Ninety seconds is all you need to make an unexpected discovery about the natural world—with The 90 Second Naturalist, you get a bite-sized nature doc every weekday. In this nationally syndicated segment produced by Cincinnati Public Radio with host Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, every short show is a fascinating learning experience set to the background sounds of rainforest birds and insects.

This show isn’t only separated by its quick length—its depth of detail and expertise sets it apart. You’ll see every topic that Thane Maynard touches on in a new light—silly animal trivia, serious conservation news, or both.

Here are some of the many strange and exciting topics from our recent archives:

• Pangolins
• Snake eating spiders!
• Tracking the common nighthawk
• Animal navels
• Polar bear extinction
• Are oysters an aphrodisiac?
• Night blooming flowers
• Scary sharks

A Florida native whose passion for nature and wildlife conservation was sparked by boyhood explorations into nearby swamps in search of alligators, Thane Maynard has been a fixture at the Cincinnati Zoo since 1977 and an icon of zoo culture since beginning to record his signature radio segment in 1987. He’s also a prolific author of books on wildlife, including one co-authored with the eminent researcher and conservationist Jane Goodall. The mission of his work teaching and writing mirrors that of the Cincinnati Zoo: to tell the story of biological diversity, natural history and wildlife conservation to the general public.

The 90 Second Naturalist is broadcast five days a week on 90.9 WGUC and 91.7 WVXU, as well as at member stations across the country.