Hi everyone! The first show of 2026 turns out to be another edition of Herp Science Sunday! Alex and I had an interesting discussion with Justin Lee, who is currently working on his PhD at the University of Michigan. The bulk of our conversation centered around the genus Oligodon, of which Justin is a subject matter expert. In just a few years, he has authored and co-authored a number of papers on Kukri snakes, describing new species, and producing an updated phylogeny of Oligodon in 2024. It’s an entertaining segment featuring a crazy-cool snake genus, and an up-and-coming young herpetologist.

Pod Blog: additional material supporting this episode can be found at www.fieldherping.org.

Miguel Ángel de la Torre Loranca was kidnapped from his home and taken from his beloved family in late November. Miguel is a world-renowned herpetologist who has contributed to the description of numerous species, protection of habitat, and has played a pivotal role in facilitating herpetological fieldwork, conservation initiatives, and expeditions for countless Mexican and international biologists. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help his wife and children during this difficult time – if you can help out even just a little, it would mean a lot. Thank you. The wildlife conservation magazine Mongabay has an article with more details on Miguel’s work.

PATRONS: As always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, there are several ways to do so – you can make a one-time contribution via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to [email protected]). You can also provide support the show using Patreon, via the So Much Pingle Patreon page. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. While I’m at it, I want to give a shout-out to the show’s most recent patron, Torben Platt!  Thank you so much, Torben.

MERCH!!!  T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store. More designs are in the pipeline. Thank you in advance!

POD BLOG! You can find the first of my supplemental blog posts that support podcast episodes at Notes From The Field. Let me know your thoughts!

And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is [email protected], and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc.

-Mike