The Critter Shed

...or, as we really wanted to call this episode: LOCK UP YOUR PUSSIES!We've been wanting to have a conversation about domestic cats, the amount of wildlife they kill every year, and why they really REALLY should be kept indoors. And here it is.It's a gentle conversation, though, led by the gorgeous Ted, Colette's charismatic feline companion.AND, we have a very special after-hours tour of Colette's own critter shed, i.e. the place she calls home. And holy crap, it's quite a place and full of HUGE animals... Further reading:Some info here and here on cats and their impact on wildlife.If you want to see Ted strutting his majestic stuff on a leash, click here to have a look at Ted's own YouTube channel "Science With Ted". It's a series of short science videos hosted by Ted and Colette. Great for kids of all ages.And don't forget to hit us up on our various channels with questions, queries or things you'd like us to get nerdy about.FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheCritterShedDUB/TWITTER: @crittershedpodEMAIL: [email protected]:Podington: Ant Farm, Curious, Samara, Tuxes, NetherlandPresented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella, with #ScienceCatTedProduced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Part 2 of our chat with herpetologist Rob Gandola. This time we're tackling the thorny issue of the rights and wrongs of keeping exotic pets and the unregulated pet trade.With cameos by tubular and amazing slow worms (who have been unfairly associated with hippies in the west of Ireland) and a couple of media-friendly frogs from Collie's shed.Here's a bit of reading from National Geographic on the - at times horrific - history of the global exotic pet trade.Music: Podington (Curious, Algo Rhythm, Chauncy).Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella, with herpetologist Rob Gandola.Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're getting nerdy about amphibians with stories of exploding toads (yup, for real), pirate frogs (aaaarrr... yup, for real), as well as why there's an amphibian die-off right now and what small things you can do to help frogs recover.Our victim... er, guest this week is amphibian-nerd extraordinaire Rob Gandola of the Herpetological Society of Ireland.Part 1 of a two-part chat.Further reading:This is the story of the exploding Teutonic toads.Music:Podington: Curious, Algo Rhythm, Chauncy.And don't forget to hit us up on our various channels with questions, queries or things you'd like us to get nerdy about.FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheCritterShedDUB/TWITTER: @crittershedpodEMAIL: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we chat to Collie's cousin Dr. Stephanie Maher about the lonely, busy and fascinating lives of solitary bees. We also hear about the wondrous bee orchids, who imitate the seductive end of a female bee to encourage pollination.Also, if you want to find out how you can help bees to thrive, we have some very helpful hints. Here's a quick one: embrace your weeds! They're just badly labelled plants and they're are important food sources for bees and other insects.Further reading:Click on pollinators.ie to find out everything you need to know about bees and how to provide for them, even if you only have a balcony.And get a load of these GORGEOUS bee orchids.Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella, with Dr. Stepanie Maher.Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.Photo image:Creative commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solitary_bee.jpg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Weird, tubular animals or geniuses of evolution? While Collie feeds his various constrictors, we hear how snakes are THE ultimate survivors.The can unhinge their jaws to swallow enormous prey items. They also have wily ways with their windpipes that stops them suffocating when ingesting a huge meal. And, when it comes to defending themselves, they have some stinky weapons up their, er, sleeves.Oh, and they have two penises. Seriously.Snakes rock.And don't forget to hit us up with any critter-related questions:FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheCritterShedDUB/TWITTER: @crittershedpodEMAIL: [email protected] reading:Have a look at this great BBC video that shows how a snake breathes while eating a huge meal.Check out this mad video about the ancient, ginormous Titanoboa snake.Herpetological Society of Ireland website: https://thehsi.org/Music:Podington: Curious, Algo Rhythm, Chauncy.The Critter Shed is produced by Red Hare Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Booty calls, bed-hopping and badger housekeeping tips!Join Collie and Colette as badger expert Dr. Aoibheann Gaughran reveals the saucy sex lives of a group of wild badgers in Co. Wicklow, Ireland.Aoibheann has been studying a family of badgers in Co. Wicklow for a number of years, and in this episode we visit an enchanted glade (seriously, it felt like that at the time) where she tells us about their extraordinary lives.Badgers are shy, reclusive, and just plain old gorgeous animals, and so often misunderstood. Aoibheann eloquently debunks much of the crap that's disseminated about these creatures and - The Critter Shed crew wagers a pint on it - she'll make you fall in love with them on the way.We adore this one.FURTHER READING:Read more about Dr Aoibhean Gaughran's work on Super-Rangers badgers. Watch the RTÉ Living The Wildlife Episode made by Collin Stafford-Johnson about the badger research project mentioned in this episode.Music:  Podington BearTracks:  Samara and CuriousBADGER IMAGE:Killianwoods [Public domain]Licensed under a Creative Commons license.