The Fur Real Podcast with Mark A Kyle

They've got venomous fangs, a fearsome reputation, and a name that sends shivers down your spine. But are water moccasins, also known as cottonmouths, really the aggressive, dangerous snakes we've been led to believe? This week, zoologist and snake venom researcher Dr. Ryan McCleary joins us to separate fact from fiction about one of America's most feared and misunderstood snakes. Do water moccasi...

Your pet may look healthy today—but what can you do to keep them that way? About 1 in 4 dogs will develop cancer during their lifetime, and by age 10, the risk climbs to roughly 1 in 2. Cats face cancer and chronic disease too. So instead of waiting until something goes wrong, what if we started thinking about our pets’ health before they get sick? This week, Mark talks with Dr. Kendra Pope, a boa...

For 100 years, Winnie-the-Pooh has brought a little magic into all of our lives. But behind the stories, the Hundred Acre Wood and the bear we all know and love was a real bear named Winnie—and she was a girl. As Winnie-the-Pooh celebrates his 100th anniversary on October 14, Mark sits down with author Lindsay Mattick, the great-granddaughter of Harry Colebourn, the Canadian soldier and veterinari...

They’re tiny, ridiculously cute, incredibly social—and they have a lot to say. Marmosets may be some of the smallest monkeys around, but behind those expressive faces is a surprisingly complex world of communication, family life, cooperation and intelligence. This week, Mark talks with Dr. Cory Miller, a professor and researcher at the University of California, San Diego, whose work explores how m...

Every animal has a personality—and Michelle Lerner has known some unforgettable ones. This week, Mark talks with author and animal law expert Michelle Lerner about her new book, A Series of Opinionated Animals , and the quirky, funny, fiercely individual animals she has shared her life with along the way. Each one left its mark, helping shape not only Michelle’s life, but the way she came to think...

This week, Johanna Johnson from CAMP Clinics joins us to talk about the incredible bond between people experiencing homelessness and their pets—and why there is often much more to that relationship than we realize. CAMP Clinics provides veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness, helping with vaccinations, preventative care, and other medical needs. And that care can have an i...

Manta rays are enormous, graceful, and unlike just about anything else in the ocean. But behind those huge wings is something even more surprising—a remarkably big brain. This week, Mark is joined by Dr. Guy Stevens, one of the world’s leading manta ray experts and co-founder of the Manta Trust, to explore what makes these ocean giants so extraordinary. From their intelligence and complex social l...

Tarantulas have a reputation for being big, hairy, and downright terrifying—but how much of what we think we know about them is actually true? This week, Mark is joined by Dr. Chris Hamilton , tarantula researcher and evolutionary biologist, to get beyond the fangs and the fear and discover what makes these incredible spiders so fascinating. Chris takes us inside the world of tarantulas—from how t...

When your pet has an emergency, panic can set in fast. What should you do first? What happens when you arrive at the ER? And how do veterinarians decide which animal gets treated first? Dr. Garret Pachtinger, a board-certified veterinary emergency and critical care specialist, joins Mark to take some of the fear and uncertainty out of one of the most stressful moments a pet parent can face. From r...

How smart can a parrot really be? Dr. Irene Pepperberg spent decades answering that question with the help of one remarkable African grey parrot named Alex. Alex didn’t just mimic words. He learned to identify colors, shapes, numbers and objects, understood concepts like same and different, and showed abilities that challenged what scientists thought they knew about animal intelligence. In this ep...

What do Pablo Escobar, Colombia, and hippos have in common? More than you might think. From their incredible size and surprising behaviors to the unusual story of how they became one of Colombia's most controversial wild animals, hippos are full of surprises. In this episode, Mark sits down with Dr. Rebecca Lewison , professor of biology at San Diego State University and one of the leading experts...

What do you get when you combine a duck’s bill, a beaver-like tail, webbed feet, venomous spurs, egg-laying, and the ability to detect electricity? You get one of the most unusual animals on Earth—the platypus. In this episode, Mark talks with Australian platypus researcher Dr. Tahneal Hawke about the remarkable biology, behavior, and conservation of this one-of-a-kind mammal. They explore how pla...

