Not a Biologist - A Wildlife Behaviour Podcast

About Not a Biologist - A Wildlife Behaviour Podcast

Alex is Not a Biologist, but he is fascinated by animal behaviour seen in incredible wildlife footage. So, to answer his burning questions, he invites Biologists, Wildlife Filmmakers, and other experts to discuss the science and experiences behind these incredible moments. Not a Biologist is a podcast from Terra Mater Studios, a Natural History Production House based in Vienna, Austria.

Publisher

Terra Mater Studios

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Apr 2026

Latest episode

29 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

9 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Inside the Secret Lives of Madagascar’s Lemurs (w/ Coral Chell)

   What’s it really like to study lemur behavior? What's it like to camp in Madagascar? And why do these primates rub themselves with millipedes, have stink fights, and let the females call the shots? 🐒 In this wildlife podcast, we'll answer it all! In this episode of Not a Biologist, our host Alex is joined by Coral Chell, a primatologist, conservationist, evolutionary anthropologist, science communicator, and PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, to explore the wonderfully weird world of lemurs. Alex and Coral talk about what it’s like to spend months in the forests of Madagascar following lemurs, how researchers get to know individual animals and their personalities, and what these fascinating primates can teach us about animal behaviour. Along the way, they discover how some lemurs use millipede secretions for self-medication (with some rather unusual side effects), why male lemurs engage in smelly battles, how lemur societies work in general, and why protecting Madagascar’s unique wildlife matters so much. So, what does a day in the life of a lemur scientist actually look like? And what makes these incredible animals so fascinating? Hit play and find out!More about this episode's expert 🔬💬⬇️:Coral Chell is a primatologist, conservationist, evolutionary anthropologist, and science communicator. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, where she studies lemur behaviour, and the science advisor for "The Lemur Diaries".🔗 Corals YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CoralChell 🔗 Corals Instagram Channel: https://www.instagram.com/conservationtails🎬 More about "The Lemur Diaries"This new three-part nature documentary series co-produced by Terra Mater Studios and Emerge Films. It discovers the resilient and playful lives of lemurs as they navigate survival, adaptation, and conservation in Madagascar’s unique habitats: https://www.terramater.at/productions/lemur-diaries/

2. 

   24 Sept 2026

   Studying the Orca Invasion of The Arctic (w/ Steve Ferguson, Arctic Marine Mammal Research Scienctist)

   Orcas have been invading the arctic, drifting further north as ice melts over the summer months and exposes new hunting grounds for the "Killer Whale". Beluga, Narwhal and Bowhead whales became new food sources for the Orca during these months, creating a new reality not just for the wildlife but for the Inuit communities who live in the far noth of the North American Continent. 12 years ago, the hunting behaviour of these orca was recorded in the nature documentary "Killer Whales - Fins of Change". Steve Ferguson, an arctic marine mammal research scienctist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, watched this footage. Now, 12 years later we brought Steve back to discuss the situation and how it has changed on this episode of Not a Biologist! Not a Biologist is a podcast produced by Terra Mater Studios

3. 

   18 Sept 2026

   The Incredible Chameleon - and why they’re in Danger (w/ Caroline Reinwald, Science Communicator and Zoologist)

   In this episode of Not a Biologist, Alex talks to zoologist and science communicator Caroline Reinwald about what really makes chameleons some of the coolest animals on Earth. Caroline Reinwald is a zoologist and science communicator at Vienna Zoo, where she works with some of the world's rarest chameleon species—including animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.From independently moving eyes and lightning-fast projectile tongues to feet built like climbing tongs, chameleons are basically the Inspector Gadgets of the reptile world. Alex and Caroline also bust one of the biggest myths about these colorful reptiles: they don't mainly change color to blend into their surroundings. Instead, their colors are often all about communication, mood, and even temperature regulation.You'll also hear the remarkable story of 70 rare chameleons confiscated from illegal wildlife traffickers at Vienna Airport, how zoo keepers managed to save them, and why protecting these extraordinary reptiles is more important than ever.🦎 Did you know that...chameleons can move each eye independently and track two different things at oncetheir tongue can accelerate to almost 100 km/h in a fraction of a secondthe smallest chameleon fits on the tip of your thumb, while the largest can grow to nearly 70 cm long

4. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Are Wild Bees Better than Honey Bees? (w/ Sophie Kratschmer, Zoologist)

