Bad at Goodbyes

Northern River Terrapin :: Batagur baska

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 071

On today’s show we learn about the Northern River Terrapin, a critically endangered reptile native to South Asia, in the Sundarbans, in the Ganges River Delta in India and Bangladesh. Its scientific name is Batagur baska and it was first described in 1830.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (26:50) Citations
4. (28:55) Music
5. (35:39) Pledge

For more information about Northern River Terrapin conservation please see the People’s Trust for Endangered Species at https://ptes.org/grants/worldwide-projects/northern-river-terrapins/

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. Alam, Md. Shafiul, Nasrin Sultana Bristy, Mohammad Firoj Jaman, A. S. M. Morshed, Md. Shariar Rahman, Ebtesamul Haque Mim, and S. M. Mahbubul Alam. 2021. "Feeding Ecology and Growth Performance of the Critically Endangered Batagur baska in Captivity." Herpetological Conservation and Biology 16 (2): 452–460. – https://www.herpconbio.org/contents_vol16_issue2.html
2. Balan Raveendran, A., Nath, A., Ahmad, A., Das, A. (2025). Conservation Strategies for Northern River Terrapin Batagur baska: Habitat Assessment and Reintroduction prospects. Global Ecology and Conservation. 62. e03763. – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03763
3. Davenport, John, Tat Meng Wong, and John East. 1992. "Feeding and digestion in the omnivorous estuarine turtle Batagur baska (Gray)." Herpetological Journal 2 (4): 133–139 – https://www.thebhs.org/publications/the-herpetological-journal/volume-2-number-4-october-1992/1298-06-feeding-and-digestion-in-the-omnivorous-estuarine-turtle-batagur-baska-gray
4. Dedieu, A., Scherzer, N., Paumann T., Morshed A.G.J., Weissenbacher A., Walzer C., and Preininger, D. "Camera Traps Provide First Insights into the Nesting Behavior of the Critically Endangered Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska)," Chelonian Conservation and Biology 22(1), 46-57, (14 March 2023). – https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1543.1
5. Jorgewich-Cohen, G., Wheatley, M., Gaspar, L., Praschag, P., Lubberink, N., Ming, K., Rodriguez, N. and Ferrara, C. (2024), Prehatch Calls and Coordinated Birth in Turtles. Ecology and Evolution, 14: e70410. – https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70410
6. Kumar, A., Sharma, A., Negi, N. et al. Unveiling the contemporary genetic diversity and population demography of the critically endangered northern river terrapin (Batagur baska) in the sundarbans. Molecular Biology Reports 53, 48 (2026). – https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-025-11208-5
7. Mim, Ebtisamul Zannat, Mohammad Firoj Jaman, AGJ Morshed, Md Mahabub Alam, and Nasrin Akter Bristy. 2022. “Breeding Biology of Northern River Terrapin Batagur Baska in Captivity in Bangladesh”. Dhaka University Journal of Biological Sciences 31(1):67-78. – https://doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v31i1.57917
8. Nawani, S., Balan Raveendran, A., Bashir, A., Kolipakam, V., Das, A., Mondol, S. (2025). Assessment of critically endangered Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska) phylogeny through next-generation sequencing-based mitogenome analyses. bioRxiv 2025.02.03.636247. – https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.03.636247
9. People’s Trust for Endangered Species – https://ptes.org/grants/worldwide-projects/northern-river-terrapins/
10. Praschag, P. & Singh, S. 2019. Batagur baska. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T97358453A2788691. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T97358453A2788691.en
11. Spitzweg, C., Praschag, P., DiRuzzo, S., Fritz, U. (2018). Conservation genetics of the northern river terrapin (Batagur baska) breeding project using a microsatellite marker system. Salamandra, 54(1), 63–70. – http://www.salamandra-journal.com/index.php/contents/2018-vol-54?category[0]=95
12. Sundarban Tiger Reserve. (2023). Annual Report 2022–23. Directorate of Forests, Government of West Bengal. – https://sundarbantigerreserve.org/web/pdf/an_report/2022_23_annual_report.pdf
13. Weissenbacher, A., Preininger, D., Ghosh, R., Morshed, A.G.J. and Praschag, P. (2015), Vienna Zoo & Bangladesh: Northern River Terrapin Conservation. International Zoo Yearbook. 49: 31-41. – https://doi.org/10.1111/izy.12070
14. Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_river_terrapin

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.

