A Chat With Jeff Corwin

Moderator: Welcome to the Zeethtatorium! The Zoogs are THRILLED to have you here, chatting and hanging out with tonight's special guest in the Zeether JEFF CORWIN!!! !!!!! Host of Disney Channel's "Going Wild with Jeff Corwin"!!! Over the next hour, Jeff will try to answer as many of your questions as he can. And remember, highlights from today's chat will show up on Saturday's Zoog Disney! Who knows? You just might be a star of the chat and see your name on Zoog Disney! (It's not just TV you watch... it's TV you DO!!!) Let's turn the stage over to JEFF CORWIN!!! Woo-hoo! Welcome Jeff! Jeff_Corwin Hi. mikethegreat when did you want start doing what your doing Jeff_Corwin My interest in animals began when I was a child and I started in my own backyard. I went my first international expedition when I was about 16. zoogygal222 what is it like traveling all the time? Jeff_Corwin Confusing, exhausting, and wonderful in that I get to go to exciting places. But tough because you get homesick. taz472 Where is the funnist place you have gone to do the show? Jeff_Corwin Well just about everywhere I go do something fun... but I think a place I found just wonderful is Borneo. And I also love traveling in the United States and going places... like the Everglades and the Bayou swamps in Louisiana. jakesangel Question for Jeff...Do you take your family with you on any of your adventures? Jeff_Corwin Sometimes I take my wife. grinder have you ever been bitten by any type of snake,spider,or other things Jeff_Corwin Yes. All of the above. alycia119 How are your beestings and the baby sloth bite healing? Jeff_Corwin All healed up. Nothing but haunting memories. alycia119 When I was at Sea World we heard that a killer whale was in the same family as a dolphin. When I told my teacher she didn't believe me...Is this true? Jeff_Corwin Well, they are. All whales and dolphins belong to a group called cetaceans. Basically there are 2 different major groups in that. There are whales, like humpbacks, that have balene in their mouths, made out of the same stuff as your fingernails... and it acts like a giant colander... but killer whales and dolphins belong to a group with teeth... ...true teeth and they use sound to find their food... ...what we call ecolocation, like a bat. And yes, dolphins are cetaceans and are to be considered porpoises. secure1 From Robbie how long did it take for you to become a biologist ? Jeff_Corwin A lifetime of preparation and so far I'm in my 10th year of school... I probably have 5 more years of university and a lifetime more of learning. chipmunk6 what was your scariest adventure Jeff_Corwin My scariest adventure, probably, I was about 19 years old... I was climbing in a cave and doing something bad, which is you should never go in a cave alone. I slipped and slid down a pitch-dark cavern and I was wedged upside down with my arms at my side. It was very tough. That was a lesson to me to never go into a cave by myself. jonmann What was your favorite experience on the show? Jeff_Corwin Every show gives me something wonderful I'll never forget. One thing that really sticks in my mind is when I got to work with young cats... I got to play with an adult cheetah. I'll never forget when I was being muzzled by a lion pride in South Africa. Or when I got to work with a baby sloth. bp1020 Hi Jeff! In the show, how do you decide which animals to feature and where to find them? Jeff_Corwin Well, we decide what animals to feature by whether we can find them or not. The greater chance we have of tracking down an animal, it becomes a greater priority for that show. And what we try to do is get between 9 and 12 animals, we want a good mix. Some snakes, mammals, birds. A good mix that represents the natural history and habitat that we're exploring. Moderator Let me take a second to remind everyone to check out Bug Juice Huddle Up tomorrow in the Zeether. It's an open chat room for all you Bug Juice fanatics where you can yak with other Bug Juicers. It opens up here in the Zeether every Tuesday, starting at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific. So dive on in... the chattin's fine! Let's get back to more of your questions for Jeff Corwin... who is truly Going Wild.. get it? bry9 Hey Jeff---I really like your show and so does my whole family! Jeff_Corwin Thanks, bry. Keep on watching. Glad you like it. herpguy hi jeff! What was the most frustrating time you've ever had looking for an animal? Jeff_Corwin Costa Rica... leatherback sea turtles... temperature 104, 90% humidity... waited 3 days for turtle... 