Not a Biologist - A Wildlife Behaviour Podcast

Terra Mater Studios
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Alex is Not a Biologist, but he is fascinated by animal behaviour seen in incredible wildlife footage. So, to answer his burning questions, he invites Biologists, Wildlife Filmmakers, and other experts to discuss the science and experiences behind these incredible moments. Not a Biologist is a podcast from Terra Mater Studios, a Natural History Production House based in Vienna, Austria.

Episodes

  1. Jun 25

    What Beavers Do When Nobody's Watching | Not a Biologist

    In this episode of Not a Biologist, Alex talks to sound recordist and beaver expert Fabian Holzinger about the secret lives of Europe’s largest rodents: the beaver. Together, they explore what happens inside a beaver lodge, why beavers might be better water engineers than humans, and what it’s like to spend hours listening to a sleeping beaver snore. Alex and Fabian discuss beaver family life, underground homes, iron-reinforced teeth, and the surprising sounds these animals make, from sneezes and stomach gurgles to what can only be described as beaver bedtime drama. They also dive into the important role beavers play in restoring ecosystems, preventing droughts, and even helping landscapes recover from wildfires. Fun fact: beavers don't live in their dams. The dam is just a tool; their actual home is a lodge or burrow hidden nearby. 🦫 Did you know that... • beavers' front teeth contain iron and sharpen themselves automatically • they can transform entire ecosystems simply by building dams • a beaver family sounds surprisingly similar to a human household at bedtime Not a Biologist is a Terra Mater Studios wildlife podcast where host Alex sits down with experts to break down fascinating wildlife behaviour using footage straight from our nature documentaries. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 🎬 Check out our "Animal Homes" production here: https://www.terramater.at/productions/animal-homes-natural-born-engineers/ 📱 More about the beaver lab here: https://beaverlab.at/

    17 min

  2. May 28

    Why Wild Hamsters live where Beethoven is buried (w/ Yaz Ellis, Wildlife Filmmaker)

    When you hear “hamster,” you probably think of tiny cages, spinning wheels, and sunflower seeds. But wild European hamsters are a completely different story. In this episode of Not a Biologist, Alex talks to wildlife filmmaker Yasmine Ellis about the secret lives of Vienna’s wild hamsters, which are thriving on the city's graveyards. Alex and Yaz will talk about dramatic cemetery fights, underground tunnel systems and also about why one of Europe’s cutest rodents is now critically endangered. We also dive into how you even film these tiny chaos goblins, why Vienna has become one of their last strongholds, and why their sense of smell is far better than their eyesight. Fun fact: the German word “hamstern” literally means “to hoard” and after this episode, you’ll understand exactly why. 🐹 Did you know that... • hamsters are most active at dawn and dusk • are VERY territorial … and surprisingly dramatic • Vienna is one of the last strongholds for European hamsters 🎙️ Not a Biologist is a Terra Mater Studios wildlife podcast where host Alex sits down with experts to break down fascinating wildlife behavior using footage straight from our nature documentaries. 👉🏼 Full episode + bonus content on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TerraMater 🎬 Check out our "Wild Vienna" trailer and learn more about the hidden wildlife living right inside Austria’s capital. From wild hamsters in graveyards to urban beavers and foxes, the film reveals a side of Vienna most people never notice: https://youtu.be/QNVn4icwWz8?si=7aHjyHLPo7SkAvkv 🎬 Yaz Ellis’ short film "For Deer Life" follows the volunteers and drone pilots rescuing hidden roe deer fawns from Austrian meadows before mowing season begins. The film shines a light on the collision between modern agriculture and wildlife and the people working to save countless animals every spring. Watch the trailer here: https://www.dreamwildfilms.com/fordeerlife

    29 min
  3. He is learning to Speak to Sperm Whales (w/ David Gruber, marine biologist, President & founder of Project CETI)

    May 14

    He is learning to Speak to Sperm Whales (w/ David Gruber, marine biologist, President & founder of Project CETI)