Canelillo :: Pleodendron costaricense

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 070

On today’s show we learn about the Canelillo, a critically endangered broadleaf evergreen rainforest tree native to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica in Central America. Its scientific name is Pleodendron costaricense and it was first described in 2005.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (21:02) Citations
4. (22:57) Music
5. (27:41) Pledge

For more information about Canelillo conservation see Osa Conservation at https://osa-arboretum.org.

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. Bezanson S, Curtis S, Mata-Quiros M, Mata-Quiros MJ, Durst T (2024) Phytochemistry of the Fruit of the Critically Endangered Tree Pleodendron Costaricense (Canellaceae). JSM Environmental Science and Ecology 12(1): 1091. – https://www.jscimedcentral.com/jounal-article-info/JSM-Environmental-Science-and-Ecology/Phytochemistry-of-the-Fruit-of-the-Critically-Endangered-Tree-Pleodendron-Costaricense-(Canellaceae)--11736#
2. Endress, P. K. (2010). The evolution of floral biology in basal angiosperms. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365(1539), 411–421. – https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0228
3. Hammel, Barry E., and Nelson A. Zamora. 2005. "Pleodendron costaricense (Canellaceae), a New Species for Costa Rica." Lankesteriana 5 (3): 211–218. – https://doi.org/10.15517/lank.v5i3.19758
4. Mata, M., & Calvo Guerrero, M. Preformulación teórica de un producto natural antifúngico a partir de extractos obtenidos de las hojas del árbol Pleodendron costaricense. Revista Ciencia Y Salud, 6(6). – https://doi.org/10.34192/cienciaysalud.v6i6.554
5. Müller, Sebastian, Karsten Salomo, Jackeline Salazar, Julia Naumann, M. Alejandra Jaramillo, Christoph Neinhuis, Taylor S. Feild, and Stefan Wanke. 2015. "Intercontinental Long-Distance Dispersal of Canellaceae from the New to the Old World Revealed by a Nuclear Single Copy Gene and Chloroplast Loci." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 84 (March): 205–19. – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.12.010
6. Osa Arboretum. n.d. "Pleodendron costaricense." – https://osa-arboretum.org/plant/pleodendron-costaricense/
7. Pillco Huarcaya R, López Morales M, Álvarez-Alcázar L, Whitworth A. The First Ex-Situ Germination and Dispersal Mechanisms of the Rare, Critically Endangered Tree, Pleodendron costaricense. Tropical Conservation Science. 15 (1). 2022.– https://doi.org/10.1177/19400829221104572
8. Rivers, M.C. 2019. Pleodendron costaricense. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T136055038A136055040. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T136055038A136055040.en
9. Roque, Roger Moya; Salazar, Manuel Morales; Wiemann, Michael C.; Alvarez, Luis Poveda. 2007. Wood anatomy of Pleodendron costaricense (Canellaceae) from Southern Pacific, Costa Rica. Brenesia. Vol. 68 (2007): p. 25-28. - https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/documnts/pdf2007/fpl_2007_roque001.pdf
10. Smith, Paul. 2021. “The Need for Horticulturist Expertise in Plant Conservation: Challenges and Opportunities”. Sibbaldia: The International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, no. 20 (June): 45-56. – https://doi.org/10.24823/Sibbaldia.2021.316
11. Zimmer, Elizabeth A., Y Suh, and Kenneth G Karol. 2012. “Phylogenetic Placement of a Recently Described Taxon of the Genus Pleodendron (Canellaceae).” Phytologia 94 (3): 404--412. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/184468

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.

