WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:04.360
<v Speaker 1>Hey, ologites, Hi, Ali Ward in your space. Hi, it's

2
00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:11.320
<v Speaker 1>me so herbs. Let's talk about it. Herpetology, what is it? Okay?

3
00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:16.239
<v Speaker 1>It's the study of amphibians like newts and salamanders and

4
00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:21.519
<v Speaker 1>all all froggies and toads and reptiles like tortoises and

5
00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:26.160
<v Speaker 1>turtles and crocodiles. Also snakes. What huh. Don't worry about them.

6
00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:28.440
<v Speaker 1>Don't worry about it. Okay, listen. If you're afraid of

7
00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:31.399
<v Speaker 1>the S word, we will address that. We will soothe

8
00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:35.320
<v Speaker 1>your fears for real. But herpetology, generally, it's a lot

9
00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:39.840
<v Speaker 1>of different animals, And technically it's the study of poikilothermic

10
00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:45.399
<v Speaker 1>ectothermic tetrapods. What are those words? Are they words? Yes? Okay,

11
00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:46.880
<v Speaker 1>I had to look it up, but I'm going to

12
00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:52.159
<v Speaker 1>break it down. Poikilothermic means an animal whose internal temperature

13
00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:57.960
<v Speaker 1>varies considerably. Exothermic is when the regulation of your hot

14
00:00:58.039 --> 00:01:02.439
<v Speaker 1>bod depends on external sources like sunlight or a heated

15
00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:07.120
<v Speaker 1>rock surface. Now, a tetrapod means four legged, although I

16
00:01:07.159 --> 00:01:09.719
<v Speaker 1>think of a toad and tell me, tell me those

17
00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:13.280
<v Speaker 1>front two aren't arms like toads have hands, right, just

18
00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:15.959
<v Speaker 1>a side note. We have since done a whole Somologies

19
00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:19.519
<v Speaker 1>episode on toads called Boofology, as well as one about

20
00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:23.359
<v Speaker 1>body heat called Thermophysiology, and those are both kids safe

21
00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:25.760
<v Speaker 1>and linked in the show notes. Also, if this is

22
00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:30.040
<v Speaker 1>your first ever Ologies episode, Somologies are shorter, kid friendly

23
00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:32.319
<v Speaker 1>versions of full length episodes, so if you are not

24
00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:35.640
<v Speaker 1>in need of a g rated version, the full length

25
00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:40.400
<v Speaker 1>version is linked below. Okay, so herpetology. Now, herpetology comes

26
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:44.319
<v Speaker 1>from the Greek hair pain, same word to creep. But

27
00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:49.400
<v Speaker 1>once you understand the splendor of green and scaly critters,

28
00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:52.640
<v Speaker 1>you'll be like, oh man, I too want a reptile

29
00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.480
<v Speaker 1>condo in my home. Okay, onto theologist. So. I was

30
00:01:56.519 --> 00:01:59.519
<v Speaker 1>a fan of this doctor on the website Twitter dot

31
00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.120
<v Speaker 1>com for a while. I always respected his really swift,

32
00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:09.039
<v Speaker 1>kind of somewhat gruff identifications of snakes from these like

33
00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:13.639
<v Speaker 1>blurry probably mid running away photos that people would send him,

34
00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:15.360
<v Speaker 1>and I thought, one day, I want to hang out

35
00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:17.000
<v Speaker 1>with this person. I want to ask about his love

36
00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:21.319
<v Speaker 1>of snacks and herbs. It's one of my favorite interviews ever.

37
00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:25.400
<v Speaker 1>I love it. We address turtles, snake ideas, the fear

38
00:02:25.439 --> 00:02:29.479
<v Speaker 1>of snakes, frog storms, it's great, So get ready to

39
00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:35.719
<v Speaker 1>let herbs into your heart with polyologist and herpetologist, Doctor

40
00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:57.879
<v Speaker 1>David Skeen. What kind of ologists do you identify with,

41
00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:01.599
<v Speaker 1>Like a necologist, a wildlife biology herpetologist. What do you

42
00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:02.240
<v Speaker 1>call yourself?

