Raffaela Lesch
Zoologist and assistant professor of biology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who led a study examining potential signs of domestication in urban raccoons; provides expert commentary on domestication syndrome and the study's methods.
Best podcasts with Raffaela Lesch
Ranked by the Snipd community
47 snips
Dec 22, 2025 • 15min
No, Raccoons Aren’t Pet-Ready (Yet)
Join zoologist Raffaela Lesch, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, as she reveals fascinating insights from her study on urban raccoons. Learn how these clever creatures might be taking their first steps toward domestication. Raffaela discusses the signs of domestication syndrome, including shorter snouts observed in city-dwelling raccoons. She shares challenges in research methods and what could be potential next steps for urban raccoons in their journey to cohabitate with humans. Could you ever have a litter box-trained raccoon?
19 snips
Jan 8, 2026 • 18min
Are Raccoons On The Road To Domestication?
Join Raffaela Lesch, a biology expert researching raccoons and domestication, and Pamela Yeh, an ecology professor focused on urban evolution. They dive into how city-dwelling raccoons are evolving with shorter snouts, signaling potential domestication. They discuss the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on songbirds, revealing beak shape changes. Explore the continuum of domestication and what it might take for raccoons to become household pets, while reflecting on human impacts on urban wildlife.
