The Field Guides

This month, we head to the tropics and meet the Blue Iguana of the Cayman Islands! This endangered lizard is found nowhere else on the globe save for the island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, and just two decades ago, it’s likely there were fewer than 25 animals remaining in the wild. This was a species that was functionally extinct, but thanks to the herculean efforts of a dedicated group of people, the Blue Iguana (Cyclura lewisi) has been brought back from the brink, with over 1000 iguanas now roaming the dry, rocky forests of Grand Cayman. In July of 2024 Bill traveled there to interview Fred Burton, the man many people credit as the main driver behind the effort to save this endemic species.

How hard is it to reintroduce species to a tropical island? Turns out, pretty hard! But it’s so worth it. The rewilding of the Galapagos island of Floreana will make it the largest tropical island ever to be rewilded. Researchers have spent over a decade meticulously planning for the reintroduction of the iconic Floreana Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis niger niger). Once thought to be extinct, this species, along with eleven other locally extinct endemic animal species, are part of a reintroduction project that has involved the massive task of eradication of introduced predators, as well as the purposeful inclusion of the local population throughout the planning process. This month, Bill and Steve are completely out of their depth, discussing the project with three staff members from Fundación Jocotoco, one of the organizations leading the charge to Rewild Floreana. This episode’s special guests are Paola Sangolquí, Jocotoco’s Galapagos Program Marine Coordinator, Julieta Muñoz, Conservation Strategy Manager, and Jajean Rose-Burney, the Director of Jocotoco US.

This month, Daniel leads the guys into uncharted waters for the podcast…that’s right, it’s our first-ever episode about fish! The Great Lakes salmon fishery is one of the greatest angling spectacles in the US. Large predatory salmon, native to the Pacific Northwest, are stocked in the Great Lakes region to maintain a world class fishery and control invasive baitfish. The undisputed monarch among these stocked species? The appropriately named King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). While they are fished for year-round, the action heats up when mature King Salmon run (well, they swim, but that’s what it’s called) up the creeks and rivers where they were born or stocked each fall. The salmon run attracts anglers from all over the country, fostering a multi-million dollar industry and countless memories. But what is with all the excitement? Why are Pacific salmon even put here? Dare we even ask, should they be here? In this episode, the guys venture to a popular salmon fishing spot near Lake Ontario and reel in the story of one of the most consequential actions in fisheries management history.

If we want to help wildlife, we need to know when and where they’re moving on the landscape. Dr. Scott LaPoint has spent his career researching just that. When our recent episode on fisher cats left us with a lot of questions., we figured who better to help us out than Dr. LaPoint. He was kind enough to join Daniel and Bill for a hike, sharing his expertise and his amazing ability to communicate science with enthusiasm, humor, and clarity. Join the guys for a wide-ranging discussion on fishers, connectivity, and wildlife-human interaction.

Pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys) is a goofy little plant that parasitizes fungi and can often be found beneath pine trees. It is not the sap of pine trees like Daniel thought. In this episode, Bill leads the discussion about the complex relationships between pinesap, its fungal host, and the tree species the fungi has a symbiosis with. Join the guys as they get caught in a sudden rainstorm and learn about this amazing plant.

Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are a predator species reclaiming much of its former range in the northeastern US, but, as sightings become more common, so do stories of what fishers (AKA fisher cats) are up to. This episode, the guys are on the trail - both literally and figuratively - tracking down the life history of this elusive member of the weasel family.

Who doesn’t love an eclipse? Apparently, wildlife has very mixed feelings about the whole affair. This month, the guys prepare for the upcoming 2024 total eclipse by looking into the research around how animals react to the moon photobombing the sun for a few minutes. The reactions are not universal, but they are varied. And trying to figure out what the animals are up to makes for a fascinating listen.

Bill meets Daniel in south Florida to record an episode about the Florida Panther and tackle the questions and misconceptions that leave this cat shrouded in mystery.

Part 2 of our Timber Rattlesnake episode. If you haven’t listened to part 1, go and do that. We’ll wait right here for you. The episode was recorded on December 7, 2023 at Hunters Creek County Park in East Aurora, NY.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, we wager you’ll enjoy this dive into the shiny (not slimy) world of rattlesnakes. This episode, the guys take a close look (but not too close) at the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), trying to show how it’s not out to kill you and also finding out how it ended up on the “Don’t Tread On Me” flag. Plus, they introduce the newest field guide, Daniel!