43
00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:06.280
<v Speaker 2>It depends on who I'm talking to. In general, I

44
00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:09.080
<v Speaker 2>like to think of myself as a wildlife ecologist and

45
00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:14.479
<v Speaker 2>conservation biologist. So I study how wildlife interact with other

46
00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:17.280
<v Speaker 2>species and their surroundings. But most of the work that

47
00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.520
<v Speaker 2>I do relates to amphibians and reptiles, and that's where

48
00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:21.599
<v Speaker 2>the herpetology comes in.

49
00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:23.120
<v Speaker 1>So are you a herpetologist?

50
00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:26.639
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we can go with that. Okay, Yeah, I study

51
00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:28.879
<v Speaker 2>amphibians and reptiles, so yeah, I think it would be

52
00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:30.280
<v Speaker 2>accurate to call me a herpetologists.

53
00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:33.960
<v Speaker 1>I became aware of you on Twitter because you're like

54
00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:37.199
<v Speaker 1>fire when it comes to snake ideas, Like someone will

55
00:03:37.240 --> 00:03:39.800
<v Speaker 1>send you the sasquatch equivalent of like it looks like

56
00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:43.000
<v Speaker 1>a rope from half of football field away and you're like, oh,

57
00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:45.759
<v Speaker 1>that's a copperheaded Like how do you know? How did

58
00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:46.560
<v Speaker 1>you get so good at that?

59
00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:49.319
<v Speaker 2>Well? I like to think that it's kind of like

60
00:03:49.400 --> 00:03:53.520
<v Speaker 2>how you recognize friends and family. You're not necessarily It's

61
00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:56.280
<v Speaker 2>true though, you're not necessarily looking at the length of

62
00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:59.719
<v Speaker 2>someone's mustache or the color of their eyebrows. You're you

63
00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:03.120
<v Speaker 2>just recognize them, and I think that is how I

64
00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:05.800
<v Speaker 2>see the snakes, So you don't necessarily have to Well,

65
00:04:05.800 --> 00:04:07.960
<v Speaker 2>I don't necessarily have to look at for those really

66
00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:09.919
<v Speaker 2>specific features. It's just an overall feel.

67
00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:12.439
<v Speaker 1>If someone's like, who's this, and you're like, that's Aunt Janet,

68
00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:13.479
<v Speaker 1>it's just boom.

69
00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:14.759
<v Speaker 2>That's exactly right.

70
00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:21.439
<v Speaker 1>Well, why are people so freaked out by snakes, reptiles, amphibians.

71
00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:24.800
<v Speaker 1>I personally, I'm down with them. I'm totally fine with them,

72
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:28.079
<v Speaker 1>but why are some people freaked out with them? Like?

73
00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:29.199
<v Speaker 1>Have you found.

74
00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:33.800
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we don't have the answer for that, but it's

75
00:04:33.879 --> 00:04:36.319
<v Speaker 2>definitely the case, Believe it or not. You're not the

76
00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:38.399
<v Speaker 2>first person to tell me that you know somebody that's

77
00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:38.959
<v Speaker 2>scared of snake.

78
00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:40.279
<v Speaker 1>You're not shocking, right.

79
00:04:40.279 --> 00:04:44.480
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it is really common. And there are some folks

80
00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:47.839
<v Speaker 2>that point to research that say babies have this innate

81
00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:51.519
<v Speaker 2>ability to recognize snakes, and that suggests that we have

82
00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:55.800
<v Speaker 2>this we're born with this fear. And I'm not entirely

83
00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:59.399
<v Speaker 2>convinced of those arguments. I think that we may have

84
00:04:59.720 --> 00:05:03.680
<v Speaker 2>this inatebility to recognize snakes and react to them, but

85
00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:11.000
<v Speaker 2>society helps push that initial reaction into fear. Ask anybody

86
00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:13.800
<v Speaker 2>that does educational shows with snakes, and you could see

87
00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:16.759
<v Speaker 2>the kids running up. They want to touch it, they

88
00:05:16.839 --> 00:05:19.240
<v Speaker 2>want to feel it, they want to ask questions about it,

89
00:05:19.399 --> 00:05:21.240
<v Speaker 2>and in the back of the room their parents are

90
00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:24.480
<v Speaker 2>really scared. And then eventually the kids see the parents

91
00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:29.720
<v Speaker 2>and they get scared too. So I think it's largely

92
00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:34.199
<v Speaker 2>society that influences something biological in us.

