Snake Talk

Latest Episodes:

60 | Rattlesnake Roundups (2 of 3): Daniel Sollenberger on the Whigham Roundup Sep 09, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Daniel Sollenberger, state herpetologist for Georgia, to talk about rattlesnake roundups. They start off going over what Daniel’s role is, as the state herpetologist. They transition into what roundups are and how they are typically structured in the Southeast. Chris and Daniel talk in detail about the Whigham roundup which was the last one in Georgia to transition to a wildlife festival. Finally, they talk about the status and management of venomous snakes in Georgia and potential approaches to improving their management in the state.

Connect with Daniel at Georgia DNR.

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.

59 | Rattlesnake Roundups (1 of 3): John Jensen on the Transition to Wildlife Festivals Aug 26, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with John Jensen to talk about rattlesnake roundups. They describe what roundups are and how they are typically structured in the Southeast. John tells us about many of the projects he worked on during his time as the state herpetologist in Georgia. Chris and John discuss the history of roundups in the region and about how the snake hunters collect snakes for the event. Finally, they go in depth about the transition of the Claxton Roundup to a Wildlife Festival including the process, challenges, and how the transition did not greatly affect the attendees experience at the event.

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.

58 | Bob Ashley, Snake Entrepreneur and founder of the Chiricahua Desert Museum Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Bob Ashley to talk about his life - he has found a unique path that has allowed him to pursue many different avenues relative to snakes. They talk about a range of interests Bob has, including keeping and breeding snakes, collecting rare books and artifacts, and publishing. Specifically, the discussion centers on Bob’s transition from growing up in Michigan and breeding snakes to being the founder of the Chiricahua Desert Museum. They also discuss Eco Publishing, the International Herpetological Symposium, and the North American Reptile Breeders Conference.

Connect with Bob at the Chiricahua Desert Museum, the International Herpetological Symposium, or the North American Reptile Breeders Conference.

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.

57 | Traveling to International Destinations to Snake Hunt with Rhett Stanberry Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Rhett Stanberry to talk about traveling to snake hunt and field herp. Learn about a range of topics including how to select a country, how to focus on regions within the country, how laws and regulations change from area to area, lodging and travel, visas, and how understanding the snakes’ biology can help you plan. Also, listen in to the conversation about Rhett’s most recent adventure to Panama.

Connect with Rhett on YouTube.

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.

56 | Dr. Rick Shine on his new book, “So Many Snakes, So Little Time” Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins has a conversation with Dr. Shine to talk about his newest book. This autobiography goes through his fifty-plus year career studying snakes in Australia from his childhood, to conducting the first studies on Australian snakes in graduate school, to the multiple long-term studies he has worked on over the years. Dr. Shine is one of the most accomplished Snake Biologists in the history of herpetology. Join us as we hear him tell his story.

Connect with Dr. Shine on the Macquarie University website.

Preorder his autobiography “So Many Snakes, So Little Time.”

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.

55 | Linking Science to Conservation: Indigo Snakes and Flatwoods Salamanders with Houston Chandler Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with The Orianne Society’s Director of Science, Houston Chandler, to talk about the link between science and conservation. They start off by diving into the conservation of flatwoods salamanders in the Gulf Region including ecology, threats, and research. They transition to talking about the launch of The Orianne Society’s Science Initiative and how it will be structured into the future. As part of that discussion they talk about grant opportunities. They then discuss a range-wide population modeling project and its value for conserving indigo snakes.

Connect with Houston on Twitter.

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

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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.

54 | Everything Gila Monsters with Dr. Beck Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Daniel Beck to discuss ecology and natural history of Gila Monsters. They cover everything from the origins of the name, their distribution, habitat needs, reproduction and much more. They also touch on the closely related Beaded Lizards and chat about rattlesnakes. Dr. Beck finishes with an incredible story about camping in Gila Monster country.

Connect with Dr. Beck at Central Washington University.

Here is Dr. Beck’s book, Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards.

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.

53 | Tiger Rattlesnakes to King Cobras with Dr. Matt Goode Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Matt Goode to talk about research on venomous reptiles. They cover everything from the movement of Prairie Rattlesnakes, the impact of development on Tiger Rattlesnakes and Gila Monsters, to Natural History of King Cobras. Dr. Goode finishes with a story of surgery on a King Cobra in unusual circumstances.

Connect with Dr. Goode at The University of Arizona.

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.

52 | Indigo Season Update with Ben Stegenga May 20, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Ben Stegenga who coordinates rare species inventory and monitoring in the Longleaf Savannas for The Orianne Society. Dr. Jenkins starts off the episode with an update on some exciting changes to the program structure at The Orianne Society, talks about their new website and a current campaign. Ben and Chris discuss the results from this season's indigo snake monitoring, including how many sites where indigos were found, how many snakes in total were detected, as well as some information on Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes and Pine Snakes. Finally, they take some time to discuss some of the other projects Ben is working on including a Spotted Turtle monitoring project and an effort to document snake diversity in one of the best remaining examples of Longleaf Pine habitat.

Connect with Ben on Instagram.

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

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.

51 | Cane Toads and the Decline of Snakes and Lizards in Australia with Dr. Doody May 06, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Jenkins has a conversation with Dr. Doody about reptiles in Australia. They start by discussing reptile communities in general across the continent, including some interesting discussions on the nesting ecology of Pig-nosed Turtles. They discuss Cane Toads, their natural history and how they found their way to approximately fifty countries around the world. They talk about how Cane Toads have spread and the research Dr. Doody has been conducting, documenting the impact on native reptiles. Stay tuned until the end when Dr. Doody tells us about a near death experience with one of the world’s most deadly snakes - you do not want to miss this one.

Connect with Dr. Doody at the University of South Florida.

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.