Alle afleveringen
377 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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357: Ospreys w/ Mark Smith!
29 oktober 2026 · 51 min
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife photographer and author Mark Smith, for a review of the worldwide masters of sea and sky. Ospreys almost disappeared from our coasts during the 20th century, as our guest shares with us, making us even luckier than ever to share the planet with them today. Through his years traveling the world to capture the beauty of these raptors, our guest has learned a lot of valuable life lessons that he is here to share with you. We discuss optional thumbs, how birds can use the physics of the ocean to their advantage and even turn prey into their ride home, designs for a modern family crest, and more. Lees meer
Links:
Get The Spirit of Birds wherever you buy books!
Follow Mark on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook!
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356: Shrews
23 oktober 2026 · 57 min
The arc of history is long, but it bends towards shrew. We discuss tasks that require zero cats, supercontinents, venom and cancer research, iron-plated teeth, load-bearing spines, what shrews have in common with a hostile Minecraft mob, and more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“In Vivo Detection of Human TRPV6-Rich Tumors with Anti-Cancer Peptides Derived from Soricidin” - Chris V. Bowen et al., PLoS One, March 2013
“Deciphering an extreme morphology: bone microarchitecture of the hero shrew backbone (Soricidae: Scutisorex)” - Stephanie M. Smith, Proc R. Soc. B, April 2020
“Dehnel's phenomenon is not a simple reduction of size: seasonal change in skull shape of the long-clawed shrew (Soricidae, Mammalia)” - Yugo Ikeda et al., Proc R. Soc. B., August 2026
"Why Do Some Shrews Have Dark Red Teeth?" - John Wible, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
“Moving Nose to Tail, Shrew 'Conga Line' Shimmies Online” - Laura Geggel, LiveScience, July 2017
“Acoustic behavior in the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda): Ultrasonic click production in a novel environment” - Margaret E. Gleason, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, July 2023
“Sorex palustris underwater Sniffing - Vanderbilt University” - Luis Azevedo Rodrigues, YouTube
“Water Shrew Walks on Water” - MyBackyardBirding, YouTube
Links:
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355: Axolotl w/ Marco Wendt!
15 oktober 2026 · 57 min
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife ambassador and returning guest Marco Wendt of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, to shine a spotlight on the world’s most famous amphibian. From Mesoamerican legend to medical research labs to the lush caves of Minecraft, axolotls have inspired stories and innovation and wonder in humans all over the world but their story starts in the heart of Mexico, which is why our guest has chosen them as the frilly little faces of this episode in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. We discuss the axolotl’s indigenous name and its roots in a mythological prop hunt, some possible designs for custom skins, what human metamorphosis might look like, setting your future reincarnations up for success, and more. Lees meer
Links:
Follow Marco on Instagram and TikTok!
Plan your next trip to see axolotls at the San Diego Zoo!
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354: Shingleback Skink
8 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 2 min
This chunky lizard is living proof that two heads are better than one. We discuss BTS (disambiguation), secret signals encoded in lizard tongues, accidentally flirting with the wrong end of your true love, "roommates," and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“Why is the tongue of blue-tongued skinks blue? Reflectance of lingual surface and its consequences for visual perception by conspecifics and predators” - Andran Abramjan et al., The Science of Nature, August 2015
“Following trails of partners in the monogamous lizard, Tiliqua rugosa” - C. Michael Bull, Christian Lindle, Acta Ethologica, September 2002
“Mate Familiarity Affects Pairing Behaviour in a Long-Term Monogamous Lizard: Evidence from Detailed Bio-Logging and a 31-Year Field Study” - Stephan T. Leu et al., Ethology, April 2015
“Lovestruck Lizards: The Monogamous Relationships of Shingleback Skinks” - Exotics Keeper blog, February 2024
“Lizard suffers world's worst pregnancy” - Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News, February 2007
“Scientists Confirm Shingleback Lizards Only Reptiles That Mate For Sake Of Aging Mothers” - The Onion
“Strengthening protection of endemic wildlife threatened by the international pet trade: The case of the Australian shingleback lizard” - S. Heinrich et al., Animal Conservation, July 2021
Links:
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353: Pokémon Zoology w/ Christian Flores!
1 oktober 2026 · 59 min
Join Ellen & returning guest wildlife educator Christian Flores for a conversation about the Zoology of Pokémon. What can we learn about the wildlife and ecology of our world through the fantastical creatures in the world of Pokémon? We are gonna talk about the convergent evolution of different species of Pokémon, like Tauros and Bouffalant, the mega evolution of salmon, why Komodo dragons might actually be steel-types, and of course we’re making teams. Which real animals would go on our guest’s team and which Pokémon are going on mine? You’re about to find out. Lees meer
Links:
Follow Christian on YouTube, Instagram, and BlueSky!
Follow along with The Artemis Paleozoo! Pre-orders available from Rextooth Studios!
