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PODCAST

Just the Zoo of Us

Ellen & Christian Weatherford

Join us, Ellen and Christian Weatherford, while we review your favorite species of animals and rate them out of ten in the categories of effectiveness, ingenuity and aesthetics. More information 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 Mrs. Brainbow (Taylor Gordon-Wood). Theme music by Louie Zong.

science nature

All Episodes

00:53:08

306: A Review of Disgust w/ Nature Disturbed!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/10/02

Join Ellen & special guest artist and science communicator behind Nature Disturbed for an appropriate kickoff to the month of all things wretched with a review of disgust. We talk about phobias and ways that we can relate and empathize with even our most feared animals, why we might want to move in to a termite colony, anatomical surprises, the uncanny valley, how to make a slime meringue, and so much more. Links:Learn more about Nature Disturbed at naturedisturbed.comFollow Nature Disturbed on

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01:13:52

305: Galápagos Tortoise

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/09/25

Ellen comes along for the ride with Galápagos tortoises. We discuss how giant tortoises crossed 600 miles of ocean, the superpowers built into their DNA that let them live for over a century, extinction and restoration, Charles Darwin's boat snacks, Kung Fu Panda lore, and so much more.Links:Follow Poison Oak and find more of her work on Instagram: @poison.oak.nycFor more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram &

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00:58:31

304: Dr. Keriann McGoogan's Top 3 Primatology Stories!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/09/18

Join Ellen & special guest, primatologist and author Dr. Keriann McGoogan, for primatology storytime! Our guest shares experiences from her time working with lemurs in Madagascar and howler monkeys in Belize, like kind gestures from people helping out their local monkeys after a hurricane. She also brings us some truly juicy tales from the study of primates, like a true crime thriller involving missing monkeys, a power struggle, and even a double life, an airplane full of macaques, setting the

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00:56:23

303: American Dipper w/ Jason Hall!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/09/11

Join Ellen & birder and science communicator Jason Hall for a review of a little bird full of big surprises: the American dipper. We discuss birding pre-smartphone, Philadelphia’s role in ornithological history, the wild physiological adaptations that let this tiny songbird brave mountain rapids, smooth dance moves, aura farming, and so much more.Links:Follow Jason on Instagram: @thebirdingbeardsmanCheck out Jason's podcast, The Bird Joy Podcast!Get involved in nature with In Color Birding!For more

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00:59:05

302: Bigfin Squid

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/09/04

Ellen demystifies the deep sea-dwelling bigfin squid. We discuss hunting for shipwrecks, life in the trenches, spaghetti noodle fingers, unintentional cinematography, and so much more. Links:For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!Sound Credit:Ted Floyd, XC460525. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/460525.

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01:13:43

301: Lyrebirds w/ Dr. César Puechmarin!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/08/27

Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife veterinarian, filmmaker and science communicator Dr César Puechmarin, for a review of Australia’s masters of song: the lyrebird. We discuss birdwatching drama, the ancient origins of songbirds, vocal anatomy, secret passwords, oral history and cultural memory passed down through generations and the ghosts remembered in birdsong, and so much more.Links:Learn more about César and find more of his work on his website!Check out César's podcasts: Death By Birding &

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01:03:42

300: A Badger + Coyote Adventure!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/08/21

Ellen & Christian team up as a coyote and badger in a cozy duet TTRPG adventure. When a family of skunks accuse a reclusive bobcat of disturbing their peaceful home, the woodland's finest pair of peacekeepers are on the case. We use the Badger + Coyote game system by Pandion Games to improvise a collaborative story of mystery, fire, a waterfall cave, legend of stalking predators in the night, devious traps, and even romance.Links:Check out Badger + Coyote, the cozy duet TTRPG of mischief and

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00:57:04

299: Nightjars

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/08/14

Ellen gives the mysterious wing-clapping nightjars a round of applause. We discuss Pliny the Elder, bird whiskers, what it really means to "raise one's standards," ecologically accurate sound effects in The Legend of Zelda, an acoustic mystery, El Chupacabra, and so much more. Links:For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!SOUND CREDITS: Eastern Whip-poor-will call: Jonathon

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00:58:45

298: Katie Goldin's 3 Weirdest Shark Facts!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/08/07

Join Ellen & returning guest, science communicator and comedy writer Katie Goldin, for a roundup of her 3 weirdest facts about sharks. We discuss cage-free uranium, possible mermaid configurations, why sometimes people poop themselves when they’re scared, how fomo can conquer phobia, eye teeth, and so much more. Heads up: part of this episode’s conversation is about cocaine. When it comes up I will have edited in some guidance for skipping ahead for anyone who might not find that suitable. As

