Episodes
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Join Ellen & special guests Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson for a revue of gay animals! We discuss manatee wuzzles, elephant matriarchy, giraffes necking in more ways than one, eagle throuples, the impact of prejudice on science, and so much more. This episode is a celebration of love, family, and community in - as our guest puts it - the animal queendom.
NOTE: Since a lot of this episode is about the diversity of sexual behavior in animals, naturally it does contain more discussion of sex than most of our episodes, including behaviors that aren’t just motivated by reproduction. These discussions are not graphic or explicit, but it is a focal point of the conversation so I do encourage any young listeners to please check in with your grown-ups before listening.
Links:
Check out A Field Guide to Gay Animals!Follow the podcast on Instagram!Follow Owen on Instagram and learn more about their work on their website!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Christian bubbles over with hype for the diving bell spider & Ellen tells some fish tales about the legendary oarfish. We discuss Hotwheels sisyphus, Doordash for spiders, diving technology, Pokemon, sea serpent mythology, bioluminescence and so much more.
Links:
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Missing episodes?
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Join Ellen & special guest, naturalist and birder Dara Miles Wilson, about some of the brightest and boldest members of the corvid family: the tenacious and charming blue jays. We discuss the audacity of jays and their amazing hawk impressions, what to put in your birdfeeder and why you might want to add a little spice, why blue jays aren’t actually blue, and so much more.
Links:
Follow Black AF in Stem on social media (linktree here) and check out the virtual and in-person events for this year's Black Birders Week!Follow Dara on Instagram or Twitter!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife biologist and author Sophie Osborn, for a review of the skydiving champions of the animal kingdom: peregrine falcons. We discuss the adaptations that let these incredible birds tear through the sky at literally breakneck speeds, biomimicry in aircraft design and sporting goods, the plague of pesticide and how we almost lost some of our most iconic birds, and the lessons that birds can teach us about our own role in the environment.
Links:
Get your own copy of Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds by Sophie Osborn!Follow along with Sophie's work at her website!Watch peregrine falcons on the National Aviary's livestream, Peregrine FalconCam!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Ellen earns her stripes with zebras & Christian DOES care about the honey badger. We discuss the mysteries of stripes, video games as scientific experiments, the important role of cool jackets in wildlife rehabilitation, zebras in unusual places, viral videos from 2011, venom resistance, cheetah mimicry, and so much more.
Links:
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Join Ellen & special guest, biologist Dr. Chris Anderson, for a review of the funkiest lizards in the world: chameleons! We discuss ballistic tongue projection, color changing and how cartoons get it wrong, eyes that move independently of each other, prehensile tails that act like a fifth leg, and so much more.
Links:
Learn more about International Chameleon Day & Wildlife Madagascar's mission on their website here!Follow the IUCN Chameleon Specialist Group on Facebook or Twitter to learn more about chameleon conservation!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Join Ellen & special guest, conservationist and co-host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Peter Gros, to talk about the iconic red wolf and their ongoing recovery from the brink of extinction. We discuss the shifting landscape and attitudes in wildlife conservation over the last few decades, the role that captive breeding and re-introduction have played in reviving nearly lost red wolf populations, what makes these iconic animals so special, why large predators are so integral to a thriving ecosystem, and so much more.
Links:
Check out Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, now airing on NBC!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Ellen & special guest Isaac answer questions from young listeners! We discuss the smallest animals, giraffe sounds, polar bear buoyancy, sturgeon skin, metabolism, and more.
Links:
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Join Ellen & corvid scientist Dr. Kaeli Swift for a review of the clever little goths rummaging through a trash can near you: American crows. We discuss the twists and turns of a career in science, what crows can learn from funerals, how to tell a crow from a raven, and lessons in crucial skills like cheeto thievery and pizza crust gardening.
