Just the Zoo of Us

Join Ellen & special guest, biodiversity champion Kai Gómez D'hers, for a journey through the skies of Argentina on some of the biggest wings in the world. We’re talking about the important role of scavengers as nature’s sanitation engineers, the cascading impacts of poison on entire ecosystems, how communities can work together to make ecological miracles happen, what’s up with the puppets, and s...

Christian chews on the Gila monster & Ellen struts her stuff with the Indian peacock. We discuss Christian's Duolingo streak, lizard venom, yet another hot take from Charles Darwin, how to haze a peacock, and so much more. Real G's move in silence like the Gila monster. Links: For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website ! Follow Just the Zoo of Us on  Threads , Facebook ,...

Join Ellen & wildlife educator Sarah Skebba for a review of a modern-day dinosaur with some pretty extreme approaches to life: the rhinoceros hornbill. We’re talking about bizarre beaks with built-in resonance chambers, the most unpleasant nesting situation I have ever heard of, how zoos are helping conserve endangered birds in the wild, and so much more. Links: Learn more about edZOOcating and fi...

Ellen gets back in the saddle with seahorses & Christian goes dumpster diving with raccoons.  We discuss why seahorses are the chameleons of the ocean, how males give birth, corn etiquette, a surprisingly common myth about America's most iconic furry bandits, 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 , Fac...

Ellen & special guest, marine biologist Jasmin Graham, review some of the coolest, cutest and sometimes the goofiest sharks in the ocean: hammerheads. We discuss what it’s like to study sharks in the wild, shark evolution and the huge questions scientists still have about it, the puppiest shark, and so much more. Links: Pre-order Jasmin's book, Sharks Don't Sink ! Learn more about Jasmin's work on...

Christian keeps an eye out for sand boas & Ellen clears her cache with black-capped chickadees. We discuss googly eyes, troubleshooting reptile poop, skin of Theseus, borbs, inventory management, brain barcodes and factory resets, and so much more. Links: Report beak deformities to the Alaska Science Center For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website ! Follow Just the Zoo...

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: Find Secrets of the...

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: For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website ! Follow Just the Zoo of Us on  Threads , Facebook , Instagram & Discord! Fo...

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...

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 &...

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 i...

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 th...

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...

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...

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...

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! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! B...

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...

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  Thre...

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.co...

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! Help support t...

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 ! Help support this show and unl...

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...

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 Yourse...

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,...

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...