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352: Spotted Garden Eel
24 september 2026 · 42 min
Ellen and Christian get a feel for the garden eel. We discuss fortified butts, science's greatest unsolved mysteries, flirting techniques for the ultimate homebodies, video chatting with eels, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“Morphological specializations in heterocongrinae (Anguilliformes: Congridae) related to burrowing and feeding” - N. De Schepper et al., Journal of Morphology, March 2007
“Spotted Garden Eel” - California Academy of Sciences
“Peek-A-Boo with Hawaiian Garden Eels” - Nature on PBS, YouTube
“Life in the flow: unique adaptations for feeding on drifting zooplankton in garden eels” - Alexandra Khrizman et al., Journal of Experimental Biology, August 2018
“Spawning behavior of garden eels, Gorgasia preclara and Heteroconger hassi (Heterocongrinae), observed in captivity” - Tomohiro Kakizaki et al., Marine and Freshwater Behavior and Physiology, August 2015
“This Japanese aquarium wants you to FaceTime its shy eels” - Emiko Jozuka, CNN Travel, May 2020
"First direct evidence of adult European eels migrating to their breeding place in the Sargasso Sea" - Rosalind M. Wright et al., Scientific Reports, October 2022
Links:
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351: False Water Cobra w/ Harpreet Singh Sethi!
17 september 2026 · 54 min
Joined Ellen & special guest, conservationist and herpetologist Harpreet Singh Sethi, for a look at the snake appropriately named the Giant Lord of the Water. While the false water cobra is the main topic of the episode - and is even a silent but very much present guest for recording - we discuss a lot, like multifaceted approaches to conservation, taking a snake in a box on the bus, convergent evolution of hooded snakes all over the world, the care and keeping of reptiles, stories from the field, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Follow Harpreet's Wildlife on YouTube and Instagram!
Check out Harpreet's documentary: What NO ONE Tells You About Snakes in India | Beyond the Fear | Snakebite | Documentary
Audio source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYFD4BsEruI
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190: Pom-Pom Crab & Mourning Dove (REPLAY)
11 september 2026 · 54 min
In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from April of 2023, Christian cheers for pom-pom crabs & Ellen explains what makes mourning doves so coo-l. We discuss how crabs clone their own pets, what type of milk pigeons order in their lattes, and a suspicious pattern of criminal activity. Lees meer
Links:
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350: Monarch Butterfly
3 september 2026 · 1 uur 5 min
It's fall yall - time for Ellen and Christian to embark on a multi-generational odyssey with monarch butterflies. We discuss why butterflies are total heartstoppers and their style twins, real-life shinies, what's going on inside a chrysalis, an annual journey that takes multiple generations to finish, how to best support wild monarch butterflies, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
"Danaus plexippus" - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
“Predator induced colour polymorphism in Danaus plexippus L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Hawaii” - John Stimson and Mark Berman, Heredity, March 1990
“Comparative unpalatability of mimetic Viceroy butterflies (Limenitis archippus) from 4 South-Eastern United-States populations” - David B. Ritland, Oecologia, Jan 1995
“What was learned?” - Monarch Watch, University of Kansas
"The phenomenal monarch migration" - Mara Koenig, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
“An experimental displacement and over 50 years of tag-recoveries show that monarch butterflies are not true navigators” - Henrik Mouritsen et al., PNAS, April 2013
"Joint Statement Regarding Captive Breeding and Releasing of Monarchs"
“Is Captive Rearing Hurting Monarchs?” - Elizabeth Anne brown, National Wildlife Federation, March 2026
Links:
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349: Clouded Leopard w/ Alice Vassallo!
27 augustus 2026 · 58 min
Join Ellen & very special guest zookeeper and conservationist Alice Vassallo for the inside scoop on one of the world’s most mysterious not-so-big cats. We discuss differences between zookeeping practices in Europe and the US, swiping right if you have rotatable ankles, marshmallows as a last resort, have an eclipse interlude, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Check out Alice's podcast (profanity warning)!
Follow Alice on Instagram!
Check out the Clouded Leopard Working Group!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
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348: Sociable Weaver
20 augustus 2026 · 53 min
Ellen weaves her magic on sociable weavers. We discuss the three pillars of science communication, trick entrances, plane cabin pressurization, bullying for the greater good, lizard gossip, and more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
"The Sociable Weavers of the Kalahari" - Ultimate Safari, YouTube
"Kapokvoel, Cape Penduline-Tit.(Anthoscopus-minutus)" - Coerie Ferreira, YouTube
“Largest bird’s nest” - Guinness Book of World Records
“Sociable Weavers Increase Cooperative Nest Construction after Suffering Aggression” - Gavin M. Leighton, Laura Vander Meiden, PLOS One, March 2016
“At home with the birds: Kalahari tree skinks associate with sociable weaver nests despite African pygmy falcon presence” - Tasmin L. Rymer et al., Austral Ecology, May 2014
“Kalahari skinks eavesdrop on sociable weavers to manage predation by pygmy falcons and expand their realized niche” - Anthony M. Lowney et al., Behavioral Ecology, June 2020
“Pygmy Falcon predation of nestlings of their obligate host, the Sociable Weaver” - Rita Covas et al., Ostrich - Journal of African Ornithology, Nov 2009
Links:
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347: Sea Otters w/ Kristyn Plancarte!
