Snake Talk

Latest Episodes:

70 | Burmese Pythons in their Native Range Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Caesar Rahman to talk about Burmese Pythons - not to discuss them in Florida where most people in the United States think of them, but instead to talk about them in their native range. Caesar runs a nonprofit called Creative Conservation Alliance that works to conserve rare and endangered wildlife in Bangladesh. They discuss the ecology of Burmese Pythons including habitats, movements, and reproduction. They also talk about Pangolins which may be the Gopher Tortoises of Asia, and they talk about efforts to conserve critically endangered turtles in Bangladesh. You are not going to want to miss this one.

Connect with Caesar at Creative Conservation Alliance.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

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Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

69 | The Big Four of Turtle Conservation Jan 13, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Kiley Briggs to discuss the ‘Big Four’ of freshwater turtle conservation in North America. The discussion starts with an overview of the four, Bog, Wood, Blanding’s, and Spotted Turtles. They go into particular depth on the ecology and natural history of the Wood Turtle, including many stories from the field. Finally they give an update on Orianne’s work to conserve wood turtles in Northern New England.

Connect with Kiley on Instagram.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

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Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

68 | Lameace’s Story: from Herpetology to DEI Research Dec 30, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Lameace Hussain (they/them) to talk about an interesting journey - starting with a rural upbringing in Kentucky, Lameace’s deep interest in Herpetology, research they conducted in Washington on a variety of species including Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes, and what brought Lameace to their current project, working in Human Dimensions. Specifically, examining how well government agencies and academic institutions incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into their work.

Connect with Lameace on Twitter or by email.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

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Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

67 | Midget Faded Rattlesnakes with Dr. Josh Parker Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Josh Parker to talk about one the most fascinating rattlesnakes, the Midget Faded Rattlesnake. Josh has an interesting life story - he overcame a fear of snakes and has never looked back, building a career and life around keeping and studying these amazing animals. They discuss this relatively small and obscure rattlesnake’s natural history covering distribution, movement, habitat, diet, venom and much more. They also spend quite a bit of time discussing Josh’s long-term research in Wyoming and Colorado. Finally, they talk about two threats to the species, collection and energy development.

Connect with Josh at Fresno City College.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

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Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

66 | Snake Safari in Hong Kong Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins is joined by William Sargent from Hong Kong. William is a certified snake catcher in Hong Kong and leads Snake Safaris for local communities. They talk about the environments and snake communities of Hong Kong including discussions of King Cobras and Banded Kraits. They then transition into talking about what he does in his role as a snake catcher and how he has helped to change some of the practices of snake catchers across the country to better conserve snakes. Finally, they discuss snake safaris and the significant impact they are having in conserving snakes in the country.

Connect with William on Facebook.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

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Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

65 | Pythons in Florida: Just the Facts Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with McKayla Spencer, the Interagency Python Management Coordinator with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They talk about everything python in Florida. They walk through a timeline of the invasion including how the snakes arrived and how the partnerships’ control methods have changed over the years. They also discuss python regulations in Florida, how the snakes are humanely euthanized, new technologies for detecting them, scout snakes and much more. You do not want to miss this episode!

Connect with McKayla and read more about pythons at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

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Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

64 | Cutting Edge Research on Diamondbacks with Dr. Jayme Waldron Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Waldron to talk more about one of his favorite snakes, the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (EDB). Jayme has spent much of her career working in the low country of South Carolina both in the pine savannas and on sea islands. The common thread of this podcast is the research program of one of the leading contemporary ecologists studying EDBs. They discuss a wide range of topics including life history, movements, snake-human interactions, misconceptions on the timing of breeding, and so much more. Stay tuned to the end to hear the story of Hussie, an amazing story of snake longevity and a researcher’s connection to an animal.

Connect with Jayme on her website.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

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Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

63 | Snakes in the Arctic with Dr. Thomas Madsen Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Madsen to talk about his career and his long-term snake studies from around the world. They start in Scandinavia talking about Adders and the interesting natural history of this snake that is the only species to make it into the Arctic Circle. They focus on a 40-plus year study of an Adder population in southern Sweden, specifically how the population nearly disappeared and how Thomas was able to help the population recover. They then go to Australia and talk about a 30-plus year study on Pythons and how changing climates in the region have driven the populations to the brink of extinction. This is one you are not going to want to miss.

Read more about Thomas in the news, and check out his research.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

62 | King Cobras with Gowri Shankar Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Gowri Shankar to talk about one of the world's most iconic snakes, the King Cobra. They start off talking about Gowri’s career and the amazing snake diversity in India. They then do a deep dive into King Cobra natural history including movements, habitat, diet and reproduction. Finally, they discuss Gowri’s PhD research which has split the King Cobras into 4 species. Stay tuned to hear the story about the time Gowri was bitten by a King Cobra.

Connect with Gowri at The King Cobra Conservancy.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

61 | Rattlesnake Roundups (3 of 3): Dr. Bruce Means on the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Sep 23, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Means to talk about everything Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (EDB). They begin with a discussion of his time working at Tall Timbers and his early studies of the species. They then do a deep dive on the ecology of EDBs talking about their movement, habitats, breeding, diet, and life history. The ecology conversation transitions into how the roundups and broad scale habitat changes in the region have impacted EDB populations. They finish the episode by talking about Bruce’s work in a remote region of South America which has been the recent focus of a National Geographic article and a Disney+ series.

Check out Bruce’s book.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.