Slender-billed Vulture :: Gyps tenuirostris

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 069

On today’s show we learn about the Slender-billed Vulture, a critically endangered avian raptor, a bird of prey, native to South and Southeast Asia, specifically Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. Its scientific name is Gyps tenuirostris and it was first described in 1844.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (27:51) Citations
4. (29:43) Music
5. (37:03) Pledge

For more information about Slender-billed Vulture conservation please see Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction at https://save-vultures.org.

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. BirdLife International. 2021. Gyps tenuirostris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22729460A204781113. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22729460A204781113.en
2. BirdLife International (2021). Species factsheet: Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris. – https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/slender-billed-vulture-gyps-tenuirostris 25/02/2026
3. del Hoyo, J., N. Collar, and J. S. Marks (2020). Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.– https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.slbvul1.01
4. Hille, Sabine M., Fränzi Korner-Nievergelt, Maarten Bleeker, and Nigel J. Collar. “Foraging Behaviour at Carcasses in an Asian Vulture Assemblage: Towards a Good Restaurant Guide.” Bird Conservation International 26, no. 3 (2016): 263–72. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270915000349
5. Jackson, A. L., Ruxton, G. D., & Houston, D. C. (2008). The effect of social facilitation on foraging success in vultures: a modelling study. Biology letters, 4(3), 311–313. – https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2008.0038
6. Mundy, P. J., 2022. Measurements and shape of the Slender-billed Vulture Gyps tenuirostris. Indian BIRDS 18 (3): 82–85. – https://indianbirds.in/vol-18-no-3/
7. The Peregrine Fund. n.d. “Slender-billed Vulture.” Explore Raptors. – https://peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/vultures/slender-billed-vulture
8. Prakash, Vibhu, Hemant Bajpai, Soumya S. Chakraborty, Manan Singh Mahadev, John W. Mallord, Nikita Prakash, Sachin P. Ranade, Rohan N. Shringarpure, Christopher G. R. Bowden, and Rhys E. Green. “Recent Trends in Populations of Critically Endangered Gyps Vultures in India.” Bird Conservation International 34 (2024): e1. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270923000394
9. Ranade, Sachin P. 2025. “Time Activity Budget of White-Rumped Vulture and Slender-Billed Vulture During Breeding in Captivity.” bioRxiv. – https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.09.693217
10. Sound Recording by Phil Gregory. 2024. Xeno-Canto. XC899521 – xeno-canto.org/899521
11. Virani, M., P.C. Benson, M. Gilbert, and S. Thomsett. 2004. A survey of the reproductive activities at some Gyps vulture nests in Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Ranthambhore National Parks, India, in the 2002/2003 breeding season. Pages 263-268 in R.D. Chancellor and B.-U. Meyburg (Eds.) Raptors Worldwide. World Working Group on Birds of Prey and Owls, Berlin and MME/BirdLife Hungary, Budapest. – https://assets.peregrinefund.org/docs/pdf/research-library/2004/2004-Virani-vultures.pdf
12. Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender-billed_vulture
13. Wildlife Institute of India (2018). National Studbook of Gyps Vultures (Gyps bengalensis, G. indicus and G. tenuirostris), Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi.TR. No2018/38 Pages: 142. – https://cza.nic.in/uploads/documents/studbooks/hindi/Gyps%20Vultures%20(Gyps%20spp).pdf

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.

Caroline's Pink :: Stenandrium carolinae

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 068

On today’s show we learn about the Caroline's Pink, a critically endangered flowering herbaceous perennial plant native to North Caicos and Middle Caicos, islands in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean region, in the Atlantic Ocean. Its scientific name is Stenandrium carolinae and it was first described in 1960.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (20:16) Citations
4. (22:18) Music
5. (28:28) Pledge

For more information about conservation on the Turks and Caicos islands please see the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum at https://www.ukotcf.org.