14 augustus 2026 · 52 min
Join Ellen & special guest marine biologist Kristyn Plancarte for a review of the world’s wettest weasels. We discuss beluga whales’ fake six packs, the unique challenges of caring for animals who so desperately crave chaos and destruction, dolphin MLMs, how adorable animals could save the world, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Follow Kristyn on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch!
Learn more about Kristyn on her website!
Check out the Elakha Alliance to learn more about sea otter conservation!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
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346: Pufferfish
6 augustus 2026 · 55 min
Ellen is blowing up about pufferfish. We discuss what pufferfish have in common with chameleons, seafloor crop circles, culinary applications of deadly neurotoxin, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“All puffed out: Do pufferfish hold their breath while inflated?” - Georgia Evelyn McGee & Timothy Darren Clark, Biology Letters, Dec 2014
“Treatment of Tetrodotoxin Poisoning” - Sophie Yushuo Li, Theoretical and Natural Science, April 2023
Dolphins purposely 'getting high' on pufferfish - Dolphins - Spy in the Pod: Episode 2 - BBC
"Pufferfish Builds Sand Sculpture for Mating" - Nature on PBS
“Seeking a Deadly Delicacy: Pufferfish, Regional Gastronomy, and Pharmacology in Middle Period China” - Zihan Guo, Journal of Chinese History, July 2026
“Chefs Train for Years to Serve This Rare Poisonous Fish” - Bon Appetit, June 2024
“Pufferfish in China: diners lured by delicacy now country has bred them poison-free” - Elaine Yau, South China Morning Post, February 2019
Links:
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345: Conservation Stories w/ Sharon Guynup!
31 juli 2026 · 56 min
Join Ellen & special guest, journalist and writer Sharon Guynup, for stories from the world of conservation. Our guest’s career has taken her all over the world, from the forests of India to the highways of rural America, where she has experienced both ends of the spectrum of human relationships to nature. She’s been part of busting wildlife trafficking rings and abuse and she’s seen communities join forces to protect and preserve their native species. Her stories include a population of lions brought back from near extinction, a crime campus, a tiger attack, e-mails from Joe Exotic, gas station pizza, influencing entire new laws, a Hollywood celebrity cougar, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Pre-order Sharon and Steve's book Big Cats, available October 6!
Read more from Mongabay at mongabay.org!
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344: Kid Questions with Isaac!
23 juli 2026 · 59 min
Ellen & special guest Isaac answer questions from young listeners! We discuss bug guts, milking squids, the blobfish's secret Final Form, getting upped, ancient sharks with table saws for faces, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
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343: Synanthropes w/ Dan Werb!
16 juli 2026 · 54 min
Join Ellen & special guest, writer and scientist Dan Werb, for a look at the animal neighbors that have made themselves at home in our own backyards: synanthropes. The word means a wild, undomesticated animal that lives closely alongside humans, whether that means scurrying through subway tunnels or curling up in an old refrigerator at the bottom of the sea or quietly roosting right over your head, all of which we discuss in this episode. We also talk about a university campus turf war between dogs and baboons, the genetically enhanced Super Soldiers of New York City, villainous plants, the ancient prehistoric roots of our spiritual relationship with ravens, and other fascinating stories featured in Dan’s book, Our Wild Familiars, which has just released this week. Lees meer
Links:
Pick up Our Wild Familiars where books are sold!
Follow Dan on Instagram!
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342: Mongoose
9 juli 2026 · 1 uur 1 min
Ellen and Christian return from their travels to review the good, the bad, and the ugly of the mongooses. We discuss the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum, historical plurals, neurotoxin Darth Vader, checking in with Pliny the Elder, the most "mean girls" scientific study ever, mysteriously weird pupils, the global issue of mongoose-induced ecological destruction, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
"Mongoose" - Etymonline
“How the mongoose can fight the snake: The binding site of the mongoose acetylcholine receptor” - Dora Barchan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, August 1992
“Why the honey badger don't care: Convergent evolution of venom-targeted nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in mammals that survive venomous snake bites” - Danielle Drabeck et al., Toxicon, March 2015
Book 8, chapter 36 of Natural History - Pliny the Elder, 77 CE
“Experimental evidence for delayed postconflict management behaviour in wild dwarf mongooses” - Amy Morris-Drake et al, eLife, September 2021
Hawaii Invasive Species Council - Mongoose (Urva auropunctata)
“Negative Impact of an Invasive Small Indian Mongoose Herpestes javanicus on Native Wildlife Species and Evaluation of a Control Project in Amami-Ohshima and Okinawa Islands, Japan” - Fumio Yamada & Ken Sugimura, Global Environmental Research, December 2004
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, Schedule 2 - New Zealand government
Links:
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Terrestrials: The Trio w/ Lulu Miller!
26 juni 2026 · 49 min
Ellen & special guest, science journalist and host of Radiolab and Terrestrials Lulu Miller, discuss the lifelong impact of science communication, review bald eagles, and share a very special podcast treat. Terrestrials: The Trio originally aired on July 26, 2024: https://radiolab.org/podcast/terrestrials-the-trio240726 Lees meer
From the original episode description:
"High above the banks of the Mississippi River, a nest holds the secret life of one of America’s most patriotic creatures. Their story puzzles scientists, reinforces Indigenous wisdom, and wows audiences—all thanks to a park ranger named Ed and a well-placed webcam. If you want to spoil the mystery, here ya go: it’s a bald eagle. Actually, it’s three bald eagles. A mama bird and daddies make a home together for over a decade and give new meaning to our national symbol."
