The Best Biome

Nov 14 2024 60 ep. 60 mins 22

The Best Biome Podcast artwork

Three prairie biologists make the ever-growing argument for why grasslands are the world's best biome. Features hosts Rachel Roth, Nicole Brown, and Allan Saylor of Kansas-based nonprofit Grassland Groupies.

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[S3E10] Creator and Destroyer: African Elephants

Nov 14 2024 66 mins

A big animal can make big changes in their environment... and cause big problems for the people who live alongside it. African Elephants have a fascinating relationship to the savanna and the people who call it home, where it is equal parts feared and revered. The world of elephant conservation is complicated, and in this episode, Nicole examines the nuanced stories of these beauti

[S3E9] Worm Lizards: Undulating and Unknowable

Oct 24 2024 56 mins

Happy Halloween from your grasslands PR Team! This month, Rachel confronts one of her worst childhood fears to bring us a tale of the strange and slithering: a group of animals so odd and cryptic that the existence of many species was only confirmed after their habitat was bulldozed. We're delving into the fascinating world of worm lizards, a world full of unknowns that still begs

[S3E8] Drafting Porcupines into the Best Biome

Sep 12 2024 58 mins

Possibly the best episode of all time (according to me, Rachel). Allan gives us EVERYTHING. Great science, high quality takes, crying with laughter, investigative reporting and red string conspiracy boards. To what end?? Drafting porcupines, well-known "tree-lovers," into the Best Biome (grasslands). Potentially. Hear us out! +++ Primary Sources +++ North American Porcup

[S3E7] Bees Know Everything

Aug 08 2024 43 mins

Bees know more than you. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but they definitely know more than you realize! From complex problem solving to tool use to wing-sparkle navigation, bees illuminate our understanding of insect cognition. In this episode, Nicole invites us to perceive the world as our buzzy, bumbly friends might, in beautifully smooth 240 fps. Primary Source: Buchm

[S3E6] Sandyland Groupies

Jul 11 2024 50 mins

Desertification is a major threat to many grasslands, so let's study the best real-world example: The Horqin Grassland, aka the Horqin Sandy Lands. How has this landscape changed over time, what can it teach us about the future of arid grasslands, and which approaches by Inner Mongolia and China to fight desertification give us hope? We love a hopeful story, and this certainly is o

[S3E5] Better National Symbols

Jun 13 2024 69 mins

We get patriotic (kinda) in this special episode where all three hosts work together to petition for new national symbols for the US of A. New floral emblem, new national symbol, and a brand new category all-together. Why do we love non-native national symbols? Who knows. Do better, America. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources: As if this silly episode could have any.

[S3E4] Goat Antelope Knife Fight

May 09 2024 58 mins

The fastest land animal in North America, second fastest in the world: the graceful, wonderful, pronghorn. Nicole shares all the reasons these icons of the American prairie are truly the best from their evolutionary history to their epic stare battles between each other and rump flashes to warn of predators. Primary Sources: Kitchen, D. 1974. Social Behavior and Ecology of the Pro

(Patas) Monkeying Around With Ants

Apr 11 2024 53 mins

Patas Monkeys are weird little guys with fabulous mustaches and very intricate relationships with a special tree on the African savannah. We talk acacias, ants, and the Lorax as Allan tries to make Nicole love just a single primate. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources: Palmer, T., Stanton, M., Young T., Goheen, J., Pringle, R., and Karban, R. 2008. Breakdown of an ant

Bonus! Power of Fire: Kindred Podcast

Apr 09 2024 64 mins

This is a special podcast swap episode where we host Kindred Podcast's Power of Fire episode. Learn about the history of fire, how it shapes the landscape and people that live there. Speakers: Tony Incashola Jr., forest manager for CSKT (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), and Stephanie Gillin, information and education program manager and former wildlife biologist for the C

[S3E2] Sickle Claw Seriema

Mar 14 2024 60 mins

The long-legged, sickle claw wielding seriema is a wonderful bird that provides insight into the extinct terror birds of old. Rachel explains the link between past and present and we ponder whether or not scientists ever bother actually looking at birds. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources: Oswald, T., Curtice, B., Bolander, M., Lopez, C. January 2023. Observation of