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[S5E1] If You Mess with The Bull26 Mar 202601:16:54

We open the episode with an update on the Lesser Prairie Chicken delisting, why all hope is not lost, and some interviews with experts in the field: Dr. Jackie Augustine (Executive Director, Audubon of Kansas) and Stacy Hoeme (Co-Lead, Lesser Prairie Chicken Landowner Alliance).

The deep dive for this episode is led by Allan on the origin of cows: the mighty aurochs. Humans have lived and traveled alongside cows farther back then recorded human history. They shaped ancient and modern human pastoralist societies and we're finally giving them a spotlight on the pod.

Primary Chicken Sources:

Email Jackie Augustine your fan-mail or chicken stories at: aok@audubonofkansas.org

Primary Cow/Auroch Sources:

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[S4E9] State of the Grasslands 202511 Dec 202502:25:55

In our final episode of Season 4, The Best Biome team discusses the state of grasslands conservation in the current year (and what an eventful year it has been). We discuss the most significant threats and daunting challenges that we'll need to meet head on to protect our underappreciated and overlooked ecosystems. Topics include rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act, attacks on research funding, extraction on public lands, the truth behind grazing leases, and much, much more.

Of course, we have plenty of good news to share as well! Join us as we bid 2025 farewell and get ready for whatever next year will bring.

Note: There is some occasional strong language used in this episode, as a result of our passion about these topics.

Primary Sources:

Rachel's Sources:

****

****

Nicole's Sources:

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act

https://morethanjustparks.substack.com/p/trump-administration-decides-endangered?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share\&utm_medium=web\&triedRedirect=true

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administrations-expansive-push-to-sell-out-public-lands-to-the-highest-bidder/

Allan's Sources:

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[S4E8] The Spookiest Biome!09 Oct 202500:44:59

'Tis the season FOR TERROR! Fortunately, nature is pretty metal and has no shortage of scary phenomena to discuss. On our Halloween episode of The Best Biome, we bring you three terrible tales of body horror... from the perspective of plants! These are guaranteed to strike fear into your fiber, send a shiver through your leaves and make your chlorophyll run cold. If these give your houseplants nightmares, you can't say we didn't warn you.

Primary Sources:

Nicole's Sources:

  1. https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/insects-diseases/1452-aster-yellows/
  2. https://agsci.colostate.edu/agbio/ipm-pests/aster-leafhopper-and-aster-yellows/

Rachel's Sources:

  1. Texas Plant Disease Handbook by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (https://plantdiseasehandbook.tamu.edu/landscaping/trees/cottonwood-and-poplar/)
  2. Mushroom Monday, Cracked Cap Polypore (https://www.mushroommonday.com/post/cracked-cap-polypore-fulvifomes-robiniae)

Allan's Source: Torres-Cruz, Terry J., et al. "Insects visit Fusarium xyrophilum pseudoflowers on the host Xyris surinamensis (Xyridaceae) and carry fungal DNA on their bodies." bioRxiv (2024): 2024-03. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.05.583517

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[S4E6] Rivercane Reverie14 Aug 202501:01:26

In this month's Best Biome, Nicole tells the story of a grassland ecosystem so rare and so endangered that neither of her co-hosts had any idea it existed! We're talking about the once-ubiquitous canebrake ecosystems of the eastern United States, which were quite literally American bamboo forests, complete with their own prehistoric red pandas. Find out what happened to the unique rivercane landscape, and what's being done to save it today. Let the search for 30 ft.-tall grasses become your new obsession!

Also, check out these great organizations doing rivercane restoration! Cherokee Preservation Foundation Rivercane Restoration Alliance Chattooga Conservancy

Primary Sources:

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[S4E5] Sunflower Politics10 Jul 202500:53:50

Our view of nature is often constrained by the idea of competition: life as a zero-sum game, where the victorious survive, and the defeated fade into extinction. But not every relationship in life is competitive! Sure, as living things, we must always be aware of our enemies, but our survival is just as closely tied to our social entanglements- our family, friends, neighbors, and communities.

In a rebuttal to the hyper-competitive view of ecology, Rachel shares evidence from a growing field of botany that dares to look at how plants behave by applying social theory to their choices. There are many conversations happening among the plants of our grasslands that we haven't been hearing, and it's time to unpack the complexity of these interspecies relationships if we want to really understand how this ecosystem works.