93
00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:37.519
<v Speaker 1>Maybe it's biblical lore. Maybe it's just like, oh, yeah,

94
00:05:37.560 --> 00:05:40.160
<v Speaker 1>I've heard of these guys. They're troublemakers. Man. For you

95
00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:41.879
<v Speaker 1>know what, I'm going to have to put on underpants.

96
00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.759
<v Speaker 1>It's just going to be a downward spiral. Do you

97
00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:47.319
<v Speaker 1>do you have a favorite animal?

98
00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:50.319
<v Speaker 2>There's something about Eastern diamondback round snakes, which are just

99
00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:53.959
<v Speaker 2>really impressive. They're just they're the largest round snake in

100
00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:57.120
<v Speaker 2>the world. They're only found in the southeastern United States,

101
00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:00.000
<v Speaker 2>and they just have this quiet power and dignity about it.

102
00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:04.920
<v Speaker 1>So it's so dignity. Are there any just snakes or

103
00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:07.279
<v Speaker 1>just clowns? Uh?

104
00:06:07.319 --> 00:06:09.399
<v Speaker 2>So I guess I would think of the hog no snake,

105
00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:15.120
<v Speaker 2>and it has all these strategies for not getting eaten. Basically,

106
00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:17.920
<v Speaker 2>it's going to play dead, it's going to puke up

107
00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:21.839
<v Speaker 2>its last meal, and you, if you tried to catch it, I'm.

108
00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:23.680
<v Speaker 1>Not hungry anymore.

109
00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:26.040
<v Speaker 2>These are all great strategies for not getting eaten, but

110
00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:28.639
<v Speaker 2>they do kind of make them seem a little silly.

111
00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:31.160
<v Speaker 1>So hognose snake down to clown.

112
00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:33.560
<v Speaker 2>Good to know that's right.

113
00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:37.199
<v Speaker 1>So did you always want to do this or at

114
00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:39.600
<v Speaker 1>what point did you decide I'm going to be a

115
00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:43.360
<v Speaker 1>scientist who studies wildlife or did it kind of evolve

116
00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:44.759
<v Speaker 1>where all of a sudden you were like, oh who

117
00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:46.759
<v Speaker 1>I looked up and here I am. I guess I'm

118
00:06:46.759 --> 00:06:47.160
<v Speaker 1>doing this.

119
00:06:48.680 --> 00:06:52.319
<v Speaker 2>I've always been interested in creatures, and if you had

120
00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:54.279
<v Speaker 2>asked me in second grade what I wanted to be

121
00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:57.519
<v Speaker 2>when I grew up, I'd say a naturalist. Didn't really

122
00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:00.800
<v Speaker 2>know what that meant, but I liked nature, So naturalis

123
00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:01.399
<v Speaker 2>sounded good.

124
00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:05.759
<v Speaker 1>Do you have any favorite movies or television shows or

125
00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:10.560
<v Speaker 1>least favorite ones about reptiles and amphibians where you're like

126
00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:12.720
<v Speaker 1>they got it wrong or you're like you know what

127
00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:15.800
<v Speaker 1>you nailed it. So this was an early interview when

128
00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:18.439
<v Speaker 1>I would ask questions and then before they guess would

129
00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:20.959
<v Speaker 1>have the chance to answer, I would ask another question.

130
00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:23.399
<v Speaker 1>I'm sorry, what about the scene where it rains frogs

131
00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:26.079
<v Speaker 1>in Magnolia? Were you like that would never happen?

132
00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:27.720
<v Speaker 2>So what has happened?

133
00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:29.160
<v Speaker 1>Oh, it did happen?

134
00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:31.680
<v Speaker 2>That has happened before? What yep?

135
00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:32.959
<v Speaker 1>So tell me everything.

136
00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:37.959
<v Speaker 2>Many frogs are breeding in these shallow temporary wetlands, and

137
00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:40.279
<v Speaker 2>if a big storm comes through, it could suck up

138
00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:46.399
<v Speaker 2>that moisture and frogs in the process. What sure, I

139
00:07:46.439 --> 00:07:49.160
<v Speaker 2>mean you can imagine a tornado doing it, so maybe

140
00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:50.360
<v Speaker 2>it'll be a step down from that.