Links:
Learn more about Dr. Kaeli Swift and her work on her blog, corvidresearch.blog!Follow Dr. Kaeli Swift on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or Twitter!Follow Marianas Nature to learn more about the wildlife of the Mariana Islands!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Christian explains why not to mess with the coral snake & Ellen puts the common cuckoo on blast. We discuss deadly neurotoxin, microfarts, what's up with those annoying flickering lightbulbs, sneaky disguises, evolutionary arms races, brood parasitism, bird genetics, and so much more.
Links:
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Join Ellen & evolutionary morphologist Dr. Kassandra Ford as we get amped up about electric fishes. We discuss fish who use electricity to make mind maps, sabotage each other by jamming their signals, starve themselves with their own teeth, and ask the important questions like, “do you have a favorite fish skull?”
Links:
Learn more about Dr. Ford's work at her website: https://www.kassandraford.com/Follow Dr. Ford on Instagram or Twitter!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Curious about the exclusive bonus content for Maximum Fun members? Enjoy some free samples from special episodes: "The Dewlap-Foraging Slug," Let's Learn Everything's "RATS! Cheddar Heist," "The Fakémon Lab," and "Our Favorite Animal."
If you like what you hear, head over to https://maximumfun.org/join and sign up to get access to the entire bonus content library and SO much more!
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Ellen & Christian answer questions from the audience! We discuss the podcast's humble origins, magical spells, our favorite ducks, and more.
Be a part of the MaxFunDrive & sign up to become a supporting member of the network and get access to exclusive content and beautiful gifts!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Ellen softens up to the chinchilla & Christian breaks the ice with the walrus. We discuss Jackie Chan Adventures, fur slips, dust baths, tusks, whiskers, bells & whistles, Odysseus, and Lewis Carroll. Goo goo g'joob.
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 Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
This special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the process, go to maximumfun.org/join.
We’re kicking off the most exciting time of the year for the MaxFun Network with a trivia game show featuring hosts from tons of great podcasts!
J. Keith van Straaten and Helen Hong from “Go Fact Yourself” are joined by:
Ellen & Christian Weatherford - “Just the Zoo of Us”
Alex Schmidt & Katie Goldin - “Secretly Incredibly Fascinating”
If you’d like to hear more hosts competing for trivia supremacy, visit Maximumfun.org for the full version of this show.
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Ellen & special guest, marine biologist Amani Webber-Schultz, suck up to the brilliant little moochers of the ocean: remoras. We discuss shark scales, suction cups, the most efficient way to eat tacos, scrapped Pokemon designs, and so much more.
Links:
Check out Amani's podcast, Sharkpedia!Follow Amani on Instagram and TikTok!Learn more about MISS!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Join Ellen & special guest Owen Klessel for some well-deserved PR for the most bizarre and fascinating and incredible animal you’ve never heard of: solenodons. This episode, much like the animal itself, is full of surprises like nose bones, echolocation, an unexpected defense mechanism, butt nipples, and a scourge of mongooses.
Links:
Follow Owen's work on YouTube and TikTok!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Christian fishes for compliments about the fishing cat & Ellen goes rock climbing with rock hyraxes. We discuss cat eyes, fishing strategies, buck toothed vampires, toe shoes, Wikipedia drama, and more.
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Join Ellen & special guest Shannon Roivas who brings us first-hand insight straight from her time spent in the forests of Tanzania studying our very own wild cousins: chimpanzees! On top of fascinating topics like the primate family tree, toe thumbs, termite popsicles and fear grimaces, our guest shares her unique experiences like naming chimpanzees, getting punched by one, and having the opportunity to watch them grow and learn in their very own home.
Links:
Follow Shannon on Instagram!Learn more about Roots & Shoots and how you can get involved with conservation over at their website!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! -
Romance is in the air as Ellen commits to the trumpeter swan & Christian catches the lovebug bug. We discuss clown shoe runways, air horn duets, bird monogamy, a mysterious case of missing bugs, and the true meaning of going out with a bang.
Links:
Trumpeter swan sound found here via freesound.orgLearn more about native swan conservation & how you can help: Trumpeter Swan SocietyFor more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on Threads, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on TikTok! - Show more