    What does it look like when a sperm whale is born? 🐋 Terra Mater sat down with David Gruber, marine biologist, President & founder of Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative), to talk about one of the most extraordinary moments ever caught on camera: the first-ever filmed sperm whale birth. In this episode of Not a Biologist, host Alex and David break down the incredible footage frame by frame: the mother (named Rounder) is helped by her family holding up the newborn whale, pilot whales arriving as unexpected witnesses, and one subadult male named Alan who showed up and did... not very much. But this episode goes far beyond the birth itself. David explains what Project CETI has learned after six years of building the world's largest non-human communication database, millions of sperm whale vocalisations, codas and clicks, and what their groundbreaking AI-powered research is revealing about sperm whale language, culture and society. Support Project CETI: https://www.projectceti.org/ And follow their Socials: https://www.instagram.com/projectceti https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectceti https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:uhfmjlgc5pzfg5e3k2skopz5 http://www.x.com/projectceti 🎙️ Not a Biologist is a Terra Mater Studios podcast where host Alex sits down with scientists and experts to break down the most fascinating wildlife behaviour on the planet using footage straight from our nature documentaries.

    30 min
  4. The Truth Behind this Viral Eagle video (w/ Thomas Enders, Veterinarian)

    Apr 29

    The Truth Behind this Viral Eagle video (w/ Thomas Enders, Veterinarian)

    A clip of a golden eagle hunting a chamois got over 6 million views on the Terra Mater YouTube channel — and for good reason. People couldn't believe what they were seeing was real. In this episode of Not a Biologist, host Alex sits down with Thomas Enders, a veterinarian from Vienna with over 25 years of experience and a deep specialization in birds of prey, to break down exactly what's happening in that extraordinary footage. Together they unpack two distinct killing techniques used by golden eagles — active grip through the talons, and the remarkable strategy of using gravity itself to bring down prey too large to carry. They also dive deep into the ratchet-like locking mechanism in eagle talons: an adaptation that allows the bird to grip prey with enormous force — without any muscular effort — thanks to a specialized tendon and tendon sheath system. And releasing that grip? That's actually the hard part. Find the full movie "Brothers of the Wind" here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.aac9565f-45bb-4e44-b52c-94528ba70c20?tag=justus1ktp-20&token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F Special thanks to Thomas and the Eagle-Arena at Burg Landskron! Check out their socials here: Website: www.tierarzt-wien.at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tierarzt1100/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdlerarenaLandskron And if you want to join our production community, check out our brand new patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TerraMater This is one of the most fascinating deep-dives into raptor biology you'll find anywhere. Whether you're a wildlife enthusiast, a falconer, or just someone who couldn't believe that viral clip — this one is for you.

    16 min
  5. The Real Reason Male Lions Kill Cubs (w/ Caroline Reinwald, Science Communicator)

    Apr 28

    The Real Reason Male Lions Kill Cubs (w/ Caroline Reinwald, Science Communicator)

    Have you ever wondered why male lions sometimes kill cubs when they take over a pride? In this wildlife podcast you’ll get a breakdown of lion infanticide, from pride takeover and evolutionary reproductive strategy to the hard-wired nature of survival in the wild. Welcome to the very first episode of our brand-new format: "Not a Biologist"! 🤗 At Terra Mater Studios, we film ambitious wildlife documentaries. We witness incredible and sometimes shocking animal behavior. But let’s be honest: when watching these scenes, many of us think… "Wait… why does this happen?" In this new series, our host Alex (who is not a biologist) sits down with experts to ask exactly those questions; the ones you might be thinking at home. For Episode 1, we’re diving straight into one of the most difficult behaviors to watch in the wild: lion infanticide. After reacting to a powerful scene from our movie "The Bastard King", Alex speaks with zoologist and science communicator Msc. Caroline Reinwald (Zoo Vienna) to unpack what’s really happening. 🍿 "The Bastard King" (full length movie): https://youtu.be/es_D0Dzl7YQ 🎙 Guest: Caroline Reinwald, MSc Zoologist & Science Communicator (Vienna Zoo) https://www.zoovienna.at/en/ 💚 A big thank you to our expert Caroline Reinwald for sharing her knowledge and helping us navigate one of the most challenging topics in wildlife behavior. 📚 Further Reading & Studies Mentioned: Lions roar: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.72474 Females mating with several males: https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article-abstract/30/4/1050/5435127 Mating with more than one male: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12279

    13 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

Alex is Not a Biologist, but he is fascinated by animal behaviour seen in incredible wildlife footage. So, to answer his burning questions, he invites Biologists, Wildlife Filmmakers, and other experts to discuss the science and experiences behind these incredible moments. Not a Biologist is a podcast from Terra Mater Studios, a Natural History Production House based in Vienna, Austria.

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