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Badger(UO).jpg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Collie delves into his new collection of epic, carnivorous horned frog tadpoles, what we lovingly call GIANT PIRANHA SPERM!!!Find out about one of the world's most amazingly adapted amphibians that can go from barely fertilized egg to fully functioning, HUGE froglets in just over two weeks - the Ferraris of the frog world!Presented by The Critter Shed crew, Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella, and a tank full of ravenous tadpoles.Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.Follow us on social media to track the tadpoles' progress:Twitter: @CritterShedPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCritterShedDUB/Read more about these fascinating creatures here and here. Music: Podington Bear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are Collie and Colette lurking in a suburban park under cover of darkness wearing head torches and carrying a boom pole?The Critter Shed goes WILD in search of.... newts!Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare MediaShare your wildlife stories with us, ask us questions about wildlife or tell us what you'd like us to chat about on the podcast:Twitter -  @crittershedpodFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheCritterShedDUB/Music by Podington.Read more about Ireland's gorgeous smooth newts here and here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Colette and Collie delve into the world of these fascinating arachnids where we hear about their history on Earth, their hunting methods and very odd love lives.AND, Colette has a very unusual, VERY close encounter with a male Asian forest scorpion.Further reading:Read more about scorpions in this National Geographic article.More information on the Egyptian scorpion goddess Serket here.This is what the goddess Serket looks like: https://www.ancient.eu/image/4695/serket-statue/Music:Artist:   Podingon BearTracks: Sunset, Curious, Algo Rhythm Natural Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features The Great Cockroach Challenge where Collie & Colette search for the beauty and majesty in cockroaches. Collie shows Colette his cockchafer (beetle), and we find out why insect numbers are dropping like flies and how we can all help them recover. It's a cock-a-doodle of a show.Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.Further reading:How to save our bugs! The GuardianMore about the cockchafer.Music: Podington Bear.Tracks: Curious,  Firefly, Netherland, Samara, Bell Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wanted to visit a frog orgy? Or take a trip to Mexico to meet the local salamanders and the nuns who are helping save them from extinction? (Get this: it involves holy salamander juice!)If so, this is the episode for you.And if not, tag along regardless because it's a cracker of a journey.Join Collie Ennis & Colette Kinsella in the critter shed as they delve into the world of these two amazing, amorous amphibians.Produced by Red Hare MediaPresented by Collie Ennis & Colette KinsellaFurther reading:Read about the nuns who breed endangered salamanders in Mexico.Find out how Chester Zoo in the UK is working to save the rare Lake Pátzcuaro salamander from extinction.Read about citizen science and how you can get involved.Music:Artist: PodingtonTracks: 'Curious', 'Dimmy', 'Sunset', 'Netherland' and 'Bell Club'.Image:Mexican axolotl photograph: copyright Colette Kinsella Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, you think you have free will, right? Well, have we got news for you! As it turns out, many of our actions - from what we wear, to how we drive, or even to our business skills - may be controlled by microscopic parasites.Today in the shed Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella chat with passionate parasitologist Maureen Williams of Trinity College Dublin about fungi that control their hosts like puppets on a string, crustaceans that bite off and replace their hosts' tongues, and parasitic wasps that feast on the fresh meat of their still-living hosts.Latch on and listen in!Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette KinsellaA Red Hare Media production.Music:Artist: PodingtonTracks: 'Curious' and 'Sunset'The accompanying image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gtzecosan/16424898321/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A milky session in the critter shed where Colette and Collie find out how some animals nourish their young without nipples - from lactating spiders and frogs who feed their tadpoles in the treetops, to sharks whose young fight to the death in utero.You’d be a right tit to miss this one.The Critter Shed. A podcast with legs… and without nipples.Produced by Red Hare Media.Music:Podington Bear - CuriousPodington Bear - FireflyPodington Bear - Bell ClubFurther reading:Lactating spiders: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/spiders-nurse-young-with-milk-lactation-arachnids/How the supercontinent Pangea was created: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYD2Ee5ABYEShark pups and in utero competition: https://www.livescience.com/29198-shark-embryos-cannibalize-others.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Ridin'" is an Irish colloquial term for "sex".Science research associate Collie Ennis and audio producer Colette Kinsella meet in the critter shed to talk about the saucy (and sad) world of spider sex, where your first act of procreation might be your last. We also find out what it feels like to fall victim to a venom-packing tarantula, and why spiders are your friends (no, really, they are).A podcast with legs. In a shed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you like learning about the weird and wonderful side of nature - about things like spider sex, venom-toting frogs, mind-controlling parasites, and more - then this is the podcast for you!Coming at you fortnightly from 15th January 2019.Oh, and it's in a shed.With Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.Produced by Red Hare Media.http://podcast.thecrittershed.net/Subscribe where you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.