Primary Sources:

  • Cahill Lab - University of Alberta: https://cahilllab.ca/
  • Megan K. Ljubotina and James F. Cahill Jr., “Effects of Neighbour Location and Nutrient Distributions on Root Foraging Behavior of the Common Sunflower,” Proceedings of the Royal Society B 286, no. 1911 (2019): 20190955 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0955
  • Mónica López Pereira et al., “Light-Mediated Self
  • Organization of Sunflower Stands Increases Oil Yield in the Field,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, no. 30 (2017): 7975–80. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1618990114
  • James F. Cahill Jr., “The Inevitability of Plant Behavior,” American Journal of Botany 106, no. 7 (2019): 903-5. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1313
  • Robin W. Kimmerer, “Asters and Goldenrod,” in Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Minneapolis: Milkweed, 2013)

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[S4E4] Healing the World (and Heavy Metals) with Plants12 Jun 202500:55:04

Phytoremediation. A fun word to say, but what does it mean? Turns out it's quite simple: using the superpower many plants naturally have to heal our wonderful Earth from terrible soil contaminants. Allan pulls us off the dark abyss edge that is our current world to deliver a wonderful tale of plants.

Primary Sources:

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[S4E3] The Hottest Reptile (Tegus)08 May 202500:48:58

The Best Biome finally reps reptiles properly as Nicole tells us all about an enormous lizard of the South American grasslands. Buckle up for voracious appetites, raging hormones, and an unexpected peek into the evolution of endothermy. This is: the world's hottest reptile.

Primary Sources:

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[S4E2] The (Second) Best Biome10 Apr 202501:04:35

This month on The Best Biome, Rachel takes us on a trip to the wetter, saltier cousin of grasslands: seagrass meadows! Is she making a desperate reach to connect the dots, or is she absolutely right that "seagrass meadows are the grasslands of the oceans?" Decide for yourself, dear listener, and get ready to think more about seaweed than you have in a while. Plus, there's manatees! A very special episode awaits.

Primary Sources:

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[S4E1] Satoyamas: Aso-Kuju Grasslands13 Mar 202500:55:00

The grasslands of Japan are beautiful, full of volcanos, and revered by the people living there. Japan's unique model of conservation method of Satoyamas is one we wish the US would model - one where people push to thrive alongside the environment, not claim or set it aside. Allan hosts this episode and the five minute math break in the middle has been severely shortened (though stick around past the credits for a bit more).

Primary Sources:

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[S3E11] The Environment under Trump12 Dec 202401:57:18

In the final episode of the season for The Best Biome we lay out some concerns we have for the conservation of our beloved grasslands under a second term of the Trump administration. It's a hard discussion, but one we felt we needed to have. And boy was it a long one. If you don't feel up to listening now, we understand, though we still recommend you check out the action items at the end (see timestamps below to skip there). Much love to you all, and we'll be back in March.

Timestamps: (00:00:00) Introduction (00:04:37) Nicole: Implications of DOI Changes (00:33:00) Brain Bleach Success Stories (00:35:45) Rachel: EPA Changes and the Author of Project 25 (01:09:58) Allan: The Fall of Science (01:41:06) Action Items (01:55:57) Outro

Action Items:

Inaction is not an option when it comes to fighting for what you believe in and those you love... but you don't have to do it all. Take care of yourself.

Arm Yourself With Knowledge:

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[S3E10] Creator and Destroyer: African Elephants14 Nov 202401:06:51

A big animal can make big changes in their environment... and cause big problems for the people who live alongside it. African Elephants have a fascinating relationship to the savanna and the people who call it home, where it is equal parts feared and revered. The world of elephant conservation is complicated, and in this episode, Nicole examines the nuanced stories of these beautiful beasts and the conflicts that surround them.

Primary Sources:

  1. https://www.elephantvoices.org/ - great general information hub on elephants, plus home of The Elephant Ethogram.
  2. The Fingernail Problem: How a Common Interpretive Technique Fuels Negative Attitudes and Harmful Stereotypes. National Association of Interpreters. 
  3. Sieber, C. 2019. Zoos Called It a ‘Rescue.’ But Are the Elephants Really Better Off? The New York Times Magazine. 

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[S3E9] Worm Lizards: Undulating and Unknowable24 Oct 202400:56:08

Happy Halloween from your grasslands PR Team! This month, Rachel confronts one of her worst childhood fears to bring us a tale of the strange and slithering: a group of animals so odd and cryptic that the existence of many species was only confirmed after their habitat was bulldozed. We're delving into the fascinating world of worm lizards, a world full of unknowns that still begs to be explored. After all, how can we learn about an animal that's virtually impossible to observe in the wild? A fanged and ferocious creature that creeps below our feet, hearing our every step, and slipping ever deeper into the darkness...

