Best The Orianne Society Podcasts (2024)

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106 | California Snakes and Live Streaming at a Snake Den 1:02:25

14d ago1:02:25

1:02:25

Dr. Jenkins sits down with returning guest Dr. Emily Taylor to discuss some exciting new developments in the world of snakes. First, they delve into her new book, "California Snakes and How to Find Them," which explores each species in California and offers field herping advice for encountering the state's diverse snake population. Then, the conver…

1
105 | From Field Herping South Texas to Zoo Based Conservation 1:05:01

28d ago1:05:01

1:05:01

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Clint Guadiana, Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at Gladys Porter Zoo and one of the field herping experts for extreme south Texas, a region known for its unique biodiversity and a popular destination for field herpers. They discuss field herping in the region, the "Big 5" species for which the region is famous, the tin…

1
104 | Breeding Designer Ball Pythons 1:08:09

1M ago1:08:09

1:08:09

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Justin Kobylka from Kinova Reptiles to talk all about breeding Ball Pythons. Despite catching wind of Justin's recent feature in the New Yorker Magazine, Dr. Jenkins wanted to have a more in depth conversation with him. In this episode the conversation spans Justin's journey to the top of the Ball Python breeding world, m…

1
103 | The Road to Becoming a Snake Biologist 1:03:49

2M ago1:03:49

1:03:49

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Peyton Niebanck to discuss the lengthy journey toward becoming a snake biologist. Peyton, a technician with The Orianne Society working on surveying Indigo Snakes, shares insights from the early stages of her career. They delve into Peyton’s college experience and the various activities she pursued to bolster her prospect…

1
102 | Armenian Viper Conservation 1:15:00

2M ago1:15:00

1:15:00

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Jeff Ettling to talk about the conservation of Armenian Vipers. They start with a discussion of vipers from the region and how there is relatively high diversity and endemism in this part of West Asia. They discuss aspects of Armenian Viper research including spatial ecology, prey availability, genetics, and the impac…

1
101 | A History of Snakebite Treatments 56:15

3M ago56:15

56:15

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Bob Ashley of the Chiricahua Desert Museum to discuss his recent book titled A Photographic History of Snakebite Treatments: Bad Medicine, Snake Oils, Potions, Elixirs and Kits. They talk about Bob’s collection of snake bite kits and the experiences that led up to the idea for the book. They then break down how the book i…

1
100 | Dr. Harry Greene 1:28:47

3M ago1:28:47

1:28:47

For the 100th episode of Snake Talk, Dr. Jenkins interviews Harry Greene, author of Snakes: Evolution of Mystery in Nature, a book that significantly influenced Dr. Jenkins' choice to work with snakes. In this episode, we trace Harry's career path from his childhood adventures of discovering lizards on his family farm, to his military days studying…

1
99 | Conserving Virgin Island Boas 1:16:13

4M ago1:16:13

1:16:13

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dustin Smith from the North Carolina Zoo to discuss a conservation program for Virgin Island Boas. They begin by discussing Dustin’s career trajectory and the dedication required to succeed in the zoo field. Next, they delve into the natural history of Virgin Island Boas, covering aspects such as their distribution, habit…

1
98 | Being a Generalist Snake Biologist 1:15:32

4M ago1:15:32

1:15:32

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Stephen Mullin to discuss his career as a herpetologist. While many academics concentrate on specific questions in science, landscapes, or species, Steve has chosen to be a generalist, exploring various questions in diverse landscapes and species. The conversation delves into the distinctions between being a generalis…

1
97 | How Do Flying Snakes Fly? 1:22:31

5M ago1:22:31

1:22:31

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Jake Socha from Virginia Tech University to delve into the biomechanics of flying snakes. They begin the discussion by exploring how certain flying lizards inspired Jake to embark on the study of snakes. They discuss the general natural history of flying snakes before delving into the specifics of their biomechanics. …

