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
248: Hammerhead Sharks w/ Jasmin Graham!
Ellen & special guest, marine biologist Jasmin Graham, review some of the coolest, cutest and sometimes the goofiest sharks in the ocean: hammerheads. We…
- Just the Zoo of Us
247: Sand Boas & Black-Capped Chickadee
Christian keeps an eye out for sand boas & Ellen clears her cache with black-capped chickadees. We discuss googly eyes, troubleshooting reptile poop, skin of…
- Just the Zoo of Us
246: Giant Pacific Octopus w/ Sy Montgomery!
join Ellen & special guest, naturalist and author of Secrets of the Octopus Sy Montgomery, for a look into the life and mind of some of the ocean’s most…
- Just the Zoo of Us
245: Hermit Crab & Flamingo
Ellen comes out of her shell with hermit crabs & Christian is tickled pink by flamingos. In this week's beach episode, we discuss vacancy chains, shell…
- Just the Zoo of Us
244: A Gay Animal Revue w/ Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson!
Join Ellen & special guests Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson for a revue of gay animals! We discuss manatee wuzzles, elephant matriarchy, giraffes necking…
- Just the Zoo of Us
243: Diving Bell Spider & Oarfish
Christian bubbles over with hype for the diving bell spider & Ellen tells some fish tales about the legendary oarfish. We discuss Hotwheels sisyphus, Doordash…
- Just the Zoo of Us
242: Blue Jay w/ Dara Miles Wilson!
Join Ellen & special guest, naturalist and birder Dara Miles Wilson, about some of the brightest and boldest members of the corvid family: the tenacious and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
241: Peregrine Falcon w/ Sophie Osborn!
Join Ellen & special guest, wildlife biologist and author Sophie Osborn, for a review of the skydiving champions of the animal kingdom: peregrine falcons. We…
- Just the Zoo of Us
240: Zebras & Honey Badger
Ellen earns her stripes with zebras & Christian DOES care about the honey badger. We discuss the mysteries of stripes, video games as scientific experiments…
- Just the Zoo of Us
239: Chameleons w/ Dr. Chris Anderson!
Join Ellen & special guest, biologist Dr. Chris Anderson, for a review of the funkiest lizards in the world: chameleons! We discuss ballistic tongue…
- Just the Zoo of Us
238: Red Wolf w/ Peter Gros!
Join Ellen & special guest, conservationist and co-host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Peter Gros, to talk about the iconic red wolf and their ongoing…
- Just the Zoo of Us
237: Kid Questions with Isaac!
Ellen & special guest Isaac answer questions from young listeners! We discuss the smallest animals, giraffe sounds, polar bear buoyancy, sturgeon skin…
- Just the Zoo of Us
236: American Crow w/ Dr. Kaeli Swift!
Join Ellen & corvid scientist Dr. Kaeli Swift for a review of the clever little goths rummaging through a trash can near you: American crows. We discuss the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
235: Coral Snake & Cuckoo
Christian explains why not to mess with the coral snake & Ellen puts the common cuckoo on blast. We discuss deadly neurotoxin, microfarts, what's up with those…
- Just the Zoo of Us
234: Electric Fishes w/ Dr. Kassandra Ford!
Join Ellen & evolutionary morphologist Dr. Kassandra Ford as we get amped up about electric fishes. We discuss fish who use electricity to make mind maps…
- Just the Zoo of Us
Bonus Content Free Samples!
Curious about the exclusive bonus content for Maximum Fun members? Enjoy some free samples from special episodes: "The Dewlap-Foraging Slug," Let's Learn…
- Just the Zoo of Us
233: Questions & Answers
Ellen & Christian answer questions from the audience! We discuss the podcast's humble origins, magical spells, our favorite ducks, and more. Be a part of the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
232: Chinchilla & Walrus
Ellen softens up to the chinchilla & Christian breaks the ice with the walrus. We discuss Jackie Chan Adventures, fur slips, dust baths, tusks, whiskers, bells…
Just the Zoo of UsGo Fact Yourself #MaxFunDrive Kick-off Spectacular featuring Ellen and Christian Weatherford, Alex Schmidt, and Katie Goldin
This special network wide event is a celebration of the MaxFunDrive! If you’d like to support podcasts you love for just $5 a month and get bonus gifts in the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
231: Remora w/ Amani Webber-Schultz!
