Snake Talk

Student Perspectives: Tropical Ecology

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Sam Schenker from North Carolina. Sam is a high school student who has already done an incredible amount of work to advance...

152 | Student Perspectives: Rare Amphibians

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jade Samples and Eva Kerr, recent graduate students from the University of Georgia (UGA) who both study rare amphibians tha...

151 | Student Perspectives: Antivenom

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Cameron Ketchum and Ariana Coles, undergraduate researchers at the University of Northern Colorado, to dis...

150 | Student Perspectives: Snake Fungal Disease and Indigo Snakes

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How do weather, habitat, and season influence a snake’s ability to fight disease?In this episode, Chris Jenkins sits down with Catherine Hanks, a gr...

149 | Student Perspectives: Snake Research in South Africa

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Shane Ngwenya, an aspiring herpetologist beginning graduate studies in South Africa. Shane reflects on his childhood as a h...

148 | Student Perspectives: Venom

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Samuel Kerwin, a PhD student at the University of Northern Colorado. Samuel shares how his fascination with snakes and veno...

Student Perspectives: Gartersnake Physiology

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Stephanie Agnew, a graduate student at the University of Ottawa, to discuss her path into graduate school and the lessons s...

146 | Snake Community Changes Over 20 Years

26 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Kim Sash, Tall Timbers’ Biological Monitoring Coordinator, and Ashlynn Canode, 2024 Orianne Society grant recipient, to e...

145 | Weasels Eating Rattlesnakes

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with photographer, filmmaker and field naturalist Mark Lotterhand to explore his astonishing discovery that weasels are dragging...

144 | Timber Rattlesnakes with Dr. Steven Beaupre (Rewind)

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Originally released in 2020. Revisited for 2025 as one of our most downloaded episodes, and just as fascinating and relevant today as when it first ai...

143 | Toad in a Glass Jar by Stan Lake

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Stan Lake to discuss his new book, Toad in a Glass Jar. Their conversation follows two intertwining paths — Stan’s expe...

142 | Bryan Fry, the Venom Doc

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bryan Fry for a globe-spanning conversation about his adventures working with some of the world’s most venomous snake...

141 | Everything Mohave Rattlesnakes

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with rattlesnake expert Mike Cardwell for a deep dive into one of North America’s most fascinating and misunderstood species—...

140 | Inbreeding Impacts in Massasauga Populations

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Drs. Eric Hileman and Meaghan Clark for an in-depth look at the Eastern Massasauga. They begin with the species’ natural ...

139 | How Rattlesnakes Made Natural History

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Whitney Robles—author, historian, and curator—to explore her book Curious Species: How Animals Made Natural History...

138 | Reptiles in Rapidly Changing Environments

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What can tiny island lizards teach us about surviving a changing world? Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Christian Cox, Associate Professor at Florida I...

137 | Everything Snakes of Alabama

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alabama is a hotspot for snake diversity—and Jimmy Stiles knows it better than almost anyone. In this episode, Dr. Jenkins talks with his friend and...

136 | Venomous Snakes in South Africa

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Hiral Naik, Research and Conservation Manager for Save the Snakes, for a fascinating discussion on venomous snakes and ...

135 | Tropical Adventures in Herpetology

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Laurie Vitt, Emeritus Curator at the Sam Noble Museum, for a fascinating journey through a career spen...

134 | Boas, Islands, Evolution, and Conservation

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Graham Reynolds to explore the fascinating trajectory of his career—from a childhood fascination with nature to a pro...

133 | Snakes from Arizona to Vietnam with Randall Babb

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Randy Babb, a lifelong wildlife enthusiast from Arizona with a passion for reptiles and amphibians. Randy ...

132 | Texas Indigo Snakes with Samantha Dillon

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with herpetologist Samantha Dillon to talk all things Indigo Snakes. A Florida native, Samantha has a deep-root...

131 | The Career of Snake Ecologist Dr. Neil Ford

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Neil Ford, Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas at Tyler, about his lifelong passion for snak...

130 | Snakes in Chinese Folklore

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Liang Luo, Professor at the University of Kentucky and an expert in Chinese folklore, to explore the rich cultural hist...

