Episode 25: The Best Worst Project



Hello again everyone and welcome to Episode Twenty Five!  The episode where I experiment with a different format – 13 segments featuring a baker’s dozen of folks sharing their best and worst (or worst and best) experiences in the realm of amphibians and reptiles.  That’s twenty six anecdotes, if you think about it.  I have been collecting these tales of woe and woah for a few months now – many thanks to Andy, Mack, Bryan, Phil, Matt, Marisa, Shaun, Brandon, John, Pat, Alex, and Justin for your participation in this project. I had a lot of fun talking with this group and (with one notable exception) no two stories are alike!

STATE OF THE PODCAST NOTE:  I’m still working on making some merchandise available, and I hope to have that and a Patreon supporter page available soon!  Thanks for your patience!

And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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, tales of two cities, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike


Episode 24: Fireside with Josh Holbrook



Hey there everyone!  Welcome to Episode Twenty Four!  Thanks for your patience, I had a lot of crazy stuff going on over the past couple of weeks!  I think I’m back on track again and I plan on releasing another episode next week for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.  This week’s guest is my friend and co-author, Josh Holbrook, and this past October I got to sit around a campfire with Josh, down in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, and we had a nice fireside chat.

The picture of Josh that I chose for these show notes was taken down in the Peruvian rainforest last March.  Josh is an ecologist who specializes in wetlands, and he was in the process of setting a series of aquatic traps in a small forest creek.  Looking at the photo, I think it’s safe to say that Josh was having a pretty good time!

FUTURE SHOW NOTE:   My request for herp jargon is coming to an end – the window closes after this weekend!  I’ve got a neat little pile, but I could use a little more!  Get those pithy phrases and clever words to me via the show email below, and we’ll get a future episode together from the results!

STATE OF THE PODCAST NOTE:  I’m still working on making some merchandise available, and I hope to have that and a Patreon supporter page available soon!  Thanks for your patience!

And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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, salad recipes, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike

 


Episode 23: Turtle Talk with Carl Franklin



Hello everyone and welcome to Episode Twenty Three!  I like turtles, you like turtles, we all like turtles, so I’m very happy to have Carl Franklin on the show to talk about – turtles.  There’s Carl in the photo with a double-handful of Alligator Snappers. Carl is a very busy person, with an impressive list of accomplishments to date, and along with talking about turtles, we also cover a number of other topics – including flying turtles, weaponized turtles, and worm lizards.  And who doesn’t like worm lizards?  It’s been a long while since I spoke with Carl, so I was happy to sit down with him for ninety minutes and do some catching up, and I hope you all enjoy our conversation as well.  It was so much fun for me.

And folks, be sure to check out the Texas Turtles website, and if you can, get yourself a cool tshirt and help out Texas Turtles and of course, Texas turtles.  Conservation, research, and outreach, y’all.

Also – if you’re interested in worm lizards and amphisbaenians in general, check out WormLizard.org for more information.  I’ve managed to see a few different types over the years and I find them fascinating.

FUTURE SHOW NOTE:   My request for herp jargon is coming to an end – the window closes in one week!  I’ve got a neat little pile, but I need more!  Get those pithy phrases and clever words to me via the show email below, and we’ll get a future episode together from the results!

And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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, flying turtles, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike

 


Episode 22: Taco Dreams: A Mexico Round-Table



Hello everyone!  We’re going to hang around south of the border for just a while longer.  Episode Twenty Two was recorded in September in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, at the tail-end of a two week visit to Baja Sur.  Tim, Bryan, Matt, Mack, Andy, John, Pat, Shaun, Brandon and Jeni agreed to hang around the hotel for an hour or so, with the notion of having a round table discussion about herping in Mexico.  Cumulatively, this bunch has spent hundreds of days in Mexico, across many regions, and I thought it was an appropriate group to cover the subject.  Thanks to the media’s focus on drug cartels, Mexico can seem like a scary place, and my goal with this round-table was to get folks more comfortable with the idea of visiting and herping there.  I can’t wait until I get to go back!

