Shows / Just the Zoo of Us
Just the Zoo of Us
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.
Episodes
- Just the Zoo of Us
357: Ospreys w/ Mark Smith!
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife photographer and author Mark Smith, for a review of the worldwide masters of sea and sky. Ospreys almost disappeared from…
- Just the Zoo of Us
356: Shrews
The arc of history is long, but it bends towards shrew. We discuss tasks that require zero cats, supercontinents, venom and cancer research, iron-plated teeth…
- Just the Zoo of Us
355: Axolotl w/ Marco Wendt!
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife ambassador and returning guest Marco Wendt of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, to shine a spotlight on the world’s…
- Just the Zoo of Us
354: Shingleback Skink
This chunky lizard is living proof that two heads are better than one. We discuss BTS (disambiguation), secret signals encoded in lizard tongues, accidentally…
- Just the Zoo of Us
353: Pokémon Zoology w/ Christian Flores!
Join Ellen & returning guest wildlife educator Christian Flores for a conversation about the Zoology of Pokémon. What can we learn about the wildlife and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
352: Spotted Garden Eel
Ellen and Christian get a feel for the garden eel. We discuss fortified butts, science's greatest unsolved mysteries, flirting techniques for the ultimate…
- Just the Zoo of Us
351: False Water Cobra w/ Harpreet Singh Sethi!
Joined Ellen & special guest, conservationist and herpetologist Harpreet Singh Sethi, for a look at the snake appropriately named the Giant Lord of the Water…
- Just the Zoo of Us
190: Pom-Pom Crab & Mourning Dove (REPLAY)
In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from April of 2023, Christian cheers for pom-pom crabs & Ellen explains what makes mourning doves so coo-l. We…
- Just the Zoo of Us
350: Monarch Butterfly
It's fall yall - time for Ellen and Christian to embark on a multi-generational odyssey with monarch butterflies. We discuss why butterflies are total…
- Just the Zoo of Us
349: Clouded Leopard w/ Alice Vassallo!
Join Ellen & very special guest zookeeper and conservationist Alice Vassallo for the inside scoop on one of the world’s most mysterious not-so-big cats. We…
- Just the Zoo of Us
348: Sociable Weaver
Ellen weaves her magic on sociable weavers. We discuss the three pillars of science communication, trick entrances, plane cabin pressurization, bullying for…
- Just the Zoo of Us
347: Sea Otters w/ Kristyn Plancarte!
Join Ellen & special guest marine biologist Kristyn Plancarte for a review of the world’s wettest weasels. We discuss beluga whales’ fake six packs, the unique…
- Just the Zoo of Us
346: Pufferfish
Ellen is blowing up about pufferfish. We discuss what pufferfish have in common with chameleons, seafloor crop circles, culinary applications of deadly…
- Just the Zoo of Us
345: Conservation Stories w/ Sharon Guynup!
Join Ellen & special guest, journalist and writer Sharon Guynup, for stories from the world of conservation. Our guest’s career has taken her all over the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
344: Kid Questions with Isaac!
Ellen & special guest Isaac answer questions from young listeners! We discuss bug guts, milking squids, the blobfish's secret Final Form, getting upped…
- Just the Zoo of Us
343: Synanthropes w/ Dan Werb!
Join Ellen & special guest, writer and scientist Dan Werb, for a look at the animal neighbors that have made themselves at home in our own backyards…
- Just the Zoo of Us
342: Mongoose
Ellen and Christian return from their travels to review the good, the bad, and the ugly of the mongooses. We discuss the Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum…
- Just the Zoo of Us
Terrestrials: The Trio w/ Lulu Miller!
Ellen & special guest, science journalist and host of Radiolab and Terrestrials Lulu Miller, discuss the lifelong impact of science communication, review bald…
- Just the Zoo of Us
341: Elephant Mosquito w/ Cassandra Fieldson!
Join Ellen & special guest science communicator, infectious disease researcher, and the Khaleesi of Mosquitos for a review of some of the animal kingdom’s most…
- Just the Zoo of Us
340: Fiddler Crab
We add another string to our bow by learning about the fiddler crab. We discuss the arc of history bending towards crab, the MogBot 2000, bad dating advice…
- Just the Zoo of Us
339: Binturong w/ Rick Schwartz!