Ellen & special guest, marine biologist Amani Webber-Schultz, suck up to the brilliant little moochers of the ocean: remoras. We discuss shark scales, suction…
- Just the Zoo of Us
230: Solenodon w/ Owen Klessel
Join Ellen & special guest Owen Klessel for some well-deserved PR for the most bizarre and fascinating and incredible animal you’ve never heard of: solenodons…
- Just the Zoo of Us
229: Fishing Cat & Rock Hyrax
Christian fishes for compliments about the fishing cat & Ellen goes rock climbing with rock hyraxes. We discuss cat eyes, fishing strategies, buck toothed…
- Just the Zoo of Us
228: Chimpanzee w/ Shannon Roivas!
Join Ellen & special guest Shannon Roivas who brings us first-hand insight straight from her time spent in the forests of Tanzania studying our very own wild…
- Just the Zoo of Us
227: Trumpeter Swan & Lovebug
Romance is in the air as Ellen commits to the trumpeter swan & Christian catches the lovebug bug. We discuss clown shoe runways, air horn duets, bird monogamy…
- Just the Zoo of Us
226: Cicadas w/ Nick VanAcker!
Join Ellen & science educator and nature hype man Nick VanAcker to sing praises for some of our favorite true bugs: cicadas! We discuss how and why cicada…
- Just the Zoo of Us
225: Freddy Kreuger Frog & Bone-Eating Snot Flower
Christian makes some noise for the Freddy Kreuger frog & Ellen picks a bouquet of bone-eating snot flowers. We discuss life as a mouth with legs, being born…
- Just the Zoo of Us
224: Ethereal Snailfish w/ Dr. Thom Linley!
Join Ellen & special guest, deep sea biologist Dr. Thom Linley, for a literal deep dive into an animal that just might change the way you think about the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
223: Tiger Beetles & Giant Siphonophore
Ellen gets the zig-zagging zoomies with tiger beetles & Christian has an existential crisis over the giant siphonophore. We discuss the REAL fastest land…
- Just the Zoo of Us
222: Bobcat w/ Jamison Cole!
Join Ellen & special guest, environmental educator Jamison Cole, for a review of our very own backyard apex predators: bobcats! We discuss topics including but…
- Just the Zoo of Us
221: Field Notes
Ellen & Christian share stories, observations and inspiration from special guest: you! We discuss what sounds fish make, memory transfer via cannibalism, and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
220: Belted Kingfisher w/ Alex Troutman!
Join Ellen & returning special guest, wildlife biologist Alex Troutman, for a review of some of our favorite mohawked chatterboxes: belted kingfishers. We…
- Just the Zoo of Us
Bugs Need Heroes: Bug-Type Pokemon & the Bugs that Inspired Them
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 for…
- Just the Zoo of Us
219: Star-Nosed Mole & Devil's Hole Pupfish
Christian digs into the star-nosed mole & Ellen goes for a deep dive into the Devil's Hole pupfish. We discuss flowery tentacles, mole lore in Avatar: the Last…
- Just the Zoo of Us
218: Pacific Lamprey w/ Ralph Crewe!
Ellen is joined by a familiar voice, science communicator Ralph Crewe, back with us to review the wiggly little living fossils full of teeth and blood: Pacific…
- Just the Zoo of Us
217: Loggerhead Shrike & Five-lined Skink
Ellen gets hooked on the loggerhead shrike & Christian makes a clean getaway with the five-lined skink. We discuss tomial teeth, impalement, dropping tails…
- Just the Zoo of Us
216: Sturgeon w/ Brenda Pracheil!
Join Ellen & special guest, fish biologist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Brenda Pracheil, for a review of the gentle giants that have been…
- Just the Zoo of Us
215: Bark Scorpion & Pūteketeke
Christian leaves a glowing review for the bark scorpion & Ellen casts a vote for the pūteketeke. We discuss neurotoxin, biofluorescence, the ghostly penguin…
- Just the Zoo of Us
214: Pigs w/ Kendall Long!
Ellen & special guest, Bachelor star turned science communicator Kendall Long, review pigs! In this episode, we discuss pigs and their achievements in some…
- Just the Zoo of Us
213: Stoat & Barreleye
Ellen falls down a rabbit hole with the stoat & Christian looks up to the barreleye. We discuss the weasel war dance, rabbit assassins, paradoxical eyes, and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
212: Crowned Lemur w/ Ben Freed!
In celebration of World Lemur Day, Ellen is joined by anthropology professor Ben Freed for a look up into the treetops of northern Madagascar to review crowned…
- Just the Zoo of Us
211: Mosquitoes w/ Kelly Zimmerman!