1
96 | Everything Pygmy Rattlesnakes with Dr. Terry Farrell 1:06:57

5M ago1:06:57

1:06:57

Chris discusses Pygmy Rattlesnakes with Dr. Terry Farrell, a professor at Stetson University in Florida. Drawing on his extensive 30-year experience in studying the ecology of Pygmy Rattlesnakes, Dr. Farrell shares information about this common yet understudied snake. Their conversation encompasses various aspects of natural history, including habi…

1
95 | Restoring Snake Habitat in the Southeast 1:05:23

6M ago1:05:23

1:05:23

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Blake Adams and Caleb Goldsmith. Blake and Caleb work for The Orianne Society where their primary focus is on the restoration and management of snake habitat. The discussion kicks off with an exploration of the Longleaf Pine ecosystem that dominates the southeastern coastal plain. The natural disturbance regimes that hist…

1
94 | The Value of Museum Collections for Snake Conservation 1:04:51

6M ago1:04:51

1:04:51

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Alison Rabosky, the Curator of Herpetology at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, to talk about museum collections of snakes. They begin by talking about Alison’s research on color patterns and mimicry in lizards and snakes. They delve into the acquisition and management of museum collections, and highlight …

1
93 | Exotic Parasites in Snakes Spreading Across North America 1:04:24

7M ago1:04:24

1:04:24

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jenna Palmisano, a Ph.D. Candidate studying parasites in snakes. Focusing on pentastomes, they discuss the species native to North America and how they are different from the exotic invasive pentastome found in Florida. The parasite is thought to have come into North America from exotic snakes that are spreading across Fl…

1
92 | Cryptosporidium and Snake Conservation 1:05:11

7M ago1:05:11

1:05:11

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. James Bogan, Director of the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation and Central Florida Zoo. They have an in depth discussion of Cryptosporidium (Crypto) in snakes. First, they talk about the disease itself and how it impacts snakes. Second, they discuss how to test for it and treat it. They also discuss how Crypto ha…

1
91 | Indigo Snake Genetics 1:02:13

7M ago1:02:13

1:02:13

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Matt Buehler, a Ph.D. Candidate studying indigo snake genetics. They begin with how Matt found himself working with indigo snakes and cover some interesting steps in his career including studying Sea Kraits. They start the discussion of indigo snake genetics by talking about what has already been done, including a study u…

1
90 | Reptile Illustration with Matt Patterson 58:50

8M ago58:50

58:50

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Matt Patterson from New Hampshire. Matt is an incredible artist that focuses primarily on reptiles, especially turtles. They discuss how Matt’s interests in reptiles and art developed simultaneously. They talk about becoming a wildlife illustrator and aspects of having a career as a freelance artist. Matt also speaks abou…

1
89 | Snake Road with Mike Pingleton 1:07:32

8M ago1:07:32

1:07:32

Mike Pingleton returns to Snake Talk to discuss one of the greatest field herping destinations in North America, Snake Road. Dr. Jenkins has wanted to do a place-based field herping episode but had concerns about increasing visitation to sites or ‘spot burning’. Ultimately, Snake Road was the perfect destination to discuss, as it is widely known by…

1
88 | Snakes in the Bible 1:18:59

9M ago1:18:59

1:18:59

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Joseph Gordon to discuss snakes in the Bible. When most people think of snakes featured in the Bible, the narrative of Adam and Eve and snakes portrayed in a negative light come to mind. But there are actually almost 60 mentions of snakes throughout the Bible and many of them are not as negative as you might think. Jo…

1
87 | Spitting Cobras to Metering Venom 1:06:19

9M ago1:06:19

1:06:19

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Young to talk about some fascinating topics in Snake Biology. These are also some of the most frequently asked questions at our educational programs. Can snakes control how much venom they inject? Do young snakes inject more venom? Can snakes hear? Where are a snake’s ears? This is an episode you do not want to …