Join Ellen & special guest science communicator and ambassador for wildlife Rick Schwartz for a review of the wise old wizards of Asian forests: binturongs. We…
- Just the Zoo of Us
338: Seriema
Ellen gets her claws out for seriemas. We discuss terror birds, reverse mullets, sickle claws, weird scenes from Jurassic Park, golf ball physics, and so much…
- Just the Zoo of Us
337: Tree Kangaroos w/ Lisa Dabek!
Join Ellen & special guest, senior conservation scientist at Woodland Park Zoo and founder of the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program Lisa Dabek, as we…
- Just the Zoo of Us
336: Crawfish w/ Jack Koch!
Join Ellen & special guest, technobiologist and professor Jack Koch, for a review of the iconic crustacean known and loved by many names: the crawfish. We…
- Just the Zoo of Us
335: Sand Cat
Ellen lets the sand cat out of the bag. We discuss dangerously approaching Hey Arnold, refusal to poop on unfamiliar toilets, blood gushers, a myth of dirty…
- Just the Zoo of Us
Bonus Content Free Samples! (2026)
Curious about the exclusive bonus content for Maximum Fun members? Enjoy some free samples from special episodes: "All Fun and Games with Isaac," "Just the Two…
- Just the Zoo of Us
334: Animals in Space w/ Let's Learn Everything!
Ellen & special guests, Ella Hubber and Tom Lum of Let’s Learn Everything, turn our gazes to the skies and talk animals in space. We discuss the fruit fly fan…
- Just the Zoo of Us
333: Great White Shark
Ellen jaws away about the great white shark. We discuss making our own planetary rings, performance-enhancing Speedos, how sharks sleep, the White Shark Café…
Just the Zoo of UsCasters on Casters: Teylor Smirl and Ellen Weatherford
It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters. In this…
- Just the Zoo of Us
332: Asian Elephants w/ Kartick Satyanarayan!
Join Ellen & special guest, co-founder and CEO of conservation organization Wildlife SOS Kartick Satyanarayan, for a review of Asian elephants. We discuss the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
331: Jackrabbits
Follow Ellen down the jackrabbit hole. We discuss facial tilt, satellite dish ears, evolutionary ghosts of predators past, touchdown dances, jackalopes…
- Just the Zoo of Us
330: Cryptids w/ the Cryptonaturalist, Jarod K. Anderson!
Join Ellen & the Cryptonaturalist (Jarod K. Anderson) to talk about the ways that nature and wildlife can inspire our creativity and shape our stories…
- Just the Zoo of Us
329: Coelacanth
Don't call it a comeback, coelacanth's been here for years. We discuss life on Earth 400 million years ago, a military escort mission, our own fish ancestors…
- Just the Zoo of Us
328: Apollo the African Grey Parrot w/ Dalton Mason!
Join Ellen & Dalton Mason, creator and bird parent behind Apollo and Frens, for a look into life alongside the world-famous African grey parrot. You may have…
- Just the Zoo of Us
327: Mandarin Duck
Ellen falls in love with the Mandarin duck. We discuss why waterfowl's webbed feet don't freeze in the winter, the evolutionary arms race between male and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
326: Moth Flies w/ Emily, your Certified Bug Friend!
Join Ellen & special guest, science communicator and Certified Bug Friend Emily, for a review of the tiny little bugs that fly around your nearest kitchen…
- Just the Zoo of Us
325: Triops (AKA Tadpole Shrimp)
Ellen goes on a journey through time and space with Triops, the tadpole shrimp. We discuss book fairs, vernal pools, whether saltwater or freshwater came…
- Just the Zoo of Us
324: Egg-Eating Snake w/ Lyn!
Join Ellen & special guest artist and reptile keeper Lyn for an up close and personal look at a little snake with a big appetite. We discuss how it feels to…
- Just the Zoo of Us
323: Banana Slug
Ellen takes things slow with the iconic banana slug. We discuss mobile slip 'n' slides, recreationally poisoning yourself, liquid crystals, oobleck, robosnail…
- Just the Zoo of Us
322: The Bird Hall w/ Shannon Hackett & John Bates!
