Monthly Archives: November 2024

Episode 105: A Conversation with Dr. Thomas K. Pauley

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Hello everyone and welcome to Episode One Hundred and Five!  And I hope you all remain safe and healthy out there.

SMP Patrons! I want to thank Rich Takmajian for his contribution to the So Much Pingle podcast, via Patreon. Much appreciated, Rich, thank you so much.  And as always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, it’s easy to do, you simply go to the So Much Pingle Patreon page. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! You can also support the show via one-time contributions via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com).

I recorded this episode back in early September, while the show was still on hiatus.  I was invited to give a presentation at the West Virginia Herpetological Society’s annual meeting, which was held this year at the New River Gorge. I can’t go any further without giving a shout-out to the good folks of the West Virginia Herp Society.  It’s a great group that focuses on that important three-legged stool of education, conservation and appreciation. This is not people sitting around talking about their ball pythons, these folks are well-versed in the herpetofauna of their home state and ongoing research and conservation efforts. Their meetings are family friendly and visitor friendly – in fact there were a lot of folks at the annual meeting that came from other states.

Thanks especially to Jared Cain, Josh Stover, Jon Tinney and Dylan Cooper for not only inviting me, but for making me and all the other attendees feel welcome and included. And, thank you all as well for arranging my interview with Dr. Thomas K. Pauley. Dr. Pauley and I talked at a picnic pavilion on a very chilly Sunday morning, and I am sure you will love this conversation as much as I did.

Thanks for talking with me, Dr. Pauley!  And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc.

-Mike

Episode 104: Project Obscurus with Tony Daly-Crews

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Hello everyone and welcome to Episode One Hundred and Four!  I hope you all remain safe and healthy out there, including all the folks who are recovering in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.

As always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, it’s easy to do, you simply go to the So Much Pingle Patreon page. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee!  PLEASE NOTE:  Starting in November 2024, Apple will be charging a 30% fee for any Patreon transactions made through an iPhone or iPad using the Patreon app.  To get around this, go directly to Patreon.com, or use an Android device. If you already contribute to So Much Pingle, nothing changes, unless you decide to change how much you contribute.  In that case use an Android device or a computer to access the Patreon web site to make your changes, and avoid the ridiculous 30% fee. One-Time Donations: You can also support the show via one-time contributions via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com). And thank you!

I recorded this episode back in late August while the show was on hiatus, after seeing a post on social media about an effort to conserve and recover the New Mexico Ridgenosed Rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi obscurus.  My ears went up like Scooby Doo and I immediately went in search of someone to talk to about it and as it turns out, Tony Daly-Crews was involved. You may remember my conversation with Tony about the Rattlesnake Conservancy, back in episode 53. Obscurus is the stuff of legend, a snake barely entering the United States and a rattlesnake that a lot of field herpers would like to see.  If you’ve read any of Carl Kauffeld’s books you’re familiar with his account of looking for this snake in the Animas mountains of New Mexico. If you haven’t, check out the chapter entitled “Follow Me” in the book “Snakes: The Keeper and the Kept” from way back in 1969.

You can help the Rattlesnake Conservancy in many ways via their website, savethebuzztails.org, either by donations or through their merch store. You can also participate in some of their events.

Thanks for talking with me, Tony!  And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc.

-Mike