CheloniaCast

Adventures of the Pritchards

*DUE TO A RECORDING ISSUE EARLY ON, THE FIRST 1 HOUR 6 MINUTES OF THIS RECORDING IS A BIT SCRATCHY. EVERYTHING SHOULD STILL BE AUDIBLE, AND IT CLEARS UP AFTER THE AFOREMENTIONED TIMESTAMP. WE ARE SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE*
CheloniaCast sits down with Sibille Pritchard to talk about her adventures with the late Dr. Peter Pritchard. The conversation ranges from early trips to Baja California and Mexico in pursuit of turtles and wildlife, finding rare and endangered species, bailing out of sinking ships, living in the Galapagos on remote islands, close calls with weather and village chiefs, the early days of the Chelonian Research Institute and visits with Ernst Mayr, lessons learned from different cultures and travel, and much more.
To learn more about Sibille Pritchard and her work with Hart Communications and a multitude of other organizations visit: https://www.turtleconservancy.org/contact/sibille
To access a list of Dr. Peter Pritchard’s contributions to turtle and tortoise biology and conservation visit: https://meridian.allenpress.com/ccb/article/19/1/5/439947/Bibliography-of-Peter-C-H-Pritchard
To learn more about the Chelonian Research Institute, the world’s largest private collection of turtle artifacts and biofacts, visit: https://www.turtleconservancy.org/pritchard-collection
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast here: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast Fund here: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
Follow the CheloniaCast Podcast on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @cheloniacast
Host social media - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography

The Turtles of Paraguay

Jack and Michael are joined by Dr. Richard Vetter, Professor and Researcher in the Departamento de Recursos Faunísticos y Medio Natural at the National University of Asunción in Paraguay, to talk about the biology, ecology, and treatment of Paraguay’s unique Testudine fauna. The conversation ranges from the primary conservation issues in Paraguay, what it is like to work as a veterinarian in Paraguay, distribution of Chaco and Red-Footed Tortoises, the ecology of Acanthochelys swamp turtles and the Argentine Snake-Necked Turtle, and more.
 
Follow Dr. Richard Vetter on Instagram/Facebook @ j.richardvetter (IG) / J. Richard Vetter (FB)
 
You can learn more about the National University of Asunción’s Departamento de Recursos Faunísticos y Medio Natural and their Faculty of Veterinary Scientists at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057140813184&locale=es_LA
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast here: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast Fund here: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
 
Follow the CheloniaCast Podcast on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @cheloniacast
 
Host social media - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography

Anatomy, Physiology, and Behavior of Sea Turtles

Michael and Jason are joined by Dr. Jeanette Wyneken, Professor of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University and Director of FAU’s Marine Lab at Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex. The conversation focuses on the anatomy, physiology, and behavior of sea turtles. Topics discussed include unique anatomical adaptations of sea turtles in the heart, lungs, and other organs, how sea turtles navigate as adults and when young, what is meant by the “lost years”, why the Leatherback Sea Turtle is so unique, and much more.
 
You can learn more about Dr. Wyneken’s lab and research here: https://biology.fau.edu/directory/wyneken/index.php
 
The Biology of Sea Turtles Vol. I: https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Sea-Turtles-Vol-1/dp/0849384222
 
The Biology of Sea Turtles Vol. II: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-biology-of-sea-turtles-volume-ii/1783617/item/10707226/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_new_books&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnrOtBhDIARIsAFsSe51OTxZD8JWzt1PuTQiG6nb2HHSMuITZ2DpT7YtlKTgo1EsHa6qco1IaAlIXEALw_wcB#idiq=10707226&edition=3449877
 
Biology of Turtles: From Structures to Strategies of Life: https://www.routledge.com/Biology-of-Turtles-From-Structures-to-Strategies-of-Life/Wyneken-Godfrey-Bels/p/book/9780849333392
 
Access the Anatomy of Sea Turtles here: https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/8502
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast here: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast Fund here: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
 
Follow the CheloniaCast Podcast on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @cheloniacast
 
Host social media - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography

Inspiring the Next Generation

Jason, Michael, Jack, Ken, and Wyatt sit down with Charlie Moorcroft, founder of the Moorcroft Conservation Foundation, to talk about his conservation, education, and husbandry projects and philosophy. The conversation focuses on Charlie's story, the goals of captive keeping, the role of education in forming the future of conservation and biology, tips for how to keep turtles and tortoises, and more.
 
You can learn more about the Moorcroft Conservation Foundation here: https://moorcroftconservationfoundation.org/
 
Find Moorcroft Conservation Foundation on social media @moorcroftconservation
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast and CheloniaCast Fund at theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast
 
Find the CheloniaCast Podcast on social media @cheloniacast
 
Host social media - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography

Australian Turtles Vol. 3

CheloniaCast sits down with Dr. Arthur Georges, Distinguished Professor in the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra, to talk about his research on the ecology, evolution, and systematics of Australian turtles. The conversation ranges from the biogeography of and current threats to Australian Chelid species, the evolutionary and genetic basis of temperature dependent sex determination, the use of calculus in biology, what constitutes a species, turtle taxonomy, and much more.
 
