Episodes
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Joining The Wild Life today is Dylan Beckham! She spent two years as a zookeeper caring for all sorts of exotics, including reptiles, invertebrates, fish, emus, wallabies, genets and Eurasian harvest mice. As a herpetology enthusiast, she was surprised to find it was the mice that stole her heart. This led to the development of her independent research project investigating their nesting behaviors in captivity, before ultimately leaving the zoo to pursue her passion for wildlife research. She managed to fit in an adventure to Canada, where she interned at a wildlife rehab facility, wrestled raccoons, and fell madly in love with a three-legged beaver! Now she's wading through nearly a hundred hours of harvest mouse data, while preparing to return to university for a top-up Bachelor's degree in September, where she'll be doing a research project on human-elephant conflict in Equatorial Guinea.
Whether you're fascinated by the world of zookeeping, curious about the nuances of data collection, or passionate about conservation, this episode is for you.
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Have questions, topic suggestions, or want to be on the show? Email me at [email protected] or dm me on Instagram or TikTok @devonthenatureguy
Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
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Where there's smoke, there's fire. But when that fire tears through a landscape, what happens next? Today, we dive into the world of pyrophytic ecosystems—those that not only survive but thrive on fire. Our guide on today's journey is Ross Barreto, a master's student studying native plant population dynamics and spatial ecology. He's also an Urban Forester and likes to experiment with native plant propagation, seed production, and outplanting for restoration and horticulture purposes. We explore the role of fire in Florida's ecosystems, native plants, and the resilience of nature.
Follow Ross on Instagram @barross0505
Have questions, topic suggestions, or want to be on the show? Email me at [email protected] or dm me on Instagram or TikTok @devonthenatureguy
Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
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Welcome to The Wild Life! On today's episode, we have a fascinating guest: wildlife cinematographer Jake Davis.
Jake’s career began by focusing on the wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Growing up, he spent his summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the Teton Range's jagged peaks and abundant wildlife fostered a deep love for nature and a desire to share and preserve it. Today, while Jake travels the globe to film the stories of vulnerable wildlife, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem remains his home.
As a cinematographer, Jake works on natural history productions for renowned platforms like BBC, National Geographic, Disney, Netflix, and Apple. Most recently, he spent five months filming snow leopards in Mongolia for the third installment of BBC's famous series "Planet Earth.” His recent work has been part of a series nominated for a 2023 Emmy and for Best Cinematography at the prestigious Jackson Wild Film Festival.
Jake’s work incorporates diverse filming techniques, including long lens, drone, and gimbals, but he is best known for his novel approach to filming wildlife with high-tech camera traps. He also created the world’s first collection of wildlife Ambrotypes, featuring images on glass plates. Among his accolades, Jake was a 2019 finalist in the renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held by the London Natural History Museum, and his work has been displayed at the Smithsonian in the Exhibition of Nature's Best Photography. His nature greeting card line is sold in stores across the western United States, including REIs and the Yellowstone stores.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of understanding animal behavior and ecology to capture the perfect shot and effectively tell their stories. We explore the future and potential of artificial intelligence in wildlife filmmaking, the "chicken or the egg" question of wildlife cinematography, and the challenges of working off-grid. Jake shares his experiences with camera traps, the heart-wrenching decisions of the footage chopping block, and how to craft compelling narratives without words.
Join us for an in-depth conversation that highlights the blend of artistry and science required to bring the wild to our screens.
Check out his website and order some prints
Check out his gallery
Follow Jake on Instagram
Have questions, topic suggestions, or want to be on the show? Email me at [email protected] or dm me on Instagram or TikTok @devonthenatureguy
Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
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In this episode of The Wild Life, animal welfare scientist Maggie Herskowitz helps us navigate the tangled webs society has woven around the treatment of animals, both wild and domestic. Gray areas, moral calculations, trophy hunting, industrial-scale fishing and livestock, and the emerging field of conservation ethics. Our conversation spans a range of topics including sloth bears, baby chicks, wolves, porpoises, The Grind, social media's impact on monkeys, and the infamous case of Cecil the Lion.
Please be aware that this episode includes discussions about the death and killing of animals, mistreatment, and animal abuse, among other sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.
Join us for a thought-provoking and often challenging discussion that sheds light on the complex and sometimes uncomfortable realities of animal welfare. Let's dive in with Maggie Herskowitz and explore the critical issues at the heart of how we treat our fellow creatures.
Follow Maggie on X
Learn more about Maggie
Check out her YouTube!
Have questions, topic suggestions, or want to be on the show? Email me at [email protected] or dm me on Instagram or TikTok @devonthenatureguy
Support The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
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The world is full of science and, in turn, scientists, and not enough people who truly have that spark for communicating all of that discovery and wonder to the rest of the world. People like today's guest—Dr Carly Anne York (@BiologyCarly). She's an Associate Professor at Lenoir-Rhyne University, an Animal Physiologist, a Science Communicator, and an Author.