Primary Sources:

  1. Baeckens, S., García‐Roa, R., Martín, J., Ortega, J., Huyghe, K., & Damme, R. V. (2016). Fossorial and durophagous: implications of molluscivory for head size and bite capacity in a burrowing worm lizard. Journal of Zoology, 301(3), 193–205.
  2. Guynup, Sharon. (2021, June 6). “Race against time”: Saving the snakes and lizards of Brazil’s Cerrado. Mongabay Environmental News.
  3. García, E. R. (2020). How to maintain underground social relationships? Chemosensory sex, partner and self recognition in a fossorial amphisbaenian. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237188 
  4. García, E. R. (2021). Offspring and adult chemosensory recognition by an amphisbaenian reptile may allow maintaining familiar links in the fossorial environment. Peerj.
  5. Ribeiro, L. B., Gomides, S. C., & Costa, H. C. (2020). A New Worm Lizard Species (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae: Amphisbaena) with Non-autotomic Tail, from Northeastern Brazil. Journal of Herpetology, 54(1), 9.
  6. Ortega, J. (2021). Going underground: short- and long-term movements may reveal the fossorial spatial ecology of an amphisbaenian. Movement Ecology. 

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[S3E8] Drafting Porcupines into the Best Biome12 Sep 202400:58:32

Possibly the best episode of all time (according to me, Rachel). Allan gives us EVERYTHING. Great science, high quality takes, crying with laughter, investigative reporting and red string conspiracy boards. To what end?? Drafting porcupines, well-known "tree-lovers," into the Best Biome (grasslands). Potentially. Hear us out!

+++ Primary Sources +++

Porcupine Fossils:

Antibiotic Quills:

  • Roze, U., Locke, D. C., & Vatakis, N. (1990). Antibiotic properties of porcupine quills. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 16(3), 725–734. doi:10.1007/bf01016483

Geographic Differences in Behavior:

  • Griesemer, S., R. DeGraaf. 1996. Denning pattern of porcupines, Erithizon dorsatum . Canadian Field Naturalist, 110/4: 634-637.
  • Ilse, L., E. Hellgren. 2001. Demographic and behavioral characteristics of North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) in pinyon-juniper woodlands of Texas. The American Midland Naturalist, 146/2: 329-338.
  • Sweitzer, R., J. Berger. 1992. Size-related effects of predation on habitat use and behavior of porcupines. Ecology, 73: 567-875.

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[S3E7] Bees Know Everything08 Aug 202400:43:45

Bees know more than you. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but they definitely know more than you realize! From complex problem solving to tool use to wing-sparkle navigation, bees illuminate our understanding of insect cognition. In this episode, Nicole invites us to perceive the world as our buzzy, bumbly friends might, in beautifully smooth 240 fps.

Primary Source:

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[S3E6] Sandyland Groupies11 Jul 202400:50:23

Desertification is a major threat to many grasslands, so let's study the best real-world example: The Horqin Grassland, aka the Horqin Sandy Lands. How has this landscape changed over time, what can it teach us about the future of arid grasslands, and which approaches by Inner Mongolia and China to fight desertification give us hope? We love a hopeful story, and this certainly is one.

Primary Sources:

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[S3E5] Better National Symbols13 Jun 202401:09:50

We get patriotic (kinda) in this special episode where all three hosts work together to petition for new national symbols for the US of A. New floral emblem, new national symbol, and a brand new category all-together. Why do we love non-native national symbols? Who knows. Do better, America.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

  • As if this silly episode could have any. Do let us know who picked the best emblem though.

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[S3E4] Goat Antelope Knife Fight09 May 202400:58:27

The fastest land animal in North America, second fastest in the world: the graceful, wonderful, pronghorn. Nicole shares all the reasons these icons of the American prairie are truly the best from their evolutionary history to their epic stare battles between each other and rump flashes to warn of predators.

Primary Sources:

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[S3E3] (Patas) Monkeying Around With Ants11 Apr 202400:53:51

Patas Monkeys are weird little guys with fabulous mustaches and very intricate relationships with a special tree on the African savannah. We talk acacias, ants, and the Lorax as Allan tries to make Nicole love just a single primate.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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Bonus! Power of Fire: Kindred Podcast09 Apr 202401:04:53

This is a special podcast swap episode where we host Kindred Podcast's Power of Fire episode. Learn about the history of fire, how it shapes the landscape and people that live there.

