49 episodes
The Best Biome Rachel Roth and Nicole Brown
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- Science
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4.9 • 9 Ratings
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Prairie biologists make the ever-growing argument for why grasslands are the world's best biome.
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Bundle Up and Bird!
It's snowy and getting colder where we're at, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go outside. Rachel gives a compelling argument as to why winter is the best time of year for birding and gives insight into the Christmas Bird Count: a citizen science project dating back over a hundred years.
Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count here.
Primary Sources:
Gill, F. B., Prum, R. O., & Robinson, S. K. (2019). Ornithology. W.H. Freeman, Macmillan Learning.
Sibley, D. (2020). What it’s like to be a bird: From flying to nesting, eating to singing -- what birds are doing, and why. Alfred A. Knopf. Affiliate purchase link.
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info@grasslandgroupies.org
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The Best Cryptid
This episode is a little different. We celebrate spooky season with the haunting tales of feldgeist, Sinkhole Sam, and the Ohio Grassman. These stories haunt the minds of those who visit prairies and fields across the globe. Be weary, you never know what's lurking in the tall grass.
Photos and more are at our site.
Contact:
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info@grasslandgroupies.org
Support us:
Bonfire Merch Store
Or donate: Donorbox -
Grasshopper Mice: Small but Fierce
Grasshopper mice are small but fierce. They howl like wolves, stalk their prey like cats, and finish up with a quick face clean. These solitary animals like to live life dangerously and enjoy even venomous meals.
Photos and more are at our site.
Primary Sources:
Grasshopper Mouse Hunting and Howling [YouTube]
Animal Diversity Web. Regents of the University of Michigan.
USDA Bulletin: Life History and Habits of Grass-hopper mice, genus Onychomys. (1939). [PDF]
Richardson, D., Karczmar, A. G., & Scudder, C. L. (1972). Intergeneric behavioral differences among methamphetamine treated mice. Psychopharmacologia, 25(4), 347–375.
Tracey Switek. Onychomys: Tiny Terror of the Western Deserts.
Contact:
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info@grasslandgroupies.org
Support us:
Bonfire Merch Store
Or donate: Donorbox -
Sneeze if You Love Painted Dogs
Nicole talks painted dogs: a surprisingly wholesome and fun-loving animal. They are excellent hunters, take care of not just their pups but their elderly, and rarely squabble amongst themselves.
Photos and more are at our site.
Primary Sources:
Painted Dog Conservation website.
Painted Dog Research Trust website.
Robert L. Robbins. (2000). Vocal Communication in Free-Ranging African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus). Behaviour, 137(10), 1271–1298.
COZZI, G., BEHR, D. M., WEBSTER, H. S., et al (2020). African Wild Dog Dispersal and Implications for Management. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 84(4), 614–621.
Contact
Website Facebook Twitter TikTok
info@grasslandgroupies.org
Support us:
Bonfire Merch Store
Or donate: Donorbox -
1 Lie, 2 Truths, 3 Idiots
Enjoy this episode of very good facts and very good nonsense. We revisit a nice game of stump the podcast host, this time with more bug viscera and talking ourselves out of an obvious answer.
Our Info:
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info@grasslandgroupies.org -
Paramo's Strongest: Hummingbirds
In the Páramo grasslands of South America is a cloud covered land where a unique ecosystem thrives. Allan tells us all about a plant that drinks clouds plus the miraculous little hummingbirds that call this place home.
Photos and more are at our site.
Primary Sources:
Luteyn, J. 1999. Páramos: A Checklist of Plant Diversity, Geographical Distribution, and Botanical Literature. Taxon, Vol. 48, No. 3.
Buytaert, W et al. 2005. Clay mineralogy of the soils in the south Ecuadorian paramo region. Geoderman Vol 127, Iss 1-2.
Carrington, D. 2019. In the land of El Dorado, clean water has become ‘blue gold’. The Guardian.
Contact
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info@grasslandgroupies.org
Customer Reviews
Unexpected in all the best ways
Having grown up in KS, I have a pretty good grasp on grasslands, or so I thought. From parrots to river islands to prehistoric camels, grasslands are far more expansive than I ever imagined. Nicole and Rachel expertly educate and entertain in an effort to bring the Best Biome the credit it deserves.
Wonderfully informative
Great podcast that is very informative and the host enthusiasm is infectious. I wish there was a little more editing and little short episodes but overall always entertaining
Grasslands!
Wonderful and informative podcast discussing grassland ecology and all things grassland! Theres way more to it than you thought!