4 in the morning, I see the turtle, get all excited... as I get the film crew to do the scene, the turtle sees me and swims away... and I cry. dmpete Do you really eat all those gross things on TV? Jeff_Corwin Not on a regular basis. Only for a graphic illustration of using available and, most importantly, sustainable natural resources that have a historic... or cultural value. For example, I'm not the first one to eat the termites. It's an illustration of what people who need protein do in some parts of the world. Plus some kids like it. Moderator What's the weirdest tasting thing you've eaten? Jeff_Corwin Probably, really lemony ambrosia salad at a bad picnic... complete with cool-whip, miracle whip, coconut, mandarin oranges, aged canned pineapples, marshmallows and jello. flutterdust Do you have any animal bloopers during a filming of *Going Wild?* Jeff_Corwin Yeah, I had a young baby elephant at an elephant orphanage in Kenya... He thought I was a play toy... and thought I was like a rattle. He weighed 1000s of pounds and he tried to push me into a mud bath... and he kept, while I was trying to talk about him, putting his trunk in places that didn't belong... like my armpits. molliebug Jeff, what is your secret for keeping the animals so calm when you handle them? Jeff_Corwin Well, time. What you see that's a minute long takes many hours to do... and we have people close by who are experts to help in situations where an animal--they know the behavior... but mostly patience. erinbree do you have a favorite underwater adventure? Jeff_Corwin Oh, I have to say I love the manatees. They were very gentle and huge. secure1 From Robbie did any animal you were looking for ever freek you out Jeff_Corwin Coming up you'll see a king cobra about 4 meters plus long... who almost gets the upper hand. It has enough poisonous venom that it could drop an adult elephant in a short period of time. ohiobart where are you from? I can't seem to place the accent. Also, are the animals on your show placed there for you to pick up or do you just walk up to wild animals and pick them up. Jeff_Corwin I'm from New England. And it's a combination of wild encounters and animals that aren't necessarily placed but we know where they are... because somebody's been working with them. We will, if it's a small animal, move it a short distance to get it in good like for a picture. Or, if we're filming it and it's walking away, like a turtle... and I make a mistake, we'll pick him up and put him back. Then he'll walk away again. Moderator Do you feel like answering some of our audience's animal questions, Jeff? Jeff_Corwin Sure. kular Hi Jeff, My name is Tyler and I am 5 years old. I watch your show every Sunday.. I have been stung by bees 4 times this summer. Can you tell me why bees sting people and do they die afterwards? Jeff_Corwin Bees sting for one reason... to protect the hive, their colony... and they don't protect themselves because they do die. When they sting you, the stinger stays in you and when they fly away it rips out. Sort of like a kamikaze mission. But wasps and yellowjackets can sting over and over again. regenbrecht What do crawdads eat? Jeff_Corwin Crawdads will eat small aquatic critters, like, oh... they've been known to eat everything from tadpoles to what's called grazing... which is picking algae and picking water plants with their claws or pincers. If there's a dead fish rotting on the mud they'll eat it. They're scavengers and low level predators. pookie7 Can a King Cobra spit venom? Jeff_Corwin No. But a spitting cobra can. And spit it 10, 15 feet plus. lckremer Is it true that sharks can smell? Jeff_Corwin Smell very well... they have a good olfactory system. They also have a good sensory system in their skin for detecting vibrations and electrical impulses. For example, a shark can pick up the struggles of a dying or injured fish many miles away. They can smell blood miles away. That's why they appear out of nowhere when you see these movies and such. They have excellent senses. core5 does a swordfish really have a sharp sword... Jeff_Corwin Yes. In fact, there are historical accounts of these animals actually using their swords to sink boats. Through 8 or 9 inches of thick timber, they've been able to stab through it. Swordfish are very territorial. bp1020 Jeff, is there a way to tell if a snake is poisinous or not? Jeff_Corwin The best way to tell is to know what the species is. That's the only sure way. You can't rely on the shape of its head