Join us on a trip to the Joyce Wildlife Management Area in the northwestern end of Lake Pontchartrain to learn all about the elusive and BEAUTIFUL mud snake and their prey, the very strange looking amphiuma! Out there we will meet another snake lover and herpetologist, Oliver Ljustina who is conducting a long-term snake tagging project in the area. Learn more about this episode and our podcast (with many reference links, photos, and a cheat sheet) on our website! www.lucec.loyno.edu If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you! Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

In this Nature Note edition of The Southern Naturalist, we answer all of your burning questions about the majestic, magical lightning bug! Questions like, why do they glow? what makes them glow? Where can I find them and why do I remember seeing more as a kid? We also dig deeper into how they are named, why beetles are so cool, metamorphosis and bioluminescence!  Our resident bug expert Zack Lemann joins the conversation as we talk about on the evolutionary biology and mating habits of fireflies and how they are natures "femme fatales!" If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Learn more about this podcast (with many links and a cheat sheet) on our website! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you! Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

Join Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas on the annual Spring Frog Walk in Jean Lafitte National Park. This episode dives deep into the calls, anatomy and seasonality of frogs in the South. We also share some tips for identifying common frogs at night and discover some other animals along the way! Learn more about this podcast on our website and please leave us a review! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Hosted by Dr. Bob Thomas & Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced & Edited by Emma Reid Music composition by Hunter Wainwright and Dirk Powell

Do you ever wonder what alligators do in the winter? Well, you're not alone! This is Dr. Bob's highest searched Nature Note and it is full of many educational and fun facts. As always, there will many be tangents and stories. We will discuss brumation versus hibernation as well as other adaptation strategies for animals in the winter! Dr. Bob Thomas has been writing short essays on natural history for many years, so we decided to record him reading them and add some discussion with Dr. Bob's daughter, colleague and fellow nature lover, Dr. Aimée Thomas! Visit Lucec.loyno.edu to read other nature notes! Learn more about this podcast on our website and please leave us a review! Do you have any more questions about this topic or natural history in your area? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Produced by Emma Reid Student Interns: Kitty Perlsweig and Hannah Chaisson Sound editing by Ben Ross Music composition by Hunter Wainwright and Dirk Powell

On the very first episode of The Southern Naturalist, get ready to be captivated by Dr. Aimée Thomas and Dr. Bob Thomas  as they go black lighting (a common method for collecting and studying insects) and bug searching in Audubon Park at night. Our special guest is an enthusiastic entomologist named Zack Lemann. We will cover many topics in this episode including insect anatomy, trap jaw ants, dragon flies, nocturnal  insects, defense mechanisms and what is means to be a naturalist! We hope you enjoy! Learn more about this podcast on our website and please leave us a review! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Produced by Emma Reid Student Interns: Kitty Perlsweig and Hannah Chaisson Sound editing by Ben Ross Music composition by Hunter Wainwright and Dirk Powell

For all things green, tune into The Southern Naturalist! Hosted by father-daughter duo Dr. Aimée and Dr. Bob Thomas. Premieres April 22, 2022!