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:

288: Corals w/ Jessie Palmer! May 22, 2025

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, champion of the reef Jessie Palmer, as we try to save the world one polyp at a time. We discuss coral wars and neural nets, aliens from a different version of our own planet, literally re-inventing the wheel with coral-inspired biomimicry, what’s up with coral bleaching and how can we help, and even surprisingly philosophical questions, like “what is an individual?” “what is the self?” and “at what point do you have a new body?” This episode will change the way you look at a reef - and maybe even yourself. Hope you’re ready.

Links:

Follow Jessie on Instagram!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
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Extremely Accurate Bird Songs: Mourning Dove May 14, 2025

Show notes

Get your seeds and suet ready because it's time for a feed drop: Ellen joins birding musicians Tommy Siegel and Billy Libby for the debut episode of Extremely Accurate Bird Songs (The Podcast) on the mourning dove.

Links:

Follow along with Extremely Accurate Bird Songs (The Podcast)
Find more of Tommy's work on his website!
Find more of Billy's work on his website!
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

287: Mexican Jumping Bean Moth & Slow Worm May 08, 2025

Show notes

Ellen's thinking about those Mexican jumping beans & Christian takes things slow with the slow worm. We discuss bean details, the strategic value of random movement, hair pencils, the difference between snakes and legless lizards, autotomy, and so much more.

Links:

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

286: A Review of the Animal Kingdom in Miniature w/ Dr. Mark D. Scherz! May 01, 2025

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, evolutionary biologist and herpetologist Dr. Mark D. Scherz, for a look through the magnifying glass at miniaturized animals. Our guest studies species who have shrunk down to incredibly small sizes, like frogs and chameleons who could gather on the tip of your finger, and he has some fascinating insights into why and how animals get so darn itty bitty and what could be stopping them from getting any itty bittier. We discuss silliness in scientific names, assuming a spherical frog in a vacuum, chameleons called B. nana, whether jawbones spark joy, how many brain cells you really even need anyway, and so much more.

Links:

Learn more about Mark and his work on his website: http://www.markscherz.com/
Check out Mark's podcast, SquaMates: http://squamatespod.com/
Follow Mark on Tumblr: https://markscherz.tumblr.com/
Follow Mark on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/markscherz.bsky.social
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

285: American Woodcock & Camel Spider Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Christian walks to the beat of the American woodcock & Ellen throws shade at camel spiders. We discuss peent, walking with rhythm to attract the worm, beak smooches, chain e-mails, girl dinner, ant massacres, and so much more.

Links:

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

284: African Pygmy Hedgehog w/ Sarah Bessie! Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, animal care educator and advocate Sarah Bessie (the "Hedge Chef") for a review of the prickly little roly polies: African pygmy hedgehogs. We discuss built-in hoodie strings, standing jeans, biomimicry in sports equipment, mobile charcuterie, what to do with your skirt when you gotta go fast, all the ways hedgehogs fail to beat the witchcraft allegations, and so much more.

Links:

Find more of Sarah's work and hedgehog care content at her website: https://www.hedgechef.co.uk/
Follow Sarah and fill your feed with adorable hedgehogs on Instagram!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

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

283: Paddlefish & Pigbutt Worm Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Christian is up a creek without a paddlefish & an unusual deep-sea worm becomes the butt of Ellen's jokes. We discuss a previous guest getting electrocuted for shark science, hot takes on the whole direwolf de-extinction thing, the unexpected hybridization of the sturddlefish, why pigbutt worms are like that, statistically insignificant haters, and so much more.

Links:

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

282: Brooke Hartman's Top 3 Cutest Killers! Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

Join Ellen & special guest, author Brooke Hartman, for a look at some of the animal kingdom’s most deceptively adorable assassins. We discuss evolutionary arms race, hot ones for mice, Mr. Yuck, an insect isekai, a toxic honeypot, and so much more. These cuties are slaying more than just their prey.

Links:

Get your copy of Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead wherever you buy books!
Find more of Brooke's work at her website, brookeahartman.com
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo

281: Field Notes (2025) Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Ellen & Christian share stories, observations and inspiration from special guest: you! We discuss Benedict Cumberbatch's turkey gang, my squirrel mech grandma, Twitch plays deep sea ROV dives, hear me out cakes, smuggling budgies, house vultures, and more.

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 BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

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

280: Eastern Gray Squirrel & Budgerigar (aka Parakeet) Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Ellen goes nuts for the eastern gray squirrel & a little bird told Christian about the budgerigar (AKA parakeet). We discuss the MaxFunDrive, Pikachu, the e-nut, squirrel crime, fluorescent feathers, spicy air, Bluey, and so much more.

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 BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!
Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

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

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