Today, science communication, children’s books, squid physiology, mindblowing animal facts, things that are true that are hard to believe, academic and environmental activism, holding onto hope in a world that seems insistent that we shouldn’t, and advice for future scientists
Check out her website
Carly on X
Carly on Instagram
Carly on TikTok
You can support The Wild Life by becoming a member on Patreon for as little as $1 per month
Have questions, guest recommendations, or want to join the email list? Contact me here OR at [email protected]
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Welcome to The Wild Life, the podcast where we explore the wonders of the natural world and the science that helps us understand it. In this episode, we have an extraordinary guest: Aidan Branney. When we first recorded this interview nearly a year ago, Aidan was working as the large carnivore scientific aid for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Today, he’s a Presidential Research Fellow at the University of Georgia, where he studies large carnivores including lions, leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas in Etosha National Park in Namibia.
In this episode, we delve into Aidan's fascinating educational and professional journey, his work on ocelots in Texas, and his research on coyotes, black bears, and bobcats. We'll explore what defines carnivores and the complex challenge of balancing ecological needs with stakeholder interests. Aidan shares insights into estimating populations and monitoring changes in these majestic animals, and we'll discuss how to maintain hope and persevere in a world where conservation efforts often feel like trying to slow a leaking dam with duct tape.
Join us as we venture into the wild world of carnivore ecology with Aidan Branney, uncovering the science, the struggles, and the triumphs of studying and protecting some of the planet's most charismatic creatures.
Aidan on Instagram
Aidan on X
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17 years ago, I was a 14 year old attending Connor Middle School in Hebron, Kentucky. Small little town, just across the Ohio River. In 2018, I moved away, back down to Houston, TX. But in the few years I was there, I met and became friends with some of the most amazing people, most of which I lost contact with over the years
Then one day, sometime last year or so, a familiar name popped up on my feed—an old friend, and today’s guest.
On today's episode, Dr Tiffany Slater tells us all about her amazing discoveries and career as a taphonomist! Searching for molecular ghosts in the fossil record, ginger frogs, ancient proteins, learning there’s a difference between aging fossils and dating fossils, feathered connections, archaeopteryx, perspectives, particle accelerators, and of course, catching up…
Dinosaur feathers reveal traces of ancient proteins
Dr Tiffany Slater's University of College Cork Profile
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Contact | [email protected]
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From their three hearts to their ability to transform and communicate, discover the extraordinary world of octopuses with host Devon Bowker and special guest Sy Montgomery, the "octopus whisperer" herself, and octopus expert Warren Carlyle, founder of OctoNation®. In a new adventure, Secrets of the Octopus, they dive deep into the secrets of the ocean's most enigmatic creatures, exploring the latest revelations in octopus research and conservation efforts. With captivating storytelling and stunning visuals, the pair uncover why these creatures are worthy of our admiration and protection.
Secrets of the Octopus | Book
TRAILER| Secrets of the Octopus on National Geographic and Disney+
OctoNation
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Contact | [email protected]
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Follow Sy Montgomery
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In this episode, Devon (@devonthenatureguy) sits down with Lauren Jackson (@lauren.queenofthewild on Instagram and HERp_trap_queen on TikTok) to chat about becoming a wildlife tech, woodpeckers, federal jobs, the friction of private land, scicomm and education, battles big and small, and above all else, love for the world around us.
Support the show at www.patreon.com/thewildlife for as little as $1 per month
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Today’s episode, social media SciComm, all things cephalopod, their super cool brains, their mind-blowing camouflage, RNA editing, peculiar romances, underappreciated "living fossils", and why octopuses are most definitely not aliens. All with special guest Meg Mindlin, Octopus Biologist
Meg's Website
Save the Ocean, Save the World Hoodie
Meg's Sticker Club
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In this episode, I sit down with Eric Eaton, author of Insectpedia: a Brief Compendium of Insect Lore, Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect, and more!
Wasps are far more diverse than the familiar yellowjackets and hornets that harass picnickers and build nests under the eaves of our homes. These amazing, mostly solitary creatures thrive in nearly every habitat on Earth, and their influence on our lives is overwhelmingly beneficial. Wasps are agents of pest control in agriculture and gardens. They are subjects of study in medicine, engineering, and other important fields. Wasps pollinate flowers, engage in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, and create architectural masterpieces in the form of their nests. From minute fairyflies to gargantuan tarantula hawks, wasps exploit almost every niche on the planet. So successful are they at survival that other organisms emulate their appearance and behavior. The sting is the least reason to respect wasps and, as you will see, no reason to loathe them, either.
Find Eric on Twitter/X
Check out Eric's Blog
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Find me on Instagram and TikTok @devonthenatureguy
Contact: [email protected]
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This episode, which originally aired on March 24 2018, takes us all the way from Copenhagen to the rainforest of South America, from the belly of the beast to its excrement, as we explore nature’s Vampires.
