Episodes

  • Amazing Creatures in the Briny Deep
    Feb 9 2026

    #347: Cara Giaimo tells the story of many fascinating creatures in the sea, along with glorious illustrations of them, in her precious little book “Leaving the Ocean was a Mistake: Life Lessons from Sixty Sea Creatures” including the Vampire Squid, the Sea Mouse and the Blobfish.

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    29 mins
  • Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere!
    Feb 2 2026

    #346: Dr Dan Johnson sees more rabbits than any other untraditional pet at his Avian and Exotic Clinic in Raleigh, North Carolina — and sees many every day, mostly for digestive problems caused by not feeding the right timothy hay.

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    18 mins
  • An Animal Communicator Who Found Riley the Tortoise (4 times!)
    Jan 26 2026

    #345: Meredith Tollison, an intuitive who professionally makes communication connections between people and their pets, has been called upon to find Riley the tortoise FOUR(!) times. As with many "lost" pets, Riley has given Meredith physical descriptions of where she is so that her people can come find and fetch her.

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    23 mins
  • Running a Turtle Brothel
    Jan 19 2026

    #344: Paul Radice breeds rare turtles like Elizabeth the albino Chinese long neck water turtle, which is now extinct in China. Angel's Hatchery keeps 4 males for every 2 females to ensure fertilized eggs. One could say they are running a Turtle Brothel!

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    28 mins
  • Caring for Exotic Pets and Wildlife
    Jan 12 2026

    #343: Dr. Angela Lennox, owner of the Avian and Exotic Vet Clinic in Indianapolis, traces her concern for the welfare of animals back to the eight baby possums she rescued from a roadside as a girl, which morphed into a veterinary degree along with a double board certification in exotic animal care, pro bono work in wildlife rehabilitation — and now a non-profit called Rewilding Indiana.

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    28 mins
  • A Better World for Betta Fish
    Jan 5 2026

    #342: Ariel Heinicke in Berkeley California created the Betta World for Bettas advocacy group to raise awareness about the harmful way these beautiful popular fish are warehoused and sold by the big box stores in small plastic "take out" containers. The group's goal is to educate and advocate for Betta's welfare and improved standards of care by those who sell and those who acquire them.

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    20 mins
  • Please Don't Gift a Snake or a Turtle to Anyone
    Dec 29 2025

    #341: Doug Mader reminds you that whether it’s a tortoise that lives many decades, or a mouse that only lives a short while, it is never a good idea to give anyone a living thing — other than a houseplant!

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    18 mins
  • Alfred the Little Albino Tortoise Talks to Tracie
    Dec 22 2025

    #340: Paul Radice at Angels Hatchery and his wife Judith were the first breeders to create Albino tortoises — and enchanted Tracie by introducing her to Albert, the great grandson of their first breeder Norman, who is now 130 lbs and still lives with them.

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    23 mins