129 | Snake Veterinary Science

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Stephen Barten, a veterinarian with decades of experience working with reptiles. They begin by discussing the unique ch...

128 | Ornate Black-tailed Rattlesnake

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down for part two of his conversation with Dr. James Emerson of Texas State University. In this episode, they dive into James’ rese...

127 | Serpentine Expeditions

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Ian Breland to explore the world of ecotourism with snakes. Growing up with a passion for reptiles and adventure, Ian chann...

126 | Global Snakebite Initiative

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with James Reid, Executive Director of the Global Snakebite Initiative, to discuss his journey from TV producer to global snakeb...

125 | Black Ratsnake Ecology

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Gabriel Blouin-Demers, a professor at the University of Ottawa’s Department of Biology, to explore the fascinating wo...

124 | Long-term Massasauga Studies in Illinois

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Snake Talk, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Michael Dreslik from the Illinois Natural History Survey. With a career dedicated to wil...

123 | Snake Detection Theory

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Lynne Isbell from the Anthropology Department at UC Davis to discuss primate vision and the role snakes have played in ...

122 | Gray-banded Kingsnake Ecology

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. James Emerson from Texas State University to discuss the fascinating ecology of Gray-banded Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis al...

121 | Reticulated Pythons in the Wild

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Dr. Jenkins as he sits down with Dr. Rich Burger to talk about the ecology of Reticulated Pythons. Known for their massive size and their roles i...

120 | Pursuing Snake Ecology in the Shadow of the Yugoslav Wars

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Chris Jenkins sits down with Dr. Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailović, a snake biologist from Serbia, to share her extraordinary journey. J...

119 | Microbiomes and Snake Fungal Disease

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Lauren Fuchs, a Ph.D. candidate and recipient of an Orianne Society research grant, to explore her unique journey into snak...

118 | New Orianne Society Staff Member

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Chris Jenkins welcomes Andrea Colton, the newest member of The Orianne Society team. Andrea, an Associate Conservation Scientist ...

117 | Snake Venom with Dr. Stephen Mackessy

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins dives deep into the world of snake venom with renowned expert Dr. Stephen Mackessy. They begin with Steve’s early experiences working wi...

116 | The Rattlesnake Conservancy

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Tony Daly-Crews, the founding Executive Director of The Rattlesnake Conservancy. They explore the origins ...

115 | Everything Ridge-nosed Rattlesnakes

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Andrew Holycross to discuss one of the rarest rattlesnakes in the United States. They start by talking about the specie...

114 | Rattlesnakes in Great Basin National Park

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Chris Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bryan Hamilton and Colton Irons to explore one of his favorite species—the Great Basin Rattles...

113 | Dr. Rich Seigel and Long-term Research with Snakes

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Rich Seigel of Towson University, a leading figure in reptile ecology. Rich's work, including books th...

112 | Paleontology and the Origin of Snakes

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Dr. Jenkins as he sits down with Dr. Michael Caldwell, a professor at the University of Alberta, to discuss their recent media-highlighted discov...

111 | Growing from a Herpetologist into a Conservation Biologist in Florida

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Henry Mushinsky, Professor Emeritus at the University of South Florida, for a deep dive into his caree...

110 | Kingsnakes and Milksnakes with Noah Fields

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with returning guest Noah Fields to talk about “flashy” colubrids. They start by discussing the colorful, large, and awe-ins...

109 | Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Dr. Jenkins as he sits down with Michael Ring from the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary. Discover the inspiring journey from their humble beginni...

108 | Chocoan Bushmasters

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Dr. Jenkins as he sits down with María Elena Barragán-Paladines from the Quito Vivarium to explore the remarkable work being done in education,...

107 | Save the Snakes

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Michael Starkey, Founder and Executive Director of Save the Snakes. They begin the discussion by talking about Michael's pa...

106 | California Snakes and Live Streaming at a Snake Den

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with returning guest Dr. Emily Taylor to discuss some exciting new developments in the world of snakes. First, they delve into h...

105 | From Field Herping South Texas to Zoo Based Conservation

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Clint Guadiana, Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at Gladys Porter Zoo and one of the field herping experts for extreme so...