because some poisonous snakes, like coral snakes, have small heads... and some non-poisonous snakes, like water snakes, have big arrow-shaped heads. And you should never mess with a snake, poisonous or not, because... like all wild animals, they need to be respected. papagomez My boys are here with me and are very excited that you are online..... they want to know....how many different types of snakes are there? Jeff_Corwin I believe there are 4,000 different species of snakes... but I might be wrong. I used to know, but I think 4000 sticks in my mind. What I recommend is to get a good snake book and see if I'm right. minty13 What is your favorite animals or species Jeff_Corwin Well, I love snakes. But I also love dolphins, wild cats, and I'm fascinated by primates... all types of things interest me that are alive. Dscreener Let me break in here for a sec to let everyone know that Wednesday, another guest will be joining the Zoogs in the Zeether... Lisa Whelchel! She was a Mouseketeer in the 70s and played Blair on "The Facts of Life" in the 80s. Come talk with her about what it was like being a Mouseketeer and find out what she's up to now. The fun starts right here in the Zoog Zeethatorium starting at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific. Moderator Now let's get back to more of your GREAT questions for JEFF CORWIN!!! sly7264 One of my friends told me in Florida that she saw a black dolphin...is their such a thing? Jeff_Corwin Well, dolphins are like people in that one species of dolphin like a bottlenose or Atlantic whitesided, or the spotted dolphin... they can come in different size and different colours... not purples and greens and blues... but one might be paler, darker, have more spots... I don't think the dolphin was black... probably more like a dark, slaty grey. adrianblueberry Last year we had a baby snake in our class room. And she kept musking. What is musk and why did she do it? Jeff_Corwin Musk is a fluid that's produced in the cloaca, that smells really bad... the stinky smell of the musk helps to deter snake-hungry predators with sensitive noses. goliath2 Have you ever been to Antarctica? Jeff_Corwin No. But would very much like to go. tinerman My mom and dad say that we have lots of black widows in our yard. Are they dangerous and what can we do with them? Jeff_Corwin I wouldn't put them in a salad. Yes, a black widow can be dangerous if it's not respected... so, just leave them alone unless they are REALLY in the way of hurting you... and if so, get an adult to help you.... but don't touch it with your fingers... just leave it alone. cdisisto What is your favorite thing to do when your not filming? Jeff_Corwin I like to fish. I like to scuba dive. I like to eat. lukescime jeff, what is the biggest bug? Jeff_Corwin That's a tough question. There are some really big bugs. Moderator I'll bet! Jeff_Corwin The biggest bug, I would guess, would be, oh... maybe some sort of beetle, like a giant cockroach, South America cockroach... or one of the rhinosaurus beetles. There are some really big water bugs. But, when you say bug, I assume you're not talking about butterflies or arachnids, because even though they're invertebrates... they're not true bugs. At least the arachnids are not. scoobert What does it feel like when 2,000,000 people watch your show Jeff_Corwin It feels...I never even think about it. I just, because we do the shows in distant places, I just imagine that it's one person with me... and we're on our own adventure. cloakedx What advice do you have for someone going into vetenary medicine? Jeff_Corwin It's tough. It's long. And the only way you'll ever become a vet is if you REALLY, REALLY want to be a vet... and you don't give up. School is tough. ItzMe14 Are you worried about endangered species? Jeff_Corwin Terribly worried. I think about it all the time. Everytime I get a plastic bottle in my hand or roll over my engine and produce car fumes I think about it. Everytime I go to a place and see disappearing habitat I think about it. Everybody should think about it... and worry. sapir3 do you have pets at home? Jeff_Corwin Yes, I have 3 cats and a captive-bred Macaw. glory92 Glory, my five year-old daughter, wants to know, "Mr. Corwin, if you could be any animal, what would it be? I would like to be a cheetah or flamingo." Jeff_Corwin I think if I could be an animal I would love to be a porpoise or a falcon. goliath2 What animal is the most endangered? Jeff_Corwin Unfortunately, there are many, but some animals are so endangered that there's