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Ep. 421: Wolverines

Published: 2023-03-13 09:00:00
Description Show ▼

Steve Rinella talks with Rebecca Watters, Janis Putelis, Brody Henderson, Phil Taylor, and Corinne Schneider.

Topics include: The Oedipus complex; sexy critters; Steve getting serious about climate change because of poison ivy; the special tiki bar in Nashville; the Phelps Harrison Owl Hooter; how claims of private property value diminution are irrelevant when it comes to whether corner crossing is legal or not; a real breakdown of the refried bean dilemma; the bigger the better, when it comes to scorpions; The Founder Effect; how snow leopards are attracted to Chanel No. 5 and Obsession by Calvin Klein; being fluent in Mongolia; the bioclimatic envelope of the wolverine; seeing a wolverine in the wild; shirtless Putin with an Amur tiger; deriving special energy from wolves; the very long trip of M56; long-term parental care; International Wolverine Day as a better reason to celebrate February 14th; digitigrade vs. plantigrade; eating marmot; how to donate to wolverine research and get in touch with Rebecca if you spot a wolverine; and more. 

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Referenced Books

Journal of a Trapper
by Osborne Russell
Discussed as a historical text from the 1820s about exploration in the Absaroka/Yellowstone region. The speaker mentions Russell was a 'very meticulous note taker' who described wolverines as 'common' in his journal, which is used to discuss historical wolverine populations and territory size.
Referenced at Not precisely marked
The Ugly American
by William Lederer and Eugene Burdick
Referenced in a discussion about Peace Corps work and Americans working internationally. The speaker clarifies that 'the ugly American' in the book was actually the good guy who was 'ugly and humble and shuts up' and effective, contrary to popular misconception about the book's message.
Referenced at Not precisely marked
The Wolverine Way
by Doug Chadwick
Mentioned when discussing wolverine endurance and climbing abilities. The book documents a wolverine study in Glacier National Park, including a famous incident where a wolverine climbed 5,000 vertical feet in about 45 minutes to get to a carcass on the other side of Mount Cleveland.
Referenced at Not precisely marked
The Golden Spruce
by John Vaillant
Mentioned alongside a tiger book (likely 'The Tiger' by the same author). Described as a book that 'will curl your hair.' The author is noted to be the same person who wrote a popular book about a man-eating tiger in Siberia.
Referenced at Not precisely marked
The Snow Leopard
by Peter Matthiessen
Referenced during discussion of snow leopards and Mongolia. Clarified that Matthiessen wrote about snow leopards in Nepal, not Mongolia where the guest was working.
Referenced at Not precisely marked