104 | Breeding Designer Ball Pythons

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Justin Kobylka from Kinova Reptiles to talk all about breeding Ball Pythons. Despite catching wind of Justin's recent featu...

103 | The Road to Becoming a Snake Biologist

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Peyton Niebanck to discuss the lengthy journey toward becoming a snake biologist. Peyton, a technician with The Orianne Soc...

102 | Armenian Viper Conservation

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Jeff Ettling to talk about the conservation of Armenian Vipers. They start with a discussion of vipers from the region ...

101 | A History of Snakebite Treatments

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Bob Ashley of the Chiricahua Desert Museum to discuss his recent book titled A Photographic History of Snakebite Treatments...

100 | Dr. Harry Greene

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the 100th episode of Snake Talk, Dr. Jenkins interviews Harry Greene, author of Snakes: Evolution of Mystery in Nature, a book that significantly ...

99 | Conserving Virgin Island Boas

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dustin Smith from the North Carolina Zoo to discuss a conservation program for Virgin Island Boas. They begin by discussing...

98 | Being a Generalist Snake Biologist

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Stephen Mullin to discuss his career as a herpetologist. While many academics concentrate on specific questions in scie...

97 | How Do Flying Snakes Fly?

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Jake Socha from Virginia Tech University to delve into the biomechanics of flying snakes. They begin the discussion by ...

96 | Everything Pygmy Rattlesnakes with Dr. Terry Farrell

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chris discusses Pygmy Rattlesnakes with Dr. Terry Farrell, a professor at Stetson University in Florida. Drawing on his extensive 30-year experience i...

95 | Restoring Snake Habitat in the Southeast

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Blake Adams and Caleb Goldsmith. Blake and Caleb work for The Orianne Society where their primary focus is on the restorati...

94 | The Value of Museum Collections for Snake Conservation

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Alison Rabosky, the Curator of Herpetology at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, to talk about museum collec...

93 | Exotic Parasites in Snakes Spreading Across North America

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jenna Palmisano, a Ph.D. Candidate studying parasites in snakes. Focusing on pentastomes, they discuss the species native t...

92 | Cryptosporidium and Snake Conservation

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. James Bogan, Director of the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation and Central Florida Zoo. They have an in depth disc...

91 | Indigo Snake Genetics

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Matt Buehler, a Ph.D. Candidate studying indigo snake genetics. They begin with how Matt found himself working with indigo ...

90 | Reptile Illustration with Matt Patterson

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Matt Patterson from New Hampshire. Matt is an incredible artist that focuses primarily on reptiles, especially turtles. The...

89 | Snake Road with Mike Pingleton

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Pingleton returns to Snake Talk to discuss one of the greatest field herping destinations in North America, Snake Road. Dr. Jenkins has wanted to...

88 | Snakes in the Bible

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Joseph Gordon to discuss snakes in the Bible. When most people think of snakes featured in the Bible, the narrative of ...

87 | Spitting Cobras to Metering Venom

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Young to talk about some fascinating topics in Snake Biology. These are also some of the most frequently asked qu...

86 | Copperbelly Watersnakes with Dr. Kingsbury

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Kingsbury to talk about his career and work with watersnakes. They start by discussing the Environmental Resource...

85 | Viper Research around the Globe

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Xavier Glaudas to discuss his career studying vipers. Xavier was born in France but has spent his career moving around ...

84 | The Adventures of Mark O’Shea

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Mark O’Shea to discuss his adventures in snake exploration and research. They start off talking about the show O’Shea’...

83 | Snakebite in Dogs with Dr. Schaer

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Michael Schaer to discuss everything about snakebite in dogs. They talk about what you should do if your dog is bitten ...

82 | Some of Our Favorite Snake Stories

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In celebration of World Snake Day 2023, we’ve put together a collection of our favorite Snake Stories from our podcast guests over the years!  Feat...

81 | Paleontology: Snakes with Legs to Titanaboa

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with David Moscato from the Gray Fossil Site and Museum, to talk about snake paleontology. They discuss a wide range of topics i...

80 | Sea Snakes with Dr. Heatwole

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Harold Heatwole, who has arguably spent more time among sea snakes than any snake expert in the world and literally wro...