a good chance their species will become extinct.... even if we try really hard to protect them, including pandas, tigers, black-footed ferrets, and too many others to list. alycia119 what is the most endangered species you've encountered? Jeff_Corwin Oh, I would say black rhinos and black-footed ferrets. There have been others. Orangutans. bsbncjd i luv animals too. in fact, i saved a horshoe crab on friday. it made me feel good inside. that i saved a creature of the world. Jeff_Corwin That's great. stevend8 hi jeff! What type of primate is the smartest? Jeff_Corwin There are a lot of smart primates. I would think chimpanzees are pretty smart, bonobeos... human beings are pretty smart. Lots of them are smart. Primates use problem solving to survive. They need to be smart. murphster123456789 if You had to name one animal that is the most odd what would it be???? Jeff_Corwin Oh, I would have to say the echidna. It's a mammal with quills like a hedgehog, but it lays an egg. willpat Why do fish travel in schools and how do they turn around at the same time?? Jeff_Corwin Fish travel in schools so they can protect themselves because there's always safety in numbers. For example, if there are 2 fish in a school and there's a predator coming... if you're one of those fish, you have a 50% chance of being eaten. If you're in a school of 100 fish and a predator comes, it's only 1%. The fish can turn around almost instantaneously, because they're quick to respond, but if you slowed it down... what you would see was one fish turning first and the others quickly following it. They just have quick reflexes. secure1 Relatively speeking how inteligent are elephants? Jeff_Corwin Amazingly intelligent. Intelligent enough that they recognize their own dead and are frightened by their own bones. They can remember in a way similar to human beings... and in that, information can be passed down from one generation to another. For example there are places in South Africa where some groups of elephants are aggressive to human beings even though they are not... being hunted by human beings, but they are aggressive because information has been passed down to them from a time... when elephants were hunted in that region. intelweb I have a ball python for a pet and I was wondering if it was wrong to keep him, I dont like keeping animals that are meant to be in the wild but he wasnt getting a good home at the pet shop, what should I do? Jeff_Corwin Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with having a snake for a pet as long as it's not dangerous... (because it's too big, it's not poisonous) ...if you're willing to commit your energy and attention to it, to learn from it... and most importantly, it was bred in captivity and not caught from the wild. And, if you're a young person, that it's okay with your parents. improv Do you write your own script? I really like the little touches like the dancing frog. Jeff_Corwin That's spontaneous, stuff like that. And yes, I help write the treatment, which is a storyline that we follow throughout the show... but it's hard to have or follow a script because you never know what's going to happen. juliaam Which place have you been to that you don't want to ever go back? Jeff_Corwin You know, honestly I can't think of a place that we've done in this show that hasn't had something special to make me want to return. owatina Jeff, I am 6 years old with diabetes. Doother animals in the world have diabetes? Jeff_Corwin That's an excellent question. I know that other mammals produce insulin, but I don't know if they can have problems with insulin production leading to an animal version of diabetes. It should be possible but keep in mind, in the wild, if an animal becomes sick and starts to slow down... the predator doesn't care if it has diabetes or not... so that animal, since it couldn't get any help and died, would not be available for scientists to study. But luckily for human beings we are able in most situations to detect and monitor the disease. Both my mother and my sister have mild diabetes and they have to be very careful about what they eat. alycia119 What was it like, working on the Jason Project? I saw information about it on the internet with pictures of you. It sounded neat. Jeff_Corwin The Jason Project is a science expedition done each year and sent live to classrooms. It was very exciting because it was live and I did 5 broadcasts a day for 2 weeks from the jungle. It was one of my most favorite experiences and it helped to influence my work with Going