Episode notes
Ellen gives the Tasmanian devil his due. We discuss mythbusters, cranial real estate, the masculine urge to bite your fingers off, which came first: the chicken or the egg, dump stats, contagious cancer, and so much more.
Works Cited:
- “Too hot for the devil? Did climate change cause the mid-Holocene extinction of the Tasmanian devil Sarcophilus harrisii from mainland Australia?” – Shane D. Morris et al., Ecography, Dec 2021
- “Holocene Demographic Changes and the Emergence of Complex Societies in Prehistoric Australia” – Alan N. Williams et al., PLOS One, June 2015
- “Bite club: comparative bite force in big biting mammals and the prediction of predatory behaviour in fossil taxa” – Stephen Wroe, Colin McHenry & Jeffrey Thomason, Proc Biol Sci, March 2005
- “Saving our darling devils”, Esme Mathis, Australian Geographic, January 2026
Links:
In this episode...
About the show
Just the Zoo of Us is an animal review podcast by Ellen & Christian Weatherford of Jacksonville, Florida. Every week, each host selects one animal submitted by a listener to research, review, and rate out of ten in the categories of effectiveness, ingenuity and aesthetics. Guest episodes feature experts from all over the world sharing their knowledge and insight into the animal world.
This podcast is made with families in mind and contains no profanity or graphic language. Due to the nature of discussion centered around wildlife and their behavior, some topics such as reproduction, predation and parasitism may not be appropriate for very young children, so parents are encouraged to use discretion when listening with their families.
Get in touch with the show
@JusttheZooofUs
@thezooofusPeople
How to listen
Stream or download episodes directly from our website, or listen via your favorite podcatcher!
New? Start here...
Liked 319: Tasmanian Devil? Listen to these next...