Join Ellen & special guests, power couple Shannon Hackett and John Bates from the Field Museum, here to talk about the intersection of science, history, and of…
- Just the Zoo of Us
321: Norway Lemmings
Ellen sets the record straight on Norway lemmings, busting over 400 years of myths. We discuss rodent audacity, ecological impacts that can be seen from space…
- Just the Zoo of Us
320: Vinny Thomas's Top 3 Urban Wildlife Species!
Join Ellen & special guest comedian, writer, and nature enthusiast Vinny Thomas for a review of some of the furry, feathered, and scaly neighbors making…
- Just the Zoo of Us
319: Tasmanian Devil
Ellen gives the Tasmanian devil his due. We discuss mythbusters, cranial real estate, the masculine urge to bite your fingers off, which came first: the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
318: Jungle Jordan's Top 3 Friend-Shaped Carnivores!
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife educator and zookeeper Jungle Jordan, as we round up his top 3 friend-shaped carnivores, all the cutest critters that…
- Just the Zoo of Us
317: Sea Angel
Ellen gets into the festive spirit with sea angels. We discuss Christian's beachfront disaster, secret tentacles, teeny titan battles, undismissable…
- Just the Zoo of Us
316: Southern Cassowary w/ Marco Wendt!
Joined Ellen & special guest wildlife ambassador and care specialist Marco Wendt from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for a review of the towering birds that are…
- Just the Zoo of Us
315: Kinkajou
Ellen irons out the kinkajous. We discuss Thomas Jefferson's giant moose sidequest, the dessert hypothesis, bad pets, who the real Frankenstein monster is, and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
314: Sarah Suta's Top 3 Dream Comebacks!
Join Ellen & host of Bizarre Beasts Sarah Suta for a lineup of some animals she’d like to see get a second chance, whether they’re species we’ve already lost…
- Just the Zoo of Us
170: Wild Turkey (REPLAY)
In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from November of 2022, Ellen goes on an odyssey through history with the wild turkey. We discuss their path alongside…
- Just the Zoo of Us
313: Turkey Vulture
Ellen has a bone to pick with turkey vultures. We discuss aura farming, our gripes with the pH scale, a check-in with our resident Dragon Ball Z correspodent…
- Just the Zoo of Us
312: Common Snapping Turtle w/ Emma Ratway!
Join Ellen & special guest from the world of wildlife rehabilitation Emma Ratway for a review of the chompy rogues lurking at the bottom of ponds all over the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
311: Cleaner Wrasse
Ellen comes clean about the bluestreak cleaner wrasse. We discuss trust, cheating, fish patriarchy, manipulation, deception, game theory, the prisoner's…
- Just the Zoo of Us
310: Lindsay Nikole’s Top 3 Periods of Life on Earth
Join Ellen & special guest, zoology and science communication powerhouse Lindsay Nikole, for a review of some of the animal kingdom’s greatest hits throughout…
- Just the Zoo of Us
309: Hairy Frog
Ellen gets her claws out for the hairy frog. We discuss what the tooth fairy dispatch system is doing with all those teeth, frog gigging, Wolverine lore, the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
308: Cara Giaimo's Top 3 Surprises from the Animal Kingdom!
Join Ellen & special guest, writer and science journalist Cara Giaimo, for a highlight reel of some of the animal kingdom’s biggest surprises. We discuss Lego…
- Just the Zoo of Us
307: Jack Jumper Ants
Ellen jumps to conclusions about jack jumper ants. We discuss Metazooa, is it cake, a menace to public health, lime in the Coke, gamergate, casual abductions…
- Just the Zoo of Us
306: A Review of Disgust w/ Nature Disturbed!
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
305: Galápagos Tortoise
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
304: Dr. Keriann McGoogan's Top 3 Primatology Stories!
Join Ellen & special guest, primatologist and author Dr. Keriann McGoogan, for primatology storytime! Our guest shares experiences from her time working with…
- Just the Zoo of Us
303: American Dipper w/ Jason Hall!
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…