Links:
Learn more about Terrestrials: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab-kids
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341: Elephant Mosquito w/ Cassandra Fieldson!
18 juni 2026 · 57 min
Join Ellen & special guest science communicator, infectious disease researcher, and the Khaleesi of Mosquitos for a review of some of the animal kingdom’s most controversial creatures. We discuss whether our guest would rather fight 10,000 mosquitos or a gorilla, evil squiggles and how malaria works, larval cannibalism and mosquito-on-mosquito crime, what the insectary is doing with all those soup cups and dental dams, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Follow Cassandra on Instagram or YouTube!
Learn more about the the Kaushansky Lab at Seattle Children's Hospital's Center for Global Infectious Disease Research!
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340: Fiddler Crab
12 juni 2026 · 52 min
We add another string to our bow by learning about the fiddler crab. We discuss the arc of history bending towards crab, the MogBot 2000, bad dating advice, non-orientable wormholes, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“The Design of a Beautiful Weapon” - John Christy, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
“On the Other Hand: The Myth of Fiddler Crab Claw Reversal” - Judith S. Weis, BioScience, April 2019
“Sexual selection for structure building by courting male fiddler crabs: an experimental study of behavioral mechanisms” - John H. Christy et al., Behavioral Ecology, May 2002
“Synchronous waving in fiddler crabs: a review” - Patricia Ruth Yvonne Backwell, Current Zoology, July 2018
“Robotic crabs reveal that female fiddler crabs are sensitive to changes in male display rate” - Sophie L. Mowles et al., Biology Letters, January 2018
“Not what it looks like: mate-searching behaviour, mate preferences and clutch production in wandering and territory-holding female fiddler crabs” - M. Peso et al., R. Soc Open Sci.. August 2016
“Dishonest signalling of fighting ability and multiple performance traits in the fiddler crab Uca mjoebergi” - Simon P. Lailvaux et al., Functional Ecology, March 2009
“The effects of neighbor familiarity and size on cooperative defense of fiddler crab territories” - Isobel Booksmythe et al., Behavioral ecology, November 2011
“Beyond Abiotic Decay: Fiddler Crabs Accelerate Plastic Fragmentation in Pollution Hotspots” - Jose M. Riascos et al., Global Change Biology, December 2025
Links:
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339: Binturong w/ Rick Schwartz!
4 juni 2026 · 1 uur 5 min
Join Ellen & special guest science communicator and ambassador for wildlife Rick Schwartz for a review of the wise old wizards of Asian forests: binturongs. We discuss career paths for yappers, monkey software on weasel hardware, the chemical coincidence that makes binturongs smell like snacks, the fulfilling experience of finally being considered one of the girls, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Learn more about Rick's work on his website: www.zoologyrick.com
Follow Animals, Nature and You: https://animalsnatureandyou.buzzsprout.com/
Follow Rick on social media: https://linktr.ee/ZoologyRick
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338: Seriema
28 mei 2026 · 49 min
Ellen gets her claws out for seriemas. We discuss terror birds, reverse mullets, sickle claws, weird scenes from Jurassic Park, golf ball physics, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“Observation of Claw Use and Feeding Behavior of the Red-Legged Seriema and Its Implication for Claw Use in Deinonychosaurs” - Oswald et al., Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science, January 2023
"Seriema - modern day Velociraptor?" - Dr. Brian Curtice, fossilcrates.com November 2022
“Bird bounces golf ball on the cart path!” - Alex Baggett, YouTube
Audio: Guilherme de Barros Brandão, XC417496. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/417496
“Commentary: Defining Raptors and Birds of Prey” - McClure et al., Journal of Raptor Research, November 2019
Links:
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337: Tree Kangaroos w/ Lisa Dabek!
21 mei 2026 · 1 uur
Join Ellen & special guest, senior conservation scientist at Woodland Park Zoo and founder of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program Lisa Dabek, as we celebrate World Tree Kangaroo Day by putting these charming ghosts of the forest in the well-deserved spotlight. We discuss the diversity of Papua New Guinea’s cloud forests where dinosaurs still have the run of the place, life as a joey in the towering treetops, a look at what went into designing a tree kangaroo habitat in Woodland Park Zoo’s new Forest Trailhead exhibit, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Learn more about the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program at their website: https://treekangaroo.org/
Learn more about the SAFE Program: https://www.aza.org/safe-species
Check out the Woodland Park Zoo's new Forest Trailhead exhibit: https://zoo.org/foresttrailhead/
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Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo
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336: Crawfish w/ Jack Koch!
15 mei 2026 · 46 min
Join Ellen & special guest, technobiologist and professor Jack Koch, for a review of the iconic crustacean known and loved by many names: the crawfish. We discuss sea hare ink, a genetically modified super-soldier kaiju battle, the taxonomic classifications of rocks, bugs and squishy bags, the perils of growing up under the tail of a cannibal mom, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Learn more about Jack's work at the Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center
Follow LSU Research on Instagram!
