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
302: Bigfin Squid
Ellen demystifies the deep sea-dwelling bigfin squid. We discuss hunting for shipwrecks, life in the trenches, spaghetti noodle fingers, unintentional…
- Just the Zoo of Us
301: Lyrebirds w/ Dr. César Puechmarin!
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife veterinarian, filmmaker and science communicator Dr César Puechmarin, for a review of Australia’s masters of song: the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
300: A Badger + Coyote Adventure!
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
299: Nightjars
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
298: Katie Goldin's 3 Weirdest Shark Facts!
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
158: Pallas's Cat & Kiwi (REPLAY)
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
297: Red Fox
Ellen explains what the red fox REALLY says. We discuss a chicken shakedown, the Siberian fox domestication experiment, aim assist, quantum entanglement…
- Just the Zoo of Us
296: Leach's Storm Petrel w/ Melina Watson!
Join Ellen & special guest, marine biologist and seabird wrangler Melina Watson, for a review of the ocean’s bravest little walkerwalkers: Leach’s storm…
- Just the Zoo of Us
295: Giant Anteater
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
294: Speculative Evolution w/ Roxy Valdez!
Join Ellen & special guest, digital artist and character designer Roxy Valdez, for a multimedia exploration of the intersection where real-world biology and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
293: Rhinoceros & Bird-eating Tarantula
Christian takes charge of rhinoceroses & Ellen gives bird-eating tarantulas a hair-raising review. We discuss unicorns, mmwonk, dragon calls, Ace Ventura…
- Just the Zoo of Us
292: Ivan Phillipsen's 3 Weirdest Birds!
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
291: Kid Questions with Isaac!
Ellen & special guest Isaac answer questions from young listeners! We discuss albinism, whales and dinosaurs, what makes an organism an animal, raccoon…
- Just the Zoo of Us
290: Rabbits w/ Zoe Feigen!
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
289: Parrotfish
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
288: Corals w/ Jessie Palmer!
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…
- Just the Zoo of Us
Extremely Accurate Bird Songs: Mourning Dove
Get your seeds and suet ready because it's time for a feed drop: Ellen joins birding musicians Tommy Siegel and Billy Libby for the debut episode of Extremely…
- Just the Zoo of Us
287: Mexican Jumping Bean Moth & Slow Worm
Ellen's thinking about those Mexican jumping beans & Christian takes things slow with the slow worm. We discuss bean details, the strategic value of random…
- Just the Zoo of Us
286: A Review of the Animal Kingdom in Miniature w/ Dr. Mark D. Scherz!
Join Ellen & special guest, evolutionary biologist and herpetologist Dr. Mark D. Scherz, for a look through the magnifying glass at miniaturized animals. Our…
- Just the Zoo of Us
285: American Woodcock & Camel Spider
Christian walks to the beat of the American woodcock & Ellen throws shade at camel spiders. We discuss peent, walking with rhythm to attract the worm, beak…
- Just the Zoo of Us
284: African Pygmy Hedgehog w/ Sarah Bessie!
Join Ellen & special guest, animal care educator and advocate Sarah Bessie (the "Hedge Chef") for a review of the prickly little roly polies: African pygmy…
- Just the Zoo of Us
283: Paddlefish & Pigbutt Worm
Christian is up a creek without a paddlefish & an unusual deep-sea worm becomes the butt of Ellen's jokes. We discuss a previous guest getting electrocuted for…
- Just the Zoo of Us
282: Brooke Hartman's Top 3 Cutest Killers!
Join Ellen & special guest, author Brooke Hartman, for a look at some of the animal kingdom’s most deceptively adorable assassins. We discuss evolutionary arms…
- Just the Zoo of Us
281: Field Notes (2025)
Ellen & Christian share stories, observations and inspiration from special guest: you! We discuss Benedict Cumberbatch's turkey gang, my squirrel mech grandma…
- Just the Zoo of Us
280: Eastern Gray Squirrel & Budgerigar (aka Parakeet)
Ellen goes nuts for the eastern gray squirrel & a little bird told Christian about the budgerigar (AKA parakeet). We discuss the MaxFunDrive, Pikachu, the…
Just the Zoo of UsEllen joins MFD Spring Break
It’s not MaxFunDrive without a wild kickoff spectacular! Former real-life VJ and host of MTV's Spring Break 1999, Dave Holmes, takes your favorite MaxFun hosts…
- Just the Zoo of Us
279: Brachiosaurus w/ Charles Nye!
