Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Brian Halstead to discuss one of the most beautiful snakes on the planet. Brian is a researcher with the United States Geological Survey in California where he works on multiple species of gartersnakes. They talk about San Francisco Gartersnake natural history covering a range of topics including movement, habitat, reproduction, diet and much more. They also talk about their status, threats, and the research and conservation projects being used to recover the species. Finally, they spend some time discussing another California Gartersnake, the Giant Gartersnake, discussing their interesting connection to hydrology and the related efforts to recover the species.Connect with Dr. Halstead at the US Geological Survey.Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.Shop Snake Talk merch - new items in store!

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jason Tesauro, who runs an independent company doing a great deal of work with rare turtles. They start by talking about four freshwater turtles in the Northeast that are of conservation concern including the interesting aspects of how they typically occupy different habitats within the same landscapes. They get into Bog Turtles, talking about their distribution and status, movements, habitat use, and reproduction. Finally, they talk about the threats Bog Turtles face and the work that partners are doing to try and recover their populations.Connect with Jason on his website.Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.Shop Snake Talk merch.

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Sean Foley, Curator of Herpetology at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. They talk about career trajectories in the zoo field and then give an introduction to Riverbanks. They spend time talking about the new Darnell W and Susan F Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center at the zoo including going through many exhibits and a wide range of species from anacondas to timber rattlesnakes. Riverbanks works on a wide variety of conservation projects but has a special focus on the conservation of local amphibians. They discuss Riverbanks involvement in Gopher Frog conservation in South Carolina.Connect with Sean at Riverbanks Zoo.Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.Shop Snake Talk merch.

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jason Clark, President of Southeastern Reptile Rescue. They start discussing his interesting transition from being a police officer to running one of the most successful snake companies in existence. Jason has been in many movies including series on Netflix and Animal Planet. They talk about Southern Reptile Rescue and their work in outreach, rescue, aversion training, working on transitioning rattlesnake roundups, and their Youtube channel. Make sure you stick around for his snake story (teaser: Sir Anthony Hopkins is involved!).Connect with Jason at Southeastern Reptile Rescue.Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.Shop Snake Talk merch. Note: Our apologies for the intermittent interference on Jason's audio - it becomes unfortunately frequent between the 20-minute and 40-minute mark, but is much improved towards the end! 

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Lora Smith to talk about her research program at the Jones Ecological Research Center. They start by discussing her interest in tortoises and her adventures studying one of the most endangered turtles in the world in Madagascar. They then talk about Ichauway and the Jones Center which was created by Mr. Woodruff, former CEO of Coca-Cola. Lora’s research includes long-term monitoring of upland species and many focal animal studies. They discuss research projects on species such as Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes, Florida Pine Snakes, and Timber Rattlesnakes.Connect with Lora at The Jones Center at Ichauway.Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.Shop Snake Talk merch.