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01:02:50

158: Pallas's Cat & Kiwi (REPLAY)

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/07/30

In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from September of 2022, Ellen lets Pallas's cat out of the bag & Christian probes into the world of the sensitive kiwi. We discuss grumpy cats, spawncamping, chilly beans, buff legs and giant eggs.Links:Check out Benjamin Lancer's paper on dragonfly attention in Nature!Watch Wildlife Instincts: Pallas's Cat - Master of the Plains on YouTube!Learn more about how you can help the kiwi!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow

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01:03:33

297: Red Fox

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/07/24

Ellen explains what the red fox REALLY says. We discuss a chicken shakedown, the Siberian fox domestication experiment, aim assist, quantum entanglement, genetic surprises, and so much more. Links:For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!SOUND CREDIT: Fox screaming in the night.mp3 by craigsays -- https://freesound.org/s/537586/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

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01:14:17

296: Leach's Storm Petrel w/ Melina Watson!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/07/17

Join Ellen & special guest, marine biologist and seabird wrangler Melina Watson, for a review of the ocean’s bravest little walkerwalkers: Leach’s storm petrel. We swap whalewatching stories, discuss snot gutters and lost feet and baby chicks that look like soot sprites, and get firsthand insight into life among the seabirds, from falling asleep to a lullaby of screams to a surprising assessment of the smell situation.Links:Follow Melina on Instagram!For more information about us & our podcast, head

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00:57:01

295: Giant Anteater

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/07/11

Ellen pokes her nose into the giant anteater's business. We discuss Fun Dip, sleeper builds, optical illusions, blankies, the shirshu, and so much more.Links:Learn more about the ICAS on their website and follow them on Instagram!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

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01:30:32

294: Speculative Evolution w/ Roxy Valdez!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/07/02

Join Ellen & special guest, digital artist and character designer Roxy Valdez, for a multimedia exploration of the intersection where real-world biology and ecology meets the imagination: speculative evolution! We discuss the world of the Amphiterra Project, the academic research and creative process that goes into designing creatures for science fiction and fantasy, and even team up to roll dice and make our very own creatures. Our guest provides illustrations and an interactive spec evo prompt

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01:09:36

293: Rhinoceros & Bird-eating Tarantula

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/06/25

Christian takes charge of rhinoceroses & Ellen gives bird-eating tarantulas a hair-raising review. We discuss unicorns, mmwonk, dragon calls, Ace Ventura, becoming the Thumbtacks Guy, recipes for a bag of spiders, and more. Links:For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

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00:57:24

292: Ivan Phillipsen's 3 Weirdest Birds!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/06/18

Join Ellen and acclaimed naturalist Ivan Phillipsen to round up his top 3 weirdest birds. We discuss what makes a bird truly “weird,” the distinct silhouette of a style icon, never letting a perfectly good placenta go to waste, birds getting tipsy on fermented berries, and so much more.Links:Find more of Ivan's work at scienceofbirds.com!Go check out Ivan's podcast, The Science of Birds!For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky,

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01:17:23

291: Kid Questions with Isaac!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/06/11

Ellen & special guest Isaac answer questions from young listeners! We discuss albinism, whales and dinosaurs, what makes an organism an animal, raccoon stripes, the puppification of foxes, and so much more.Links:For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

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01:16:02

290: Rabbits w/ Zoe Feigen!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/06/06

Join Ellen & special guest, veterinarian and rabbit parent Zoe Feigen, for an exposé on rabbits and the secret horrors they’re hiding underneath all that adorable fluff. We discuss biological warfare on an ecological menace, self-sharpening glass crunchers, eating poop, outie butts, flirting with pee, tearaway hair, haunting screams, and so much more. This truly eye-opening episode will forever change how you see those sweet little faces and cotton ball tails.Links:Follow Zoe on Bluesky!For more

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00:58:25

289: Parrotfish

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/05/28

Ellen bites off more than she can chew with parrotfish. We discuss the Mohs scale, Korn corn, throat teeth, crystal chainmail, sleeping bags made of snot, being terminally male, and so much more. Links:For more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky!

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01:03:01

288: Corals w/ Jessie Palmer!

Just the Zoo of Us ·

2025/05/22

Join Ellen & special guest, champion of the reef Jessie Palmer, as we try to save the world one polyp at a time. We discuss coral wars and neural nets, aliens from a different version of our own planet, literally re-inventing the wheel with coral-inspired biomimicry, what’s up with coral bleaching and how can we help, and even surprisingly philosophical questions, like “what is an individual?” “what is the self?” and “at what point do you have a new body?” This episode will change the way you look

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