The Critter Shed

Like zombie movies? Then you'll love this episode because we examine the darker side of the mating season... and it gets very dark...

Further reading:

Here's a great read from The Guardian.

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: @crittershedpod

EMAIL: [email protected]

Music:

Podington: Curious, Algo Rhythm Natural.

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.

Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

The Warren:

The Critter Shed is now part of thewarren.ie podcast network.

The Warren is a collection of some of the most innovative podcasts in Ireland, all of which are independently owned and produced. Pop on over to discover great new podcasts to listen to and TELL YOUR FRIENDS if you like what you hear.

The Critter Shed is still available in all the usual places like iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, etc. AND please give us a rating on Apple Podcasts if you like our show. We really appreciate it!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these socially distant times of ours, we have a special episode dedicated to an underrated amphibian: the cane toad!

We dispel myths like: "They're Australian, aren't they?" Er, no.

Or: "They are sadistic killers of all life on Earth, aren't they?" Again, no... and after this episode, we hope you will agree that they are simply gorgeous animals.

Further reading and watching:

Cane Toads, an Unnatural History

Watch this great documentary about the cane toad here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SBLf1tsoaw

A great read here about heroic Australian animals who are learning how NOT to be eaten by cane toads:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/26/australian-water-rats-cut-cane-toads-open-with-surgical-precision-to-feast-on-their-hearts

Photo copyright Leo Oosterweghel

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: @crittershedpod

EMAIL: [email protected]

Music:

Podington: Curious

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.

Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

The Warren:

The Critter Shed is now part of thewarren.ie podcast network.

The Warren is a collection of some of the most innovative podcasts in Ireland, all of which are independently owned and produced. Pop on over to discover great new podcasts to listen to and TELL YOUR FRIENDS if you like what you hear.

The Critter Shed is still available in all the usual places like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, etc. AND please give us a rating on Apple Podcasts if you like the podcast. We really appreciate it!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Collie and Colette celebrate the great and important BEETLE family... with a cameo by a very lucky and lovely bunny.

Photo copyright Colette Kinsella

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: @crittershedpod

EMAIL: [email protected]

Music:

Podington: Curious, Firefly

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.

Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

The Warren:

The Critter Shed is now part of thewarren.ie podcast network.

The Warren is a collection of some of the most innovative podcasts in Ireland, all of which are independently owned and produced. Pop on over to discover great new podcasts to listen to and TELL YOUR FRIENDS if you like what you hear.

The Critter Shed is still available in all the usual places like iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, etc. AND please give us a rating on iTunes if you like the podcast. We really appreciate it!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gather round, children, for stories about lesser-celebrated Christmas animals.

Yule felines, yule arachnids, yule goats and even yule marsupials - this Christmas episode has them all.

Further reading:

Feast your eyes here on the truly breathtaking Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) who manage to look festive all year round.

More on the terrifyingly gorgeous Icelandic Yule Cat story here.

And Christmas spiders.... get wrapped up in their story here.

Music:

Six White Boomers sung by Bucko & Champ.

The Warren:

The Critter Shed is now part of thewarren.ie podcast network. 

The Warren is a collection of some of the most innovative podcasts in Ireland, all of which are independently owned and produced. Pop on over to discover great new podcasts to listen to and TELL YOUR FRIENDS if you like what you hear.

The Critter Shed is still available in all the usual places like iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, etc. AND please give us a rating on iTunes if you like the podcast. We really appreciate it!

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: @crittershedpod

EMAIL: [email protected]

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.

Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Snoring cats, peaceful pachyderms and orgasmic ostriches. This episode has it all!

We went to Dublin Zoo to chat to keeper Brendan Walsh about a study he carried out on the zoo's largest residents, one that gave him new and remarkable insights into their nocturnal lives.

An elephant-sized THANK YOU to the staff at Dublin Zoo for being so generous with their time and information. It was a wonderful visit.

https://www.dublinzoo.ie/

Photo credit: copyright Ray Mentzel and Niamh Smith

The Warren:

The Critter Shed is now part of thewarren.ie podcast network.

The Warren is a collection of some of the most innovative podcasts in Ireland, all of which are independently owned and produced. Pop on over to discover great new podcasts to listen to and TELL YOUR FRIENDS if you like what you hear.

The Critter Shed is still available in all the usual places like iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, etc. AND please give us a rating on iTunes if you like the podcast. We really appreciate it!

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: @crittershedpod

EMAIL: [email protected]

Music:

Podington: Curious, Algo Rhythm, Rope Swing

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.

Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some time before this episode was released, Collie came across an amazing sight in his own Dublin suburb, Tallaght.

Over many years a former waste ground and dumpsite for silt dredged from local ponds had regenerated into a vibrant and multi-layered wetland ecosystem that was home to species such as newts, bats, frogs and the endangered European eel.

The site was included in the local council's Local Area Plan and Collie was looking forward to mapping the progress of this biodiversity hotpot for any years to come.

Unfortunately, less than a month before this episode was released in 2019, Collie popped by to look for newts and found that most of the the wetland area had been covered in a 1.5 m layer of silt. Everything that had lived and thrived there for so many years had been buried alive.

The Critter Shed visited the wetlands during the summer of 2019, before its destruction, and recorded this episode. We present it as a memorial to something wonderful and vibrant and vital that has been lost.

It's also a reminder that we should each treasure our piece of the planet and fight tooth and nail for its survival.

Music:

Podington Bear: Curious, Associations

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: @crittershedpod

EMAIL: [email protected]

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.

Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.