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. Earle-Mundil, H., Manco, B., Hamilton, M. & Clubbe, C. 2012. Stenandrium carolinae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T16726348A16727210. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T16726348A16727210.en
2. Franck, Alan R., and Thomas F. Daniel. 2015. "Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Notes on Six Genera of Acanthaceae in the West Indies." Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Series 4, 62 (10): 309–29. – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285235613_Taxonomic_and_Nomenclatural_Notes_on_Six_Genera_of_Acanthaceae_in_the_West_Indies
3. Institute for Regional Conservation. n.d. "Stenandrium carolinae." Plants of the Bahama Archipelago. – https://regionalconservation.org/ircs/database/plants/PlantPageBAH.asp?TXCODE=Stencaro
4. Leonard, Emery C. 1960. "Acanthaceae Americanae Novae vel Criticae." Wrightia 2: 75–82. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/766031
5. Long, Robert W. 1970. “The Genera of Acanthaceae in the Southeastern United States.” Journal of the Arnold Arboretum 51 (3): 257--309. – https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.7043.
6. May, Christopher, Samuel Pike, Katie Medcalf, B. Naqqi Manco, Dodly Prosper, and Junel Blaise. 2024. "Conservation and Resilience." Times of the Islands, Spring 2024. – https://www.timespub.tc/2024/03/conservation-and-resilience/
7. Pelembe, T., and G. Cooper, eds. UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: 2011 Biodiversity Snapshot. Peterborough, UK: Joint Nature Conservation Committee, 2011. – https://jncc.gov.uk/resources/e5d8c245-e94d-4043-b1b8-f353c27cd9b4#ot-biodiversity2011-turks-caicos-appendices.pdf
8. Pienkowski, Mike, ed. 2002. Plan for Biodiversity Management and Sustainable Development around Turks & Caicos Ramsar Site. Version 1.00. Turks & Caicos National Trust and UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum. – https://www.ukotcf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/TCIRamsarSiteManPlan.pdf
9. UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum. n.d. "Turks and Caicos Islands." – https://www.ukotcf.org.uk/wider-caribbean/turks-and-caicos-islands/
10. Sanchez, Michele Dani, Bryan Naqqi Manco, Junel Blaise, Marcella Corcoran, Martin Allen Hamilton. 2019. "Conserving and Restoring the Caicos Pine Forests: The First Decade." Plant Diversity 41 (2): 75–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2018.05.002

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.

Macedonian Grayling :: Pseudochazara cingovskii

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 067

On today’s show we learn about the Macedonian Grayling, a critically endangered butterfly native to the white marble mountains of North Macedonia in southeastern Europe. Its scientific name is Pseudochazara cingovskii and it was first described in 1973.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (24:52) Citations
4. (26:43) Music
5. (33:28) Pledge

For more information about protecting species like the Macedonian Grayling from illegal trade please see the International Fund for Animal Welfare at https://www.ifaw.org/.

