Creature Feature

Today on the show: They're not dinosaurs, they're from BEFORE the dinosaurs, and they're very, very, very strange. Giant apex predator shrimp thingies, centipedes you could ride on, the tully monster, evolution's most amazing mistakes! I'm joined by paleontologist and science educator Dane Pavitt. Check him out at www.theaveragescientist.co.uk  and  www.youtube.com/danepavitt  Footnotes: Last week's mystery animal sound sourceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rerun classic about not freezing to death! Today we'll be talking about how animals prepare for winter! From hibernation, to magical wardrobe changes, to cryogenic freezing! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: when, if ever, is the right time to breathe through your butt? With guest, Caitlin Durante! Ads: 19:42; 32:19 Footnotes: My frozen bear heart: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110207142625.htm Calendar cells: https://phys.org/news/2015-09-seasonal-body-clock-animals.html Arctic fox faceplanting into snow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EiV-ERKRRs Arctic fox's awkward wardrobe malfunctions: https://a-z-animals.com/media/animals/images/470x370/arctic_fox10.jpg Arctic fox shedding its coat: https://external-preview.redd.it/yFIfslfvQOZezp2EoX48ZArPc1B48xAh6IfRcZpT3k0.jpg?auto=webp&s=abaec6cc70925d3441a05b55f238ab6f5f114523 Ancient snow goggles: http://www.beyondbuckskin.com/2012/04/some-history-slick-inuit-shades.html Frozen wood frog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLPeehsXAr4 Siberian salamander: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Salamandrella&where-species=keyserlingii Painted turtles breathe through their butts: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/03/animals-winter-hibernation-turtles/ Wild Yakut horses: https://eaq.org.au//wp-content/uploads/2017/05/yacut-horses.jpg MORE. FLUFFY. HORSES: https://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/OTHERS/Tipsy-deer-and-horses/2.jpg Kulning video by Jonna Jinton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc7F_qv3eI8&t=0m40sSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a poopisode! I've got a serious case of poop brain, so let's learn about some fascinating evolutionary biology facts vis a vis poop! Penguin defensive poop turrets, snake poop acting, and the medicinal pooping of bees. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: why hasn't there been a movie about vampires getting pooped on? I'm joined by comedian & actress Kimia Behpoornia!  Footnotes:  Penguin defensive poop Penguin poop diagram Snake poop paper Bee poop Last week's mystery animal sound sourceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, interspecific animal friendship! These are special friends who don't care about their species! Can lions, tigers, and bears be buds? What of the shrimp?! Who will be friends with shrimp!?? My guest is standup comedian Pallavi Gunalan!   Footnotes: Animal friendship PBS Animal friendship KBPS Pistol shrimps and gobies Mongooses and warthogs Sea robin sound Sea robin walking  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regular programming will return shortly, but in the meantime enjoy this classic episode!  I'm joined by Tiktok's favorite zoologist Mamadou to talk about animals who seem cute... right up until they absolutely wreck you.  FootnotesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moo Deng! Pesto! What do they have in common? They're big babies!! We talk about these giant babies, and also, the tiniest babies who grow to enormous sizes. I'm joined by comedy writer Lydia Bugg! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Creatureween! We're getting scary and spooky (but not really) with a special bat episode! Bats may not be the horrible halloween monster that they're made out to be, but they're still one of my favorite orders of animals in the world! Then, just for more fun, we'll talk about a who's who list of halloweeny critters and why they're so special! Joining me to talk about the most incredible, unusual bat species, as well as separating bat fact from bat libel, is science journalist and co-author of the new book, Atlas Obscura Wild Life, Cara Giaimo!    Footnotes:  Bats & Pesticides study Last week's mystery animal soundSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're talking about animals who belong on stage at Eurovision! Or not, I suppose, I'm being told that's against the rules! I'm very excited to be joined by the hosts of Eurovangelists, Jeremy Bent, and Dimitry Pompee!   Footnotes 1. Frigatebirds 2. Red howler monkey 3. Fruit flies  4. Ducks eating peas 5. Animals on the Eurovision stage!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's another 'ween classic! This one comes from 2023, and has a story in it that'll really make your skin crawl! I'm joined by Seanbaby & Robert Brockway to discuss factual Halloweeny tales of animal biology! Undead fish skin, vampire mice, and flying zombies! Stay tuned for new episodes this month, including our 2024 Creatureween spooktacular! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OooOOooO the spookiest scare of all: a rerun! Please enjoy this return of a Halloween episode from 2022! Don't worry, we'll celebrate Halloween this year with a very scary spooky episode the day before Halloween, plus all new episodes leading up to it! But for now, enjoy these ghosts of Halloween past! Hags, slime, frogs, and the boogie woogies who can kill you with a touch! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can we use ectoplasm as a substitute for egg-whites in baking? With guest, David Bell!