1
86 | Copperbelly Watersnakes with Dr. Kingsbury 1:08:00

10M ago1:08:00

1:08:00

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Kingsbury to talk about his career and work with watersnakes. They start by discussing the Environmental Resources Center at Purdue Fort Wayne that Bruce founded. Then they do a deep dive on Copperbelly Watersnakes in a highly fragmented landscape. They discuss their movements, habitat requirements, foraging, re…

1
85 | Viper Research around the Globe 1:15:00

10M ago1:15:00

1:15:00

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Xavier Glaudas to discuss his career studying vipers. Xavier was born in France but has spent his career moving around the world studying viper populations. They discuss Xavier’s time in the United States studying Cottonmouths and Speckled Rattlesnakes, adventures in Africa with Puff Adders, Russell’s Vipers in India,…

1
84 | The Adventures of Mark O’Shea 1:15:45

11M ago1:15:45

1:15:45

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Mark O’Shea to discuss his adventures in snake exploration and research. They start off talking about the show O’Shea’s Big Adventure including the amazing locations and species they filmed. They then talk about global snake exploration more broadly and spend some time focusing on the snakes of Papua New Guinea. They dive…

1
83 | Snakebite in Dogs with Dr. Schaer 1:06:10

11M ago1:06:10

1:06:10

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Michael Schaer to discuss everything about snakebite in dogs. They talk about what you should do if your dog is bitten and what the treatment will be once the dog arrives at the vet. They also go in depth on the vaccine for dogs and whether it is useful and why or why not. Chris and Michael explore all kinds of additi…

1
82 | Some of Our Favorite Snake Stories 45:46

12M ago45:46

45:46

In celebration of World Snake Day 2023, we’ve put together a collection of our favorite Snake Stories from our podcast guests over the years! Featuring Dr. Matt Goode (Ep 53), John Jensen (Ep 59), Rulon Clark (Ep 12), Dr. Emily Taylor (Ep 23), Gowri Shankar (Ep 62), Craig Hoover (Ep 9), Dillon Perron (Ep 34), Dr. Bruce Means (Ep 61), Dr. Charles Sm…

1
81 | Paleontology: Snakes with Legs to Titanaboa 1:14:22

12M ago1:14:22

1:14:22

Dr. Jenkins sits down with David Moscato from the Gray Fossil Site and Museum, to talk about snake paleontology. They discuss a wide range of topics including what the fossil record tells us about the evolution of snakes, legs on snakes, titanaboa, and much more. David also discusses his interest in and the importance of communicating science. They…

1
80 | Sea Snakes with Dr. Heatwole 1:23:28

1y ago1:23:28

1:23:28

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Harold Heatwole, who has arguably spent more time among sea snakes than any snake expert in the world and literally wrote the book on sea snakes. They discuss interesting aspects of sea snake ecology and natural history ranging from taxonomy, biogeography, habitats, feeding, adaptations to marine life, venom, and diet…

1
79 | The Future of Snake Ecology and Conservation in the Northwest 1:11:38

1y ago1:11:38

1:11:38

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins moderates a panel of snake experts from the Pacific Northwest. The panelists include Lisa Hallock, Herpetologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; Dede Olson, Research Ecologist with the Forest Service; Lameace Hussein, former WA resident and current PhD student; and Dr. Steve Mackessy, Professor, Nort…

1
78 | San Francisco Gartersnakes with Dr. Halstead 1:09:47

1y ago1:09:47

1:09:47

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Brian Halstead to discuss one of the most beautiful snakes on the planet. Brian is a researcher with the United States Geological Survey in California where he works on multiple species of gartersnakes. They talk about San Francisco Gartersnake natural history covering a range of topics including movement, habitat, re…

1
77 | Everything Bog Turtles 1:16:12

1y ago1:16:12

1:16:12

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jason Tesauro, who runs an independent company doing a great deal of work with rare turtles. They start by talking about four freshwater turtles in the Northeast that are of conservation concern including the interesting aspects of how they typically occupy different habitats within the same landscapes. They get into Bog …

