Episode Details
Back to EpisodesE70 Jason Bittel – Grizzlies, Porcupines & the Animals You Thought You Knew 🐻🦔
Description
What if everything you thought you knew about some of North America's most familiar animals was wrong?
In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott Harris welcomes science writer and author Jason Bittel, whose new book Grizzled shines a spotlight on 50 of North America's most misunderstood animals. From grizzly bears and white-tailed deer to porcupines, daddy longlegs, yellow jackets, and ringtails, Jason shares the fascinating stories hiding in plain sight.
Together, Scott and Jason explore the surprising biology, remarkable adaptations, and evolutionary history of creatures many of us see every day—but rarely truly understand.
In this episode:
🐻 Why grizzly bears and black bears require completely different survival strategies
🦌 The incredible hidden biology of white-tailed deer
🦔 Why porcupine quills are even more remarkable than you think
🕷️ The truth about daddy longlegs
🐝 Why yellow jackets deserve a second look
📚 Behind the scenes of writing for National Geographic
🦝 Meet the adorable ringtail—an animal most Americans have never even heard of
Whether you're a lifelong naturalist or simply curious about the wildlife around your own backyard, this conversation will leave you looking at familiar animals in an entirely new way.