We may have talked at lot about tacos, but hey, they are pretty terrific in Baja California.  Thanks to the whole gang for sitting down and making it a fun conversation!  I needed two photos to get everyone included in the round-table (pay no attention to those Little Caesar’s pizza boxes).

FUTURE SHOW NOTE:   My request for herp jargon is coming to an end – the window closes in two weeks!  I’ve got a neat little pile, but I need more!  Get those pithy phrases and clever words to me via the show email below, and we’ll get a future episode together from the results!

And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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. shrimp taco recipes, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike


Episode 21: From Mexico with Love: A Conversation with the Vought Family



Hello everyone and welcome to Episode Twenty One!  I recorded a bunch of material while in Mexico back in September, including this episode with Shaun, Jeni, and Brandon Vought.  I recorded our interview at the Casa Juarez bed and breakfast in La Paz (an excellent place operated by a lovely Italian couple), where we stayed before visiting Isla Cerralvo just off the coast.  Herping families are a fairly common thing now, which I think is pretty cool, and so I was happy to get the Voughts talking about their experiences.  A herping family and a family of metal heads as well (hence the intro done by Shaun and Brandon).  I hope you enjoy our conversation – I know a number of parents who provide their children with full experiences out in the wide world, and not just with amphibians and reptiles.  And I’m proud to know them.

FUTURE SHOW NOTE:   I am still asking you to send me interesting herp jargon!  I’ve got a neat little pile, but I need more!  Get those pithy phrases and clever words to me via the show email below, and we’ll get a future episode together from the results!

And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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. heavy metal t-shirts, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike


Episode 20: Crackin’ Foxy with Steve Marks



Howdy herpsters! And welcome to Episode Twenty!  My guest is Steve Marks from Windsor, Ontario.  And at left we see composite photos of Steve engaged in tracking fox snakes.  Steve and I have been buddies for a long while now, and I am happy to get him on the show and talking about his projects and passions, which are often one and the same thing.  One of the things we talked about is the Herb Gray Eco-Highway conservation project which Steve has been a part of for many years.  The man has taken a deep dive into fox snakes and I was happy to get him talking about it!  I’ve also had the privilege of watching Steve radio-track one of his beloved study animals up in Windsor – the man has done a wonderful job in not only keeping fox snakes going in Windsor, but in future-proofing their populations as well.

Steve is a well-traveled fellow and we covered some of his herp adventures in detail.  I enjoyed our chat and didn’t realize until near the end that we talked for nearly two hours!  Wanna meet Steve?  Come on down to Snake Road during Canadian Thanksgiving some time.  Here are some links related to this episode:

A wonderful blog post written by James Paterson about the Eco-Pass and other projects

The Canadian Herpetological Society

Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, Steve’s favorite herp charity

TRIVIA:  The teaser intro is borrowed from the 1941 film The Maltese Falcon, starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor, and adapted from Dashiell Hammett’s novel of the same name.  I’m doing my best to bring back obscure phrases like “crackin’ foxy” and “I won’t play the sap for you!”  And if you haven’t already seen it, the Maltese Falcon is worth your time.  Film noir murder mystery at its finest and heaps of obscure phrases.

FUTURE SHOW NOTE:  Speaking of obscure phrases, once again I am asking you to send me interesting herp jargon!  Get those pithy phrases and clever words to me via the show email below, and we’ll get a future episode together from the results.!

And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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. maltese falcons, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike

 


Episode 19: Ending the Hiatus with Dr. Alex Krohn



Hello everyone and welcome back to the show!  After a few weeks off, here we go with Episode Nineteen, which features Dr. Alex Krohn.  Alex and I have been friends for a decade, and we have visited some exotic places, and had many an interesting conversation, so I am happy to have one more conversation to share with you!

Alex is the assistant director of the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  I took the photo of Alex, his wife Allie, and their dog Juniper at the south end of Snake Road a few days ago.  It was great to hang out with the three of them while seeing some cool serpents on the road.  Thanks for coming on the show, Alex, it was great to talk with you again!

FUTURE SHOW NOTE:  In the intro I asked everyone to send me interesting herp jargon!  Get those pithy phrases and clever words to me via the show email below, and we’ll get a future episode together from the results.

