CheloniaCast

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

Turtle Health

Wyatt, Michael, and Ken sit down with professor emeritus of zoological medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Elliott Jacobson, to discuss a variety of topics related to turtle and tortoise health, infectious disease, and treatment. The conversation ranges from what it is like to research Testudine Intranuclear Coccidiosis and a variety of other infectious diseases, studying sea turtle diseases, adventures in the Mojave Desert to learn more about Testudine Mycoplasmosis, and many other adventures and stories. Advice for those interested in pursuing veterinary school, in general and specializing in exotic species, is scattered throughout the podcast.
To learn more about Dr. Jacobson's research visit: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elliott-Jacobson
To learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast and CheloniaCast Student Research Fund visit: theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast
Follow the CheloniaCast Podcast on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @cheloniacast
Host socials - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi

Turtle Communication

Michael, Wyatt, and Ken sit down with Gabriel Jorgewich-Cohen, a PhD student at the University of Zurich, to discuss the evolution and characteristics of turtle communication. The discussion touches on implications of turtle vocalizations in the choanate tree of life, the types of sounds turtles make and how they produce them, the ways in which turtles use vocalizations to communicate, and where the current mysteries in the field of turtle vocalization and communication exist.
You can learn more about Gabriel's work here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gabriel-Jorgewich-Cohen and access his most recent publication "Common evolutionary origin of acoustic communication in choanate vertebrates" here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364720919_Common_evolutionary_origin_of_acoustic_communication_in_choanate_vertebrates
For anyone interested in turtle communication, Gabriel is happy to answer questions and can be reached here: gabriel.jorgewichcohen@pim.uzh.ch
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast at theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast
Follow the CheloniaCast Podcast on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @cheloniacast
Host socials - Jason Wills is @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted is @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson is @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang is @americanmamushi / Wyatt Keil is @wyatts_wildlife_photography

How the Turtle Got its Shell

Michael, Jack, and Wyatt sit down with Dr. Tyler Lyson, Associate Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, to discuss the origin, evolution, and purpose of the turtle shell and body plan. Topics covered include early stem turtle biology and anatomy, the dilemma associated with the phylogenetic position of turtles with respect to other amniotes, how turtles breathe, and what it is like to work with fossil chelonians.
 
Learn more about Dr. Lyson's work at: https://www.dmns.org/science/earth-sciences/staff/tyler-lyson/
 
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast and Student Research Fund at: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
 
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 Medicine, Treatment, and Surgery Vol. 1

Jack, Michael, Ken, and Wyatt sit down with Dr. Pete Koplos, owner and veterinarian at the El Paso Animal Emergency and Veterinary Specialty Center, to discuss his veterinary experience with turtles and tortoises. Topics discussed include pathology and treatment of Testudine Intranuclear Coccidiosis (TINC), aspects of Testudine Herpesviruses, antibiotic use in turtle and tortoise treatment, how to prevent diseases from occurring in captive colonies, and interesting surgery cases. Dr. Koplos provides many accounts related to his clinical experience that can be useful to those with captive turtles and tortoises.
You can learn more about the El Paso Animal Emergency and Veterinary Specialty Center here: https://www.epanimalemergency.com/
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast and Student Research Fund here: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
Follow the CheloniaCast Podcast on Instagram/Facebook @cheloniacast
Host socials - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Wyatt Keil - @wyatts_wildlife_photography / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi

Passion for Snapping Turtles

Michael, Jack, and Ken sit down with Rusty Reed the Turtle Man to talk about his passion and work with Alligator Snapping Turtles. Rusty has dedicated many days and nights to sharing the incredible world of the Alligator Snapping Turtle with people across the United States, and is curator of the Blackwater Turtle Refuge. This is an inspiring conversation filled with interesting bits of knowledge and many stories from Rusty's travels. The conversation touches on Rusty's ongoing Alligator Snapping Turtle Life and Development Documentation Study, what it was like to visit commerical trapper Al Redmond's facilities and what he learned about snapping turtles there, driving around the United States with Crunch the Alligator Snapping Turtle, showing a contestant on the bachelor the beauty of snapping turtles, and much more.
You can learn more about Rusty's work at the Blackwater Turtle Refuge at: http://www.crunchinfo.com/?fbclid=IwAR0Tvyuvosh8j9HD0X8k0m39_YUzEpGqyb3smg3F63esbYcaw1Kmmo8nEqI
Keep up with Rusty Reed the Turtle Man's many adventures on his Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/rustyreedtheturtleman/
Find Rusty Reed the Turtle Man on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/rustyreedtheturtleman/
Learn more about the CheloniaCast and CheloniaCast Student Research Fund at: theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast
Follow us on Facebook/Instagram @cheloniacast
Host socials - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi

Turtle Conservation Genetics and Research with Dr. Natalia Gallego-García

Cheloniacast sits down with Dr. Natalia Gallego-García, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern California Los Angeles, to discuss her work investigating population and conservation genetics of different species of turtle and tortoise. Topics such as what it is like to work in the field with the Magdalena River Turtle, temperature-dependent sex determination variation and how this impacts conservation, common mistakes in conducting experiments and next generation technology for analyzing genetic questions, and Dahl's Toad-Headed Turtle ecology are discussed.
Learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast and CheloniaCast Student Research Fund at: https://theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast/
Help support student led research on turtles and tortoises by contributing to the CheloniaCast Student Research Fund at: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
Follow us @cheloniacast on Instagram and Facebook
Host socials - Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd / Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi

A Lifetime Full of Turtles with Dr. Anders Rhodin

Jason, Michael, Jack, and Ken sit down with Dr. Anders Rhodin to discuss his adventures in pursuit of turtles and his research focused on Testudines. Dr. Rhodin is a retired orthopedic surgeon that has had a lifelong passion for turtles and tortoises. He is the Founder and Director of the Chelonian Research Foundation, Founding Editor and Publisher of the journal Chelonian Conservation and Biology and the monograph series Chelonian Research Monographs, and has served as both Chair and Co-Chair of the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. The conversation ranges from challenges in implementing and assessing aspects of chelonian conservation, stories from traveling in pursuit of turtles and working in various museum collections, and vascularization of Leatherback Sea Turtle limbs.
 
You can learn more about the Chelonian Research Foundation here: https://chelonian.org/
Access Chelonian Conservation and Biology here: https://chelonian.org/ccb/ Or through BioOne Digital Library here: https://bioone.org/journals/chelonian-conservation-and-biology
Access Chelonian Research Monographs here: https://chelonian.org/crm/
Learn more about the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group here: https://iucn-tftsg.org/pub-chron/
You can learn more about the CheloniaCast Podcast at theturtleroom.org/cheloniacast
Consider making a donation to the CheloniaCast Podcast Student Research Fund here: https://theturtleroom.org/project/cheloniacast-podcast/
All donations go toward furthering turtle and tortoise research and conservation. You can make a difference for turtles by listening to the show.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @cheloniacast
Host Instagram - Jack Thompson - @jack_reptile_naturalist_302 / Jason Wills - @chelonian.carter / Ken Wang - @americanmamushi / Michael Skibsted - @michael.skibstedd