Snake Talk

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Steve Reichling to talk all about Louisiana Pine Snakes.  They go in-depth into the species’ natural history and what makes it different from other Pituophis species.  They also talk about a diverse partnership of stakeholders that have come together to try to save the snake from a probable extinction.  If you are interested in large colubrid snakes or comprehensive conservation programs, this is the episode for you.

Find out more about Dr. Reichling at the Memphis Zoo.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Parker Gibbons to learn about how his interests and adventures in field herping have transitioned into pursuing a career in Herpetology.  A recurring theme in his life is how influential his grandfather has been in getting him to where he is today.  Parker’s grandfather, Dr. Whit Gibbons, is one of the most accomplished herpetologists of recent times.  This story inspired Dr. Jenkins to interview Whit as well, to show you the story of a family legacy from both sides. 

Connect with Parker on Facebook or Instagram.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Erika Nowak is a Snake Ecologist from Northern Arizona University.  She has spent much of her career exploring the impact of translocations on snake ecology.  Snake translocation has become such a common practice, but most people do not think about the potential consequences of their actions.  Erika and Chris go through translocation approaches and how snakes respond to things such as distance moved, time of year, whether they are gravid, and much more.  Listen in to gain the knowledge you need to think about before you translocate a snake and stay tuned for a bonus section on Gila Monsters in urban landscapes. 

Read more about Erika’s work.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins has had a long-standing interest in snake bite treatment and frequently speaks on the subject of treatment in wild settings.  He welcomes Dr. Spencer Greene to Snake Talk for a deeper discussion on the subject of treating snake bites.  They talk about the field of Medical Toxicology, what to do (and not to do) when treating a snake bite, and they go into treatment of pregnant snake bite victims.  Chris introduces his friend Lisa Damron who reveals her life changing experience of receiving a rattlesnake bite while she was pregnant.  Be sure to listen until the very end - this is an informative and emotional episode.

Connect with Spencer on his website.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jeff Corwin to discuss the fascinating topic of Media, Snakes, and Conservation.  They go through the early years when Chris and Jeff took Herpetology together in the 1990s and discuss how Jeff’s interest in both snakes and media developed over time.  Jeff talks about his most successful shows, the genesis of each and what happened behind the scenes.  They also discuss the importance of media in the conservation of snakes.  Finally, Jeff talks about the project he is currently working on.

Connect with Jeff on Facebook or Instagram.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins sits down to speak with Nicholas Hess who is a student, field herper, and photographer.  They discuss the ethical considerations of photographing snakes and go into depth on different photography techniques such as macro, snakes in landscape, in situ, and underwater.  If you’re looking for gear tips and advice on how to get into photography with snakes, this episode is for you. 

Connect with Nicholas on Instagram or on his website.

Connect with Chris Jenkins on Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dillon Perron, owner of the Animals at Home Network, to discuss everything about keeping snakes in captivity.  They talk about the number of households in the US with snakes as pets, captive bred vs. wild caught, “designer” snakes, and the issues with keeping large species.  They also spend time conversing about the various components of husbandry that are important for keeping snakes.  Finally, they cover the Animals at Home Network and the various podcasts and Youtube content they provide. 

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins meets with Gary Williamson who had the opportunity to know and snake hunt with Carl Kauffeld.  They go in-depth about Carl including his career, personality, and how he worked in the field and the zoo.  They also talk about Gary’s book The Kauffeld Letters which chronicles years of written correspondence between Gary and Carl right up until Carl’s passing.  This is a unique episode that gives a deep look into one of the biggest names in snakes. 

To get a signed copy of the book, email Gary at [email protected].

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Cody Will, owner of Rattlesnake Ready - a company in the Phoenix area that specializes in training dogs to avoid venomous snakes.  They go in-depth about the dog training process.  Chris and Cody also discuss why this training is important, the kinds of snakes that Cody uses, how effective the training is, as well as the snake vaccine for dogs. 

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Connect with Rattlesnake Ready on Facebook.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Join Dr. Jenkins as he speaks with the owner of both the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns professional soccer teams, Merritt Paulson.  Chris and Merritt, also an Orianne Society board member, have known each other for many years and share a love of snakes and traveling far and wide to see new species.  Discover how Merritt got to where he is today as the owner of professional sports teams.  Listen to their conversation about “flashy” colubrids and how this mismatched group of snakes captivates so many people, and don’t miss the stories about the time Merritt found his hand in the grips of an Alligator, as well as his adventures in searching for Anacondas.

Connect with Chris on Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.