What happens when you combine curious kids, amazing farm animals, and a passion for agriculture? You get Super Smart Farming , a unique podcast from Lancaster Farming that's inspiring the next generation of farmers, animal lovers, and lifelong learners. In this episode, Mark sits down with Candice Wierzbowsky and Eric Hurlock , the creative team behind Super Smart Farming , to talk about how they'...

War leaves behind more than shattered buildings and displaced families. It also leaves countless animals frightened, injured, abandoned, and fighting to survive. In this special episode, I travel to Ukraine to meet the extraordinary team from ARK Animal Rescue Ukraine on the frontlines of one of the world's most dangerous humanitarian crises. Joined by Yaryna Vintoniuk and Helen Donets , I witness...

Some animals spend their lives in places that seem impossible to survive. Clinging to sheer cliffs, navigating narrow ledges, and scaling near-vertical mountainsides, these remarkable creatures have evolved to thrive where one wrong step could mean the difference between life and death. In this episode, Dr. Marco Festa-Bianchet, one of the world's leading experts on mountain wildlife, shares insig...

Most people think lions are Africa's greatest hunters—but what if they're not? This week, Mark sits down with wildlife conservationist Greg Rasmussen to uncover the remarkable story of Africa's painted dogs, one of the continent's most successful—and most endangered—predators. With decades spent studying and protecting these incredible animals, Greg shares what makes them such extraordinary hunter...

Flying fish soar above the ocean. Elephant seals dive to extraordinary depths. At first glance, they couldn't be more different. This week, we sit down with marine biologists Dr. Eric Lewallen and Dr. Carolina Bonin , two scientists whose research intersects in unexpected ways. Eric shares the remarkable adaptations that allow flying fish to glide hundreds of feet above the ocean, while Carolina r...

Cute. Fluffy. Nut-obsessed. That's the squirrel story we all know... right? Not so fast. This week, we sit down with Dr. Sonja Wild, a behavioral ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis , whose work explores how animals adapt and thrive in a changing world. Her recent research helped uncover something that stunned even seasoned scientists: California ground squirrels hunting and eating v...

What can a sand-swimming lizard, a cockroach sprinting across rough terrain, and a centipede teach us about the next generation of robots? In this episode,we sit down with physicist and roboticist Daniel Goldman to explore the fascinating world of robophysics —the science of using animals to uncover the fundamental principles of movement. From sandfish lizards that "swim" beneath desert dunes to m...

For decades, starfish were among the most common and recognizable animals along many coastlines. Then, seemingly overnight, millions began to disappear. In this episode, Dr. Ian Hewson takes us inside one of the largest wildlife disease events ever documented in the ocean: the Great Starfish Die-Off. We explore the mysterious outbreak known as Sea Star Wasting Disease, what scientists have learned...

What makes the praying mantis one of the most fascinating predators on Earth? In this episode, Lohit Garikipati joins Mark A. Kyle to explore the strange, beautiful, and sometimes terrifying world of praying mantises. From lightning-fast attacks and incredible camouflage to their almost “alien” appearance and ability to track movement with precision, these insects are among nature’s most efficient...

In this episode, Mark sits down with Dr. Heather Berst of Zoetis to discuss Breed Explorer — a tool designed to help people find the right pet for their lifestyle, personality, living situation, and activity level. Not every pet is the right fit for every home, and this conversation explores why making the right match matters for both humans and dogs. Apartment dwellers, active outdoor families, f...

Blair Braverman is a musher, adventurer, and celebrated author who has found her greatest teachers on four legs. From long distant racing treks including the Iditarod across 1,000 miles of Alaskan wilderness to the quiet moments between a musher and her dogs, Blair's life is a masterclass in love, resilience, and what it means to keep moving forward. In this conversation, we explore the personalit...

Heather Gibson of Big Hearted Breeders joins for a thoughtful conversation that challenges the idea that it has to be adopt or shop . From ethical breeding to rescue, we explore how both paths can coexist when the focus stays where it belongs: on the dogs. We also dive into the powerful role dogs play in our lives—how they support, heal, and connect us in ways that go far beyond companionship. At...

What if the most powerful weapon against landmines and disease weighed less than three pounds and ran on banana rewards? Meet the HeroRATs. This week, Mark sits down with Christophe Cox — CEO and co-founder of APOPO — to tell the remarkable story of how a wild idea born in Belgium became one of the most innovative humanitarian organizations on the planet. From the organization's scrappy origins to...