What Were You Thinking - All About Exotic Pets & Animals You Can Keep As A Pet - Pets & Animals On Pet Life Radio (petliferad

Bob and Linda talk about a pesky shrew that makes itself at home inside their house in a most improbable location. Shrewdly enough, they discuss other topics, too, such as Linda’s success in ferreting out pet book author Bradford Brown plus a staggeringly rare species of duck that shows up on the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Shrew Show with Bob Tarte

Bob and Linda finally shake of the winter doldrums long enough to do a topic-filled show. It begins with big news about the German-language version of Bob’s book Enslaved by Ducks called Das Landneurotiker (The Rural Neurotic) and then glowingly describes Bill Volkart’s charming children’s book about a blind duck, Meep Finds His Way. Bob talks about the hubbub that ensued when he took bantam chickens Julia and Julius to see the vet, while Linda describes the early February blizzard and the clever survival tactics of a Carolina Wren. Bob and Linda close the show by talking about their newest favorite pet book author, Maine vet Bradford B. Brown, author of While You’re Here, Doc and Just One More Thing, Doc. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Winter Doldrums Show 2011 with Bob Tarte

Just in time for the holidays, any holidays, Bob and Linda Tarte talk about their favorite books about animals. And, no, this isn’t just an excuse for Bob to plug the brand new Kindle edition of Enslaved by Ducks and Fowl Weather, though he does accidentally mention the fact. Fortunately 99-percent of the show is spent gushing over other people’s must-read books about pets and various wild critters. (For a list of books discussed on the show, click the Episode Info link.) More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Animal Books for the Holidays with Bob Tarte

Just in time for Halloween, Bob and Linda talk about a mysterious 'extra' cat that both of them have seen and heard running down the basement stairs. Is their basement haunted? Shifting to less scary topics, Linda describes recent improvements to the outdoor barn pen to keep the snow and ice from flattening it every year. She also discusses the oversize ego of tiny bantam rooster Julius. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - The Ghost Cat with Bob Tarte

It's supposed to be the peak of the shorebird migration. But when Bob Tarte and Book Character Bill Holm visit Muskegon Wastewater System on a birding expedition, they come up a little short in the sightings department. Not to mention the intelligence and common sense departments as well. They do manage to spot a pair of Peregrine Falcons and a few other migrating birds, but not enough of anything to come away with any trace of dignity. Don't miss this underwhelming you-are-there audio experience! More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Shore No Shorebirds with Bob Tarte

Bob and Linda have been busy this summer with bird rehab. Okay, Linda has been busy, but Bob helps a little bit. Our author and his long-suffering wife talk about starting the season with a big batch of raucous starlings, and then ending the summer raising and releasing one of their favorite birds, the Cedar Waxwing. About 14 of them, to be more or less exact. Linda also discusses a visiting pair of House Wrens that nested in the yard and Bob makes weak excuses about why it’s been so long between podcasts. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - House Wrens and Cedar Waxwings with Bob Tarte

Bob’s guest on this episode is the dynamo of duckdom, Kimberly Link, founder of the Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary in Lebanon, Connecticut and author of The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook. Unlike other duck care books which include a duck recipe section in the back, Kim’s book treats your ducks as pets instead of holiday entrees. It’s packed full of information on everything from day-to-day care to serious medical issues, and covers essential tips on food, housing, flock management, enrichment, and more. It’s also fun to read, thanks to lots of entertaining anecdotes about Kim’s life with her flock. Kim’s a blast to talk to, too. Visit her website at www.majesticwaterfowl.org and contribute by buying a copy. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - The Ultimate Pet Duck Podcast with Bob Tarte

We've never done a jumbo podcast before. But this time we're definitely doing a shrimpy episode. Expert aquarist Rus Wilson tells host Bob Tarte about the pet shrimps that he keeps as pets. He has shrimp that live in freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater environments. Some dance, some can live in excess of 20 years, and all sound like interesting additions to the household. Visit Rus' website www.aquarimax.com for shrimpy facts and photos, plus various podcasts. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - A Shrimpy Podcast with Bob Tarte

In the show’s first telephone call to the bottom of the globe, Australia pet sitter Karen Riddell describes her experiences as a professional pet sitter taking care of every kind of creature from house rabbits to axolotls. She discusses chilling out with bearded dragons to get them comfortable enough to eat and trying to convince a flock of spoiled chickens to go into their coop for the night. Karen also has excellent suggestions for helping folks choose a sitter for their critters. Bob wonders how soon she can come to Michigan. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Downunder Critter Sitter with Bob Tarte

Don’t look at this as yet another off-topic podcast about birding. Look at it as a special bonus addition of the show. It marks the precise one-year anniversary, give or take a few days, weeks, or months, of host Bob Tarte and Book Character Bill Holm’s acclaimed "Quest for Crossbills" winter birding podcast. This time around, the hapless duo roll to Muskegon Wastewater to search for ducks with results that should have been predictable. But stay with our bumbling pair for a few unexpected twists and a lunch of cheap Chinese food as they find themselves next to the submarine SS Silversides only to find... Well, you’ve got to hear it for yourself. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Bonus Winter Birding Show with Bob Tarte