Our guest is Dr Marie Lisandra Zepeda Mendoza, who had recently finished her postdoc in Copenhagen, Denmark and whose recently published research on vampire bats and how they survive on such a peculiar diet is at the center of this story.
If you'd like to support the creation of this show, the blog, and my science communication efforts on social media, you can do so for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
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Sharks are in the water. But is the ocean shark-infested, or shark-depleted? I sat down to talk with Dr Alexandra McInturf to find out.
Learn more about Alexandra and her work
Papers Referenced:
Half a Century of Global Decline in Sharks and Rays
Half a century of rising extinction risk of coral reef sharks and rays
Global catches, exploitation rates, and rebuilding options for sharks
Bycatch Solutions
NOAA Link
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Another stroll down memory lane as I revisit the second-ever guest episode of The Wild Life, Myth-Understood: Busting Bat Myths and Mistruths with Liz Dengate from March 6th of 2018.
If you'd like to support the creation of this show, the blog, and my science communication efforts on social media, you can do so for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
This week we focus on an animal that has been the victim of superstition and fear for thousands of years. Despite what many believe, these creatures are extremely important to our everyday lives.
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This was the first ever episode of The Wild Life back in 2017, and it was never supposed to happen. That's right, The Wild Life, as a podcast, was an accident. The result of a series of unfortunate events. But that's life, isn't it? It happens in the most unexpected of ways. I never imagined that this is where I would be today, and I'm so incredibly grateful for the experience and all those who have been a part of it, as guests, as listeners, and as people who believed in the work I was doing and helped me to succeed.
The mystery of zebra stripes has long been a subject of debate, at least since the days of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace. Now, thanks to Dr. Tim Caro, a professor of wildlife biology at the University of California-Davis, we finally have our answer.
Next week, we're exploring Shark Conservation with Alexandra McInturf!
If you'd like to support the creation of this show, the blog, and my science communication efforts on social media, you can do so for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
Peace out, rainbow trouts!
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It's been awhile. I think it's time for some reintroductions.
I've spent a lot of time over the past year, 6 years really, reflecting on the journey so far, the ups and downs, the struggles, the wins, the change (oh, so much change), and I think I've finally landed comfortably with where I am and what I want this to be. I look forward to sharing my work and the perspectives of scientists from around the world with you every Wednesday as we explore the natural world, the dizzying amount of connections we share to it and each other, and find the courage to protect this planet we call home.
If you managed to get through all 25-ish minutes, thank you so much for your time.
The release schedule for the remainder of the year is as follows:
REVISITED: The Mystery of Zebra StripesShark Conservation with Alexandra McInturfREVISITED: Bat Myths and MistruthsWasps with Eric EatonREVISITED: Nature's VampiresCephalopodcast with Meg MindlinREVISITED: Canary in the Coal MineConversation with Lauren Queen of the WildREVISITED: The Air We BreatheCarnivores with Aiden BranneyREVISITED: Metamorphosis MetaphorConversation with Dr Carly Anne YorkREVISITED: Is Anybody Out There?Animal Ethics with Mad About Animals MagsREVISITED: Ant FarmIf you are able and would like to help sustain and support The Wild Life, you can do so at www.patreon.com/thewildlife for as little as $1 per month
Follow me on social media @devonthenatureguy
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Ticks, for as small as they are, strike a disproportionate amount of fear and disgust into our hearts and minds (no matter what good they might do!). Perhaps it’s their arachnid nature. Maybe it’s the fact that they burrow their creepy mouthparts into your body and feast off of your blood. Oh yeah, and there’s Lyme Disease and the ever-increasing red meat allergies. Whatever the reason, one thing’s for certain— nothing quite warps our conceptions of reality like fear.
For example, there’s a common misconception that ticks fall from trees and drop onto unsuspecting victims. Let’s explore the truth behind this myth and shed light on how ticks actually go about finding their hosts.
Have a question you want answered on the show? Send them over to [email protected]!
Have your voice featured on the show when you send a voice memo recorded directly on your phone!
Support the creation of The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
Transcript
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While it's true you should keep your distance, is there any truth to the tale of a tenacious porcupine shooting their quills?
Have a question you want answered on the show? Send them over to [email protected]!
Have your voice featured on the show when you send a voice memo recorded directly on your phone!
Support the creation of The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
Transcript
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Unfortunately, we can’t ask the worms directly, but it turns out that plenty of scientists have been asking this very question for, well, a very long time. Today, we explore the leading hypotheses for what drives worms to the surface for these rainy-day adventures.
Have a question you want answered on the show? Send them over to [email protected]!
Have your voice featured on the show when you send a voice memo recorded directly on your phone!
Support the creation of The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife
Transcript
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Star Wars is as much a product of human ingenuity as it is a space odyssey. Just look at how they solved the Puffin Problem.
Have a question you'd like answered on The Wild Life? Email me at [email protected].
You can even have your voice featured by sending a voice memo recorded directly on your phone!
You can support the creation of The Wild Life for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife AND get exclusive perks as a bonus :)
Transcript
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