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. Apelblat, Mose. "How Legal Loopholes Make EU a Destination for Illegal Wildlife Trade." The Brussels Times, October 7, 2025 – https://www.brusselstimes.com/1781595/animal-welfare-how-legal-loopholes-make-eu-a-destination-for-illegal-wildlife-trade
2. Brown, J. 1976. "A Review of the Genus Pseudochazara de Lesse, 1951 (Lep., Satyridae) in Greece." Entomologist's Gazette 27: 85–90. – https://biodiversity.unitir.edu.al/Documenten/Brown_1976_Pseudochazara_tisiphone_amymone.pdf
3. Gullan, P. J., and P. S. Cranston. The Insects: An Outline of Entomology. 5th ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2014. – https://archive.org/details/TheInsectsAnOutlineOfEntomology_201902
4. Institute of Communication Studies. "Nature for Sale." YouTube video, 25:38. Posted by "Дома / Doma," May 7, 2024. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wNzxEW1w3w
5. International Fund for Animal Welfare. "Legal Loopholes Make EU a Prime Destination for Stolen Wildlife Trade." Press release, November 22, 2022. – https://www.ifaw.org/press-releases/legal-loopholes-eu-prime-destination-stolen-wildlife-trade
6. Middleton-Welling, J., Dapporto, L., García-Barros, E. et al. A new comprehensive trait database of European and Maghreb butterflies, Papilionoidea. Scientific Data 7, 351 (2020). – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-020-00697-7
7. Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity of the Republic of Macedonia. Skopje: Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, 2014. https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/mk/mk-nr-05-en.pdf
8. Takáts, Kornél, and Morten Mølgaard. "Partial mtCOI-sequences of Balkanic species of Pseudochazara (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) reveal three well-differentiated lineages." Entomologica romanica 19 (2014): 21–40. – https://entomologica-romanica.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/19_2014_2015/ER1920141504_Takats_et_Molgaard.pdf
9. van Swaay, C., Ellis, S. & Warren, M. 2025. Pseudochazara cingovskii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T160595A841785. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS.T160595A841785.en
10. Verovnik, Rudi & Micevski, Branko & Maes, Dirk & Wynhoff, Irma & Swaay, Chris & Warren, Martin. (2013). Conserving Europe's most endangered butterfly: The Macedonian Grayling (Pseudochazara cingovskii). Journal of Insect Conservation. 17. – https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-013-9576-6
11. Verovnik R, Wiemers M (2016) Species delimitation in the Grayling genus Pseudochazara (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae) supported by DNA barcodes. ZooKeys 600: 131-154. – https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.600.7798
12. Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudochazara_cingovskii

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.

Baishan Fir :: Abies beshanzuensis

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 066

On today’s show we learn about the Baishan Fir, a critically endangered evergreen conifer native to east Asia, specifically the Zhejiang Province in southeastern China, on the slopes of Mt. Baishanzu.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (18:37) Citations
4. (20:20) Music
5. (27:03) Pledge

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. Christian, T. (2021), “Abies beshanzuensis”. Trees and Shrubs Online. – http://treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/abies/abies-beshanzuensis
2. Farm, Wanli Forest, and Chekiang Chingyuan County. "Abies beshanzuensis MH Wu—A new species of Abies from Chekiang." Journal of Systematics and Evolution 14, no. 2 (1976): 15. – https://www.jse.ac.cn/EN/Y1976/V14/I2/15
3. Hu, Rui, Yajing Liu, Jiaxin Zhang, Hua Xing, Sha Jiang, and Yu Liu. 2022. "Auxiliary Seed Treatment Is Necessary to Increase Recruitment of a Critically Endangered Species, Abies beshanzuensis (Pinaceae)". Forests 13, no. 6: 961. – https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060961
4. Hu, X. 2021. Abies beshanzuensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T32318A150298372. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T32318A150298372.en
5. Lifang Zhang, Yougui Wu, Jie Feng, Yang Zhang, Aya Hafsi, Donghao Wu, Jinliang Liu, Boliang Wei, Hongfei Lv, Mingjian Yu. “Obstacles affecting seedling germination and reproductive success of the critically endangered species Abies beshanzuensis.” Global Ecology and Conservation, v. 56, 2024. – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03317
6. Liu, Bin, Ke Liu, Xiaorong Chen, Duohong Xiao, Tingjin Wang, Yang Yang, Hui Shuai, Sumei Wu, Lu Yuan, and Liping Chen. 2023. "Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Interaction of Sugar and Hormone Metabolism Involved in the Root Hair Morphogenesis of the Endangered Fir Abies beshanzuensis" Plants 12, no. 2: 276. - https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020276
7. Liu, K., Xiao, D., Xiong, Y. et al. Grafting enhances growth vigor and photosynthetic capacity in the progeny of critically endangered Abies beshanzuensis. BMC Plant Biology 26, 56 (2026). – https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-07708-y
8. Shao, S., Jin, Z. & Weng, Y.H. “Lignin characteristics of Abies beshanzuensis, a critically endangered tree species”. Journal of Wood Science v. 54, 81–86 (2008). – https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-007-0918-4
9. Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abies_beshanzuensis
10. Yang Ling, Liang Siqi, Pan Jiaming, Wei Jinxin, Ding Tao, Jiang Rihong, Shao Yizhen, Zhang Xianchun, Liu Yongbo, Xiang Qiaoping. “Species classification of endangered plants Baishanzu fir and resource fir and the protection of their genetic resources”. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology v. 47 no.12: 1629-1645. (2023). – https://dx.doi.org/10.17521/cjpe.2022.0295
11. Y.Yang, D.Zhang, D.Luscombe, W-b Liao, A.Farjon, T.Katsuki, Q.Xiang, N.Li and K.Rushforth, 2019, “Abies beshanzuensis”. Threatened Conifers of The World. – https://threatenedconifers.rbge.org.uk/conifers/abies-beshanzuensis
12. Zhao, L., Li, T., Chen, X. et al. Resistance mechanism of Abies beshanzuensis under heat stress was elucidated through the integration of physiological and transcriptomic analyses. BMC Plant Biology 25, 621 (2025). – https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06641-4