1
76 | A New Reptile Conservation Center at Riverbanks Zoo 1:04:50

1y ago1:04:50

1:04:50

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Sean Foley, Curator of Herpetology at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. They talk about career trajectories in the zoo field and then give an introduction to Riverbanks. They spend time talking about the new Darnell W and Susan F Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center at the zoo including going through many exhibits and a…

1
75 | Southeastern Reptile Rescue: From Film to Adopting Out Snakes 1:01:35

1y ago1:01:35

1:01:35

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jason Clark, President of Southeastern Reptile Rescue. They start discussing his interesting transition from being a police officer to running one of the most successful snake companies in existence. Jason has been in many movies including series on Netflix and Animal Planet. They talk about Southern Reptile Rescue and th…

1
74 | Snake Research at the Jones Ecological Research Center 1:05:09

1+ y ago1:05:09

1:05:09

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Lora Smith to talk about her research program at the Jones Ecological Research Center. They start by discussing her interest in tortoises and her adventures studying one of the most endangered turtles in the world in Madagascar. They then talk about Ichauway and the Jones Center which was created by Mr. Woodruff, form…

1
73 | Bob Zappalorti: from Kauffeld to Pine Snakes 1:01:22

1+ y ago1:01:22

1:01:22

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Bob Zappalorti to talk about his long career in herpetology. They start with his early days working at the Staten Island Zoo and talk about his adventures in the field with Carl Kauffeld. They discuss his consulting company, Herpetological Associates, and the various snake and turtle projects they have been working on thr…

1
72 | The Curator of Herpetology at Zoo Atlanta 1:06:40

1+ y ago1:06:40

1:06:40

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Robert Hill, Curator of Herpetology at Zoo Atlanta. They discuss his path to getting to where he is today and about how people can get into working in the zoo field. They talk about Zoo Atlanta including their reptile facility and the animals you might expect to encounter there. Finally they discuss the wide array of educ…

1
71 | Global Reptile Status Assessment 1:04:30

1+ y ago1:04:30

1:04:30

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Neil Cox and Phil Bowles from IUCN to talk about the recently completed Global Reptile Assessment. They talk about the need for the assessment and go in detail on one of the primary tools, the IUCN Red List. They also discuss the assessment process and how they gather and analyze the information to determine each species …

1
70 | Burmese Pythons in their Native Range 59:15

1+ y ago59:15

59:15

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Caesar Rahman to talk about Burmese Pythons - not to discuss them in Florida where most people in the United States think of them, but instead to talk about them in their native range. Caesar runs a nonprofit called Creative Conservation Alliance that works to conserve rare and endangered wildlife in Bangladesh. They disc…

1
69 | The Big Four of Turtle Conservation 1:19:42

1+ y ago1:19:42

1:19:42

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Kiley Briggs to discuss the ‘Big Four’ of freshwater turtle conservation in North America. The discussion starts with an overview of the four, Bog, Wood, Blanding’s, and Spotted Turtles. They go into particular depth on the ecology and natural history of the Wood Turtle, including many stories from the field. Finally they…

1
68 | Lameace’s Story: from Herpetology to DEI Research 1:14:53

1+ y ago1:14:53

1:14:53

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Lameace Hussain (they/them) to talk about an interesting journey - starting with a rural upbringing in Kentucky, Lameace’s deep interest in Herpetology, research they conducted in Washington on a variety of species including Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes, and what brought Lameace to their current project, working in Human…

1
67 | Midget Faded Rattlesnakes with Dr. Josh Parker 1:09:46

1+ y ago1:09:46

1:09:46

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Josh Parker to talk about one the most fascinating rattlesnakes, the Midget Faded Rattlesnake. Josh has an interesting life story - he overcame a fear of snakes and has never looked back, building a career and life around keeping and studying these amazing animals. They discuss this relatively small and obscure rattle…