In a continuation of our dinosaur double-feature, Ellen is joined by a paleoartist and marine biologist for a review of the ancient giants that towered over…
- Just the Zoo of Us
278: Tyrannosaurus Rex (and Modern Dinosaurs) w/ Christian Flores!
Ellen & special guest, paleontology educator Christian Flores, review the towering icons of the dinosaur world: Tyrannosaurus rex. We discuss what we can learn…
- Just the Zoo of Us
277: Kākāpō & Flying Fish
Christian gives a hoot about the owl-faced kākāpō & Ellen draws a line in the ocean over flying fish. We discuss ghosts of selection past, jug band beats…
- Just the Zoo of Us
276: Jules Léon's Top 3 Pinnipeds!
Join Ellen & marine biologist Jules Léon for a review of his top 3 favorite pinnipeds. We discuss galumphing, Prada eels, a species made up entirely of…
- Just the Zoo of Us
275: Albatrosses
Love is literally in the air as Ellen locks in with albatrosses. We discuss aspect ratios, snot gutters, dynamic soaring, romance, divorce, 18th century…
- Just the Zoo of Us
274: Dr. Alyson Brokaw's Top 3 Bats!
Join Ellen & special guest, bat biologist Dr. Alyson Brokaw, for an up-close look at some of the furry friends fluttering through our night skies. We discuss…
- Just the Zoo of Us
273: Flying Snakes
Christian takes to the skies with flying snakes. We discuss the beginning of the Year of the Snake, collapsible teeth, the physics of flight, Dragonology, and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
272: Dr. Chelsea L. Wood's Top 3 Parasites!
Join Ellen & parasite ecologist Dr. Chelsea L. Wood for a review of some bizarre and fascinating creatures that, despite their tiny size, impact our world and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
271: Box Jellyfish
Ellen pulls no punches with the box jellyfish. We discuss jellyfish venom, kingslayers, emergency vinegar, what not to do when you get stung, Snell's window…
- Just the Zoo of Us
270: Hazel Dormouse w/ Holly Daniels!
Join Ellen & special guest, ecologist and wildlife photographer Holly Daniels, for a review of a real small wonder: the hazel dormouse. This extra-cozy episode…
- Just the Zoo of Us
269: Christmas Island Red Crab & Elf Owl
Christian leaves out milk and cookies for the Christmas Island red crab & Ellen goes for a silent night flight with elf owls. We discuss inside-out lungs, crab…
- Just the Zoo of Us
268: Sea Turtles w/ Rushan bin Abdul Rahman!
Join Ellen & sea turtle ecologist Rushan bin Abdul Rahman for a review of everyone’s favorite hamburger-shaped reptiles. We discuss the life of a sea turtle…
- Just the Zoo of Us
267: Wood Frog & Titan Triggerfish
Ellen chills out with the wood frog & Christian goes ballistic with the titan triggerfish. We discuss cryostasis, the dark forest hypothesis, going Super…
- Just the Zoo of Us
266: Thomas Green's Top 3 Animal Mating Relationships
Join Ellen & special guest, behavioral zoologist and science communicator Thomas Green, for a look at some of the fascinating ways animals get close to each…
- Just the Zoo of Us
265: Leafcutter Ants
Ellen gets carried away by leafcutter ants. We discuss Disney mistakes, power scaling, farming, domestication, obligate symbiosis, air conditioning…
- Just the Zoo of Us
264: Orcas w/ Fred the Orca Man!