141
00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:53.480
<v Speaker 1>So it's like a shark nado, but a rainstorm of frogs.

142
00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:55.360
<v Speaker 2>It's exactly like a frog nado.

143
00:07:55.759 --> 00:07:59.000
<v Speaker 1>First off, frog storms are indeed a thing, as are

144
00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:05.399
<v Speaker 1>fish storms, spider storms, toad storms, and worm storms. They

145
00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:09.360
<v Speaker 1>think maybe a tornado like water spout sucks them up

146
00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:12.839
<v Speaker 1>and carries them and then rains them back down. Now,

147
00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:17.920
<v Speaker 1>according to the Wikipedia page entry entitled rain of Animals quote,

148
00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:22.199
<v Speaker 1>several witnesses of raining frogs describe the animals as startled

149
00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:27.319
<v Speaker 1>but healthy and exhibiting relatively normal behavior shortly after the event.

150
00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:30.720
<v Speaker 2>These are kind of the thing things of legend, but

151
00:08:30.839 --> 00:08:33.200
<v Speaker 2>there are reliable accounts of them.

152
00:08:33.559 --> 00:08:35.600
<v Speaker 1>So we have a lightning round of listener questions. But

153
00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:37.039
<v Speaker 1>before we get to them, we're going to toss a

154
00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:41.240
<v Speaker 1>donation to a great organization, the Alongside Wildlife Foundation, which

155
00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:45.799
<v Speaker 1>through grassroots fundraising, pursues science based solutions for living alongside

156
00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:50.960
<v Speaker 1>wildlife in perpetuity via their research and outreach and land acquisition.

157
00:08:51.320 --> 00:08:53.639
<v Speaker 1>So it was also founded by a guy named doctor

158
00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.799
<v Speaker 1>David Stein, who is our guest. So a donation will

159
00:08:56.840 --> 00:09:03.120
<v Speaker 1>go to Alongside Wildlifefoundation dot org to sponsors of the show. Okay,

160
00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:06.720
<v Speaker 1>your questions, Alex in Trony wants to know are snakes

161
00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:08.840
<v Speaker 1>just getting a bad wrap I either Garden of Eden

162
00:09:08.919 --> 00:09:11.000
<v Speaker 1>or are they really a bunch of sneaky troublemakers?

163
00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:15.559
<v Speaker 2>So snakes are really hard to find. They're always hiding.

164
00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:17.679
<v Speaker 2>But I don't really think of them as sneaky. I

165
00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:19.360
<v Speaker 2>think of them as scared. I mean, they do not

166
00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:22.399
<v Speaker 2>want to be found. So that's how I'd probably put

167
00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:23.000
<v Speaker 2>a spin on that.

168
00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:26.519
<v Speaker 1>Oh, so they're just defensive exactly alone.

169
00:09:26.600 --> 00:09:28.720
<v Speaker 2>They don't want to Yeah, they don't want to sneak

170
00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:30.200
<v Speaker 2>up on you. They do not want to be seen

171
00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:30.440
<v Speaker 2>by you.

172
00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:32.679
<v Speaker 1>Okay, snakes not sneaky.

173
00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.919
<v Speaker 2>Cool, you heard it here first, Late.

174
00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:38.559
<v Speaker 1>Night Pie wants to know what allows amphibians to live

175
00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:41.799
<v Speaker 1>in a hybrid environment of water slash land. Do they

176
00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:44.960
<v Speaker 1>breathe air or water? And also if you had to

177
00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:47.080
<v Speaker 1>kiss a frog, what kind would you pick?

178
00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:50.200
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that covers a lot of territory there, it really does.

