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:

83: Tarantulas w/ Tea Francis! Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, artist and arachnid enthusiast Tea Francis, for a review of our fuzzy, chunky, leggy friends: tarantulas! In this episode we discuss why tarantulas deserve admiration, how (and why) to respect their boundaries, and what it's like to live with hundreds of tiny roommates in the Spider Room.

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

82: Olm & Maned Wolf Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! Christian returns with the secretive underground cave puppy, the olm, and Ellen reviews the uniquely stunning maned wolf.

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

81: Barnacles w/ Elizabeth Mills! Jan 15, 2021

Show notes

Join Ellen and special guest, marine biologist Elizabeth Mills, for a review of the often-overlooked ride-or-die friends of the sea, barnacles! Topics include (but are not limited to): barnacle reproductive anatomy, whale armor, zombie crab mechs, and whether or not geese are fruit.

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

80: Sea Stars w/ Dr. Christopher Mah! Jan 06, 2021

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Join Ellen and marine biologist Dr. Christopher Mah for a review of the mysterious, complicated, many-armed predators of the deep, sea stars! In this episode, we discuss why sea stars are so important to marine ecosystems, their secret drama playing out in slow motion, and their captivatingly unfamiliar beauty.

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

79: Reindeer (aka Caribou) w/ Olivia deBourcier! Dec 25, 2020

Show notes

Join Ellen and special guest, environmental scientist & host of the Beyond Blathers podcast Olivia deBourcier, for a review of a festive icon, the reindeer (also known as caribou)! In this episode, we talk about what makes reindeer so lovable (spoiler alert: so many things), what it's like to work with them, and the challenges they're facing in their native habitats.

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

78: Ants w/ Aaron Fairweather! Dec 21, 2020

Show notes

Join Ellen and special guest, entomologist Aaron Fairweather, for a review of the industrious, conniving, world-conquering ants! In this episode, we discuss what makes ants so successful, the theatrical levels of drama going on under our feet every day, and as a special treat, a free idea for a D&D character.

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

77: Orb Weavers & Wolf Spiders w/ Madison Bush! Dec 09, 2020

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, field biologist Madison Bush, for a review of a couple of very leggy friends, orb weavers & wolf spiders! In this episode we discuss the World Wide Web, moustaches made out of eyes, and buff Tom Holland.

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

76: Olympic Torrent Salamander w/ Travis Kurtz! Nov 20, 2020

Show notes

Join Ellen and special guest, herpetologist Travis Kurtz, for a review of Washington's very own Olympic torrent salamander! In this episode, we go over what makes salamanders so charming, the mysteries that make this little one so special, and what it's like to study them.

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

75: Coquerel's Sifaka w/ Keriann McGoogan! Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

Join Ellen and special guest, conservationist & primatologist Keriann McGoogan, for a review of Coquerel's sifaka! In this episode, we chat about what makes sifakas so special as well as what it's like to work with and study them in the wild in Madagascar.

This episode was made in collaboration with the Lemur Conservation Network for the World Lemur Festival. You can celebrate World Lemur Day on Friday, October 30! https://www.lemurconservationnetwork.org/world-lemur-day/

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

74: Scalloped Hammerhead w/ Ryan Hegseth! Oct 22, 2020

Show notes

Join Ellen and special guest, marine biologist Ryan Hegseth, for a review of the scalloped hammerhead! In this episode, we review what makes this hammerhead shark so successful and charming in addition to some slight detours along the way, visiting topics like octopus hickeys, learning to fight fear with education, and Shark Week.

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

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