So Much Pingle

<p>A conversation with filmmaker Ray Morgan about his upcoming project, The Antivenom Interviews</p>

<p>A conversation with Noah Fields of NKF Herping about his recent trips to South Africa and Japan.</p>

Hello everyone! This episode features Kristiina Ovaska , a biologist based on Vancouver Island up in British Columbia. Kristiina came to the Peru on one of our expeditions, and we spent some time hiking in the rainforest in search of frogs, and photographing frogs, and talking about frogs and having a lot of frog fun. In this episode, we cover some of Kristiina’s many projects over the years involving frogs, salamanders, land snails, and fossorial snakes. It took some fancy editing to pull this one together – we recorded this on a rainy day, and our talk was cut short a bit by torrential rains that were too loud to talk over, and you’ll hear some of the caretaker’s kids here and there as they run around the field station. PATRONS: 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 . 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 . 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 . 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

<p>A back-deck-of-the-tambo interview with Jeffrey Niemeier and Zach Kaminski, recorded in the Peruvian rainforest in February 2026.</p>

Hello everyone, and welcome to the last episode of Season Six! I have several pending episodes recorded in Peru earlier this year, but I felt the need to bump this one up in the queue. Kevin Messenger’s new book on the Venomous Snakes of China was published recently, and it’s an amazing publication. I reached out to Kevin to schedule an interview the same day I received my copy. To find out more about the new book, tours, and much more, visit the Herping China website. You can also follow Kevin on Facebook and Instagram. It was fun to talk with Kevin again and I hope to herp in China sometime. The seventh season of the podcast starts in May, and I want to say thank you, to all of you, for listening. Whether you listened to just one, or some, or all of the episodes, I thank you. Additional thanks to those of you who reached out with feedback. PATRONS: 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 . You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. While I’m at it, I want to give a shout-out to the show’s most recent patron, Torben Platt! Thank you so much, Torben. MERCH!!! T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store . 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 . 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

Hello everyone, it’s great to be back! This episode was recorded in February on our second trip, at the Santa Cruz field station. Nine of our fourteen clients were from Arkansas, and since I couldn’t talk to all nine at once, they appointed some representatives, and I found myself talking with Gabrielle Hargrove, Thomas Belford , and Brad Birchfield . We had an excellent conversation and I do want to give a shout-out to the whole Arkansas crew – Cyndi Porter, Caden Porter, Jeremy Sloan, Brad Birchfield, Reagan Birchfield, Gabby and AJ Hargrove, Thomas Belford and Anthony Belford . So much fun hanging out with this crew and of course, the other folks on the trip as well. PATRONS: 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 . You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. While I’m at it, I want to give a shout-out to the show’s most recent patron, Torben Platt! Thank you so much, Torben. MERCH!!! T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store . 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 . 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

Hi everyone! The first show of 2026 turns out to be another edition of Herp Science Sunday! Alex and I had an interesting discussion with Justin Lee , who is currently working on his PhD at the University of Michigan. The bulk of our conversation centered around the genus Oligodon , of which Justin is a subject matter expert. In just a few years, he has authored and co-authored a number of papers on Kukri snakes, describing new species, and producing an updated phylogeny of Oligodon in 2024. It’s an entertaining segment featuring a crazy-cool snake genus, and an up-and-coming young herpetologist. Pod Blog : additional material supporting this episode can be found at www.fieldherping.org . Miguel Ángel de la Torre Loranca was kidnapped from his home and taken from his beloved family in late November. Miguel is a world-renowned herpetologist who has contributed to the description of numerous species, protection of habitat, and has played a pivotal role in facilitating herpetological fieldwork, conservation initiatives, and expeditions for countless Mexican and international biologists. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help his wife and children during this difficult time – if you can help out even just a little, it would mean a lot. Thank you. The wildlife conservation magazine Mongabay has an article with more details on Miguel’s work. PATRONS: 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 . You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. While I’m at it, I want to give a shout-out to the show’s most recent patron, Torben Platt! Thank you so much, Torben. MERCH!!! T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store . 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 . 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