Speakers: Tony Incashola Jr., forest manager for CSKT (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), and Stephanie Gillin, information and education program manager and former wildlife biologist for the CSKT at the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Kindred Podcast hosts: Kate and Jen. Producer: Kat Gatti.

Primary Sources:

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[S3E2] Sickle Claw Seriema14 Mar 202401:00:54

The long-legged, sickle claw wielding seriema is a wonderful bird that provides insight into the extinct terror birds of old. Rachel explains the link between past and present and we ponder whether or not scientists ever bother actually looking at birds.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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[S3E1] Embrace Winter (Wood Bison)08 Feb 202400:53:58

The conservation story of Canada's polar-vortex-loving Wood Bison is one of colossal mistakes, stacked odds, and (to our gleeful surprise) hope and optimism. These animals have survived drowning, disease, and hybridization, and have gone on to... success? Allan explores this topic in today's episode.

Primary Sources:

2018 Wood Bison Recovery Strategy (SARA Series) https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/recovery-strategies/wood-bison-2018.html#toc11

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[S2E23] Bundle Up and Bird!26 Nov 202301:02:30

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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[S2E22] The Best Cryptid30 Oct 202300:56:22

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.

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[S2E21] Grasshopper Mice: Small but Fierce03 Aug 202301:01:57

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:

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[S2E20] Sneeze if You Love Painted Dogs20 Jul 202301:02:46

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:

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[S2E19] 1 Lie, 2 Truths, 3 Idiots06 Jul 202301:00:47

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.

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[S2E18] Paramo's Strongest: Hummingbirds22 Jun 202301:03:05

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:

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[S2E17] Murderous Meerkats08 Jun 202300:52:50

Did you know meerkats are far more murderous than they seem or that their burrows can be as wide as a Purple Worm's? All this and more as we delve underground and find out why they can be so aggressive and who would win in a fight: 1000 meerkats or Nicole.

Primary Sources:

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Merch Store!

[S2E16] Good Vibes Only25 May 202300:58:17

Conservation can be DEPRESSING, so for Mental Health Month we decided to share ONLY positive news and stories (after taking a little break for our brains). Rewire those neurons everybody, because it's not all bleak.

Good news so far in May:

Good news deep dives:

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[S2E15] The Best of Nest (A DEFINITIVE LIST)27 Apr 202301:22:54

Wherein Rachel makes a definitive list of best bird nests in North American grasslands.

Primary Sources:

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[S2E14] Ostrich: Winner Takes All (of the Children)13 Apr 202301:01:26

Ostriches are one of the strangest birds we've ever talked about. They are the world's biggest bird and toughest survivor. They nest together, have radiators for necks, and can drink saltwater.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

  • "Strangest Bird Alive". 2016. National Geographic. Documentary.
  • Schou, M.F., Bonato, M., Engelbrecht, A. et al. Extreme temperatures compromise male and female fertility in a large desert bird. Nat Commun 12, 666 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-20937-7
  • Knut Schmidt-Nielsen, John Kanwisher, Robert C. Lasiewski, Jerome E. Cohn, William L. Bretz, Temperature Regulation and Respiration in the Ostrich, The Condor, Volume 71, Issue 4, 1 October 1969, Pages 341–352, https://doi.org/10.2307/1365733

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[S2E13] Soil: The Best Microbiome30 Mar 202301:07:05

Soils define habitats as much as the plantlife, so let's talk about that! How do you identify a soil species, and should grassland ecosystem restorations include soil microbe transplants?

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

  • Prairie: A Natural History of the Heart of North America by Candace Savage [Affiliate Bookshop Link]
  • Current and Future Perspectives on Microbially Focused Restoration Strategies in Tallgrass Prairies: [Link]

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[S2E12] Harris's Sparrow: They were here the whole time.16 Mar 202300:53:27

Basic midwest feeder bird or mysterious exotic tundra sparrow? Actually, both! Harris's Sparrows, one of the most enigmatic North American sparrows, are about to travel well out of reach into the remote frigid north, so let's gossip about them before they're gone. Only a handful of studies have been done with this species, and to this day we lack pretty basic Breeding Bird Survey information about their populations.

Primary Sources:

  • Norment, C. J., S. A. MacDougall-Shackleton, D. J. Watt, P. Pyle, and M. A. Patten (2020). Harris's Sparrow(Zonotrichia querula ), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.harspa.01

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[S2E11] Native Gardens: How to become better than your neighbors.02 Mar 202301:09:12

If you haven't started thinking about your gardens yet, now is the perfect time to get started planning. Nicole walks us through gardening for native habitats, wildlife, and how to get your neighbors on board too.