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.

Arabian Leopard :: Panthera pardus nimr

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 065

On today’s show we learn about the Arabian Leopard, a critically endangered big cat, a carnivorous feline native to Oman and Yemen.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (26:13) Citations
4. (28:01) Music
5. (32:06) Pledge

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. Al Hikmani, H., Aboalfotooh, A.A.H., Alghafis, S., Almubarak, Z., Baeshen, O., Budd, J., Dunford, C., Ferreira, J.D., Gallacher, E., Mann, G., Shobrak, M. & Spalton, A. 2025. Panthera pardus ssp. nimr (Green Status assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T15958A1595820252. – https://iucnredlist.org/species/15958/274968998
2. Al Hikmani, Hadi, and Khalid Al Hikmani. “Northward Expansion of the Critically Endangered Arabian Leopard in Dhofar, Oman.” Oryx 58, no. 6 (2024): 710–14. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605324001662
3. Al Hikmani, H., Spalton, A., Zafar-ul Islam, M., al-Johany, A., Sulayem, M., Al-Duais, M. & Almalki, A. 2025. Panthera pardus ssp. nimr (amended version of 2024 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T15958A274968998. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS.T15958A274968998.en
4. Alqahtani, Fahad H., Ion I. Măndoiu, Badr M. Al-Shomrani, Sulaiman Al-Hashmi, Fatemeh Jamshidi-Adegani, Juhaina Al-Kindi, Andrzej Golachowski, Barbara Golachowska, Abdulaziz K. Al-Jabri, and Manee M. Manee. 2025. "First Mitogenome of the Critically Endangered Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr)" Animals 15, no. 11: 1562. – https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111562
5. A.M.H. Al-Johany. "Distribution and conservation of the Arabian Leopard Panthera pardus nimr in Saudi Arabia." Journal of Arid Environments. Volume 68, Issue 1, Pages 20-30. 2007. – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.04.002
6. Dunford, Carolyn E., J. Philip B. Faure, Michael D. Ross, J. Andrew Spalton, Marine Drouilly, Kai J.P. Pryce-Fitchen, Ross De Bruin, et al. “Searching for Spots: A Comprehensive Survey for the Arabian Leopard Panthera Pardus Nimr in Saudi Arabia.” Oryx 58, no. 3 (2024): 351–62. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605323000807
7. Panthera – https://panthera.org/blog-post/qa-arabian-leopards, https://panthera.org/arabian-leopard-initiative
8. Spalton, James Andrew, Hadi Musalam al Hikmani, David Willis, and Ali Salim Bait Said. “Critically Endangered Arabian Leopards Panthera Pardus Nimr Persist in the Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve, Oman.” Oryx 40, no. 3 (2006): 287–94. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605306000743
9. Species Survival Commission Cat Specialist Group. Arabian Leopard. 2024. – https://www.catsg.org/arabianleopard
10. Timna, Yotam, and Reuven Yosef. "A historic perspective 1: The diet of the Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) in Israel", Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution 71, 4 (2025): 171-183. – https://doi.org/10.1163/22244662-bja10112
11. Timna, Yotam, and Reuven Yosef. "A historic perspective 2: Scent, Sound, and Space in the extinct Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr) in Israel", Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution 71, 4 (2025): 184-196. – https://doi.org/10.1163/22244662-bja10111
12. Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_leopard