179
00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:55.679
<v Speaker 2>So Amphibians are a really diverse group. But the classic

180
00:09:55.720 --> 00:09:57.759
<v Speaker 2>example is the frog that lives on land. It goes

181
00:09:57.799 --> 00:10:00.200
<v Speaker 2>in water, lays its eggs, then it's a tadpole, then

182
00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:03.279
<v Speaker 2>it turns into a frog, and that's the classic amphibian

183
00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.399
<v Speaker 2>life cycle. But there's a lot of exceptions. There's a

184
00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:08.240
<v Speaker 2>lot of salamanders that never leave the water. Some frogs

185
00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:10.799
<v Speaker 2>lay their eggs on leaves and they drop into the water,

186
00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:14.759
<v Speaker 2>so lots of different strategies. Many have gills and that

187
00:10:14.840 --> 00:10:17.279
<v Speaker 2>helps them breathe in the water. They also have semi

188
00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:20.799
<v Speaker 2>permeable skin which helps them do some respiration through that,

189
00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.879
<v Speaker 2>and others have lungs and some have both over the

190
00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:25.720
<v Speaker 2>course of their life.

191
00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:28.840
<v Speaker 1>One type of herb is a salamander called an axe

192
00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:33.879
<v Speaker 1>a lotl which has really external gills. It lives exclusively

193
00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:37.480
<v Speaker 1>in a few lakes in Mexico, and it retains these

194
00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:42.360
<v Speaker 1>baby characteristics, like these external gills, which look so much

195
00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:47.440
<v Speaker 1>like one of Char's fantastic feather fan headdresses from the eighties.

196
00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:49.720
<v Speaker 2>So they're one of the unique examples that they never

197
00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:53.840
<v Speaker 2>really grow up with. The technical term is paedomorph and

198
00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:57.799
<v Speaker 2>they retain their juvenile characteristics, in this case on a

199
00:10:57.879 --> 00:10:59.879
<v Speaker 2>quantic lifestyle on gills for their whole life.

200
00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:01.720
<v Speaker 1>What about if you had to kiss a frog, what

201
00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:02.480
<v Speaker 1>kind would you pick?

202
00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:06.000
<v Speaker 2>I don't know how to get consent from a frog,

203
00:11:06.039 --> 00:11:07.600
<v Speaker 2>so I'm just gonna let it go on its way.

204
00:11:08.759 --> 00:11:12.960
<v Speaker 1>Good answer. Nicholas Smith wants to know what was the

205
00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:14.279
<v Speaker 1>last snake to have legs.

206
00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:19.279
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's a pretty cool question because the general idea

207
00:11:19.480 --> 00:11:21.720
<v Speaker 2>is that they all used to be lizards and then

208
00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:23.840
<v Speaker 2>a group of animals kind of branched off, lost their

209
00:11:23.879 --> 00:11:26.639
<v Speaker 2>legs and became snakes. So when does one of these

210
00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:28.799
<v Speaker 2>animals stop being a lizard and start being a snake.

211
00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:32.039
<v Speaker 2>That's kind of hard to say, but we do have

212
00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:36.000
<v Speaker 2>fossils to look at. Some snakes today still have these

213
00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:39.840
<v Speaker 2>little remnants of legs, like the BoA's and the pythons. Yeah,

214
00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:42.320
<v Speaker 2>they have these little vestigial limbs on the back. They

215
00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:44.559
<v Speaker 2>got nubbins, They got nub and legs. Yep.

216
00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.279
<v Speaker 1>What can you go there tickle their little mubbins?

217
00:11:49.639 --> 00:11:51.960
<v Speaker 2>You could, yeah, as a matter of fact. And it's

218
00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.600
<v Speaker 2>you know, there's lizards that don't have legs, and there's

219
00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:56.799
<v Speaker 2>those snakes that have the little nubbins. So you know,

220
00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:57.840
<v Speaker 2>nature's really messy.

221
00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:04.080
<v Speaker 1>I did not know that. That's pretty exciting. I'm excited, right,

222
00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:06.960
<v Speaker 1>that's pretty dope. I had no idea. John Worster wants

223
00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:09.279
<v Speaker 1>to know what is the coldest climate that a snake

224
00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:10.120
<v Speaker 1>is able to live in?

225
00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:13.559
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, snakes are pretty adaptable, and you can find them

226
00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:17.759
<v Speaker 2>pretty far north. There's adders. It's a kind of viper

227
00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:23.000
<v Speaker 2>in Europe. There in Scandinavia, what yep, Northern Russia. And

228
00:12:23.159 --> 00:12:25.799
<v Speaker 2>over here in North America you can have garter snakes

229
00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:28.000
<v Speaker 2>all the way up through Canada, not through Canada, but

230
00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:32.679
<v Speaker 2>through much of it. And it's all about strategies. You know.

