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#96: From Rattles to Kings: Unraveling the Secrets of Snakes With Dr. Emily Taylor

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Summary

Snakes are the perfect topic for Nature’s Archive. They are often over-generalized to fit a worst-case stereotype, but they are critically important to our food webs and ecosystems. And like so much of what we discuss, once you start learning just a bit about them, you see how amazing and diverse they are.

Dr. Emily Taylor

And there are few better suited to guide us through the world of snakes than Dr. Emily Taylor. Dr. Taylor is a professor of biological sciences at California Poly San Luis Obispo and has been studying mating systems and physiology of rattlesnakes for 25 years. She’s also founder of Project RattleCam, which monitors a huge Prairie Rattlesnake rookery in Colorado, founder of Central Coast Snake Services, and an author. In fact, her latest book California Snakes and How to Find Them comes out on May 7 2024, which is literally tomorrow from the original release date of this podcast.

Today, we discuss the diversity of snakes across the United States – and I have to say, I kept saying United Snakes as I tried to read this the first time. And of course, how to find snakes, just like in the title of her book.

We discuss what different snakes eat, why the Kingsnake is named kingsnake, why live animals can’t simply claw their way out of a snake’s belly, and what it’s like to be surrounded by dozens of rattlesnakes all rattling at the same time.

Of course, we also discuss how snakes contribute to our ecosystems, and the threats that they face.

Dr. Taylor can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Threads as @snakeymama

Also, if you happen to listen to this podcast the week of its release and live near the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Taylor will be appearing at West Valley College on Friday May 10, giving her talk – Secret Lives of Snakes at 6 PM – and signing her books! I’ll be there, and hope to see you too. You can check emilytaylorscience.com for additional events and speaking engagements across California.

Did you have a question that I didn’t ask? Let me know at [email protected], and I’ll try to get an answer!

And did you know Nature’s Archive has a monthly newsletter? I share the latest news from the world of Nature’s Archive, as well as pointers to new naturalist finds that have crossed my radar, like podcasts, books, websites, and more. No spam, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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While you are welcome to listen to my show using the above link, you can help me grow my reach by listening through one of the podcast services (Apple, Spotify, Overcast, etc). And while you’re there, will you please consider subscribing?

People and Organizations

Advocates for Snake Preservation

Central Coast Snake Services

Dr. Christina Zdenek – Australian snake researcher, IG, Twitter

Free Snake Relocation Directory

Marissa Ishimatsu – major photographic contributor to Dr. Taylor’s new book. Check Marissa’s instagram for incredible snake and nature photography

Project RattleCam

Raptors Are The Solution – resources for dealing with rodents that don’t harm snakes, birds, and pets

Save the Snakes

Books and Other Things

Note: links to books are affiliate links to Bookshop.org. You can support independent bookstores AND Jumpstart Nature by purchasing through our affiliate links or our bookshop store.

California Snakes and How to Find Them

Credits

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://brianholtzmusic.com



This post first appeared on Nature's Archive, please read the originial post: here

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#96: From Rattles to Kings: Unraveling the Secrets of Snakes With Dr. Emily Taylor

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