The Critter Shed

By Collie Ennis & Colette Kinsella for Red Hare MediaComedy Society & Culture Science Nature

The Critter Shed episodes

September 04, 2019 Little Miss Tina Sunshine... and Wilbur
This week we’re on an animal rescue farm visiting one of the world's most intelligent, misunderstood and mistreated animal: the pig.

We meet the enigmatic (and GIANT) boar Wilbur and his friend Tina Sunshine, who spend their days lounging in the sun when they're not opening childproof fridge locks or stable doors.

Tina Sunshine and Wilbur were rescued from dire circumstances, and we also hear what Tina's life might have been like if she hadn't been rescued. It's not pretty (put down that sausage roll now).

Further reading:
Here's a quick article that explains just how smart Tina, Wilbur and their pig cohorts are.

This is the Compassion in World Farming website that explains more about commercial pig farming and why we need actual proper humane standards for keeping these gorgeous creatures.

And if you'd throw a few bob to My Lovely Horse Rescue, you can do that here.

Music:
Podington: Curious, Boop, Samara

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: @crittershedpod
EMAIL: [email protected]

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella.
In conversation with Martina Kenny, Wilbur, Tina Sunshine, and other gorgeous pigs horses and goats on the My Lovely Horse Rescue farm.

Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
32 min
August 19, 2019 Snail tales in 'the love shack'
This week the critter shed becomes 'the love shack' as we delve into the sensuous, sumptuous and scintillating love lives of SNAILS!

We hear how giant African land snails smooch and snog their way through courtship, and then shoot actual LOVE DARTS (be still my beating heart) during coitus. AND how they have enviable staying power.

Also, these snails are just gorgeous, wonderfully adapted animals. If you haven't fallen in love with them by the end of this episode, we'll give you your money back. Or something.

Let's all swoon for snails.

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: @crittershedpod
EMAIL: [email protected]

Music:
Podington: Curious
Lobo Loco: Spook Castle
Broke for Free: Love Is Not

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella, and with several hundred snails.
Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
45 min
August 07, 2019 We need to talk about Ted...
...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: @crittershedpod
EMAIL: [email protected]

Music:
Podington: Ant Farm, Curious, Samara, Tuxes, Netherland

Presented by Collie Ennis and Colette Kinsella, with #ScienceCatTed
Produced by Colette Kinsella for Red Hare Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
50 min
July 23, 2019 To keep or not to keep?
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.
30 min
July 08, 2019 The Great Frog-Nerd-Gasm of 2019
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: @crittershedpod
EMAIL: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
40 min
June 25, 2019 The buzz about bees
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.
38 min
June 10, 2019 SNAKES: silent assassins and surprising survivors
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: @crittershedpod
EMAIL: [email protected]

Further 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.
48 min
May 14, 2019 Booty calls, bed-hopping, and birdsong - it's the badger show!
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 Bear
Tracks: Samara and Curious

BADGER 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.
42 min
April 29, 2019 The giant piranha sperm splurge!
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: @CritterShedPod
Facebook: 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.
33 min
April 15, 2019 Have we got NEWTS for you!!
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 Media

Share 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 - @crittershedpod
Facebook - 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.
25 min

About The Critter Shed

From the publisher's feed

If you like learning about the weird and wonderful side of nature - about things like spider sex, venom-packing frogs, or mind-controlling parasites, and more - then this is the podcast for you! Oh,…

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