79 | The Future of Snake Ecology and Conservation in the Northwest

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins moderates a panel of snake experts from the Pacific Northwest. The panelists include Lisa Hallock, Herpetologist for the ...

78 | San Francisco Gartersnakes with Dr. Halstead

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

77 | Everything Bog Turtles

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 fo...

76 | A New Reptile Conservation Center at Riverbanks Zoo

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

75 | Southeastern Reptile Rescue: From Film to Adopting Out Snakes

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Jason Clark, President of Southeastern Reptile Rescue. They start discussing his interesting transition from being a police...

74 | Snake Research at the Jones Ecological Research Center

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 int...

73 | Bob Zappalorti: from Kauffeld to Pine Snakes

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Bob Zappalorti to talk about his long career in herpetology. They start with his early days working at the Staten Island Zo...

72 | The Curator of Herpetology at Zoo Atlanta

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Robert Hill, Curator of Herpetology at Zoo Atlanta. They discuss his path to getting to where he is today and about how peo...

71 | Global Reptile Status Assessment

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Neil Cox and Phil Bowles from IUCN to talk about the recently completed Global Reptile Assessment. They talk about the need...

70 | Burmese Pythons in their Native Range

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Caesar Rahman to talk about Burmese Pythons - not to discuss them in Florida where most people in the United States think o...

69 | The Big Four of Turtle Conservation

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Kiley Briggs to discuss the ‘Big Four’ of freshwater turtle conservation in North America. The discussion starts with a...

68 | Lameace’s Story: from Herpetology to DEI Research

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Lameace Hussain (they/them) to talk about an interesting journey - starting with a rural upbringing in Kentucky, Lameace’...

67 | Midget Faded Rattlesnakes with Dr. Josh Parker

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Josh Parker to talk about one the most fascinating rattlesnakes, the Midget Faded Rattlesnake. Josh has an interesting ...

66 | Snake Safari in Hong Kong

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins is joined by William Sargent from Hong Kong.  William is a certified snake catcher in Hong Kong and leads Snake Safaris for local communi...

65 | Pythons in Florida: Just the Facts

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with McKayla Spencer, the Interagency Python Management Coordinator with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They...

64 | Cutting Edge Research on Diamondbacks with Dr. Jayme Waldron

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Waldron to talk more about one of his favorite snakes, the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (EDB). Jayme has spent mu...

63 | Snakes in the Arctic with Dr. Thomas Madsen

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Madsen to talk about his career and his long-term snake studies from around the world.  They start in Scandinavia talk...

62 | King Cobras with Gowri Shankar

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Gowri Shankar to talk about one of the world's most iconic snakes, the King Cobra. They start off talking about Gowri’s c...

61 | Rattlesnake Roundups (3 of 3): Dr. Bruce Means on the Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Bruce Means to talk about everything Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (EDB). They begin with a discussion of his time...

60 | Rattlesnake Roundups (2 of 3): Daniel Sollenberger on the Whigham Roundup

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Daniel Sollenberger, state herpetologist for Georgia, to talk about rattlesnake roundups. They start off going over what Da...

59 | Rattlesnake Roundups (1 of 3): John Jensen on the Transition to Wildlife Festivals

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with John Jensen to talk about rattlesnake roundups.  They describe what roundups are and how they are typically structured in ...

58 | Bob Ashley, Snake Entrepreneur and founder of the Chiricahua Desert Museum

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Bob Ashley to talk about his life - he has found a unique path that has allowed him to pursue many different avenues relati...

57 | Traveling to International Destinations to Snake Hunt with Rhett Stanberry

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Rhett Stanberry to talk about traveling to snake hunt and field herp. Learn about a range of topics including how to select...

56 | Dr. Rick Shine on his new book, “So Many Snakes, So Little Time”

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins has a conversation with Dr. Shine to talk about his newest book.  This autobiography goes through his fifty-plus year career studying sna...

55 | Linking Science to Conservation: Indigo Snakes and Flatwoods Salamanders with Houston Chandler

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with The Orianne Society’s Director of Science, Houston Chandler, to talk about the link between science and conservation.  T...

54 | Everything Gila Monsters with Dr. Beck

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Daniel Beck to discuss ecology and natural history of Gila Monsters.  They cover everything from the origins of the na...