Join Ellen & special guest, entomologist Derek Hennen, for a review of our many-legged friends, the myriapods! We’re talking millipedes, centipedes, and pauropods: what the difference is between these long guys, how they manage to scurry around without tripping over all of those feet, and what they’re up to down there underneath the leaf litter. Join the millipede fan club: @DearMillipede Cover photo by Derek Hennen, of "one of the prettiest cherry millipedes (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae) I've come across!"

Just the Zoo of Us

115: Myriapods (Millipedes, Centipedes & Pauropods) w/ Dr. Derek Hennen!

Just the Zoo of Us and One Bad Mother got together to celebrate MaxFun Block Party!  If you enjoyed this conversation we had with host Biz Ellis, be sure to subscribe to One Bad Mother on maximumfun.org!

Meet the Neighbors: Just the Zoo of Us x One Bad Mother

Ellen inspects an army of fish clones, the Amazon molly, and Christian finally digs in to the details of the inimitable aardvark. Learn how clones are made in nature, what's going on inside the aardvark's porcine snout, and why it's so crucial to never leave home without tippy-tappies. Amazon molly photo by Manfred Schartl. Aardvark photo by Michael Viard via Getty Images.

114: Amazon Molly & Aardvark

We've got big, exciting, great news! Just the Zoo of Us is joining the Maximum Fun network! Listen to our announcement for more information about the network, the date of our first episode as members, and a very special treat if you stick around to the end (it's less than two minutes!). Check out Maximum Fun & their other wonderful shows over at www.maximumfun.org :)

Special announcement: We're joining Maximum Fun!

Join Ellen & special guest Mallory McNulty for a review of our porous friends, freshwater sponges! Get the real answers to your burning sponge questions, like what a sponge feels like in your hands, how a completely stationary animal gets to new places, what kind of role they play in their ecosystem & why freshwater sponges have earned their chance in the spotlight!

113: Freshwater Sponges w/ Mallory McNulty!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian reviews the reptile disguised as an earthworm, the Mexican mole lizard, and Ellen evaluates the eclectic, enigmatic echidna.

112: Mexican Mole Lizard & Echidna

Join Ellen & special guest, naturalist Ivan Phillipsen, for a review of the iconic common loon! In this episode, we discuss why they got stuck with such a rude name, how they’ve managed to master both water AND air, and the hidden meanings behind those ethereal (and slightly spooky) songs in the night.  Ivan's podcast, The Science of Birds, can be found wherever you get your podcasts. For more information, visit their website at https://www.scienceofbirds.com/

111: Common Loon w/ Ivan Phillipsen!

Join Ellen & special guest, ecologist Gavin Campbell, for a review of the surprising little bugs zipping just beneath the surface of a pond near you: backswimmers! In this episode, Gavin tells us his stories of raising dragons, a mysterious entomological cold case, and his very own super villain origin story.

110: Backswimmers w/ Gavin Campbell!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen details what makes the Philippine eagle soar above the competition & Christian sings praises for the humpback whale.

109: Philippine Eagle & Humpback Whale

Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife biologist Ashley Bray, for a review of the tigers of the sky: great horned owls! In this episode, we discuss fake ears, silent feathers, tactical pantaloons, and more. Ashley is the creator & host of the Get Out Alive podcast, which can be found at www.getoutalivepodcast.com (listener discretion advised!)

108: Great Horned Owl w/ Ashley Bray!

Join Ellen & special guest, shark scientist & co-founder of MISS Jaida Elcock, for a review of the chronically anxious scorpion of the sea: thresher sharks! Topics include the unique features that make thresher sharks particularly amazing, what it's like to study sharks, how to safely share the ocean with them, marine science in Finding Nemo, and more. You can learn more about MISS's work promoting diversity and inclusion in shark science & support their organization at their website: https://www.misselasmo.org/

107: Thresher Shark w/ Jaida Elcock!

Join the Weatherfords for a weekly animal review! In this week's episode, Christian reviews how the mudskipper gets the best of both worlds & Ellen strongly relates to the smelliest living dinosaur, the hoatzin.

106: Mudskipper & Hoatzin

Join Ellen & special guest, ecologist Asia Murphy, for a review of the fossa! In this episode, we discuss their catlike (but not feline!) features, an unusual bachelor-deterring disguise, and what makes the buffed-up fossa such a unique and gorgeous animal. This episode was made in collaboration with the Lemur Conservation Network! Learn more about the wildlife of Madagascar & how we can help protect them at www.lemurconservationnetwork.org 

105: Fossa w/ Asia Murphy!

Join Ellen & special guest, evolutionary biologist Dr. Jen Tinsman, for a review of Madagascar's striking blue-eyed black lemurs! In this episode, we discuss Madagascar's incredible biodiversity, the relationships between humans and lemurs, and just how charming these arboreal friends are.  This episode was made in collaboration with the Lemur Conservation Network. Learn more about their work supporting conservation in Madagascar at their website: https://www.lemurconservationnetwork.org/

104: Blue-Eyed Black Lemur w/ Dr. Jen Tinsman!

Join the Weatherfords for an animal review! In this week's episode, Ellen takes a look at the long-snouted Malayan tapir & Christian checks every nook and cranny for lone star ticks.

103: Malayan Tapir & Lone Star Tick

Join us, Christian and Ellen Weatherford, while we review your favorite species of animals and rate them out of ten in the categories of effectiveness, ingenuity and aesthetics. Transcripts can be found at justthezooofus.com ? Got a species you want us to review? Submit your animal friend to us at ellen@justthezooofus.com and when we review your animal we'll give you a shoutout ? Cover art by Taylor Gordon Art!

hubhopper

Just the Zoo of Us

hubhopper