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335: Sand Cat
6 mei 2026 · 58 min
Ellen lets the sand cat out of the bag. We discuss dangerously approaching Hey Arnold, refusal to poop on unfamiliar toilets, blood gushers, a myth of dirty underwear, Cat Premium, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“The Carnivores of West Africa” - Donovan Reginald Rosevear, 1974. Page 396
“Mammalian ear specializations in arid habitats: structural and functional evidence from sand cat (Felis margarita)” - G. T. Huang et al, Journal of Comparative Physiology A, June 2002
“Sand cat in Iran - present status, distribution and conservation challenges” - Taher Ghadirian et al., CATnews (newsletter of the IUCN’s Cat Specialist Group), 2016
"Sand Cat" - International Society of Endangered Cats (ISEC) Canada
“Home ranges of African sand cats (Felis margarita margarita)” - Alexander Sliwa et al., Journal of Arid Environments, March 2023
“Isabelline” - Paul Anthony Jones, HaggardHawks.com
IUCN Red List: Sand Cat (Felis margarita)
"DOMESTIC X SAND CAT AND PALLAS'S CAT HYBRIDS" - Sarah Hartwell, messybeast.com
Links:
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Bonus Content Free Samples! (2026)
30 april 2026 · 55 min
Curious about the exclusive bonus content for Maximum Fun members? Enjoy some free samples from special episodes: "All Fun and Games with Isaac," "Just the Two of Us," and Let's Learn Everything's "Frogs! II A Royal Rescue" Lees meer
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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334: Animals in Space w/ Let's Learn Everything!
29 april 2026 · 1 uur 9 min
Ellen & special guests, Ella Hubber and Tom Lum of Let’s Learn Everything, turn our gazes to the skies and talk animals in space. We discuss the fruit fly fan club, the great big farm on the moon, which earthlings were ACTUALLY the first to make the trip around the moon and back, a spider escape where you least want it, why dentistry researchers had a snake room, shooting tardigrades out of a gun, and so much more. This one is truly out of this world. Lees meer
Works Cited & Further Reading:
"Bioastronautics Research" video
"This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury" - Loyd S. Swenson, Jr., James M. Grimwood, Charles C. Alexander, NASA SP-4201
"Judith's Web - Student Experiment Aboard Skylab 3" - NASA.gov
“URODELEAN AMPHIBIANS IN STUDIES ON MICROGRAVITY: EFFECTS UPON ORGAN AND TISSUE REGENERATION” - E.N. Grigoryan et al., Adv. Space Res, 2002
"From Undersea to Outer Space: The STS-40 Jellyfish Experiment" - NASA STI Program
"For water bears, the glass is all full" - Tina Hesman Saey, Science News, December 2015
"Tardigrades survive exposure to space in low Earth orbit" - K. Ingemar Jonsson et al., Current Biology, September 2008
"What happened to those tardigrades sent to the Moon?" - Laurent Palka, The Conversation, February 2024
"Tardigrade Survival Limits in High-Speed Impacts—Implications for Panspermia and Collection of Samples from Plumes Emitted by Ice Worlds" - Alejandra Traspas & Mark J. Burchell, Astrobiology, July 2021
Links:
Support our shows with your membership during the MaxFunDrive!
Check out Let's Learn Everything!
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333: Great White Shark
23 april 2026 · 1 uur 24 min
Ellen jaws away about the great white shark. We discuss making our own planetary rings, performance-enhancing Speedos, how sharks sleep, the White Shark Café, IRL baby shark, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“Shark evolution: a 450 million year timeline” - Josh Davis, Natural History Museum
“SPEEDO FASTSKIN – A HISTORY OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST SWIMSUITS” - SwimSwam.com, November 2023
“White Shark Bite Kinematics — Preliminary Exploration of a New Aspect” - R. Aidan Martin, ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research
“An electrophysiological correlate of sleep in a shark” - John A. Lesku et al., Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology, July 2024
“For five days in 1980, a great white shark named Sandy lived in Golden Gate Park” - Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, June 2024
“The Great White Way” - Pete Thomas, Los Angeles Times, September 2006
“White Shark Café: The mysterious meeting spot for great whites in the middle of the Pacific Ocean” – Sascha Pare, LiveScience, September 2024
“First-ever sighting of a live newborn great white” - Jules Bernstein, UC Riverside, February 2024
“Shark Management Laws” - NOAA Fisheries
Links:
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Casters on Casters: Teylor Smirl and Ellen Weatherford
20 april 2026 · 23 min
It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters. Lees meer
In this episode, Teylor Smirl (Still Buffering) and Ellen Weatherford (Just the Zoo of Us) bond over the media they consumed that shaped who they are today, and how that media informs their perspectives on their shows. Plus, each host reveals their dream guest.
If this glamorous, in-depth journey into what makes your favorite hosts tick inspires you, support them by joining as a member at maximumfun.org/join.
Edited by Laura Swisher and Produced by Hannah Muroz for Maximum Fun.
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332: Asian Elephants w/ Kartick Satyanarayan!