Wild. zoowoman Before I turn the computer over to my children I wanted to thank youagain for the wonderful show that you are doing that helpds to educated the young minds of tomorrow in hopes that they can help us save those endangered animals. Bonnie Lewis Jeff_Corwin Thanks, Bonnie. I'm glad you like the show. judyclarke Hi Jeff. I am 28, and I still think your show is absolutely wonderful. I watch it every week, and think it's great the way you teach kids to respect animals, while at the same time teaching them all there is to know about the wild. Jeff_Corwin Thanks, Judy. I glad you're getting something out of the show. goliath2 Where are you going to go next and what animals will you see? Jeff_Corwin In a week, I'm going to do a show in Hawaii on Hawaiian geese. To Palau, Micronesia to observe landlocked jellyfish and see snakes. And New Guinea to do a show on cuscus. Stay tuned next week, 'cause we're in LA looking for the Trickster. If you want to know what the Trickster is, you'll have to watch the show. tigerboy8 is there any place you been wanting to go to search for an animal that you haven't been to yet? Jeff_Corwin I would love to go to the Galapagos to observe marine iguanas. and that's in November. waffito I received "Sea Monkeys" for a birthday present. What are sea monkeys, and how long will they live? Jeff_Corwin Sea Monkeys are brine shrimp and you're going to be disappointed. You're going to see no princesses or crowns or tridents like I wanted to see. And they live for a few weeks, then they turn into soupy, smelly monkeys. And if you've got any fish, fish love to eat them. Hey kids, be sure to check out the Global Safari Game online. You can talk about your own animal experiences on the Wild Postings message board. You can even send a Z-mail to me. I'll answer some of your Z-mail on Going Wild. And some here in the Zeether. So be sure to check out the Safari Squad in the Clubs section of Zoog Disney after today's chat. jsekiguchi How can a skunk stand its own spray? Jeff_Corwin Well, I don't know if a skunk can stand it's own spray. I've never seen one hang around to smell itself. It knows that it's to keep the predators away. It sprays at the predator and runs away. surfergrrrl We have a garder snake in our back yard, what should we do with it!??? Should we have any concer with it??? Jeff_Corwin Nope, be glad it's there. It's eating slugs that eat your garden. By the way, it's "garter" snake, after the bands of nylon used to hold up socks in the old days. If you want to see a garter, look at your Grandpa's socks. glory92 Mr. Corwin, I have to go to bed now. Do other animals have parents who make them go to bed? Jeff_Corwin Sure they do. Baby bears. The sow will keep the baby bear in to keep it from moving around. Lots of animals, adult parent animals, keep an eye on their babies, make sure they're sleeping, so they stay out of mischief. Mischief, unfortunately for wild animals, can lead to becoming a meal for predators. But many baby animals love to sleep because they need the sleep to grow. And you need to sleep to grow, so go to bed. Good night. smee12 I have noticed on the credits that you helped to create the idea of Going Wild! Where did you get the idea? It was a great one. Jeff_Corwin I got the idea with a friend of mine named Jackson, who helped me when I was on a Jason project. snakeseyes I'm Ben only 4 years old, and I never miss your show! I have been performing my own Jeff Corwin shows just like you for family and friends, they love it and tell me I would be a great addition to your show...Are you looking for a partner, or maybe just just a helper. One special animal lover for each show, well I would love to be your first guest star? What do you say? Jeff_Corwin Well maybe you could have your own show... but in order to do that, you have to practice your observation skills and do lots of studying... and remember, don't eat any bugs, 'cause that's my gig. kevintoo My name is Kevin, and I am almost 7 years old... sometimes I am afraid of dogs and my mom says that they can smell when I get scared... Can dogs really "smell" fear? Jeff_Corwin They probably can't SMELL fear but they can observe you and observe your movement and your sound... and that's how they can probably tell if you're scared or not. Basically they're studying your animal behavior. poohtoze Do you eat meat? Jeff_Corwin No. I don't eat red meat. I do eat fish. Not because I don't like meat, but because of my health. I try to eat very simply. I enjoy eating lots of vegetables and fruit and fish. I try to stay away from milk, eggs and meat. But occassionally I cheat. abh1 Hey jeff ,this is my first time chatting,so thanks and when's the next time you'll be on the Zeether? Jeff_Corwin When I get back from New Guinea. superpokey have you ever played a practical joke on your co workers? Jeff_Corwin Yes. Lots of times. We were swimming in a river with piranha, and my friend Kevin... who is also a producer, was scared and I convinced him to go for a swim. It was at night, and when he got in the water, I snuck in the water and swam underneath him... and started pinching his feet... and he screamed. kathymnovak Are you afraid of any animals? Jeff_Corwin I'm not really afraid of any animals, but there are some animals that I would want to be very careful with... if I ever encountered in the wild. There's nothing like the humbling feeling of being stalked. I felt it and it was scary. In Africa and it was very scary. Moderator Jeff, I'm afraid we've run out of time for today's chat. :-( Jeff_Corwin Thanks for chatting. I had a lot of fun. Keep on watching the show and remember... in the world of nature, no one creature is greater than another... for all life forms are significant. Cheers. Moderator I'd like to thank Jeff Corwin for taking the time to drop by the Zoog Zeethatorium today. Be sure to join us here Wednesday when the Zoogs will welcome former Mousketeer Lisa Whelchel starting at 7p Eastern/4pm Pacific. And don't forget to Huddle Up at the Bug Juice Huddle Up tomorrow! Thanks to everyone for joining us today! Be sure to tune into the Disney Channel to see the highlights of today's chat on Zoog Disney (it's not just TV you watch, it's TV you DO!) The Zeethatorium will close in five minutes so hop on over to the Safari Squad in the Clubs section. You can go on adventures with Jeff Corwin--- you can read Jeff's journal every week as well as send Z-mail to Jeff Corwin here at www.zoogdisney.com. G'night everyone! jamberie thanks, Jamie 5 and Amber 3.5 hanging out for jeff dinoze i like your shows a lot marinekid WE Love Jeff! We love Jeff! We love Jeff! We love Jeff! hicorriherecool bye hoperose Bye, see you on the show. libby101 don't leave kevintoo Thank you Mr. Corwin! freetafish bye libby101 cheers andyman01 Thank You willpat Thanks Jeff GREAT CHAT!! scoobert Good bye li18 bye secure1 Bye Jeff Thanks yuyi33 good bye, Jeff!!! smilez2u Thanks for coming Jeff minty13 BYE! judyclarke Thanks Jeff. takatoka bye freetafish Bye Jeff minty13 BYE! bye Jeff!!! princesscharity dont leave!!!!!!! doanythingtomeetjeff Yes! Thanks Jeff! Have fun on your next trek! ~Jen, your biggest fan,. davearhan bye Jeff smilez2u Bye cdsrm Thanks Jeff! freetafish I have to go soon to work so I wanted to say goodbye and keep your show going well and Wild .Joe Reilly libby101 I'm really Dana, in 5th grade i shared what i learned on your show in class. marathon2 goodbye takp hi jeff, i'm 34 and i have been watching your show with my kids we all think it is great it will help them when they start school knmaltese MY NAME IS KAITLYN AND I AM 6 YEARS OLD. I LOVE WATCHING YOUR SHOW ON SUNDAY NIGHT. I LEARN A LOT. I AM 6 YEARS OLD AND I WANT TO BE AN EXPLORER JUST LIKE YOU. I LIKE ANIMALS AND BUGS DON'T SCARE ME> sixty4man bye goliath2 Bye luckymee later Jeff novicane i just want to say tht Jeff is cool and because of him i want to be a biologist when i grow up, thanks Jeff. greenbugbites Hi this is Katie from ROme Georgia nd I thinbk you are the coolest! Evgery time we go somewhere new, we always want to have you there to answer our questions. I always say "I wish Jeff Corwin was here!!!" My mom is helping me chat tonight! austinelizabeth My name is AustinElizabeth and my dad is typing this because I'm only 5 years old. Your show is my favorite on all of TV. No matter where we are, we always stop at 7 on Sunday nights so we can watch "Going Wild" zoogdisneytoons Jejj your show is one of my favorites! jesse1998 goodbye Jeff randy12 IH Jeff i am Randy12. I Like your show zoogdisneytoons jeff some day i want to meet you your so cool kaleb9 this is kaleb9 sighning off,bye. zoogdisneytoons i like your show because you tell kids so much about animals! marathon2 bye goliath2 I just want to say I appreciate the work you do for the show and you do a good job. floyddie My 5 year old son has autism and your show is the only show he watches regularly. THANKS FOR CATCHING HIS EYE! marathon2 goodbye goodbye secktor bhy bye im 54 and watch your show with my grandkids , we love it ringo111 Jeff , your show is my favorite show!!!!!!