Just the Zoo of Us

306: A Review of Disgust w/ Nature Disturbed!

Join Ellen & special guest artist and science communicator behind Nature Disturbed for an appropriate kickoff to the month of all things wretched with a review of disgust. We talk about phobias and ways that we can relate and empathize with even our most feared animals, why we might want to move in to a termite colony, anatomical surprises, the uncanny valley, how to make a slime meringue, and so much more. Links:Learn more about Nature Disturbed at naturedisturbed.comFollow Nature Disturbed on Instagram and check out the podcast!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

305: Galápagos Tortoise

Ellen comes along for the ride with Galápagos tortoises. We discuss how giant tortoises crossed 600 miles of ocean, the superpowers built into their DNA that let them live for over a century, extinction and restoration, Charles Darwin's boat snacks, Kung Fu Panda lore, and so much more.Links:Follow Poison Oak and find more of her work on Instagram: @poison.oak.nycFor more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

304: Dr. Keriann McGoogan's Top 3 Primatology Stories!

Join Ellen & special guest, primatologist and author Dr. Keriann McGoogan, for primatology storytime! Our guest shares experiences from her time working with lemurs in Madagascar and howler monkeys in Belize, like kind gestures from people helping out their local monkeys after a hurricane. She also brings us some truly juicy tales from the study of primates, like a true crime thriller involving missing monkeys, a power struggle, and even a double life, an airplane full of macaques, setting the record straight on baboon social heirarchies, and the instrumental role of women in shaping primatology and our understanding of nature.Links:Learn more about Dr. Keriann McGoogan's work on her websiteGet your copy of Sisters of the Jungle: The Trailblazing Women Who Shaped the Study of Wild PrimatesFollow Keriann on Instagram!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!Sound Credit:Black howler monkey: Alex Munro, via biacoustica: https://bio.acousti.ca/content/black-howler-monkey-shortSiamang: Frank Lambert, XC1031364. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/1031364.

303: American Dipper w/ Jason Hall!

Join Ellen & birder and science communicator Jason Hall for a review of a little bird full of big surprises: the American dipper.  We discuss birding pre-smartphone, Philadelphia’s role in ornithological history, the wild physiological adaptations that let this tiny songbird brave mountain rapids, smooth dance moves, aura farming, and so much more.Links:Follow Jason on Instagram: @thebirdingbeardsmanCheck out Jason's podcast, The Bird Joy Podcast!Get involved in nature with In Color Birding!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!Sound credits:Brown-headed cowbird: Thomas Magarian, XC527674. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/527674.American dipper: Ted Floyd, XC460525. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/460525.Swainson's thrush: Stanislas Wroza, XC1014351. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/1014351. 

302: Bigfin Squid

Ellen demystifies the deep sea-dwelling bigfin squid. We discuss hunting for shipwrecks, life in the trenches, spaghetti noodle fingers, unintentional cinematography, and so much more. Links:For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!Sound Credit:Ted Floyd, XC460525. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/460525.