Happy holidays, herpers! Here’s another episode that came out of my attending the West Virginia Herpetological Society’s annual meeting this past September. Will Robertson gave an excellent presentation on the thermal ecology of box turtles, a project he is working on as part of his master’s project. And since we all love box turtles, and wish to better understand their lives and protect their future, I invited Will to come on the show and enlighten us further. Will is also involved in science communication and nature appreciation via his YouTube channel, “ Will Robertson’s Wildlife ” – be sure to check his channel out and you can also follow him on Instagram . Thanks for talking with me Will, and best wishes to you in the future. 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 . You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee. While I’m at it, I want to give a shout-out to the show’s most recent patron, Torben Platt! Thank you so much, Torben. MERCH!!! T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store . 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 . 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

This 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 . 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 . 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 . 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

I’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 , useful to watch prior to hearing our discussion. Here is a link to a related article in the Anole Annals blog , 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 . 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 . 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 . 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

I 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. 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. 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 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. POD BLOG! You can find the first of my supplemental blog posts that support podcast episodes at Notes From The Field. Let me know your thoughts! MERCH!!! T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store. 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

Hi 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. Let me know your thoughts! MERCH!!! T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store. 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. 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

Hi 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. 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. 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. Let me know your thoughts! MERCH!!! T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store. 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. 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

Hi folks! Thanks for your patience, I've been called away so much this spring and summer. I first talked with Jeroen Speybroeck in Episode 27, way back in Season One. Jeroen is all the things, he’s a conservation biologist, author, field herper and life lister, and for that first conversation we talked about his fire salamander research, conservation efforts with Spadefoot Toads, herping in various places around the globe, and we also talked about the very good field guide to the herps of Britain and Europe of which he is a co-author. If you haven’t heard that episode you might want to listen to it first. This show was recorded outside at a lovely abbey near Brussels, where Matt Cage and I had lunch with Jeroen, and a few absolutely killer local brews before heading to the airport. MERCH!!! T-shirts and other swag are available now at the SoMuchPingle Threadless Store. More designs are in the pipeline. Thank you in advance! I want to give a shout-out to someone who wishes to remain anonymous, who recently made a one-time donation to support the podcast. Thank you so much, anonymous person, I appreciate ya! 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. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! Thank you again, Jeroen and Matt! 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, best beers for podcasting (Belgian ales, duh), tips for herping better, etc. -Mike

Another special episode, in support of Snake Week, July 13th thru the 19th . This episode features a panel discussion with Bryan Hughes of Rattlesnake Solutions, Cale Morris from the Phoenix Herpetological Sanctuary, and Rachel Pikstein from Pikstein Lab and one of the coordinators of Snake Week. The four of us have an interesting panel discussion about human and snake interactions. You can’t have a discussion of this sort without dipping into education and outreach efforts, so those threads are woven into the mix as well. A couple of earlier episodes related to our discussion come to mind – I talked with Bryan way back in Episode 4, about his company Rattlesnake Solutions and the rattlesnake relocation work they do, and the human interactions that come with that effort. And that show led to an interview with Dr. Heather Bateman, an Associate Professor at Arizona State University, about her research on human and snake interactions as part of a collaboration with Bryan and others. That’s Episode 44 in season two. And THAT is an interesting show, and you should check it out if you haven’t already. I am sorry I did not bring it up during our discussion, but you know, my brain. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to check out the many events associated with Snake Week at snakeweek.org, the list is quite impressive and folks, not everything is a remote lecture, there are some participatory activities as well. I’m proud to be a small part of this awesome project, and I look forward to checking out some of the events myself. 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. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! IMPORTANT NOTE: up to now, Apple WAS slapping a ridiculous 30% fee on all Patreon transactions using an iPhone or iPad to access the Patreon app. Apple lost a recent court ruling on this so the 30% fee should NOT show up at checkout. As far as I can tell this is for users based in the United States, I am not sure if others are still seeing this fee, so please look carefully as you check out. In spite of this reversal I am still actively working on better ways to support the show, and I appreciate your patience in the meantime. 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

This is a special episode, in support of Snake Week, which is next week, July 13th thru the 19th . It’s also special because it’s the return of Rachel Pikstein! Remember the tegu episode? Rachel and I go over the basics for Snake Week, which is shaping up to be a terrific event, and we also talk about some of the projects she’s working on. If you listened to Episode 88, you know that Rachel is a high energy ball of fire, so get something to drink, and fasten your seatbelts! I want to give a shout-out to the show’s newest patron, Kathy Woody from out California way! Thank you so much for supporting the show via Patreon, Kathy! Much appreciated. 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. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! IMPORTANT NOTE: up to now, Apple WAS slapping a ridiculous 30% fee on all Patreon transactions using an iPhone or iPad to access the Patreon app. Apple lost a recent court ruling on this so the 30% fee should NOT show up at checkout. As far as I can tell this is for users based in the United States, I am not sure if others are still seeing this fee, so please look carefully as you check out. In spite of this reversal I am still actively working on better ways to support the show, and I appreciate your patience in the meantime. 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

