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Just the Zoo of Us

Ellen & Christian Weatherford

Join us, Ellen and Christian Weatherford, while we review your favorite species of animals and rate them out of ten in the categories of effectiveness, ingenuity and aesthetics. More information can be found at justthezooofus.com 😊 Got a species you want us to review? Submit your animal friend to us at [email protected] and when we review your animal we'll give you a shoutout! 😊 Cover art by Mrs. Brainbow (Taylor Gordon-Wood). Theme music by Louie Zong.

  • 45 minutes 36 seconds
    246: Giant Pacific Octopus w/ Sy Montgomery!

    join Ellen & special guest, naturalist and author of Secrets of the Octopus Sy Montgomery, for a look into the life and mind of some of the ocean’s most mystifying aliens: the giant Pacific octopus. We discuss an octopus’s least favorite texture, what happens when an arm goes rogue, the underwater city of Octopolis, how to make interspecies friendships, and so much more.

    Links:

    26 June 2024, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 10 minutes
    245: Hermit Crab & Flamingo

    Ellen comes out of her shell with hermit crabs & Christian is tickled pink by flamingos. In this week's beach episode, we discuss vacancy chains, shell economies, crustacean diss tracks, Florida postcards, and making new enemies in a flamboyance.

    Links:

    21 June 2024, 10:00 am
  • 52 minutes 13 seconds
    244: A Gay Animal Revue w/ Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson!

    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:

    13 June 2024, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 4 minutes
    243: Diving Bell Spider & Oarfish

    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:

    5 June 2024, 6:22 pm
  • 46 minutes 38 seconds
    242: Blue Jay w/ Dara Miles Wilson!

    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:

    30 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • 55 minutes 3 seconds
    241: Peregrine Falcon w/ Sophie Osborn!

    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:

    23 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • 1 hour 9 minutes
    240: Zebras & Honey Badger

    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:

    17 May 2024, 5:48 pm
  • 56 minutes 37 seconds
    239: Chameleons w/ Dr. Chris Anderson!

    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!
    8 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • 48 minutes 25 seconds
    238: Red Wolf w/ Peter Gros!

    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:

    2 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • 51 minutes 58 seconds
    237: Kid Questions with Isaac!

    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:

    24 April 2024, 10:00 am
  • 59 minutes 55 seconds
    236: American Crow w/ Dr. Kaeli Swift!

    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:

    18 April 2024, 10:00 am
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