Martin was born on December 23, 1965, and Chris was born on July 19, 1969, in New Jersey to Linda (born 1939) and William Kratt (1928-2022).[6] They are the grandsons of musical instrument maker William Jacob Kratt (1892-1983), who emigrated from Germany to America in 1910.[7]
Shortly after graduating from Duke University, Martin became a research assistant for a howler monkey project under Dr. Kenneth Glander in Costa Rica. Shortly after, he worked with Dr. Patricia Wright in Madagascar as well as Dr. John Terbogh in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest.[11] In 1990, Chris served as an intern at Conservation International in Washington, D.C. A year later, he started the Carleton Organization for Biodiversity. His ecology studies have been funded by the Explorers Club and the National Science Foundation. He was also the recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.
Chris also starred alongside his brother Martin in the show Zoboomafoo, which aired from 1999 to 2001. On this PBS Kids show, they went on many adventures with animals with the help of Zoboomafoo, a Coquerel's sifaka lemur (Propithecus coquereli). The other shows the brothers created are Wild Kratts, Be the Creature, Kratt's Creatures, and Wild Alaska Live.
From June 13 to August 3, 2008, the brothers appeared in Creature Adventures, a stage show at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.[12] They also appear as themselves in the Odd Squad episode "Night Shift". Additionally, in the Nature Cat crossover episode “Wild Batts”, the Kratt Brothers voice bat versions of themselves looking for a new home. They also appear in the Molly of Denali crossover episode “Cry Wolf” as themselves looking for a missing pack of wolves in that episode with the help of Molly Mabray (the series protagonist) and her father.
In 2017, Dr Gavin Svenson discovered a new species of mantis and named it Liturgusa krattorum after the brothers for their impact on the educational television genre. A special episode of Wild Kratts was later released to commemorate the occasion.
Chris has two sons, Aidan and Nolan, with his wife Tania Armstrong, an interior designer whom he married in 2000 in Botswana.[15][16] Like their cousins Gavin and Ronan, Aidan and Nolan have roles in Wild Kratts as animated versions of themselves.
^Mathews, Ellie. "Watchung Hills Principal, Teacher Top Hall of Fame Class; Joseph Battiato, Matthew Kantor, Chris and Martin Kratt, Robert Oppenheim and Lawrence von Beidel also inducted.", Warren, NJ Patch, April 8, 2013. Accessed January 26, 2020. "The Watchung Hills Hall of Fame committee has announced its 2013 honorees, persons who have served or brought honor to the high school through their efforts or achievements. They will be honored at a ceremony to be held on May 10 in the school's Performing Arts Center. Those named for the honor are:... Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt, brothers whose educational television programs and films about wildlife and animals are aired on National Geographic Channel and PBS"