And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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. nights at the museum, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike


Episode 18: A Campfire Chat with Mike Cravens



Hi everyone and welcome!  For Episode Eighteen, we travel to Arizona to talk with Michael Cravens.  Mike and I go waaaay back, and we’ve spent time in the field together in a number of cool places, and had a number of interesting conversations around various campfires (hence the episode title).  Mike and his wife Mary are from Missouri but have lived out in AZ for a number of years now, and it was good for me to chat with my old friend and catch up.

Along with talking herps, I also heard about Mike’s work with the Arizona Wildlife Federation, and a couple of his side interests, including Hunt To Eat.  Here’s a link to an article Mike wrote for HTE – “A Life Defined By Wild Places”, which I think you will find interesting. I am also including a YouTube link to “Wild Game Big Mac Challenge”, where Mike takes on the infamous hamburger using a pound or two of elk.  That was fun Mike!  You’re a natural and it was great to see the kids in there.  And now I want an Big Elk Mac!

Mike is also involved with BackCountry Hunters and Anglers – which I didn’t know much about, but I enjoyed looking through their website and there’s a lot of interesting material there.  If you’re a hunter or angler and you haven’t already checked BHA out, take a look!.

Thanks for coming on the show, Mike!  Good to talk with you again.  And thanks for listening, everyone!  And don’t forget, the podcast will be taking a two week hiatus after this episode, while I do some traveling.  In the meantime, please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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. game cooking, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike

 

 

 


Episode 17: Toadally Priya: A Conversation with Priya Nanjappa



Hello everyone and welcome!  Episode Seventeen features my conversation with Priya Nanjappa (photo courtesy of Kevin Urbanek).  Among other things, Priya spent ten years with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), and served as the state agencies coordinator for Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), and she currently serves as one of the commissioners on the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. During our conversation, we got into the nuts and bolts of wildlife conservation, and we also talked about the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which should be of interest to anyone who enjoys herps (or any wildlife, for that matter). From Rep Dingell’s press release: “RAWA is the most signification investment in wildlife and habitat conservation in a generation. The bill would dedicate roughly $1.4 billion to the Wildlife Conservation Restoration Program for proactive, voluntary efforts led by the states, territories and tribal nations to prevent vulnerable wildlife from becoming endangered.”  That’s 1.4 billion EVERY YEAR, folks.

On another note, you all should know that So Much Pingle is not Priya’s first podcast rodeo – we also talked about her guest appearance (as it were) on Alie Ward’s Ologies podcast, where the subject was “Bufology”. You can listen to the Ologies toad episode on your favorite podcast platform. You can also follow Priya on twitter (@toadallypriya) and on Instagram (wildbeautifulworld).

Thanks for coming on the show, Priya, and hanging in there while we worked through some technical difficulties!  And thanks for listening, everyone!  Please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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. toad therapy, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike

 


Episode 16: The Mayor of New River: A Conversation With Daniel Dye



Hello again everyone, and welcome to Episode Sixteen!  I’ve been having a conversation with Daniel Dye for more than a decade, and for this segment, microphones were put into play!  Along with amphibians and reptiles, Daniel also has a great deal of knowledge and experience with insects, spiders, and other invertebrates, and fortunately for all of us, he’s crafty with a camera, and so there are a number of venues where you can check out his work.  We didn’t cover it in the interview, but Daniel is also a serious audiophile, and he has a home audio system that he built himself that will blow your hair back (I’ve been there, done that).  I get a kick out of his Facebook posts that feature a delicious breakfast and a selected album to go with it.  Jethro Tull’s ‘Minstrel in the Gallery’ was on the turntable this morning – tasty stuff, Daniel!

Be sure to check out Daniel’s Florida Backyard Snakes site, which also has a corresponding Facebook Group. And you can follow Daniel on Instagram (he’s @danielddyeii) and he’s on Flickr as well as Daniel D. Dye II.  It was great talking with you again Daniel, and thanks for coming on the show!   And as always, thanks for listening, everyone!  Please keep the comments and suggestions coming!  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. product placement, tips for herping better, etc.

Stay tuned for more episodes! And don’t forget to herp better!

-Mike