Snake Talk

Dr. Jenkins sits down with returning guest Noah Fields to talk about “flashy” colubrids. They start by discussing the colorful, large, and awe-inspiring characteristics that draw people to some of these snakes. Then, they delve into both kingsnakes and milksnakes, including their distribution, species vs. subspecies, and natural history. The conversation transitions from Scarlet Kingsnakes in unus...

Join Dr. Jenkins as he sits down with Michael Ring from the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary. Discover the inspiring journey from their humble beginnings as the Phoenix Herpetological Society to their growth into a renowned sanctuary. Learn about their core mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming reptiles, and explore their extensive animal collection, including one of the world’s most c...

Join Dr. Jenkins as he sits down with María Elena Barragán-Paladines from the Quito Vivarium to explore the remarkable work being done in education, outreach, and conservation. Dive into the world of one of the planet's most fascinating creatures, the Chocoan Bushmaster, as María Elena provides an in-depth look at the Choco region and the distribution of these elusive snakes. Learn about the chall...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Michael Starkey, Founder and Executive Director of Save the Snakes. They begin the discussion by talking about Michael's path to conservation - it is an inspiring story that is somewhat different from most. They then delve into the work of Save the Snakes, focusing on conserving snakes around the world using a combination of conservation science, outreach, education, and...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with returning guest Dr. Emily Taylor to discuss some exciting new developments in the world of snakes. First, they delve into her new book, "California Snakes and How to Find Them," which explores each species in California and offers field herping advice for encountering the state's diverse snake population. Then, the conversation shifts to a Prairie Rattlesnake den and ges...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Clint Guadiana, Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at Gladys Porter Zoo and one of the field herping experts for extreme south Texas, a region known for its unique biodiversity and a popular destination for field herpers. They discuss field herping in the region, the "Big 5" species for which the region is famous, the tin stacking technique that Clint developed (which si...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Justin Kobylka from Kinova Reptiles to talk all about breeding Ball Pythons. Despite catching wind of Justin's recent feature in the New Yorker Magazine, Dr. Jenkins wanted to have a more in depth conversation with him. In this episode the conversation spans Justin's journey to the top of the Ball Python breeding world, market insights, breeding processes, designer morph...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Peyton Niebanck to discuss the lengthy journey toward becoming a snake biologist. Peyton, a technician with The Orianne Society working on surveying Indigo Snakes, shares insights from the early stages of her career. They delve into Peyton’s college experience and the various activities she pursued to bolster her prospects in the field. They explore the peaks and valleys...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Jeff Ettling to talk about the conservation of Armenian Vipers. They start with a discussion of vipers from the region and how there is relatively high diversity and endemism in this part of West Asia. They discuss aspects of Armenian Viper research including spatial ecology, prey availability, genetics, and the impact of human disturbance. Then they focus on conserv...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Bob Ashley of the Chiricahua Desert Museum to discuss his recent book titled A Photographic History of Snakebite Treatments: Bad Medicine, Snake Oils, Potions, Elixirs and Kits . They talk about Bob’s collection of snake bite kits and the experiences that led up to the idea for the book. They then break down how the book is structured discussing each section. Finally, th...

For the 100th episode of Snake Talk, Dr. Jenkins interviews Harry Greene, author of Snakes: Evolution of Mystery in Nature, a book that significantly influenced Dr. Jenkins' choice to work with snakes. In this episode, we trace Harry's career path from his childhood adventures of discovering lizards on his family farm, to his military days studying snakes in European museum collections, and ultima...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dustin Smith from the North Carolina Zoo to discuss a conservation program for Virgin Island Boas. They begin by discussing Dustin’s career trajectory and the dedication required to succeed in the zoo field. Next, they delve into the natural history of Virgin Island Boas, covering aspects such as their distribution, habitat, reproduction, diet, status, and threats. Then,...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Stephen Mullin to discuss his career as a herpetologist. While many academics concentrate on specific questions in science, landscapes, or species, Steve has chosen to be a generalist, exploring various questions in diverse landscapes and species. The conversation delves into the distinctions between being a generalist and a specialist. They also cover stories and re...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Jake Socha from Virginia Tech University to delve into the biomechanics of flying snakes. They begin the discussion by exploring how certain flying lizards inspired Jake to embark on the study of snakes. They discuss the general natural history of flying snakes before delving into the specifics of their biomechanics. The biomechanics discussion encompasses everything...