With their formidable beaks and attitudes, parrots and geese can make intimidating pets. So imagine owning a rambunctious bird that stands six-feet tall. Cheryl McAtee’s ostrich-like South American rhea named Myrhea thankfully had a pleasant personality (as long as Cheryl was careful to dress in gray). He loved to pluck blueberries from her hand. Cheryl tells Bob about raising Myrhea from an 18-inch-tall youngster and watching him grow a half-an-inch a day. She talks about his humming song, mating dance, and fear of airplanes, plus other charming peculiarities. She also discusses Tomi, an affable cat she found injured on her farm who turned out to be fifty-percent bobcat, and who guarded her family like a watchdog. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Blame It On Rhea with Bob Tarte

Bob hops into his car and drives just under 200 miles round trip for the chance to see an incredibly rare wild bird. A somewhat penguin-like seabird called the Ancient Murrelet lives in the waters off Alaska. But one of them somehow made it to Lake Michigan and was spotted off the pier at Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Michigan. Only five have ever been seen in the state before. Does he or doesn’t he get to see it? Bob talks about the trip and also discusses the best guide to raising and keeping pet ducks he’s ever seen: Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary Director Kimberly Link’s The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook. (Check out birder Robert Epstein’s photo of the Tiscornia Park Ancient Murrelet.) More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - The Rime of The Ancient Murrelet with Bob Tarte

Why keep a canary when you can have an African Clawed Frog? These affable amphibians don’t take up much space, are easy to care for, and don’t have fussy eating habits. Added to all that, they can live for up to 20 years. Aquatic pet expert Rus Wilson talks about the many interesting qualities and endearing attributes of African Clawed Frog, Hiro, whom he raised from a tadpole. Not only is little Hiro as cute as the proverbial bug’s ear, but we’ll hear him sing in hopes of scoring a treat when he spots Rus. Join in the froggy fun! Visit Rus’ Aquarimax.com website packed with info on keeping fish and invertebrates. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - The Frog That Sings For His Supper with Bob Tarte

Bob Tarte wrote two books that feature ducks, and gets lots of emails from people who keep them as pets, so it’s easy for him to do shows about the subject. This episode is different, though. It’s not just another duck show, because it is as much about Bill Volkart’s life story as it is about his Mount Holly Duck Sanctuary in Amelia, Ohio. Bill describes his death (clinically speaking) from a stroke and the strange appearance of seven Muscovy ducks when he asked the seemingly unanswerable question, "Why was my life spared?" He also tells which TV show is a favorite with one of his ducks and discusses the children’s book he wrote about a blind duck called "Meep Finds His Way." More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Not Just Another Duck Show with Bob Tarte

New Orleans animal rehabber Katrina Perkowska Sanders had a lot on her plate when Hurricane Katrina struck. She and her husband had to evacuate not only their kids and vital necessities, but also numerous critters. They lost their home and ended up in a FEMA trailer. Then a few years later they had to move the gang all over again courtesy of Hurricane Gustav. The family is finally back inside a house, but life is hardly sedate. Living indoors with them (that’s right, indoors) are 23 chickens, nine starlings, a black capped conure, eight zebra finches, two diamond doves, two parakeets, nine starlings, seven ducks (three of them handicapped), and whatever songbirds she’s rehabbing a the moment. Katrina is a force of nature, and she has a wonderful story to tell. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Katrina Versus Katrina with Bob Tarte

A dog isn’t usually considered an exotic pet, but a dog who gets around on wheels might be! Barbara Techel tells Bob about her happy female dachshund, Frankie, and how she learned to use a doggie wheelchair after a spinal injury. Frankie has become an inspiration for people with disabilities, folks in nursing homes, and just about everyone that Frankie meets. Barbara also talks about the award-winning book she wrote about her pet, titled -- what else? - Frankie the Walk ‘n Roll Dog! More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Frankie the Walk ‘n Roll Dog with Bob Tarte

Ever craved a marsupial as a pet? You don't have to play possum or kidnap a kangaroo to care for a pet that carries babies in its pouch. Sarah Worrell describes the joys of owning sugar gliders. These small marsupials from Australia love people and will sit on your shoulder like a parrot. Find out what it takes to keep these curious little critters happy and healthy - and learn the secret about the female sugar glider's 'dual beverage' nipples. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Sugar Sugar with Bob Tarte

Linda starts off this episode with her own telling of discovering a sleeping bear in the woods behind the barn. Then it's onto the topic of cleaning up after the indoor birds. Bob and Linda discuss the pros and cons of various approaches to seed sweeping. Their favorite cordless sweeper gets pluses for mobility and minuses for the delicate construction that necessitates buying at least two a year. It's a topic that will be dear to the hearts of every beleaguered individual who owns caged birds. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Clean Sweep with Bob Tarte

An unusual consequence of river flooding threatens Bob and Linda’s outdoor pet ducks, chickens, and geese. A presumed mink slips into the barn at night through some miniscule crack and kills three of their hens. Bob talks about the steps they took to keep their birds safe after the attack, and then describes another bit of unique fallout from the cresting Grand River. Linda goes for a walk in the woods behind the barn and finds of all things, a bear sleeping in a tree way, way south of its usual range in Michigan. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Mink Attack with Bob Tarte

Soldiering on from his sick bed, Bob describes a new bird that he and Linda have taken in to help a friend who's moving. Lineolated Parakeet Houshi may not be beautiful, due to permanent feather damage, but he's 100-percent lovable. Bob also follows up on his last two shows, sharing the results of author and animal communicator Kathleen Schurman's reading of Bob's cat Frannie, and another unexpected and ironic White-winged Crossbill sighting for Bob. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Lineolated Parakeet and Catch-up Show with Bob Tarte