You can learn more about Dr. Georges' lab here: http://georges.biomatix.org/
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast here: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast Fund here: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
 
Follow the CheloniaCast Podcast on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @cheloniacast
 
Host social media - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography

Turtle Trade and Conservation

CheloniaCast sits down with Dr. Peter Paul van Dijk, Senior Director of Wildlife Trade at Re:wild, to discuss turtle conservation and the turtle trade. The conversation ranges from exploring what drives the turtle trade globally, turtle trade dynamics, how turtle trade is quantified, stories from studying wildlife trade, and the prospects of effectively protecting turtles and tortoises. 
 
You can learn more about Re:wild (formerly Global Wildlife Conservation) here: https://www.rewild.org/
 
Learn more about the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group here: https://iucn-tftsg.org/pub-chron/
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast podcast at theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast 
You can contribute directly to student led turtle and tortoise research through the CheloniaCast Student Research Fund here: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
 
Follow CheloniaCast on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @cheloniacast
 
Host socials - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography

A Species on the Brink

Michael, Ken, and Jack sit down with Dr. Gerald Kuchling, Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia and Principal Investigator of the Western Swamp Turtle Recovery Team, and Scott Thomson a researcher with the Centro de Estudios dos Quelônios da Amazônia based out of Manaus, Brazil, to learn more about the ecology, biology, anatomy, and conservation of the Critically Endangered Western Swamp Turtle (Pseudemydura umbrina) endemic to Western Australia. The conversation primarily focuses on the Western Swamp Turtle, but also branches off into subjects in general Testudine reproductive biology, best conservation practices, and stories from adventures in pursuit of turtles.
 
To learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast visit: theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast
All donations to the CheloniaCast Student Research Fund go towards supporting student led chelonian-focused research and are greatly appreciated, you can access the CheloniaCast Student Research Fund here: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
 
Follow CheloniaCast on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @cheloniacast
 
Host social media - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography

Demystifying the Turtle Tree of Life

Michael, Ken, and Wyatt are joined by Dr. Brad Shaffer, Director of the UCLA/La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Institute of Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Shaffer has published over 300 peer-reviewed publications, many of which have focused on the phylogenetics and conservation of the world’s turtles and tortoises. The conversation ranges from the reasons for the characteristically slow rate of molecular evolution of Testudines, common elements and problem areas in general/chelonian phylogeny reconstruction, interesting branches and how they have changed over time on the turtle tree of life, the potential utility of harnessing testudine molecular pathways in human therapeutics, the evolutionary basis of physical traits like megacephaly, and stories from adventures in pursuit of turtles.
 
You can learn more about Dr. Shaffer’s work here: https://sites.lifesci.ucla.edu/eeb-shafferlab/
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast here: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
All donations to the CheloniaCast Podcast Student Research Fund go directly towards supporting student led research on turtles and tortoises: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
All donations are greatly appreciated
 
Follow the CheloniaCast Podcast on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @cheloniacast
 
Host social media – Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography
 

In Pursuit of Box Turtles

Michael and Wyatt are joined by Emma Browning, Senior Research Associate for the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, to discuss her research and experiences working with turtles and tortoises. For her graduate research at the University of Georgia, Emma studied box turtle home range, movement, and ecology at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. The conversation ranges from working with Gopher Tortoises, studying box turtle translocations, and learning about individuality in North American Box Turtles.
To help support Emma’s graduate research and the ongoing box turtle project at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory visit: https://gail.uga.edu/giving/wfnr/bulldogs-for-box-turtles
All donations are greatly appreciated and directly support this important project monitoring the efficacy of translocating confiscated box turtles.
You can find Emma @herpetologistemma on Instagram
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast podcast at: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
All donations to the CheloniaCast Student Research Fund go towards supporting student led turtle and tortoise research and are greatly appreciated: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
Follow the CheloniaCast podcast on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @cheloniacast
Host social media – Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography

Turtle Paleontology and Phylogenetics

Jack and Michael sit down with Dr. Juliana Sterli who is a researcher with the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) based out of the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio in Argentina. Dr. Sterli is an authority on fossil turtle morphology and evolution and has worked on multiple research projects aimed at investigating turtle phylogenetics at different scales. The conversation ranges from discussing what it is like to incorporate different types of data into phylogenetic analyses, the functional significance of specific features that made prehistoric turtles unique, chelonian neuroanatomy, the time of the Meiolaniid turtles, and much more.
 
Learn more about Dr. Sterli’s research here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=U3JbknMAAAAJ&hl=en
 
Follow Dr. Sterli’s work and adventures @yatachelys on Instagram/Twitter
 
Learn more about the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio here: https://mef.org.ar/home/
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast here: theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast
 
All donations to the CheloniaCast Podcast Student Research Fund go towards supporting student led research projects focused on turtle and tortoise conservation and biology. Learn more here: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
 
Host social media – Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi