So Much Pingle

Episode 122: Herps and Herpetology in Iran with Nathan Kutok

[https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/STV-300x225.png]https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/STV.pngThis episode has a few firsts – it’s the first time I’ve done a recording while sitting at my dining room table, and it’s the first time I’ve interviewed someone from my neighborhood. Nathan Kutok lives just a few blocks away, and he’s an up-and-coming herpetologist who is involved in some  interesting projects early in his career. This episode focuses on Nathan’s recent trip to Iran, and we talk about his motivations for going, and some of the political aspects of such an adventure. And of course, we talk about some of the interesting herps Nathan encountered as well. As always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, there are several ways to do so – you can make a one-time contribution via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com). You can also provide support the show using Patreon, via the So Much Pingle Patreon page [http://www.patreon.com/somuchpingle]. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. MERCH!!!  T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store [https://somuchpingle.threadless.com/]. More designs are in the pipeline. Thank you in advance! POD BLOG! You can find the first of my supplemental blog posts that support podcast episodes at Notes From The Field [https://fieldherping.org/]. Let me know your thoughts! And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc. -Mike

Episode 121: Herp Science Sunday: Bubble-breathing Anoles

[https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/bubble-300x225.png]https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/bubble.pngI’m so happy to produce another Herp Science Sunday segment with Dr. Alex Krohn! In this episode we talk with Dr. Alexandra Martin, one of the co-authors of a brand new paper, which lays out some astounding data that supports the idea that some anole species are able to breathe underwater, in a novel way. The name of the paper is “High dissolved oxygen extends dive duration and suggests physical gill use in a vertebrate” and was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology in July of 2025. The authors are Alexandra M. Martin, Diane Cordero-De La Cruz, and Lindsey Swierk. Congratulations to all of the co-authors! Feel free to email me if you would like a PDF of the paper (somuchpingle “at” gmail dot com). Here is the link to the Anole Bubble Movie [https://movie.biologists.com/video/10.1242/jeb.250627/video-1], useful to watch prior to hearing our discussion. Here is a link to a related article in the Anole Annals blog [https://www.anoleannals.org/2025/10/15/rebreathing-semi-aquatic-anoles-just-a-scuba-tank-or-something-more/], authored by Dr. Lindsey Swierk. On BlueSky, you can follow Allie Martin PhD (@alliemartin.bsky.social) and Lindsey Swierk (@lindseyswierk.bsky.social). As always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, there are several ways to do so – you can make a one-time contribution via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com). You can also provide support the show using Patreon, via the So Much Pingle Patreon page [http://www.patreon.com/somuchpingle]. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. MERCH!!!  T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store [https://somuchpingle.threadless.com/]. More designs are in the pipeline. Thank you in advance! POD BLOG! You can find the first of my supplemental blog posts that support podcast episodes at Notes From The Field [https://fieldherping.org/]. Let me know your thoughts! And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc. -Mike

Episode 120: A Conversation with Zeev Ginsburg

[https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/promo2-300x283.png]https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/promo2.pngI met Zeev Ginsburg at Snake Road in southern Illinois a few years ago, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know him and spending some time herping together. We’ve had some interesting conversations, and I’ve been wanting to get him on the show for some time, but we put it off for a bit until he was ready to restart his excellent podcast, Wood Fired Herping [https://woodfiredherping.com/]. Zeev has released his first post-hiatus show and so the time was right to have a chat about his podcast, about herping, and much, much more as the cliché goes. As always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, there are several ways to do so – you can make a one-time contribution via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com). You can also provide support the show using Patreon, via the So Much Pingle Patreon page [http://www.patreon.com/somuchpingle]. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. I want to give a shout-out to all the folks I saw down at Snake Road last weekend. Way too many to name everyone, but it was nice to see old friends and new friends down there, some coming great distances, and these days that is the primary reason I keep going down to the Shawnee National Forest every October somewhere around my birthday. I haven’t missed a year since 1994 and I think I want to keep that streak going. Two special shout-outs, one to Jake Scott, for his birthday poem, brilliant stuff, Jake, thank you my friend.  I also want to thank Scott Albert, old school herper and the owner and winegrower of the Holotype Wine Company [https://www.holotypewine.com/] down in the Shawnee hills. Scott gifted me with several bottles of his fine product, which incorporate herps in the names and labels. and I’ve been enjoying them this week. [https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/A-holotype-300x225.png]https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/A-holotype.pngPOD BLOG! You can find the first of my supplemental blog posts that support podcast episodes at Notes From The Field [https://fieldherping.org/]. Let me know your thoughts! MERCH!!!  T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store [https://somuchpingle.threadless.com/]. More designs are in the pipeline. Thank you in advance! And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc. -Mike

