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Late-Night Talk: Nikita Bedov. Rethinking Food Chains: What Happens When Predator Eats Predator?
Manage episode 519077570 series 3405994
Students and Graduates!
Nikita is a PhD candidate in Biology at Swansea University who submitted his PhD on the behaviour and ecology of predator interactions, and working at two field sites in sub-Saharan Africa to quantify the famous fight between mongooses and snakes. He also has his YouTube channel, Diary of the Adventurer and the podcast Baffling Biology.
Nikita explores how mongooses and snakes flip the food chain, why threat discrimination is context-driven, and what long-term field data reveal about venom resistance and group defence. Along the way, Nikita shares his thoughts on funding, field logistics, science communication, and making space for creative projects during a PhD.
• mutual predation between mongooses and snakes in Africa
• threat discrimination shaped by movement, learning and context
• venom resistance in mongooses and pup vulnerability
• group mobbing against pythons versus solo risk
• field sites, habituation and camera-trap ecosystems
• self-funding, teaching work and practical trade-offs
• Diary of the Adventurer and Baffling Biology platforms
• science without hype and avoiding dramatization
• choosing supervisors, writing early and skill-building
Follow his YouTube channel Diary of the Adventurer: http://www.youtube.com/@diaryoftheadventurer
Nikita's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikita-bdeov
Baffling Biology: https://bafflingbiologypodcast.weebly.com/
Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!
Students and graduates,
Have a break from this session by hearing a late-night talk I had with Michael Gerharz, PhD, about the impact of communication in your PhD and in public.
Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!
Sportify
Sportify personalises FIFA style sporting cards with a 10% when using the code PHDLOUNGE10
Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.uk
Donation tab - https://www.phdlounge.co.uk/donate
Buzzsprout subscription - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1808542/support
Instagram: @phdlmf
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismaia94/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phdloungepodcast
Chapters
1. Host Updates And Listener Feedback (00:00:00)
2. Meet Nikita: Biologist And Field Filmmaker (00:11:48)
3. Childhood Roots And Role Models (00:22:21)
4. Why Africa And How The Field Works (00:30:01)
5. Mutual Predation And Threat Discrimination (00:39:01)
6. Venom Resistance And Pup Vulnerability (00:49:01)
7. Group Defence, Hunting, And Python Battles (00:57:31)
8. Life In The Field: Lions, Hippos, And Snakes (01:06:01)
9. Funding, Self-Funding, And Making It Work (01:14:31)
10. Diary Of The Adventurer And Baffling Biology (01:21:31)
11. Communicating Science Without Hype (01:28:01)
12. Culture, Travel, And Tracking Wildlife (01:35:01)
13. Advice For Choosing And Surviving A PhD (01:42:01)
14. Closing Reflections And Where To Follow (01:50:01)
28 episodes
Manage episode 519077570 series 3405994
Students and Graduates!
Nikita is a PhD candidate in Biology at Swansea University who submitted his PhD on the behaviour and ecology of predator interactions, and working at two field sites in sub-Saharan Africa to quantify the famous fight between mongooses and snakes. He also has his YouTube channel, Diary of the Adventurer and the podcast Baffling Biology.
Nikita explores how mongooses and snakes flip the food chain, why threat discrimination is context-driven, and what long-term field data reveal about venom resistance and group defence. Along the way, Nikita shares his thoughts on funding, field logistics, science communication, and making space for creative projects during a PhD.
• mutual predation between mongooses and snakes in Africa
• threat discrimination shaped by movement, learning and context
• venom resistance in mongooses and pup vulnerability
• group mobbing against pythons versus solo risk
• field sites, habituation and camera-trap ecosystems
• self-funding, teaching work and practical trade-offs
• Diary of the Adventurer and Baffling Biology platforms
• science without hype and avoiding dramatization
• choosing supervisors, writing early and skill-building
Follow his YouTube channel Diary of the Adventurer: http://www.youtube.com/@diaryoftheadventurer
Nikita's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikita-bdeov
Baffling Biology: https://bafflingbiologypodcast.weebly.com/
Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!
Students and graduates,
Have a break from this session by hearing a late-night talk I had with Michael Gerharz, PhD, about the impact of communication in your PhD and in public.
Thank you all for tuning in, it has been a pleasure!
Sportify
Sportify personalises FIFA style sporting cards with a 10% when using the code PHDLOUNGE10
Website: https://www.phdlounge.co.uk
Donation tab - https://www.phdlounge.co.uk/donate
Buzzsprout subscription - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1808542/support
Instagram: @phdlmf
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismaia94/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/phdloungepodcast
Chapters
1. Host Updates And Listener Feedback (00:00:00)
2. Meet Nikita: Biologist And Field Filmmaker (00:11:48)
3. Childhood Roots And Role Models (00:22:21)
4. Why Africa And How The Field Works (00:30:01)
5. Mutual Predation And Threat Discrimination (00:39:01)
6. Venom Resistance And Pup Vulnerability (00:49:01)
7. Group Defence, Hunting, And Python Battles (00:57:31)
8. Life In The Field: Lions, Hippos, And Snakes (01:06:01)
9. Funding, Self-Funding, And Making It Work (01:14:31)
10. Diary Of The Adventurer And Baffling Biology (01:21:31)
11. Communicating Science Without Hype (01:28:01)
12. Culture, Travel, And Tracking Wildlife (01:35:01)
13. Advice For Choosing And Surviving A PhD (01:42:01)
14. Closing Reflections And Where To Follow (01:50:01)
28 episodes
All episodes
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