For more information about Arabian Leopard conservation and big cat conservation in general, please see Panthera at https://panthera.org

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.

Hi! Snow and ice this weekend in New York kept me from the studio and from recording this week's episode. We'll be back next week, Feb 4, to learn about the Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr). Till then, let's take care of each other and all of our kin.

Madagascar Banana :: Ensete perrieri

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 064

On today’s show we learn about the Madagascar Banana, a critically endangered flowering plant native to the island nation of Madagascar roughly 250 miles off the southeastern coast of the African mainland.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (21:33) Citations
4. (22:58) Music
5. (29:37) Pledge

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. Allen, R. 2018. Ensete perrieri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T98249345A98249347. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T98249345A98249347.en
2. Allen, Richard; Clarkson, James J; Ralimanana, Hélène (6 July 2018). "The critically endangered Madagascar Banana". Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. - https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/madagascan-banana
3. Borrell, James S et al. “Enset in Ethiopia: a poorly characterized but resilient starch staple.” Annals of Botany v.123, no.5 (2019): 747-766. - https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcy214
4. Grubb, Peter J. “Interpreting some outstanding features of the flora and vegetation of Madagascar.” Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics v.6 no.1-2. p 125-146. 2003. – https://doi.org/10.1078/1433-8319-00046
5. Humbert, H., and Jean-François Leroy. 1936. Flore de Madagascar et Des Comores : Plantes Vasculaires. Tananarive: Imprimerie officielle. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8099122
6. IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Andrefana Dry Forests - 2025 Conservation Outlook Assessment. IUCN World Heritage Outlook. October 11, 2025. – https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/explore-sites/andrefana-dry-forests
7. Musée colonial de Marseille. 1907. Annales du Muśee colonial de Marseille. Vol. ser. 2 v. 7. Marseille: Faculté des sciences de Marseille, Musée colonial. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45311062
8. UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. World Heritage Datasheet: Tsingy De Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve. - http://world-heritage-datasheets.unep-wcmc.org/datasheet/output/site/tsingy-de-Bemaraha-strict-nature-reserve/
9. Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. Madagascar National Parks. - https://parcs-madagascar.com/en/parc/tsingy-de-Bemaraha-2/
10. Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensete_perrieri

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.

Spoon-billed Sandpiper :: Calidris pygmaea

Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 063

On today’s show we learn about the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, a critically endangered migratory avian, a bird native to breeding ground in far northeastern Russia in the Chukotka autonomous district, that migrates to summer in Southeast Asia, in Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar and China.

1. (00:05) Intro
2. (02:05) Species Information
3. (25:24) Citations
4. (27:20) Music
5. (35:19) Pledge

For more information about Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation see the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at https://wwt.org.uk/.