231
00:12:32.759 --> 00:12:36.879
<v Speaker 2>The viper in Europe it's going to be underground for

232
00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:39.039
<v Speaker 2>most of the year and then it warms up for

233
00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:41.360
<v Speaker 2>a couple months and then gets really busy, you know,

234
00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.000
<v Speaker 2>and just that brief window. Garter snakes they also have

235
00:12:45.080 --> 00:12:47.799
<v Speaker 2>a relatively small window, but they need to find these

236
00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:50.440
<v Speaker 2>really unique areas to spend the winter. That's why you're

237
00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:53.039
<v Speaker 2>going to see them congregating in some areas like the

238
00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:58.159
<v Speaker 2>snake pits and narses. These are limestone caves basically that

239
00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:01.360
<v Speaker 2>go below the freezing level, and in the fall they're

240
00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:03.919
<v Speaker 2>all congregating. In the spring they're all emerging, tens of

241
00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:05.720
<v Speaker 2>thousands of snakes. Pretty cool.

242
00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.960
<v Speaker 1>Bonnie Wess note, can all different snake breeds be friends?

243
00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:12.759
<v Speaker 1>She said, we used to play in a sunny hill

244
00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:15.399
<v Speaker 1>covered in snakes as kids, what and there would be

245
00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:18.000
<v Speaker 1>all colors and sizes, all chillen together in the sun.

246
00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:20.000
<v Speaker 1>She said it was like the sun was their god

247
00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:23.559
<v Speaker 1>and the hill was church. So she asked, was there

248
00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:25.720
<v Speaker 1>no fighting in church? Are they just cool all the time?

249
00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:29.960
<v Speaker 2>I would have loved to see this scene. It sounds

250
00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:35.159
<v Speaker 2>really cool. So snakes are a really diverse group. Some

251
00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:38.519
<v Speaker 2>will eat each other, some will spend the winter together

252
00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:41.679
<v Speaker 2>because they're limited by those unique places where they can

253
00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:45.080
<v Speaker 2>escape the cold. So yeah, some are friends, some are food.

254
00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:50.480
<v Speaker 2>I'm using friends, not literally, right, but they can spend

255
00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:51.840
<v Speaker 2>time with each other, for sure.

256
00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:53.759
<v Speaker 1>I didn't know that. I figured that they'd be like,

257
00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:56.879
<v Speaker 1>I'm the snake on this scene, please remove yourself from

258
00:13:56.879 --> 00:13:57.320
<v Speaker 1>my orbit.

259
00:13:57.960 --> 00:14:01.480
<v Speaker 2>So that would be something we associate with a territorial animal,

260
00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:04.960
<v Speaker 2>and there's really limited evidence that snakes are territorial.

261
00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:08.120
<v Speaker 1>Oh so they're nicer than we've given them credit for.

262
00:14:08.360 --> 00:14:09.960
<v Speaker 2>That's what I keep trying to tell everybody.

263
00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:13.840
<v Speaker 1>Emily Georgia wants to know where does the scary noodle's

264
00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:16.799
<v Speaker 1>body end and the tail begin? Or is it just

265
00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:17.919
<v Speaker 1>a tail with eyes?

266
00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:25.279
<v Speaker 2>I mean it's actually just a neck with eyes. Yeah,

267
00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.600
<v Speaker 2>it's not. The tail is not a big portion of

268
00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:31.000
<v Speaker 2>the body. It's like the last eighth.

269
00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:34.840
<v Speaker 1>Oh, that's good to know. Jocelyn Furnace has a very

270
00:14:34.840 --> 00:14:38.320
<v Speaker 1>important question ken Snake's fart.

271
00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:40.919
<v Speaker 2>Who asked this question?

272
00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:43.679
<v Speaker 1>H Jocelyn Furnace, but Jenna Erickson also wanted to know

273
00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:44.120
<v Speaker 1>the answer.

274
00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:48.000
<v Speaker 2>Okay, do you know about this book called No does

275
00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:48.759
<v Speaker 2>it Fart? No?