16 april 2026 · 51 min
Join Ellen & special guest, co-founder and CEO of conservation organization Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan, for a review of Asian elephants. We discuss the harm caused by wildlife exploitation, how they protect animals by uplifting human communities, how education can help tourists make more ethical choices, and of course our guest shares some stories of what it’s like living and working alongside these beautiful giants. He’s got feel-good conservation success stories, workplace comedy, an adorable baby elephant, truly what more could you want from a podcast episode? Lees meer
Links:
Learn more about Wildlife SOS's work on their website!
See Baby Bani and more on Wildlife SOS's YouTube channel!
Learn more about ethical tourism on RefuseToRide.org
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331: Jackrabbits
10 april 2026 · 1 uur 4 min
Follow Ellen down the jackrabbit hole. We discuss facial tilt, satellite dish ears, evolutionary ghosts of predators past, touchdown dances, jackalopes, Easter, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
"A Field Guide to Jackrabbits" - Matthew L. Miller, The Nature Conservancy, Nov 2022
“Ecological correlates to cranial morphology in Leporids (Mammalia, Lagomorpha)” - Brian Kraatz et al., PeerJ, Dec 2014
"Jackrabbit Gets a Touchdown!" - YouTube
“Celebrating Easter, Christmas and their associated alien fauna” – Malene Lauritsen et al., World Archaeology, Oct 2018
“The Shifting Baselines of the British Hare Goddess” - Luke John Murphy & Carly Ameen, Open Archaeology, August 2020
“What Do Eggs Have To Do With Easter?” - Encyclopedia Britannica
"Meet Jack" - City of Douglas, Wyoming's website
Links:
Check out your local MaxFun Meetup Day - Ellen will be at the Seattle meetup!
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330: Cryptids w/ the Cryptonaturalist, Jarod K. Anderson!
2 april 2026 · 1 uur 14 min
Join Ellen & the Cryptonaturalist (Jarod K. Anderson) to talk about the ways that nature and wildlife can inspire our creativity and shape our stories, particularly the enticingly unknowable cryptids. We discuss being raised by a witch, the natural poetry in scientific facts about starfish, the value of enthusiasm, caked up Mothman and the tragic Squonk, getting emoted on by skunks, the surprisingly complicated history of dandelions, a vulture named Potato, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Learn more about Jarod's work on his website
Find Strange Animals and Jarod's other books on his Bookshop
Follow Jarod as The Cryptonaturalist on Instagram
Follow Jarod on Bluesky or Substack
Check out The CryptoNaturalist Podcast
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329: Coelacanth
26 maart 2026 · 1 uur 15 min
Don't call it a comeback, coelacanth's been here for years. We discuss life on Earth 400 million years ago, a military escort mission, our own fish ancestors, five year pregnancies, underwater handstands, an unnecessarily complicated puzzle in the third generation Pokémon games, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“The Coelacanth” - Knysna Museum
“The Discovery” - UC Museum of Paleontology’s website
“Earliest known coelacanth skull extends the range of anatomically modern coelacanths to the Early Devonian” - Min Zhu et al., Nature Communications, April 2012
“Animated Life: The Living Fossil Fish | HHMI BioInteractive Video”
“The coelacanth rostral organ is a unique low-resolution electro-detector that facilitates the feeding strike” - Rachel M. Berquist et al., Scientific Reports, March 2015
“New scale analyses reveal centenarian African coelacanths” - Kélig Mahé et al., Current Biology, August 2021
“Neurocranial development of the coelacanth and the evolution of the sarcopterygian head” - Hugo Dutel et al., Nature, May 2019
“Buoyancy and hydrostatic balance in a West Indian Ocean coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae” - Henrik Lauridsen et al., BMC Biology, August 2022
Links:
Come hear Ellen talk about dragons LIVE at Nerd Nite Seattle! https://seattle.nerdnite.com/
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328: Apollo the African Grey Parrot w/ Dalton Mason!
20 maart 2026 · 58 min
Join Ellen & Dalton Mason, creator and bird parent behind Apollo and Frens, for a look into life alongside the world-famous African grey parrot. You may have seen their videos on social media showing off Apollo’s incredibly impressive vocabulary, answering questions and even speaking in full sentences, which have earned the bird a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2025 - on top of all the pistachios, of course. We discuss animal cognition and what makes parrots such great models for animal intelligence, the brain soup machine, bird-proofing a home, parrots video calling each other, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
"Birds have primate-like numbers of neurons in the forebrain" - Seweryn Olkowicz et al., PNAS, June 2016
"Birds of a Feather Video-Flock Together: Design and Evaluation of an Agency-Based Parrot-to-Parrot Video-Calling System for Interspecies Ethical Enrichment" - Rebecca Kleinberger et al., Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 2023
African Grey Parrot flight calls: Peter Boesman, XC719450. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/719450
Links:
Learn more about Apollo and Frens on their website: https://apolloandfrens.com/
Follow Apollo and Frens on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok!