In this week’s episode, we are joined by science communicator Fred the Orca Man for a review of the iconic wolves of the sea. We discuss whale taxonomy…
- Just the Zoo of Us
263: American Lobster
Christian gets snippy with the American lobster. We discuss New England, split colors, immortality, flirting with pee, big meaty claws, grocery store tanks…
- Just the Zoo of Us
97: Sea Otter & Blue-Ringed Octopus (REPLAY)
In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from May of 2021, Ellen reviews the ocean's most adorable monsters, sea otters, & Christian rates the dazzling…
- Just the Zoo of Us
262: Jumping Slugs w/ Meaghan Wetherell!
Ellen is joined by biologist/paleontologist Meaghan Wetherell for a review of the slimiest breakdancers in the world: jumping slugs. We discuss science…
- Just the Zoo of Us
Bonus Episode Preview: A Review of Vampires
A free sample of October's bonus episode: a review of vampires! Head over to https://maximumfun.org/join/ to sign up and get ALL of our bonus content! Help…
- Just the Zoo of Us
261: Ogre-Faced Spider & Honduran White Bat
Ellen gets a really good look at the ogre-faced spider & Christian gets cozy with Honduran white bats. In this festively themed episode, we discuss ephemeral…
- Just the Zoo of Us
260: Ross Seal w/ Griffin McElroy!
In this week’s episode, we are joined by comedy podcasting and tabletop roleplaying legend Griffin McElroy for a review of the squishy pugs of the Antarctic…
- Just the Zoo of Us
259: Strawberry Poison Dart Frog & Clownfish
Christian gets toxic with strawberry poison dart frogs & Ellen just keeps swimming with clownfish. We discuss the final evolution of oof, extreme motherhood…
- Just the Zoo of Us
258: Cats w/ Steven Ray Morris!
Join Ellen & special guest, podcasting powerhouse Steven Ray Morris, for a long-anticipated review of those furry little predators that have inspired devotion…
- Just the Zoo of Us
257: Pygmy Hippopotamus & Harpy Eagle
Ellen fawns over the viral pygmy hippopotamus & Christian goes big with the harpy eagle. We discuss the evolution of hippos, blood sweat, poocoptering, Moo…
- Just the Zoo of Us
256: Dr. Sebastian Echeverri's Top 3 Spiders
Spider scientist Dr. Sebastian Echeverri returns to share with us his top 3 favorite spiders. We discuss spiders who go from moving like shadows to soaring…
- Just the Zoo of Us
255: Siamang & Laughing Kookaburra
Christian hoots with siamangs & Ellen hollers with laughing kookaburras. We discuss defying gravity, how screaming fits into any good morning routine, birds'…
- Just the Zoo of Us
254: A History of Bugs w/ Lucca's BioHub!
Join Ellen & special guest, science communicator Lucca of Lucca's BioHub, for a look back on the half-a-billion year history of bugs. We discuss ancient…
- Just the Zoo of Us
253: Dung Beetles & Giant Moray Eel
Ellen gets the ball rolling with dung beetles & Christian jaws away about the giant moray eel. We discuss tiny boots, field trips to the planetarium, The Mummy…
- Just the Zoo of Us
Bugs Need Heroes: The Painbow
We're out traveling this week! In the meantime, please enjoy this episode of Bugs Need Heroes, in which Ellen joined hosts Amanda Niday and Kelly Zimmerman to…
- Just the Zoo of Us
252: Andean Condor w/ Kai Gómez D'hers!
Join Ellen & special guest, biodiversity champion Kai Gómez D'hers, for a journey through the skies of Argentina on some of the biggest wings in the world…
- Just the Zoo of Us
251: Gila Monster & Indian Peacock
Christian chews on the Gila monster & Ellen struts her stuff with the Indian peacock. We discuss Christian's Duolingo streak, lizard venom, yet another hot…
- Just the Zoo of Us
250: Rhinoceros Hornbill w/ Sarah Skebba!
Join Ellen & wildlife educator Sarah Skebba for a review of a modern-day dinosaur with some pretty extreme approaches to life: the rhinoceros hornbill. We’re…
- Just the Zoo of Us
249: Seahorses & Raccoons
Ellen gets back in the saddle with seahorses & Christian goes dumpster diving with raccoons. We discuss why seahorses are the chameleons of the ocean, how…