The Wild Life The Wild Life

17 years ago, I was a 14 year old attending Connor Middle School in Hebron, Kentucky. Small little town, just across the Ohio River. In 2018, I moved away, back down to Houston, TX. But in the few years I was there, I met and became friends with some of the most amazing people, most of which I lost contact with over the years
Then one day, sometime last year or so, a familiar name popped up on my feed—an old friend, and today’s guest.
On today's episode, Dr Tiffany Slater tells us all about her amazing discoveries and career as a taphonomist! Searching for molecular ghosts in the fossil record, ginger frogs, ancient proteins, learning there’s a difference between aging fossils and dating fossils, feathered connections, archaeopteryx, perspectives, particle accelerators, and of course, catching up…
Dinosaur feathers reveal traces of ancient proteins
Dr Tiffany Slater's University of College Cork Profile
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From their three hearts to their ability to transform and communicate, discover the extraordinary world of octopuses with host Devon Bowker and special guest Sy Montgomery, the "octopus whisperer" herself, and octopus expert Warren Carlyle, founder of OctoNation®. In a new adventure, Secrets of the Octopus, they dive deep into the secrets of the ocean's most enigmatic creatures, exploring the latest revelations in octopus research and conservation efforts. With captivating storytelling and stunning visuals, the pair uncover why these creatures are worthy of our admiration and protection.
Secrets of the Octopus | Book
TRAILER| Secrets of the Octopus on National Geographic and Disney+
OctoNation
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Contact | hello@thewildlife.blog
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In this episode, Devon (@devonthenatureguy) sits down with Lauren Jackson (@lauren.queenofthewild on Instagram and HERp_trap_queen on TikTok) to chat about becoming a wildlife tech, woodpeckers, federal jobs, the friction of private land, scicomm and education, battles big and small, and above all else, love for the world around us.
Support the show at www.patreon.com/thewildlife for as little as $1 per month

Today’s episode, social media SciComm, all things cephalopod, their super cool brains, their mind-blowing camouflage, RNA editing, peculiar romances, underappreciated "living fossils", and why octopuses are most definitely not aliens. All with special guest Meg Mindlin, Octopus Biologist
Meg's Website
Save the Ocean, Save the World Hoodie
Meg's Sticker Club
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In this episode, I sit down with Eric Eaton, author of Insectpedia: a Brief Compendium of Insect Lore, Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect, and more!
Wasps are far more diverse than the familiar yellowjackets and hornets that harass picnickers and build nests under the eaves of our homes. These amazing, mostly solitary creatures thrive in nearly every habitat on Earth, and their influence on our lives is overwhelmingly beneficial. Wasps are agents of pest control in agriculture and gardens. They are subjects of study in medicine, engineering, and other important fields. Wasps pollinate flowers, engage in symbiotic relationships with other organisms, and create architectural masterpieces in the form of their nests. From minute fairyflies to gargantuan tarantula hawks, wasps exploit almost every niche on the planet. So successful are they at survival that other organisms emulate their appearance and behavior. The sting is the least reason to respect wasps and, as you will see, no reason to loathe them, either.  
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Check out Eric's Blog
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Contact: hello@thewildlife.blog

This episode, which originally aired on March 24 2018, takes us all the way from Copenhagen to the rainforest of South America, from the belly of the beast to its excrement, as we explore nature’s Vampires.
Our guest is Dr Marie Lisandra Zepeda Mendoza, who had recently finished her postdoc in Copenhagen, Denmark and whose recently published research on vampire bats and how they survive on such a peculiar diet is at the center of this story.
If you'd like to support the creation of this show, the blog, and my science communication efforts on social media, you can do so for as little as $1 per month at www.patreon.com/thewildlife