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327: Mandarin Duck
12 maart 2026 · 52 min
Ellen falls in love with the Mandarin duck. We discuss why waterfowl's webbed feet don't freeze in the winter, the evolutionary arms race between male and female ducks, New York City's local celebrity Hot Duck, your new favorite coffee order, and more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
"Countercurrent Exchange" - Dr. Roger Lederer, ornithology.org
“Coevolution of Male and Female Genital Morphology in Waterfowl” - Patricia L. R. Brennan et al., PLOS One, May 2007
"Ducks, Geese, and Swans" - Ivan Phillipsen, scienceofbirds.com, December 2020
“Conspecific Brood Parasitism and Nesting Biology of Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata) in Northeastern China” - Qiu-Ziang Deng et al., The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, September 2011
"Molecular Evidence for Interspecific Brood Parasitism and Successful Hatching by Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) on the Scaly-sided Merganser (Mergus squamatus)" - Shu Liu et al., BMC Zoology (under review Feb 2026)
"Will You Still Love the Hot Duck When He Looks Like This?" - Andy McGlashen, Audubon Magazine, February 2019
Links:
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326: Moth Flies w/ Emily, your Certified Bug Friend!
5 maart 2026 · 51 min
Join Ellen & special guest, science communicator and Certified Bug Friend Emily, for a review of the tiny little bugs that fly around your nearest kitchen sink. We discuss what Big Pest doesn’t want you to know, convergent evolution between bugs and fish, the drain gods, secret spy languages that only bugs can read, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Follow Emily on Instagram, YouTube, and more!
Learn more about the Entomology Box!
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325: Triops (AKA Tadpole Shrimp)
25 februari 2026 · 44 min
Ellen goes on a journey through time and space with Triops, the tadpole shrimp. We discuss book fairs, vernal pools, whether saltwater or freshwater came first, trips to space, prehistoric scampi, surprise guests at Burning Man, and so much more. Lees meer
Sources:
"Ontogenetic sequence comparison of extant and fossil tadpole shrimps: no support for the “living fossil” concept" - Philipp Wagner et al., Paläontologische Zeitschrift, August 2017
“Survival of dormant organisms after long-term exposure to the space environment” - N. Novikova et al., Acta Astronautica, June 2010
“From antibiotics to yeast: Latest student science heads for space” - NASA, Science Daily, July 2014
“Hundreds of three-eyed 'dinosaur shrimp' emerge after Arizona monsoon” - Laura Geggel, LiveScience, October 2021
“What are the three-eyed ‘dinosaur shrimp’ resurfacing after Burning Man?” - Faiza Saqib, The Independent, September 2023
They Might Be Giants song “Triops Has Three Eyes”
“Adult Triops cancriformis (Pancrustacea: Notostraca) mediates the hatching rate of its resting eggs” - Alžbeta Devánová et al., Hydrobiologia, March 2022
“Tadpole Shrimp Are Coming for Your Rice” - PBS Deep Look
Links:
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324: Egg-Eating Snake w/ Lyn!
19 februari 2026 · 1 uur 12 min
Join Ellen & special guest artist and reptile keeper Lyn for an up close and personal look at a little snake with a big appetite. We discuss how it feels to handle a snake, stress dreams specific to pet owners, gastoning it, spine teeth, snacktivities, how snakes flirt with each other, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Check out Lyn's art and comic on Instagram!
Denver folks, check out Lyn's upcoming snake shed jewelry & painting workshop!
For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!
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323: Banana Slug
12 februari 2026 · 56 min
Ellen takes things slow with the iconic banana slug. We discuss mobile slip 'n' slides, recreationally poisoning yourself, liquid crystals, oobleck, robosnail, slime trains, moisture farming, apophallation, college mascots, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
"Banana Slugs: Secret of the Slime" for Mallory Pickett, KQED, February 2015
"Mechanical Devices for Snail-like Locomotion" - Brian Chan et al., Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, February 2007
"Tough adhesives for diverse wet surfaces" - J. Li et al., Science, July 2017
"Emerging biotechnology promises to transform the materials we use to work and live" - L.G. Blanchard, University of Washington Magazine, September 1993
"She studies slug sex by the seashore: UCSC researcher works to unlock secrets of banana slug sex" - Elise Overgaard, Lookout Santa Cruz, June 2023
"Our Mascot: Sammy the Banana Slug", UC Santa Cruz (uscs.edu)
Links:
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322: The Bird Hall w/ Shannon Hackett & John Bates!
5 februari 2026 · 1 uur 9 min
Join Ellen & special guests, power couple Shannon Hackett and John Bates from the Field Museum, here to talk about the intersection of science, history, and of course, birds in a love letter to the natural history museum. We discuss working alongside SUE the T. rex, specimen pickles, harlequin romance novels, and explore bigger questions like how museum collections can reveal evolution happening around us right now in real-time and help us look into the future, what the average everyday person can learn about themselves and what science actually looks like from a museum, and the hotly contested debate as to whether grey vireos are interesting or not. Lees meer
Links:
Check out Birds of a Feather Talk Together on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Instagram!
Learn more about the Field Museum on their website!
