logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
26m 7s

Welcome Back, Otter

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
About this episode

North American River Otters are popping up in places they haven't been seen in decades and nobody really knows why. As we search for answers we discover a trail of fish heads, poop splats and cuddle parties.

Guests: 

Katrina Lohan, head of the Coastal Disease Ecology Laboratory at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 

Alejandra Morales Picard, psychologist at Montgomery College 

Rebecca Sturniolo, assistant curator of the America Trail at the Smithsonian National Zoo 

Patty Storms & Marty Bachar, otter neighbors

Up next
Oct 10
A Message Regarding the Shutdown
Please be advised that new episodes will not be released during the government shutdown. For up-to-date information on the status of the Smithsonian, please visit our website at si.edu. 
15s
Oct 1
Monkey Mystery: The Case of the Capuchin Kidnappers
Why are capuchin monkeys kidnapping howler monkey babies in Panama? We investigate this bizarre case of primate abduction with researchers working with the Smithsonian to get to the bottom of this bizarre behavior. We'll talk about their discoveries, the social dynamics between c ... Show More
23m 14s
Sep 17
The Music of Jeopardy! From a Lullaby to $100,000,000
It’s the most recognizable TV theme in America. But Jeopardy’s “Think Music” wasn’t originally written for a game show… It was written for a toddler. In this episode, we trace the unlikely journey of the Jeopardy theme, from Merv Griffin’s living room to over 10,000 episodes acro ... Show More
23m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
The Anthropocene
As we confront the realities of a changing climate, a group of scientists says we're living in a world of our very own making - a world altered by the burning of fossil fuels, the explosion of nuclear weapons, plastic pollution and environmental degradation. The scientists call i ... Show More
9m 56s
Jan 2024
Hello From The Otter Side
At one time, sea otters had an enormous historical range—from Baja California, up the West Coast, through Alaska, Russia, and Japan. But these days, their levels are low. In this episode, we get an inside look at a groundbreaking program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is hel ... Show More
15m 23s
Feb 2023
Katie Moriarty: The Mystical Wolverine
In this week’s episode, we learn all about the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae, the wolverine, and why they’re so special. Part 1: During her first research project in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Katie Moriarty thinks she might have spotted the impossible: ... Show More
29m 46s
Feb 2022
Dr. KATE STAFFORD on What the Whales Hear [ENCORE] /272
This week we are rebroadcasting our interview with Dr. Kate Stafford, originally aired in September of 2020. The bowhead whale can live up to 200 years old, meaning that the bowhead whales of today know and remember a world that sounded, tasted, and felt very different than the o ... Show More
1h 6m
Dec 2023
How Do Deep-Sea Fish Get It On?
Do you ever watch Finding Nemo and wonder about the scary-looking fish with the gnarly teeth and the light on its head? Well then you’ve come to the right place! This week, we’re talking anglerfish! Marine biologist Dr. Mackenzie Gerringer and Jonathan spill the tea on what’s goi ... Show More
49m 26s
Jan 2021
Marine conservationist Heather Koldewey
Professor Heather Koldewey wants to protect our oceans from over-fishing and plastic pollution. An academic who is not content to sit back and let the science speak for itself, she wants to turn science into action and has found conservation allies in some unexpected places. Work ... Show More
27m 7s
Nov 2015
Zoos explored, Funeral arranging
Zoos in the modern world: Laurie Taylor talks to David Grazian, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of 'American Zoo: A Sociological Safari'. Zoos blur the boundaries between culture and nature; animals and humans and separate civilisatio ... Show More
28m 8s
Jul 2022
Lutrinology (OTTERS) with Chris J. Law
YOU’RE NOT READY. But it’s time. Otters. Sea otters. River otters. Big beefy otters. Tiny otters. Giant river otters. Otters chasing you down the street. Dr. Chris J. Law, a professional Lutrinologist, shares tales about coastal vs. inland otters, otter terrorism, magical teeth, ... Show More
1h 1m