   Alex sits down with Sophie Kratschmer, a wild bee specialist at BOKU University in Vienna, to unpack one of nature's most fascinating, and important, groups of animals - bees.It starts with a clip from Terra Mater's documentary "Wild Korea": a swarm of Asian honeybees forming a "hot defensive bee ball" around a asian giant hornet. They vibrating their wing muscles to raise the temperature inside the ball to 46–47°C, cooking the predator alive. A amazing defense mechanism!But honeybees are just seven species out of an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 wild bee species worldwide. Sophie explains the crucial difference: most wild bees are solitary, each female building and provisioning her own nest entirely alone: no queen, no colony, no honey. They don't produce honey because they simply don't need to. They don't overwinter as a colony, so there's nothing to stock up for.From green roofs in Vienna to agricultural landscapes, Sophie shares her research into where wild bees thrive and where they struggle and the perhaps surprising finding that urban environments can actually outperform intensive farmland as bee habitat. The conversation also covers why bees and wasps are more closely related than most people think (bees are, technically, vegetarian wasps), what happens when you try to put a 180mg tracker on a bumblebee.Bee Tracking Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFlKXcprxe8Find all of Sophies Research Papers here: https://forschung.boku.ac.at/de/researcher/Sophie-Kratschmer-7BDE80A049854820#publikationenSophies working group: https://boku.ac.at/oekb/zool/forschung/arbeitsgruppen/ag-kratschmer

5. 

   25 Jun 2026

   What Beavers Do When Nobody's Watching | Not a Biologist

   In this episode of Not a Biologist, Alex talks to sound recordist and beaver expert Fabian Holzinger about the secret lives of Europe’s largest rodents: the beaver. Together, they explore what happens inside a beaver lodge, why beavers might be better water engineers than humans, and what it’s like to spend hours listening to a sleeping beaver snore. Alex and Fabian discuss beaver family life, underground homes, iron-reinforced teeth, and the surprising sounds these animals make, from sneezes and stomach gurgles to what can only be described as beaver bedtime drama. They also dive into the important role beavers play in restoring ecosystems, preventing droughts, and even helping landscapes recover from wildfires. Fun fact: beavers don't live in their dams. The dam is just a tool; their actual home is a lodge or burrow hidden nearby. 🦫 Did you know that... • beavers' front teeth contain iron and sharpen themselves automatically • they can transform entire ecosystems simply by building dams • a beaver family sounds surprisingly similar to a human household at bedtime Not a Biologist is a Terra Mater Studios wildlife podcast where host Alex sits down with experts to break down fascinating wildlife behaviour using footage straight from our nature documentaries. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 🎬 Check out our "Animal Homes" production here: https://www.terramater.at/productions/animal-homes-natural-born-engineers/ (https://www.terramater.at/productions/animal-homes-natural-born-engineers/) 📱 More about the beaver lab here: https://beaverlab.at/ (https://beaverlab.at/)

6. 

   28 May 2026

   Why Wild Hamsters live where Beethoven is buried (w/ Yaz Ellis, Wildlife Filmmaker)

   When you hear “hamster,” you probably think of tiny cages, spinning wheels, and sunflower seeds. But wild European hamsters are a completely different story. In this episode of Not a Biologist, Alex talks to wildlife filmmaker Yasmine Ellis about the secret lives of Vienna’s wild hamsters, which are thriving on the city's graveyards. Alex and Yaz will talk about dramatic cemetery fights, underground tunnel systems and also about why one of Europe’s cutest rodents is now critically endangered. We also dive into how you even film these tiny chaos goblins, why Vienna has become one of their last strongholds, and why their sense of smell is far better than their eyesight. Fun fact: the German word “hamstern” literally means “to hoard” and after this episode, you’ll understand exactly why. 🐹 Did you know that... • hamsters are most active at dawn and dusk • are VERY territorial … and surprisingly dramatic • Vienna is one of the last strongholds for European hamsters 🎙️ Not a Biologist is a Terra Mater Studios wildlife podcast where host Alex sits down with experts to break down fascinating wildlife behavior using footage straight from our nature documentaries. 👉🏼 Full episode + bonus content on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TerraMater (https://www.patreon.com/cw/TerraMater) 🎬 Check out our "Wild Vienna" trailer and learn more about the hidden wildlife living right inside Austria’s capital. From wild hamsters in graveyards to urban beavers and foxes, the film reveals a side of Vienna most people never notice: https://youtu.be/QNVn4icwWz8?si=7aHjyHLPo7SkAvkv (https://youtu.be/QNVn4icwWz8?si=7aHjyHLPo7SkAvkv) 🎬 Yaz Ellis’ short film "For Deer Life" follows the volunteers and drone pilots rescuing hidden roe deer fawns from Austrian meadows before mowing season begins. The film shines a light on the collision between modern agriculture and wildlife and the people working to save countless animals every spring. Watch the trailer here: https://www.dreamwildfilms.com/fordeerlife (https://www.dreamwildfilms.com/fordeerlife)

7. 