Ellen & special guest, ecologist and entomologist Kelly Zimmerman, review one of the world’s deadliest creatures. This killer could fit in a teaspoon, and yet…
- Just the Zoo of Us
210: Snowy Owl & Polar Bear
Christian turns heads with the snowy owl & Ellen lands a slam dunk with the polar bear. In this arctic-themed episode, we discuss why owls turn their head so…
- Just the Zoo of Us
209: Roadrunner w/ Alana Baliga!
Ellen and special guest, science communicator and educator Alana Baliga, review the iconic little birds zooming around the cactuses and tumbleweeds…
- Just the Zoo of Us
208: Coati & Gharial
Ellen joins the band of coatis & Christian gives us the buzz on gharials. We discuss Star Wars names, banana wars, animal influences on computer science…
- Just the Zoo of Us
207: African Lion w/ Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant!
Join Ellen & wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant for a review of savannah royalty: African lions! We discuss what it’s like to be an ecologist working in the…
- Just the Zoo of Us
206: Daddy Long Legs & Vaquita
Christian does the spider shake with daddies long leg & Ellen tells the story of the imperiled panda of the sea, the vaquita. We discuss spider myths, web…
- Just the Zoo of Us
24: Tardigrade & Platypus (REPLAY)
In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from October of 2019, Christian zooms in on the tardigrades & Ellen demystifies the unique platypus. Links: For more…
- Just the Zoo of Us
205: Aardvark w/ Kailey Hart!
Ellen & special guest, zookeeper Kailey Hart, review the humble earth pig. We discuss their evolutionary loneliness, unique hodge-podge of surprising traits…
- Just the Zoo of Us
204: Leaf Sheep & Basilisk
Ellen soaks up the sun with the leaf sheep & Christian gets biblical with the miraculous basilisk. We discuss photosynthesis, losing your head over parasites…
- Just the Zoo of Us
203: Cuttlefish w/ Meg Mindlin!
Ellen & special guest, marine biologist and artist Meg Mindlin, review the mind-blowing rogues of the sea: cuttlefish! We discuss RNA editing, cephalopod…
- Just the Zoo of Us
202: Basking Shark & Glass Frog
Christian basks in the glory of the basking shark & Ellen sees right through the glass frog. We discuss the origins of gills, livers full of oil AND blood, and…
- Just the Zoo of Us
201: Hoary Bats w/ Sophiane Nacer!
Ellen & special guest, ecologist Sophiane Nacer, review the powdered donuts of the skies: hoary bats. We discuss frosted tips, tree roosters, bat memes and why…
- Just the Zoo of Us
200: Sockeye Salmon & Grizzly Bear
Ellen brings it home with the sockeye salmon & Christian looks for the bear necessities with the grizzly bear. We discuss our recent relocation to the Pacific…
- Just the Zoo of Us
133: Slow Loris & Cassowary (REPLAY)
In this week's re-broadcast of an episode from February of 2022, Ellen hangs out with the slow loris & Christian observes leg day with the southern cassowary…
- Just the Zoo of Us
199: Satin Bowerbird w/ Dr. Seth Coleman!
Join Ellen & special guest, evolutionary biologist Dr. Seth Coleman, for a review of the little birds with the ultimate rizz: satin bowerbirds! Anyone who’s…
- Just the Zoo of Us
198: California Condor
Ellen takes off with the story of the California condor and their miraculous return to the southwestern skies. We discuss how their bodies are adapted to…
- Just the Zoo of Us
197: Pterosaurs w/ Adele Pentland!
Ellen & special guest, paleontologist Adele Pentland, review the reptiles who once ruled our planet’s skies: pterosaurs! Even though they’ve been gone for…
- Just the Zoo of Us
196: Grasshopper Mouse & Freshwater Mussels
Ellen howls at the moon with the grasshopper mouse & Christian lures us in with freshwater mussels. We discuss brain chemistry, an evolutionary uno reverse…
- Just the Zoo of Us
195: Gray Wolf w/ Danielle LaRock!
Ellen & special guest, podcaster and wildlife educator Danielle LaRock, review one of our world’s most misunderstood, maligned, and magical creatures: gray…
- Just the Zoo of Us
194: Antlions & Trap-jaw Ants
Christian explains the pitfalls of antlions & Ellen snaps back with the trap-jaw ant. We discuss metamorphosis, structural engineering, sand doodles, the…