Episode #1932
Merlin Tuttle
Books mentioned
The Secret Lives of Bats
Mentioned by Joe Rogan (host) · at 00:01:45 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)
Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)
The Bat House Guide
Mentioned by Joe Rogan (host) · at 00:01:45 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)
Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)
Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.
Ecologist and wildlife photographer Merlin Tuttle discusses bat biology, intelligence, social behavior, pollination, seed dispersal, and their role in controlling insects. He also addresses misconceptions about bats and disease, recounts a 1967 expedition among the Yanomami, and describes his field research, international conservation work, and pragmatic approach to protecting bats.
What they talked about
- Early childhood fascination with nature and snakes
- Transition from academic career to bat conservation
- Challenges of changing public perception of bats
- Bat species naming and the Brazilian free-tailed bat
- Observing bat swarms on Doppler weather radar
- Training bats for photography and research
- Fieldwork dangers, including encounters with cobras and indigenous tribes
- Founding Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation and preserving his legacy
Data last updated · Report a mistake · How it works: mentions are pulled from public transcripts and episode descriptions, partly with AI-assisted extraction, so details and timestamps can be off.