   14 May 2026

   He is learning to Speak to Sperm Whales (w/ David Gruber, marine biologist, President & founder of Project CETI)

   What does it look like when a sperm whale is born? 🐋 Terra Mater sat down with David Gruber, marine biologist, President & founder of Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative), to talk about one of the most extraordinary moments ever caught on camera: the first-ever filmed sperm whale birth. In this episode of Not a Biologist, host Alex and David break down the incredible footage frame by frame: the mother (named Rounder) is helped by her family holding up the newborn whale, pilot whales arriving as unexpected witnesses, and one subadult male named Alan who showed up and did... not very much. But this episode goes far beyond the birth itself. David explains what Project CETI has learned after six years of building the world's largest non-human communication database, millions of sperm whale vocalisations, codas and clicks, and what their groundbreaking AI-powered research is revealing about sperm whale language, culture and society. Support Project CETI: https://www.projectceti.org/ (https://www.projectceti.org/) And follow their Socials: https://www.instagram.com/projectceti (https://www.instagram.com/projectceti) https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectceti (https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectceti) https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:uhfmjlgc5pzfg5e3k2skopz5 (https://bsky.app/profile/projectceti.bsky.social) http://www.x.com/projectceti (http://www.x.com/projectceti) 🎙️ Not a Biologist is a Terra Mater Studios podcast where host Alex sits down with scientists and experts to break down the most fascinating wildlife behaviour on the planet using footage straight from our nature documentaries.

8. 

   29 Apr 2026

   The Truth Behind this Viral Eagle video (w/ Thomas Enders, Veterinarian)

   A clip of a golden eagle hunting a chamois got over 6 million views on the Terra Mater YouTube channel — and for good reason. People couldn't believe what they were seeing was real. In this episode of Not a Biologist, host Alex sits down with Thomas Enders, a veterinarian from Vienna with over 25 years of experience and a deep specialization in birds of prey, to break down exactly what's happening in that extraordinary footage. Together they unpack two distinct killing techniques used by golden eagles — active grip through the talons, and the remarkable strategy of using gravity itself to bring down prey too large to carry. They also dive deep into the ratchet-like locking mechanism in eagle talons: an adaptation that allows the bird to grip prey with enormous force — without any muscular effort — thanks to a specialized tendon and tendon sheath system. And releasing that grip? That's actually the hard part. Find the full movie "Brothers of the Wind" here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.aac9565f-45bb-4e44-b52c-94528ba70c20?tag=justus1ktp-20&token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.aac9565f-45bb-4e44-b52c-94528ba70c20?tag=justus1ktp-20&token=ADE07EB7B9E7DB86DEEEF0D5D4FC5F0B5FB44D3F) Special thanks to Thomas and the Eagle-Arena at Burg Landskron! Check out their socials here: Website: www.tierarzt-wien.at (https://www.tierarzt-wien.at) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tierarzt1100/ (https://www.facebook.com/Tierarzt1100/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdlerarenaLandskron (https://www.facebook.com/AdlerarenaLandskron) And if you want to join our production community, check out our brand new patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TerraMater (https://www.patreon.com/cw/TerraMater) This is one of the most fascinating deep-dives into raptor biology you'll find anywhere. Whether you're a wildlife enthusiast, a falconer, or just someone who couldn't believe that viral clip — this one is for you.

9. 

   28 Apr 2026

   The Real Reason Male Lions Kill Cubs (w/ Caroline Reinwald, Science Communicator)

   Have you ever wondered why male lions sometimes kill cubs when they take over a pride? In this wildlife podcast you’ll get a breakdown of lion infanticide, from pride takeover and evolutionary reproductive strategy to the hard-wired nature of survival in the wild. Welcome to the very first episode of our brand-new format: "Not a Biologist"! 🤗 At Terra Mater Studios, we film ambitious wildlife documentaries. We witness incredible and sometimes shocking animal behavior. But let’s be honest: when watching these scenes, many of us think… "Wait… why does this happen?" In this new series, our host Alex (who is not a biologist) sits down with experts to ask exactly those questions; the ones you might be thinking at home. For Episode 1, we’re diving straight into one of the most difficult behaviors to watch in the wild: lion infanticide. After reacting to a powerful scene from our movie "The Bastard King", Alex speaks with zoologist and science communicator Msc. Caroline Reinwald (Zoo Vienna) to unpack what’s really happening. 🍿 "The Bastard King" (full length movie): https://youtu.be/es_D0Dzl7YQ (https://youtu.be/es_D0Dzl7YQ) 🎙 Guest: Caroline Reinwald, MSc Zoologist & Science Communicator (Vienna Zoo) https://www.zoovienna.at/en/ (https://www.zoovienna.at/en/) 💚 A big thank you to our expert Caroline Reinwald for sharing her knowledge and helping us navigate one of the most challenging topics in wildlife behavior. 📚 Further Reading & Studies Mentioned: Lions roar: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.72474 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.72474) Females mating with several males: https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article-abstract/30/4/1050/5435127 (https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article-abstract/30/4/1050/5435127) Mating with more than one male: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12279 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.12279)

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