Humans in their Natural Habitat

In this week's episode, Whitney is flying solo to interview friend and small rodent researcher extraordinaire, Dr. Katie Hooker. She discusses her travels across the US researching how small rodents impact their environment. From growing cotton rats, to GPS collaring quail, to the art of copy and paste computer errors she's done it all!

This week we chat about one of the largest rodents, beavers! From their vanilla scented butt juice, to their proclivity for large logs and innate ability to work smarter, not harder, there is so much to love. Also, prepare yourself got countless dad jokes and innuendos.

Enjoy our first ever double feature this week! Have you ever wondered about some of the tiniest yet fiercest rodents in the Southwestern US? Mice that howl at the moon and hunt venomous prey? Rats that aren't really rats and live to tell about a tangle with a rattlesnake? Well the rumours are true. These little rodents are true badasses Kangaroo rat vs. rattlesnake https://www.science.org/news/2019/03/watch-kangaroo-rat-kick-rattlesnake-face Grasshopper Mouse howl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K9mO5QzOIQ

We're back! After a short summer break, we have returned with a new format, but the same bad jokes. Join us this week as we discuss Whitney's very favorite rodent of them all, PRAIRIE DOGS!!! These little fuzzy potatoes have so much more going for them than just a cute face. They also have cute ears, cute paws, cute tails....the list goes on and on. But seriously, prairie dogs are so intelligent they currently have the most complex language to be decoded of any animal. If that doesn't impress you, nothing will. As per usual, links mentioned in the episode are listed below: https://prairiedogcoalition.org/ https://wildearthguardians.org/wildlife-conservation/protect-prairie-dog-empires/

Hello! This week our friend with the cute face, Allison, talks with us about her upcoming transition to working full-time at a non-profit organization, La Tierra del Jaguar, and leaving the zookeeper field after 15 years. We learn how she successfully avoided calculus, has tasted hummingbird poop, and is now working towards her dream of helping to get a demonstration site to teach the local community in Sahuaripa, Sonora, Mexico about regenerative agriculture to protect North America's only big cat, the jaguar. If you listen til the end you also get a taste test review of two bacanora's (a tequila variation), one of which is called Ass Fire... https://latierradeljaguar.org/

Hello! This week we sit down again with our friend the entomologist, Tony. He couldn't pick just one favorite insect, but we forced him to so a beetle chat it is! With such a diverse group to discuss we did not run out of things to talk about. From the ladybug, to the flesh eating beetle, to the cute little blueberries that fake their own death beetles are always a good time at the party.  Organizations Mentioned: http://www.lostladybug.org/ https://www.firefly.org/ https://www.xerces.org/

This week's episode goes a little off the rails with our guest, Tony. What started off as a seemingly innocent discussion about the road to entomology quickly devolved into talks about invertebrate's being substitutes for Viagra and how to achieve a lady boner. Who run the world? Bugs. Organizations mentioned: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation https://www.xerces.org/

Just the two of us....just the two of us (cue musical intro). This week Carly and Whitney are flying solo to talk all about armadillos. These little armored ones come in 22 flavors of cute. If you'd like to learn or refresh your armadillo knowledge as well as some random sprinkling of other Xenarthra facts you've come to the right place. Links mentioned: The Giant Armadillo Project www.giantarmadillo.org

This week is a two for one! The lovely Tatiana and Chantage sit down with us to discuss what it's like being a veterinary technician. From where their love of animals began, to becoming friends at vet tech school, to the ups and downs of caring for people's beloved fur babies they spill all the tea. Much like the age old adage, you catch more bees with honey and flies with shit...or something like that. On a serious note, there is a disproportionately high rate of suicide among veterinarians and veterinary technicians due to compassion fatigue and burnout. If you or someone you know is having difficulty coping, please reach out to the Suicide Prevent Lifeline Hotline https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 1(800)- 273-8255 https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2019/09/04/veterinary-suicide/

This week Chris joins us again to discuss avian and non-avian dinosaurs i.e. how birds are actually little dinos of today. Did you know Petrie was not actually a dinosaur? What color were dino feathers? Are brontosaurus even real? Find out these fun facts and more! 

This week we are joined by the amazing Dr. Dino himself, Chris! He shares his career path that includes some major plot twists and how that turned into traveling the country talking about dinosaurs and fossils (it involves something called a dead shed and a lack of sense of smell). He also discusses the incredible Billings Productions and their animatronic dinosaurs that are showcased at zoos across the United States. How are the extinct dinosaurs helping teach people about conservation today? Are dinosaurs really even extinct? We get the answers to these questions and more! Educational Biofacts Inc. http://www.educationalbiofacts.com/ Billings Productions https://www.billingsproductions.com/ @the_dinosaur_company

Elisa joins us again to discuss one of her favorite animals, sharks! With over 500 species there was more than enough to talk about this week. From their infinite number of teeth, to roaming the Earth with the dinosaurs, well roaming the sea at the same time as dinosaurs...to considering them friends not food, sharks are totally awesome. Organizations mentioned: https://seaworld.com/orlando/commitment/conservation/ https://www.ocearch.org/tracker/

Carly's real best friend, Elisa, talks to us about all things marine! From being an aquaculture intern at the happiest place on Earth, to working with dolphins in Hawaii, to target training sharks, she's done it all.

Maria joins us again to discuss all things jackrabbit, including the elusive jackelope. Learn more about Borderlands Foundation for Understudied Plants & Animals (BFUPA): https://aztws.com/resources/borderlands-foundation-for-understudied-plants-and-animals-bfupa/#:~:text=The%20Borderlands%20Foundation%20for%20Understudied,American%20Southwest%20(including%20Mexico). To Donate mention BFUPA in the "Notes": https://www.southwestwildlife.org/donate/donate/donate.html

This week we talk to our friend Maria about her transition from zookeeping to chasing jackrabbits through the desert. How exactly do you catch a jackrabbit? Are squirrels really that angry all the time? Where's the best place to bury a body? Find the answers to these questions and more...

Somehow our friend Kim agreed to join us a second time to talk about her favorite animal, vultures. Learn some cool facts, hear some bad jokes, and listen to an amazing original song by yours truly.

Our very first episode features our friend and special guest, Kim, an ambassador animal keeper and Moorpark College graduate. We discuss her path to becoming a keeper, being pregnant while working, and about that one time she flashed an entire audience.

This trailer is an quick introduction to your hosts, Carly & Whitney, as well as what our new podcast is about. Hang out with us every other Thursday to hear laid back interviews with zookeepers and other animal care professionals with a fun spin. We want to discuss the highlights, the nitty gritty, and the literal shit that comes along with caring for animals.