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321: Norway Lemmings
29 januari 2026 · 1 uur 4 min
Ellen sets the record straight on Norway lemmings, busting over 400 years of myths. We discuss rodent audacity, ecological impacts that can be seen from space, spontaneous generation, Ole Worm, Atlantis, a Disney lie, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
“Genome analyses suggest recent speciation and postglacial isolation in the Norwegian lemming” - Edana Lord et al., PNAS, June 2025
“Aposematism and crypsis in a rodent: antipredator defence of the Norwegian lemming” - Malte Andersson, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, April 2015
"Vole and lemming activity observed from space" - Johan Olofsson et al, Nature Climate Change, May 2012
"Ole Worm (1588-1654) - anatomist and antiquarian" - Rafael Romero Reveron & Luis A Arráez-Aybar, European Journal of Anatomy, July 2015
"The Norwegian Lemming and its Migrations" - W. Duppa Crotch, Popular Science Monthly, August 1877
"Lemming Suicide Myth: Disney Film Faked Bogus Behavior" - Riley Woodford, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, September 2003
"Falling lemming populations" - Chris Smith, ScienceNorway.no, July 2012
"Lemmings’ loss is bounty for moss" - Bjørnar Kjensli, ScienceNorway.no, March 2012
Links:
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320: Vinny Thomas's Top 3 Urban Wildlife Species!
22 januari 2026 · 59 min
Join Ellen & special guest comedian, writer, and nature enthusiast Vinny Thomas for a review of some of the furry, feathered, and scaly neighbors making themselves at home right in our very own cities. We discuss domestication, dogs with human feet, inflatable snoods, ostriches for self-defense, kaiju battles at the park, life in a shipwreck, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Follow Vinny on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok!
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319: Tasmanian Devil
15 januari 2026 · 1 uur 7 min
Ellen gives the Tasmanian devil his due. We discuss mythbusters, cranial real estate, the masculine urge to bite your fingers off, which came first: the chicken or the egg, dump stats, contagious cancer, and so much more. Lees meer
Works Cited:
"Too hot for the devil? Did climate change cause the mid-Holocene extinction of the Tasmanian devil Sarcophilus harrisii from mainland Australia?" - Shane D. Morris et al., Ecography, Dec 2021
"Holocene Demographic Changes and the Emergence of Complex Societies in Prehistoric Australia" - Alan N. Williams et al., PLOS One, June 2015
"Bite club: comparative bite force in big biting mammals and the prediction of predatory behaviour in fossil taxa" - Stephen Wroe, Colin McHenry & Jeffrey Thomason, Proc Biol Sci, March 2005
"Saving our darling devils", Esme Mathis, Australian Geographic, January 2026
Links:
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318: Jungle Jordan's Top 3 Friend-Shaped Carnivores!
8 januari 2026 · 56 min
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife educator and zookeeper Jungle Jordan, as we round up his top 3 friend-shaped carnivores, all the cutest critters that could absolutely wreck you. We discuss hidden mickeys, toxic friend groups, modern-day sabertooths, delicious hair, an unlikely pair of woodland best friends, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Learn more about Jordan's work at his website: https://www.junglejordan.com/
Follow him on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook!
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317: Sea Angel
24 december 2025 · 49 min
Ellen gets into the festive spirit with sea angels. We discuss Christian's beachfront disaster, secret tentacles, teeny titan battles, undismissable companions, Hello Kitty merch, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
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316: Southern Cassowary w/ Marco Wendt!
18 december 2025 · 56 min
Joined Ellen & special guest wildlife ambassador and care specialist Marco Wendt from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for a review of the towering birds that are ready to literally rumble: cassowaries. We discuss short kings and feminine rage, a secret bird language humans can’t hear, nature’s best dads, getting a modern dinosaur to be brave for his shots, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Cassowary rumble audio: Marc Anderson, XC337534. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/337534.
Learn more about the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park!
Follow Marco on Instagram and TikTok!
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315: Kinkajou
11 december 2025 · 56 min
Ellen irons out the kinkajous. We discuss Thomas Jefferson's giant moose sidequest, the dessert hypothesis, bad pets, who the real Frankenstein monster is, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
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314: Sarah Suta's Top 3 Dream Comebacks!
4 december 2025 · 59 min
Join Ellen & host of Bizarre Beasts Sarah Suta for a lineup of some animals she’d like to see get a second chance, whether they’re species we’ve already lost or ones that might still have a shot. We discuss foreign exchange student accents, the ecological impact of the invention of the telegraph, bird call sheet music, the scientific fumble of the century, bison where you least expect them, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
Watch Bizarre Beasts and Endlings on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BizarreBeasts
Follow Bizarre Beasts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizarrebeastsshow/
Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah.suta/
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170: Wild Turkey (REPLAY)
26 november 2025 · 55 min
In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from November of 2022, Ellen goes on an odyssey through history with the wild turkey. We discuss their path alongside humans for thousands of years, from prehistoric America to praise from Benjamin Franklin, the brink of extinction and nets fired out of cannons. Lees meer
Further viewing:
Rocket Netting Turkeys, a video demonstration by the LSU AgCenter
Paul Kelly's Gobbling Demonstration
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313: Turkey Vulture
20 november 2025 · 1 uur 8 min
Ellen has a bone to pick with turkey vultures. We discuss aura farming, our gripes with the pH scale, a check-in with our resident Dragon Ball Z correspodent, screaming inside your heart, laser harassment campaigns, and so much more. Lees meer
Links:
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