Photos and more are at our site.

Further Reading:

  • Find out more about Bee City Wichita at our website
  • Dyck Arboretum of the Plains "Prairie Notes" blog
  • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, wildflower.org - database of US plants
  • GrowNative.org - database with lower Midwest focus
  • FloraVeg.eu - Europe native plant/habitat database

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[S2E10] Prairie Voles: The Grassland is for Lovers16 Feb 202300:56:01

A wholesome episode about secure love, forming bonds under stress, and human connection through the lens of a grasslands specialist: the prairie vole.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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[S2E9] Baboons: A Grasslands Primate03 Feb 202301:09:31

So many monkeys that are forest dwellers, but baboons as a group are ground-dwelling grasslanders whose habitat use and social structure might help us learn about our own hominid ancestors. In this episode, Allan combines ecology and anthropology to discuss some grasslands monkeys.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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[S2E8] Chamois: ChamWOW!19 Jan 202301:06:25

The chamois is a goat-antelope from the rolling alpine meadow scenery of European mountains, and today's episode is a straightforward peek into the idyllic life of this animal that's (for once) doing alright! Unless you count the mandatory 7 years of grizzled aging in the mountains and their shrinking body masses. (I don't!)

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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[S2E7] Prairie Crayfish: like prairie dogs with extra legs05 Jan 202301:02:49

Yank your concept of crayfish out of the water. In this episode, Nicole walks us through one of her favorite arthropod groups and makes a pretty good case for why prairie lovers should love these little crustaceans that burrow deep into the prairie. She also makes us rethink crayfish boils forever.

Primary Sources:

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[S2E6] African Savannas 10122 Dec 202201:00:01

In this episode, Rachel goes down the opposite of a rabbit hole as we discuss a single widely-cited paper from 2018. Take a look at Africa's savanna plants and what their adaptations mean for conservation, human impacts, and climate change across the continent.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

  • Osborne, C. P., Charles-Dominique, T., Stevens, N., Bond, W. J., Midgley, G., & Lehmann, C. E. (2018). Human impacts in African savannas are mediated by plant functional traits. New Phytologist, 220(1), 10–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15236

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[S2E5] Bumblelove: why bumblebees matter more than honeybees08 Dec 202201:29:00

Have an existential crisis about the inner lives of bees with us! In this episode, Nicole attempts to teach us a few things about bumblebees while under constant antagonization to slander honeybees. This overview of bumblebees tumbles into some very specific studies on energy, cognition and learning, and even play behaviors for this big bumbly group of native social bees.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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[S2E4] Henslow's Sparrow: Lifestyles of the Secretive and Soggy24 Nov 202200:53:25

What does the American South and the Tallgrass Prairie have in common? Their grasslands support an elusive little grassland specialist that the old timey ornithologists roast way too hard: the Henslow's Sparrow. In this episode we explore the beloved longleaf pine savannas of the southern US, and ask why a little grassland sparrow who hates trees chooses to spend its winters among the longleaf pines.

Photos and more are at our site.

Primary Sources:

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[S2E3] Patagonian Mara: Helicopter Mates17 Nov 2022

This rabbity rodent of South America's grasslands is a common sight in zoos, but has one of the strangest social structures we've talked about in mammals. What makes this strictly monogamous-til-death, pair-bonded, troupe-travelling mammal SO antisocial? How does that work, and what else have we been missing all this time? Nicole shares about the Patagonian Mara (Cavy) in this episode of The Best Biome.

Thanks for listening!

Primary Sources: Photos and more at our site!

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[S2E2] Hyenas: Savage Stinky Scavengers19 Feb 202201:31:16

CW: we talk about animal genitalia in this episode in the last 30 mins (it's hard to avoid with hyenas)

Hyenas have historically been painted in a pretty negative light, only for recent PR teams to praise their strong women leaders, successful hunts, and sophisticated societies. And while we're all for praising the underdog, a lot of recent media is half truths. Let's all learn to appreciate them for what they are: rowdy stinky scavengers.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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[S2E1] Buff-necked Ibis: The Noble Bin Chicken03 Feb 202201:13:13

We are always fans of highlighting underappreciated animals and this week we tackle the ibis. Bin chicken or noble alarm clock? You decide. One thing's for sure: their poop is a problem. Thank you to our guest this week: Allan Saylor!

