Snake Talk

Join Dr. Jenkins as he sits down with Michael Ring from the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary. Discover the inspiring journey from their humble beginnings as the Phoenix Herpetological Society to their growth into a renowned sanctuary. Learn about their core mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming reptiles, and explore their extensive animal collection, including one of the world’s most comprehensive crocodilian collections and a large population of Sulcata Tortoises.

This episode delves into their dedication to education, teaching people about suitable reptiles for pets, and the importance of conserving native reptiles. Michael and Dr. Jenkins discuss the Sanctuary’s vital role in conservation, from maintaining assurance populations of rare species to conducting field research with local reptiles. Packed with valuable insights and fascinating information, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Connect with Michael at the

Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

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If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

In this episode, Dr. Jenkins sits down with Tony Daly-Crews, the founding Executive Director of The Rattlesnake Conservancy. They explore the origins of the Conservancy and the journey that inspired Tony to establish it. The discussion dives deep into the organization's impactful research and educational programs, including the assisted migration of Ridge-nosed Rattlesnakes as a response to climate change and the development of standardized venomous snake-handling training. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Connect with Tony at The Rattlesnake Conservancy.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins sits down with James Reid, Executive Director of the Global Snakebite Initiative, to discuss his journey from TV producer to global snakebite advocate. James’ documentary, Minutes to Die, was a turning point in his career, leading him to focus on addressing the critical issue of snakebite envenoming worldwide. They explore the Global Snakebite Initiative’s efforts to support countries around the world by educating communities on snakebite prevention and first aid, training rural healthcare providers in effective treatment, and advancing technologies to improve snakebite care.

Connect with James, and watch Minutes to Die, at Global Snakebite Initiative.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Dr. Stephen Barten, a veterinarian with decades of experience working with reptiles. They begin by discussing the unique challenges and rewards of being a reptile veterinarian, before diving into a series of fascinating case stories—ranging from routine treatments to rare and unusual medical situations. The conversation then shifts to Dr. Barten’s work with Veterinary Expeditions, highlighting the remarkable places he’s traveled and the diverse reptile species he’s encountered around the world.

Connect with Stephen on his website, Instagram or Bluesky.

Connect with Chris on Facebook, Instagram or at The Orianne Society.

Shop Snake Talk merch.

If you like what you’ve been hearing on this podcast, consider supporting The Orianne Society today.

Dr. Peterson is an accomplished Snake Ecologist that has dedicated his career to studying the ecology of snakes and applying that knowledge to their conservation. Drs. Jenkins and Peterson discuss the path Chuck took to becoming a herpetologist. They also discuss the diversity of snakes in the Intermountain West and what Chuck has learned from decades of research, including an in depth discussion of one of the biggest long-term datasets ever collected on snakes, specifically a data set on Great Basin Rattlesnakes from Southeast Idaho. The link for the Idaho Amphibian and Reptile iNaturalist Project is: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/idaho-amphibian-and-reptile-inaturalist-project Flickr Photo Albums links: Idaho Reptiles: https://www.flickr.com/photos/petechar/albums/72157625821042969 Snakes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/petechar/albums/72157689924852796 ISU Herpetology Laboratory Publications on Intermountain West Snakes 1989-2019 1. Koch, E.D. and C.R. Peterson. 1989. A preliminary survey of the distribution of amphibians and reptiles of Yellowstone National Park. In: Rare, sensitive and threatened species of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, T.W. Clark, D.H. Harvey, R.D. Dorn, D.C. Genter, and C. Groves (eds.), Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative , Montana Natural Heritage Program, The Nature Conservancy, and Mountain West Environmental Services. 2. Peterson, C.R. and M.E. Dorcas. 1992. The use of automated data acquisition techniques in monitoring amphibian and reptile populations. Pp 369-378 In: Wildlife 2001: Populations. D.R. McCullough and R.H. Barrett, (eds.). Elsevier Applied Science, London. 3. Peterson, C.R., A.R Gibson, and M.E. Dorcas. 1993. Snake thermal ecology: the causes and consequences of body temperature variation. Pp. 241-314 in Snakes: Ecology and Behavior (R.A. Seigel and J.T. Collins, eds.). McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, New York, N.Y. 4. Storm, R.M., W.P. Leonard, H.A. Brown, R.B. Bury, D.M. Darda, L.V. Diller, and C.R. Peterson. 1995. Reptiles of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle, Washington. 176 pp. 5. Koch, E.D. and C.R. Peterson. 1995. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, Utah. 188 pp. 6. Beck, J.M. and C.R. Peterson. 1995. Movements and habitat selection of the Longnose Snake (Rheinocheilus lecontei) in southwestern Idaho. Idaho Bureau of Land Management. Technical Bulletin No. 95-18. 7. Corn, P.S. and C.R. Peterson. 1996. Prairie Legacies - Amphibians and Reptiles. Pp. 125-134 In: Prairie Conservation: Preserving North America’s Most Endangered Ecosystem. F.B. Samson and F.L. Knopf (editors). Island Press 8. Dorcas, M.E. and C.R. Peterson. 1997. Head-body temperature differences in free-ranging rubber boas. J. Herp. 31(1): 87-93. 9. Dorcas, M.E., C.R. Peterson, and M.T. Flint. 1997. The thermal biology of digestion in rubber boas (Charina bottae): physiology, behavior, and environmental constraints. Physiological Zoology 70(3):292-300. 10. Dorcas, M.E. and C.R. Peterson. 1998. Daily body temperature variation in free-ranging rubber boas. Herpetologica.54(1):88-103. 11. Cobb, V.A. and C.R. Peterson. 1999. Natural History Notes: Mortality – Great Basin Rattlesnake. Herpetological Review. 30(1): 45-46. 12. Peterson, C.R, S.R Burton, D.S. Pilliod, J.R Lee, J.O. Cossel Jr, and R.L Llewellyn. 2001. Assessing the accuracy of Gap Analysis predicted distributions of Idaho amphibians and reptiles. Gap Analysis Bulletin 10: 42-49. 13. Vander Haegen, W. M., S. M. McCorquodale, C. R. Peterson, G. A. Green, and E. Yensen. 2001. Wildlife communities of eastside shrubland and grassland habitats. In, D. H. Johnson and T. A. O'Neil, Editors. Wildlife habitats and species associations in Oregon and Washington. University of Oregon Press, Corvallis, Oregon. 14. Scott, J.M., C.R. Peterson, J.W. Karl, E. Strand, L.K. Svancara, and N.M. Wright. 2002. A Gap Analysis of Idaho: Final Report. Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Moscow, ID. 15. Dorcas, M. E. and C. R. Peterson. 2008. Testing the coadaptation hypothesis: the thermal physiology and thermoregulatory behavior of rubber boas (Charina bottae). In: R. Henderson, R. Powell, G. Schuett, and M. Douglass (eds.), Biology of the Boas and Pythons. Eagle Mountain Publishing, LC, Eagle Moutain, UT. 16. Jenkins, C.L., C.R. Peterson, and J.O. Cossel, Jr. 2008. Sagebrush Steppe / Desert Shrublands. In: Pilliod, D.S., Wind, E., eds., 2008, Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Northwestern United States and Western Canada: Technical Publication HMG-4, Birmingham, AL, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, 139 pp. 17. Jenkins, C.L. and C.R. Peterson. 2009. A Trophic-Based Approach to the Conservation Biology of Rattlesnakes: Linking Landscape Disturbance to Rattlesnake Populations. Pp. 265-274 in W. K. Hayes, K. R. Beaman, M. D. Cardwell, and S. P. Bush (eds.), The Biology of Rattlesnak...