Critter Chat

Nevada City, April 2, 2025 — Raise your hand if you’ve heard of the Riffle Sculpin! This local bottom-dwelling fish is a mystery to many, but these fish can be found all over the rivers and streams of the Sierra. This prehistoric-looking fish fascinates those who study them - why are they important? Get to know this local aquatic animal - with the broadcast/podcast of Critter Chat on April 2 - a great way to celebrate World Aquatic Animal Day which is recognized worldwide on April 3.

Scientists featured in this episode of Critter Chat help explain the many variations of this fish, how they co-exist with rainbow trout and what they have to tell us about the diverse waters of the Sierra and beyond. On this show, listeners have a special treat in hearing current research about these fish from Rob Leidy, Board President, Friends of Sausal Creek, Oakland, CA; Ecologist, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley; and Gregory A. Giusti, Forests & Wildland Ecology Advisor- Emeritus, UC Cooperative Extension, University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources

School teachers are encouraged to use Critter Chat for their students with teaching notes that include vocabulary words like “riffle” and “salmonids.”

Critter Chat airs on KVMR the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30-7:00pm. The Riffle Sculpin episode will broadcast on Wednesday, April 2 at 6:30pm. You can also enjoy Critter Chat on your mobile device as a podcast.(  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/critter-chat/id1789219396  ) Every episode is available for you to listen to at your convenience. Search for Critter Chat on Spotify, Apple podcast. Or tell Alexa to play Critter Chat on the Amazon platform. Please press subscribe, it is free, you will get the next episode delivered to your device.

Critter Chat is locally written and produced by Marney Blair and Susan Brandt and edited with news director Claudio Mendonca at KVMR. Each episode features one species of the many critters that live in the Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains. Critter Chat was recently awarded the 2024 Jody Fenimore Excellence in Public Affairs and Community Service Programming by KVMR. See critterchat.org for more information. 

Image credit: Riffle Sculpin, American River,  California, 2010 © Lisa C. Thompson