This episode was recorded back in April, at a campground somewhere in Louisiana, on the tail-end of a week-long herping trip with a bunch of friends. Various automotive mishaps while herping had come up several times during the trip, and I thought that might be a good just-for-fun topic to pursue before we all went our separate ways. Many thanks to my friends with their goofy fake names for providing a nice cross-section of things that can happen behind the wheel, or to the wheels.... 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. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! IMPORTANT NOTE: up to now, Apple WAS slapping a ridiculous 30% fee on all Patreon transactions using an iPhone or iPad to access the Patreon app. Apple lost a recent court ruling on this so the 30% fee should NOT show up at checkout. As far as I can tell this is for users based in the United States, I am not sure if others are still seeing this fee, so please look carefully as you check out. In spite of this reversal I am still actively working on better ways to support the show, and I appreciate your patience in the meantime. 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

I don't get to talk with everyone that comes on our Peru expeditions, but in February I did spend an hour talking with three of Chicago Land’s finest herpers – Matt and Alan Ignoffo, and Joe Cavataio. We talk about their experiences during their first Peruvian adventure of course, and we cover more interesting adventures and interests of these three naturalists (including Tully Monsters!). As per usual, this was recorded on the back deck of my tambo in the Peruvian rainforest near Iquitos. 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. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! IMPORTANT NOTE: up to now, Apple WAS slapping a ridiculous 30% fee on all Patreon transactions using an iPhone or iPad to access the Patreon app. Apple lost a recent court ruling on this so the 30% fee should NOT show up at checkout. As far as I can tell this is for users based in the United States, I am not sure if others are still seeing this fee, so please look carefully as you check out. In spite of this reversal I am still actively working on better ways to support the show, and I appreciate your patience in the meantime. 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

Hi everyone! Episode 112 (and the last episode of Season Five) returns us to the back deck of my tambo in the Peruvian rainforest, where I had a nice chat with Sylvere Corre, wildlife guide extraordinaire. Sylvere travels the world all year, leading people to discover all kinds of animals, including herps and birds and mammals, and some really spectacular critters. Sylvere clearly has a passion for what he does and I really enjoyed getting to know him during our time in Peru. Sylvere guides for Yuhina, "created for naturalists by naturalists". Be sure to check them out! They have more than a few expeditions that caught my interest. You can also follow Sylvere on social media. SMP Patrons! I want to thank Derek Gillespie and Phil Ngo for supporting the show via Patreon! And I want to thank Tom and Keemie Wille for their one-time donation! I appreciate everyone's support, and your comments as well! And 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. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! IMPORTANT NOTE: Apple is slapping a ridiculous 30% fee on all Patreon transactions using an iPhone or iPad to access the Patreon app. The workaround is to access Patreon dot com directly, or to use an Android device. So avoid using the app if you’re an Apple person. I wanna say that I am actively working on better ways to support the show, and I appreciate your patience in the meantime! 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

Hello everyone! Episode 111 is all about the Indigos, and a few other adjacent critters. Back in 2024 I met up in southern Georgia with Ben Stegenga of the Orianne Society, where we spent two days in the field doing surveys for Eastern Indigo snakes. Ben was assisted by three field techs, Tyler, Keira, and Jesus, and my buddies Matt, Pat, and John put their field experience to work. This show is much like the Massasauga episode I did last year, where I’m recording the ongoing survey and an interview at the same time, which is much more challenging than a studio interview as you might expect. As always I want to give a big shout-out to the Orianne Society, doing great conservation work with a host of species and landscapes. Check out what's up with Orianne and support their work if you can. SMP Patrons! I want to thank Trent Kreitler and TJ Belford for supporting the show via Patreon! Thank you so much, Trent and TJ! And 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. You can support the show for as little as three bucks a month – less than a fancy cup of coffee! IMPORTANT NOTE: Apple is slapping a ridiculous 30% fee on all Patreon transactions using an iPhone or iPad to access the Patreon app. The workaround is to access Patreon dot com directly, or to use an Android device. So avoid using the app if you’re an Apple person. I wanna say that I am actively working on better ways to support the show, and I appreciate your patience in the meantime! 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