1
66 | Snake Safari in Hong Kong 1:03:11

1+ y ago1:03:11

1:03:11

Dr. Jenkins is joined by William Sargent from Hong Kong. William is a certified snake catcher in Hong Kong and leads Snake Safaris for local communities. They talk about the environments and snake communities of Hong Kong including discussions of King Cobras and Banded Kraits. They then transition into talking about what he does in his role as a sn…

1
65 | Pythons in Florida: Just the Facts 1:12:24

1+ y ago1:12:24

1:12:24

Dr. Jenkins sits down with McKayla Spencer, the Interagency Python Management Coordinator with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They talk about everything python in Florida. They walk through a timeline of the invasion including how the snakes arrived and how the partnerships’ control methods have changed over the years. They also…

1
64 | Cutting Edge Research on Diamondbacks with Dr. Jayme Waldron 1:13:01

1+ y ago1:13:01

1:13:01

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Waldron to talk more about one of his favorite snakes, the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (EDB). Jayme has spent much of her career working in the low country of South Carolina both in the pine savannas and on sea islands. The common thread of this podcast is the research program of one of the leading contemporary…

1
63 | Snakes in the Arctic with Dr. Thomas Madsen 1:04:59

1+ y ago1:04:59

1:04:59

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Madsen to talk about his career and his long-term snake studies from around the world. They start in Scandinavia talking about Adders and the interesting natural history of this snake that is the only species to make it into the Arctic Circle. They focus on a 40-plus year study of an Adder population in southern Swede…

1
62 | King Cobras with Gowri Shankar 1:11:54

1+ y ago1:11:54

1:11:54

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Gowri Shankar to talk about one of the world's most iconic snakes, the King Cobra. They start off talking about Gowri’s career and the amazing snake diversity in India. They then do a deep dive into King Cobra natural history including movements, habitat, diet and reproduction. Finally, they discuss Gowri’s PhD research w…

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61 | Rattlesnake Roundups (3 of 3): Dr. Bruce Means on the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake 1:21:56

2y ago1:21:56

1:21:56

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Means to talk about everything Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (EDB). They begin with a discussion of his time working at Tall Timbers and his early studies of the species. They then do a deep dive on the ecology of EDBs talking about their movement, habitats, breeding, diet, and life history. The ecology con…

1
60 | Rattlesnake Roundups (2 of 3): Daniel Sollenberger on the Whigham Roundup 1:09:34

2y ago1:09:34

1:09:34

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Daniel Sollenberger, state herpetologist for Georgia, to talk about rattlesnake roundups. They start off going over what Daniel’s role is, as the state herpetologist. They transition into what roundups are and how they are typically structured in the Southeast. Chris and Daniel talk in detail about the Whigham roundup whi…

1
59 | Rattlesnake Roundups (1 of 3): John Jensen on the Transition to Wildlife Festivals 1:08:51

2y ago1:08:51

1:08:51

Dr. Jenkins sits down with John Jensen to talk about rattlesnake roundups. They describe what roundups are and how they are typically structured in the Southeast. John tells us about many of the projects he worked on during his time as the state herpetologist in Georgia. Chris and John discuss the history of roundups in the region and about how the…

1
58 | Bob Ashley, Snake Entrepreneur and founder of the Chiricahua Desert Museum 1:04:40

2y ago1:04:40

1:04:40

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Bob Ashley to talk about his life - he has found a unique path that has allowed him to pursue many different avenues relative to snakes. They talk about a range of interests Bob has, including keeping and breeding snakes, collecting rare books and artifacts, and publishing. Specifically, the discussion centers on Bob’s tr…

1
57 | Traveling to International Destinations to Snake Hunt with Rhett Stanberry 1:13:48

2y ago1:13:48

1:13:48

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Rhett Stanberry to talk about traveling to snake hunt and field herp. Learn about a range of topics including how to select a country, how to focus on regions within the country, how laws and regulations change from area to area, lodging and travel, visas, and how understanding the snakes’ biology can help you plan. Also,…

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