Episode 119: Herper’s Campfire: Not a Big Year, But Still a Good One

[https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/herpers-300x267.png]https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/herpers.pngHi folks! This episode was recorded in the mountains of North Carolina over the Labor Day weekend. I made a long day’s drive over to Josh’s place east of Asheville, ostensibly to look for mole kingsnakes and salamanders, but also just to hang out with Josh Holbrook and Alex Krohn and Jake and Lindsey Scott while doing so.  Josh and Jake are having interesting field herping years, and of course a campfire is the perfect venue to find out more about it. POD BLOG! You can find the first of my supplemental blog posts that support podcast episodes at Notes From The Field [https://fieldherping.org/]. Let me know your thoughts! MERCH!!!  T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store [https://somuchpingle.threadless.com/]. More designs are in the pipeline. Thank you in advance! As always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, there are several ways to do so – you can make a one-time contribution via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com). You can also provide support the show using Patreon, via the So Much Pingle Patreon page [http://www.patreon.com/somuchpingle]. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc. -Mike

Episode 118: Pine Snakes, Bog Turtles and more with Bob Zappalorti

[https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/bob_frog-300x214.jpg]https://www.somuchpingle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/bob_frog.jpgHi folks! This past June I drove out to Pemberton, New Jersey to talk with Robert Zappalorti. Bob is the founder and executive director of Herpetological Associates Inc [https://herpetologicalassociates.com/]. Now these days there are a lot of people working in what I call contract biology, but Bob Zappalorti was the first environmental consultants working on behalf of herps and other creatures. He founded Herpetological Associates back in 1977 and since then, his company has done a great deal of work in not just conserving herps, but also increasing our understanding of their natural histories, population dynamics, and ecological needs. It was truly an honor and privilege to sit down with Bob and talk about all of this. There were delays getting this episode out, always a bummer, but it does help to sync up a bit with a new book coming out – The Natural History of the Northern Pinesnake, by Joanna Burger, Robert T. Zappalorti, and Michael Gochfield. Now available from Eco Universe Books [https://www.ecouniverse.com/]. I’m looking forward to getting a copy! Thanks again Bob! Great to talk with you and I hope our paths cross again soon. POD BLOG! You can find the first of my supplemental blog posts that support podcast episodes at Notes From The Field [https://fieldherping.org/]. Let me know your thoughts! MERCH!!!  T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store [https://somuchpingle.threadless.com/]. More designs are in the pipeline. Thank you in advance! As always, I am grateful to all the show’s patrons who help to keep the show moving forward. And if you’re out there listening and you would like to kick in a few bucks, there are several ways to do so – you can make a one-time contribution via PayPal or Venmo (please contact me via email to somuchpingle@gmail.com). You can also provide support the show using Patreon, via the So Much Pingle Patreon page [http://www.patreon.com/somuchpingle]. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. And thanks for listening everyone! And as always, please keep the comments and suggestions coming, and please take time to rate the show on your podcast platform! The show email is somuchpingle@gmail.com, and there’s also a So Much Pingle group on Facebook, for discussion, comments, feedback, suggestions, herp confessions, tips for herping better, etc. -Mike