Chris discusses Pygmy Rattlesnakes with Dr. Terry Farrell, a professor at Stetson University in Florida. Drawing on his extensive 30-year experience in studying the ecology of Pygmy Rattlesnakes, Dr. Farrell shares information about this common yet understudied snake. Their conversation encompasses various aspects of natural history, including habitat, diet, movements, venom, and more. Additionall...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Blake Adams and Caleb Goldsmith. Blake and Caleb work for The Orianne Society where their primary focus is on the restoration and management of snake habitat. The discussion kicks off with an exploration of the Longleaf Pine ecosystem that dominates the southeastern coastal plain. The natural disturbance regimes that historically preserved this ecosystem have been disrup...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Alison Rabosky, the Curator of Herpetology at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, to talk about museum collections of snakes. They begin by talking about Alison’s research on color patterns and mimicry in lizards and snakes. They delve into the acquisition and management of museum collections, and highlight a recent acquisition that now positions the Univer...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jenna Palmisano, a Ph. D. Candidate studying parasites in snakes. Focusing on pentastomes, they discuss the species native to North America and how they are different from the exotic invasive pentastome found in Florida. The parasite is thought to have come into North America from exotic snakes that are spreading across Florida, but the parasite has been found much farth...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. James Bogan, Director of the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation and Central Florida Zoo. They have an in depth discussion of Cryptosporidium (Crypto) in snakes. First, they talk about the disease itself and how it impacts snakes. Second, they discuss how to test for it and treat it. They also discuss how Crypto has been found in the captive population of indigo s...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Matt Buehler, a Ph. D. Candidate studying indigo snake genetics. They begin with how Matt found himself working with indigo snakes and cover some interesting steps in his career including studying Sea Kraits. They start the discussion of indigo snake genetics by talking about what has already been done, including a study using mitochondrial data that showed there are two...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Matt Patterson from New Hampshire. Matt is an incredible artist that focuses primarily on reptiles, especially turtles. They discuss how Matt’s interests in reptiles and art developed simultaneously. They talk about becoming a wildlife illustrator and aspects of having a career as a freelance artist. Matt also speaks about how he spends time in nature near his home, as w...

Mike Pingleton returns to Snake Talk to discuss one of the greatest field herping destinations in North America, Snake Road. Dr. Jenkins has wanted to do a place-based field herping episode but had concerns about increasing visitation to sites or ‘spot burning’. Ultimately, Snake Road was the perfect destination to discuss, as it is widely known by field herpers and the general public alike. Mike...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Joseph Gordon to discuss snakes in the Bible. When most people think of snakes featured in the Bible, the narrative of Adam and Eve and snakes portrayed in a negative light come to mind. But there are actually almost 60 mentions of snakes throughout the Bible and many of them are not as negative as you might think. Joe and Chris go through the story of the snake and...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Young to talk about some fascinating topics in Snake Biology. These are also some of the most frequently asked questions at our educational programs. Can snakes control how much venom they inject? Do young snakes inject more venom? Can snakes hear? Where are a snake’s ears? This is an episode you do not want to miss! Connect with Chris on Facebook , Instagram o...

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Kingsbury to talk about his career and work with watersnakes. They start by discussing the Environmental Resources Center at Purdue Fort Wayne that Bruce founded. Then they do a deep dive on Copperbelly Watersnakes in a highly fragmented landscape. They discuss their movements, habitat requirements, foraging, reproduction, and overwintering. They finish the epi...