Research for today’s show was compiled from:

1. Animal Diversity Web at the University of Michigan. Labuda, C. 2023. "Eurynorhynchus pygmeus". https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Eurynorhynchus_pygmeus/
2. Bird Conservation International v.20, no. 2 (2010): 95–111. Zöckler, Christoph, Evgeny E. Syroechkovskiy, And Philip W. Atkinson. “Rapid and Continued Population Decline in the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus Pygmeus Indicates Imminent Extinction Unless Conservation Action Is Taken.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270910000316
3. Bird Conservation International v.26, no. 4 (2016): 476–89. Zöckler, Christoph, Alison E. Beresford, Gillian Bunting, Sayam U. Chowdhury, Nigel A. Clark, Vivian Wing Kan Fu, Tony Htin Hla, et al. “The Winter Distribution of the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Calidris Pygmaeus.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270915000295
4. Bird Conservation International v.28, no. 2 (2018): 251–62. Chowdhury, Sayam U., Mohammad Foysal, M Abdullah Abu Diyan, And Sakib Ahmed. “Discovery of an Important Wintering Site of the Critically Endangered Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Calidris Pygmaea in the Meghna Estuary, Bangladesh.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270917000247
5. Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. van Gils, J., P. Wiersma, C. J. Sharpe, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). – https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.spbsan1.01
6. Diversity v. 15, no. 4: 584. Loktionov, Egor Y., Roland A. Digby, Nickolay N. Yakushev, Ivan A. Shepelev, Jodie P. Clements, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Nigel S. Jarrett, Nigel A. Clark, Rhys E. Green, Elena G. Lappo, and et al. 2023. "Evaluating the Impact of Headstarting on the Critically Endangered Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmaea". – https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040584
7. Frontiers in Marine Science. v. 9 (2022). Lu Xiuyuan, Yang Hongyan, Piersma Theunis, Sun Lili, Chen Qing, Jia Yifei, Lei Guangchun, Cheng Li, Rao Xinpeng. ”Food resources for Spoon-billed Sandpipers (Calidris pygmaea) in the mudflats of Leizhou Bay, southern China”. – https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1005327
8. Global Ecology and Conservation Volume 35, 2022, e02077. Pyae Phyo Aung, Graeme M. Buchanan, Philip D. Round, Christoph Zöckler, Chris Kelly, Naruemon Tantipisanuh, George A. Gale. “Foraging microhabitat selection of Spoon-billed Sandpiper in the Upper Gulf of Mottama, Myanmar.” – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02077
9. IUCN – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22693452/154738156
10. Oryx 52, no. 1 (2018): 137–46. Clark, Nigel A., Guy Q. A. Anderson, Jing Li, Evgeny E. Syroechkovskiy, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Christoph Zöckler, Rebecca Lee, and Rhys E. Green. “First Formal Estimate of the World Population of the Critically Endangered Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Calidris Pygmaea.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605316000806
11. Oryx 54, no. 1 (2020): 23–29. Aung, Pyae-Phyo, Saw Moses, Nigel A. Clark, Guy Q.A. Anderson, Geoff M. Hilton, Graeme M. Buchanan, Christoph Zöckler, and Rhys E. Green. “Recent Changes in the Number of Spoon-Billed Sandpipers Calidris Pygmaea Wintering on the Upper Gulf of Mottama in Myanmar.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605318000698
12. Sound Recordings. Xeno-Canto. Jens Kirkeby, XC486596 – http://xeno-canto.org/486596
13. Wader Study. v. 124. 99-104. Kelly, Chris & Zöckler, Christoph & Scampion, Baz & Syroechkovskiy, Evgeny. (2017). Hammer, filter or microphone: How does the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmaea use its bill to feed?. – http://dx.doi.org/10.18194/ws.00076
14. Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust – https://www.wwt.org.uk/our-work/projects/spoon-billed-sandpipers
15. Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon-billed_sandpiper

Please find us on the web at Bad at Goodbyes and on instagram. Please subscribe and rate/review Bad at Goodbyes wherever you listen to podcasts. Please help spread the word about the show and about the species we feature. Please take care of each other, and all of our fellow travelers.

A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.