Thanks for listening, we'll see you again in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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[S1E25] Disease-ridden Bloodsuckers28 Oct 202101:04:13

Content Warning: talk of blood. The last of our "spooky"-themed episodes, let's talk about ticks! How do they feed, what kind of diseases do they carry, and how best to prevent getting sick from them. Did you know there are over 900 species of ticks and they live quite literally everywhere? Well, now you do. Be safe out there.

Thanks for listening to our exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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[S1E24] Vultures: Bring Out Your Dead (Part 2)14 Oct 202101:14:32

Content Warning: talk of dead things (not graphic). Old World Vultures have a different set of tricks in order to survive including eating fruit, bones, and garbage. We talk Bearded Vultures, Eurasian Griffons, and more in this part two of our vulture special.

http://savebellbowlprairie.org - save this Illinois prairie by Nov. 1st! Included is more information on the prairie itself as well as easy actions to take in the next two weeks. Please share to bring awareness before it's too late!

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Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  • Eurasian Griffons at a feeding station (video).
  • Barcell, M., Benítez, J. R., Solera, F., Román, B., & Donázar, J. A. (2015). Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) Uses Stone-Throwing to Break into a Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus) Egg. Journal of Raptor Research, 49(4), 521–522. https://doi.org/10.3356/rapt-49-04-521-522.1
  • Margalida, A., Schulze-Hagen, K., Wetterauer, B., Domhan, C., Oliva-Vidal, P., & Wink, M. (2020). What do minerals in the feces of Bearded Vultures reveal about their dietary habits? Science of The Total Environment, 138836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138836
  • Negro, J. J., Grande, J. M., Tella, J. L., Garrido, J., Hornero, D., Donázar, J. A., … Barcell, M. (2002). An unusual source of essential carotenoids. Nature, 416(6883), 807–808. https://doi.org/10.1038/416807a
  • Winkler, D. W., S. M. Billerman, and I.J. Lovette (2020). Hawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.accipi1.01 (edited)

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[S1E23] Vultures: Bring Out Your Dead (Part 1)08 Oct 202101:18:41

Content Warning: talk of corpses and the eating of them. Vultures are nasty birds which cleanse the landscape of death and disease. In this part of our first ever two part episode we learn about the New World vultures from North and South America and how they fit into their landscapes and interact with each other. Next time: Old World vultures!

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week for part two!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

  • Zepeda Mendoza, M. L., Roggenbuck, M., Manzano Vargas, K., Hansen, L. H., Brunak, S., Gilbert, M. T. P., & Sicheritz-Pontén, T. (2018). Protective role of the vulture facial skin and gut microbiomes aid adaptation to scavenging. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 60(1). doi:10.1186/s13028-018-0415-3
  • Winkler, D. W., S. M. Billerman, and I.J. Lovette (2020). New World Vultures (Cathartidae), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, B. K. Keeney, P. G. Rodewald, and T. S. Schulenberg, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.

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[S1E22] Vampiric Plants16 Sep 202100:51:49

If you ever find yourself staring at a tangle of orange spaghetti in a grassland, it's probably a dodder plant. These talented, strange parasites have no leaves or roots, but plenty of other tricks to make sure that they succeed. Learn about plant communication systems, haustoria, plus a bonus fun tale of a maiden in a prairie looking for love.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site.

  1. Dodder management guidelines. University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources.
  2. Penn State. 2018. Agricultural parasite takes control of host plant's genes. Science X Network.
  3. Shen, G., Liu, N., et at. 2020. _Cuscuta australis_ (dodder) parasite eavesdrops on the host plants’ FT signals to flower. PNAS 117(3).
  4. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. 2017. Dodder: A parasite involved in the plant alarm system. Science Daily.

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[S1E21] Chasing the Summer02 Sep 202100:48:38

A raptor like no other crosses 20,000km across hemispheres every year, chasing summer and bugs and grasslands through the Americas. The Swainson's Hawk is a spectacle, and we're grateful to have them fighting on our side in the looming grasshopper apocalypse.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time!

Primary Sources:

  • Bechard, M. J., C. S. Houston, J. H. Sarasola, and A. S. England (2020). Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (A. F. Poole, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.swahaw.01
  • Bird Names for Birds; William Swainson

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[S1E20] Grasshopper Grazing20 Aug 202101:00:32

How can grasshoppers save the world? By doing what they do best: eating. But too many grasshoppers might end us all so keep that in mind the next time you turn your nose up at entomophagy.

Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time!

Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!

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