276
00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:49.879
<v Speaker 1>I don't.

277
00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.200
<v Speaker 2>I feel like this person knows about it because it

278
00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:57.440
<v Speaker 2>was last year or so somebody asked me if Snake's fart?

279
00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:03.039
<v Speaker 2>And people ask that to me not infrequently, so I said, sigh,

280
00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:06.879
<v Speaker 2>yes they do, and that started a hashtag does it Fart?

281
00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:12.720
<v Speaker 2>And Nick Caruso and Danny Rabbe Lodi I'm sorry if

282
00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:15.679
<v Speaker 2>I mispronounced your name, compiled all the answers and wrote

283
00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:18.200
<v Speaker 2>a book Does it Fart? What? Yeah? And they should

284
00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:20.360
<v Speaker 2>give me a cut after I just plugged their book.

285
00:15:21.480 --> 00:15:24.639
<v Speaker 1>Kate Gilmour, who was our primatologist on episode two, wants

286
00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:27.159
<v Speaker 1>to know why do some lay eggs and some give

287
00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:28.000
<v Speaker 1>birth to live young.

288
00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:32.679
<v Speaker 2>It's such an interesting phenomenon and it's kind of a

289
00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:37.960
<v Speaker 2>quirk of evolution, but the general idea is that egg

290
00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:42.080
<v Speaker 2>laying was probably the ancestral condition, that's what the animal

291
00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:46.919
<v Speaker 2>in the beginning had, and then live birth evolved from that.

292
00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:50.440
<v Speaker 2>But it hasn't been directly. There's they've been going back

293
00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:53.279
<v Speaker 2>and forth. There's different kinds of egg laying and live birth,

294
00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:54.960
<v Speaker 2>so evolution.

295
00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:57.799
<v Speaker 1>Okay, yeah, what are the advantages of live birth?

296
00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:02.240
<v Speaker 2>The eggs are really good because you've got this really

297
00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:06.960
<v Speaker 2>climate controlled little spot, but the live birth, you know,

298
00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:09.600
<v Speaker 2>they're ready to go. They're not as vulnerable to predation,

299
00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:12.759
<v Speaker 2>so that would probably be a big benefit.

300
00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:14.320
<v Speaker 1>They can outrun whatever.

301
00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:16.960
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, they can start biting stuff. They're ready to go.

302
00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:20.480
<v Speaker 1>They hit the ground biting. Good for them.

303
00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:26.000
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and in stable climates it might be an advantage

304
00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.279
<v Speaker 2>because you don't necessarily need that enclosed space and an egg.

305
00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:35.120
<v Speaker 1>Oh, Daniel la Veneris, I'm sorry, Daniel, I'm probably pronouncing

306
00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:38.559
<v Speaker 1>that wrong. Who is awesome? He asks? From flattened out

307
00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:41.799
<v Speaker 1>ribs to glide, to tail scales that look like a spider,

308
00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:45.120
<v Speaker 1>to lure birds, and worm like appearances to feed on

309
00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:48.720
<v Speaker 1>ant larvae. Snakes are awesome, But which is the most

310
00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:50.919
<v Speaker 1>awesome adaptation you've seen?

311
00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:57.480
<v Speaker 2>The most awesome adaptation is just the fact that, look,

312
00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:00.559
<v Speaker 2>imagine you had to survive in the woods with no

313
00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:04.119
<v Speaker 2>arms and no legs. How long would you last?

314
00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:05.960
<v Speaker 1>Oh? Yeah, no, I'd be toast.

315
00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:09.599
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, but all these different kinds of snakes have figured

316
00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:12.000
<v Speaker 2>out a way to make it work. And so I

317
00:17:12.039 --> 00:17:14.279
<v Speaker 2>think that's my answer.

318
00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:18.519
<v Speaker 1>Just the fact that they are yeah, yeah, and.

