worms & Binturong Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

Christian sticks to velvet worms & Ellen hangs out with binturongs. We discuss sticky situations, some unconventional means of reproduction, prehensile tails, and popcorn-scented pee.

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Cover photos: Geoff Galice via Wikipedia (velvet worm) & exs via Getty images (binturong)

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167: Huntsman Spiders w/ Caitlin Henderson! Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, invertebrate photographer, zookeeper and science communicator behind "She's Got Legs" Caitlin Henderson, for a review of the best huggers of the arachnid world: huntsman spiders. We’ll discuss why your yard glitters at night, fake webs for real spiders, cartwheels, backflips, spider unions, spider spaghetti, and why the most dangerous thing about these little guys is how much we fear them.

Follow Caitlin's work on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tiktok!

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Cover photo provided by Caitlin Henderson :)

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166: Iberian Ribbed Newt & Australian Ghostshark Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

Ellen has a bone to pick with the Iberian ribbed newt & Christian channels the spirit of the Australian ghostshark. We discuss insides becoming outsides, amphibian space flight, living fossils, and reset the "episodes since last Naruto reference" counter to zero.

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Cover photos: Peter Halasz via Wikipedia (Iberian ribbed newt) & Fir0002/Flagstaffotos via Wikipedia (Australian ghostshark)

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165: Wasps w/ Johanna Schwartz! Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, entomologist Johanna Schwartz, for a review of animals you may not have thought to appreciate before: wasps. From the world’s smallest insect, the fairyfly, to the infamous giant hornet, the wasp world is full of imposters, cockroach brain surgery, pollination and pest control.

Check out Nature Check on YouTube & Twitch! Our appearance can be found here.

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164: Bowmouth Guitarfish & Timber Rattlesnake Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

Christian shreds on the bowmouth guitarfish & Ellen shakes things up with the timber rattlesnake. We discuss the shark-ray spectrum (which is not a laser beam that turns you into a shark), weird teeth, how a snake's rattle works, and why you should peacefully leave them alone.

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Cover photos: Tomas Kotouc via Getty images (bowmouth guitarfish) & tamers1 via Getty images (timber rattlesnake)

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

163: The Dodo w/ Natalie Sabin! Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, ecologist and history podcaster Natalie Sabin, for a post-mortem of the dearly departed dodo. We discuss the unique traits that allowed the dodo to thrive in its island home, what went wrong for them when humans appeared, and why they left such big heavy footprints in our hearts.

Listen to Across the Ages wherever you get podcasts!

Follow Natalie on Twitter for more wildlife ecology, bats, nature & history!

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Cover photo: "Adriaen van de Venne's 1626 depiction of a dodo he claimed to have seen" via Wikipedia

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162: Spotted Lanternfly & Crown-of-thorns Starfish Sep 29, 2022

Show notes

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! This week, Ellen puts the spotted lanternfly in the spotlight & Christian spills his guts on the crown-of-thorns starfish. We discuss stinky trees, winged invaders, crunching up corals, and eyes where you least expect them.

Learn more about what to do if you see spotted lanternflies in the USA: https://www.phila.gov/2018-08-31-spotted-lanternfly-in-philadelphia/

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Cover photos: arlutz73 via Getty images (spotted lanternfly) & Velvetfish via Getty images (crown-of-thorns starfish)

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161: Rufous Hummingbird w/ Alexander Vidal Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, illustrator and author Alexander Vidal, for a review of a tiny bird with an ambitious itinerary: the rufous hummingbird. We discuss cottagecore nests, how wildlife moves all over our continent, birds that look like bugs and bugs that look like birds, and a lesson in confidence from the world’s littlest dinosaurs.

Get Alexander's book, Wilds of the United States: The Animals' Survival Field Guide!

Follow Alexander on Twitter and Instagram!

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

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