319
00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:21.559
<v Speaker 2>It works for them. You know, they lost their limbs,

320
00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:26.960
<v Speaker 2>probably because it's easier to move underground, but somehow they've

321
00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:30.480
<v Speaker 2>figured out all these amazing ways to get by, whether

322
00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:34.880
<v Speaker 2>it's constricting their prey or this modified salima that's basically

323
00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:38.240
<v Speaker 2>venom or things like indigo snakes, which are just grabbing

324
00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:41.920
<v Speaker 2>other snakes and chewing their head. I mean, you do

325
00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:42.680
<v Speaker 2>what you gotta do.

326
00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:46.200
<v Speaker 1>Last questions, what is the best thing about your job?

327
00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:49.960
<v Speaker 1>What just like gives you butterflies? Keeps you going? You're like,

328
00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:52.039
<v Speaker 1>I'm so lucky. I can't believe they pay me for this.

329
00:17:53.079 --> 00:17:55.960
<v Speaker 2>I'm really lucky to work with a great group of

330
00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:59.359
<v Speaker 2>people that are really passionate about these animals, passionate about

331
00:17:59.640 --> 00:18:02.480
<v Speaker 2>increased seeing our knowledge of them and making the planet

332
00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:05.880
<v Speaker 2>a better place for them and us. And that's that's

333
00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:06.680
<v Speaker 2>a great place to be.

334
00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:11.039
<v Speaker 1>So your colleagues, my colleagues, really so other people are

335
00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:13.400
<v Speaker 1>the best thing about your job. That's that's surprising. You

336
00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:14.720
<v Speaker 1>don't normally hear people say that.

337
00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:20.519
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, well it's true, it's true. It's it really makes

338
00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:24.640
<v Speaker 2>things better when you're surrounded by people that are all

339
00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:27.880
<v Speaker 2>working towards a common goal and are bright and motivated,

340
00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:29.599
<v Speaker 2>and that's why they're there.

341
00:18:29.960 --> 00:18:32.519
<v Speaker 1>If someone wanted to be a herpetologist or a wild

342
00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:34.359
<v Speaker 1>life ecologist, what would you tell them to do? What

343
00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:37.400
<v Speaker 1>would you what do you wish you could be? Like, hey, yo, little.

344
00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:42.240
<v Speaker 2>Me, do you get experienced any way you can figure

345
00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:46.119
<v Speaker 2>out if it's for you. Surround yourself with people that

346
00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:49.960
<v Speaker 2>share those kinds of goals and figure out if it's

347
00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:52.440
<v Speaker 2>for you, and a path will emerge.

348
00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:54.160
<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much for being on.

349
00:18:54.359 --> 00:18:56.200
<v Speaker 2>I'm honored to be here. I was really excited when

350
00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:56.920
<v Speaker 2>I got the invitation.

351
00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:03.319
<v Speaker 1>So smart people goofy questions because goofy ones are actually

352
00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:05.440
<v Speaker 1>good ones. And to find out more about doctor David

353
00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:08.960
<v Speaker 1>Stein or his nonprofit alongside Wildlife Foundation, you can see

354
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:11.759
<v Speaker 1>the links in the show notes. Also linked is aliwar

355
00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:15.319
<v Speaker 1>dot com slash Smologies, which has dozens more kids safe

356
00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:18.160
<v Speaker 1>and shorter episodes you can blaze through. Thank you Zeke

357
00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:21.640
<v Speaker 1>red Veguez, Thomas and Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio and

358
00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:24.240
<v Speaker 1>Jared Sleeper for editing those. And since we like to

359
00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:25.880
<v Speaker 1>keep things small around here, the rest of the credits

360
00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:27.240
<v Speaker 1>are in the show notes. But before I go, I

361
00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:29.839
<v Speaker 1>like to give one small piece of advice, and this

362
00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:32.799
<v Speaker 1>week it's that before you get a pet, make sure

363
00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:36.279
<v Speaker 1>you ask a lot of questions about how much care

364
00:19:36.359 --> 00:19:39.640
<v Speaker 1>they take, what will make them happy, how much help

365
00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.680
<v Speaker 1>you'll need, and how long they live, and make sure

366
00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:44.640
<v Speaker 1>that you're up for the commitment. And if you're not

367
00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:47.440
<v Speaker 1>up for it, that's okay, because stuffed animals are a

368
00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:50.000
<v Speaker 1>good option too. Okay, Bye bye, so

369
00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:07.119
<v Speaker 2>Bugy Buggies.