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's slimy, has a home, and four legs? I answer your animal questions, exonerate black cats, and I do NOT invite you to check out the bear buffet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we talk about animals who escape after being eaten! There's only a few exits to choose from, but these Houdinis make sure not to end up being dinner, even after all hope seems lost. But it's a race against the clock to not be burned alive in the most horrifying way possible. Also, we mention Moo Deng, everyone's favorite little pygmy hippo, yay! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Enjoy one of my favorite old episodes: animals who live the trash lifestyle, pretend to be trash, live inside trash, or are generally having a crappy day (and that's how they like it)! With guest, Pallavi Gunalan! Stay tuned for the results of last week's Mystery Animal Sound next week! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, Weird little guys! Animals that are a wee bit freaky, and also, a bit wee. We're going to get progressively littler, and weirder as we go on. From a cryptid that is essentially a tiny sandworm from Dune, to an even smaller animal that likes to get ahead of home security, these animals have devised some odd evolutionary strategies. Featuring Molly Conger of the new podcast Weird Little Guys!  Footnotes  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crocodilians may have a somewhat intimidating appearance, but that doesn't mean they don't have feelings! We talk about why it's not cool to bop crocs on the nose with a shovel unless you're about to get eaten.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions! Why are some cats born without tails? Can dogs play fetch in space? What's the deal with leafcutter ants, and what are cool insects wings not used for flight? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show we continue hot shark summer with shark biologist and author of the book, "Sharks Don't Sink," Jasmin Graham!  Guest: Jasmin Graham  Footnotes: Minorities in Shark Science website: https://www.misselasmo.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything you could possibly ever want to know about camels! Plus: flesh balloons (romantic flesh balloons)!  Guest: Bridgett Greenberg Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wzSqttUixtTsUlLPKKKmXWuHRQyUgko7TT9UUz6y33I/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharks on cocaine? Embryonic sharks with super powers? Stomach eversion!? We talk hot shark summer. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: how much musk can a musk duck chuck?  Guest: Chris Crofton Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oIBqVnzRnWU0dk2eUqPueCsMxlJyxc7-jEMLgvh6l14/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weirdest, wildest animals you can find in bodies of freshwater! From mysterious lumpy orbs, to the largest living pancake in the world, we're talking about all that's wet, fresh, and slimy. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: how many baby bjorns can you carry at once?  Guest: Abe Epperson  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MMRHJvxBAZB6O-LaiV9X-0mBMNVeybNZ1yAFNfE5rUM/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions! From debunking bigfeet to wascally wabbit phywogeny, and whether aliens could be revived after billions of years (and then kill us).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beat the summer heat with these worm facts! Some worms like it cold, some like it hot, but what they all have in common is living life as a basic tube. That's right we're talking about worms who live in the most extreme places on earth, able to endure temperatures and chemicals that would easily kill a human. Guest: Soren Bowie  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_0sOAU6eIBMyVGfW6KFU2IDu3TMVBnJ5kQLI1pW3FEI/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, earth! Is it a spaceship? Is it a blue marble? A giant egg? A hologram projected by aliens? Or is it a living, breathing organism? I'm joined by science writer Ferris Jabr to talk about his new book "Becoming Earth" and whether the planet is alive! Guest: Ferris Jabr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie is hiding under her bed from the fireworks, so here's one of her favorite summer episodes: Top ways animals stay cool in the heat, your results may vary! From gular fluttering to a stinky cool down method, bee fans and mucus cocoons, there are all sorts of ways to stay chill in the summer heat!  Guests: Ella Hubber, Tom Lum, and Caroline Roper Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/197ka55555R0ejpocBcPs4je_ZKXen1aDLbwqcwfw9rY/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 How do zebras get stripes? How does Mike Wazowski keep his eyeball moist? And how come a group of crows is called a "murder?" I answer your questions! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From clownfish to bonobos, biology and the animal world is far more complex than prudes like to think it is. Joining me today are Laine and Owen, hosts of the podcast A Field Guide to Gay Animals, a podcast exploring queerness in the natural world! Guests: Owen Ever & Laine Kaplan-Levenson Footnotes: Last week's mystery animal sound source    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These animals steal the food right out of your mouths! The most daring (and grossest) thieves in the world. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question, should there be spider butt dentists?  Guest: Katherine Spiers  Footnotes: This week's mystery animal sound source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPiFdOStVkMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're looking at the mutated creatures of the Fallout franchise and discussing whether they could actually exist in a nuclear wasteland! It's a real optimistic episode and we discuss BIG BUGS! How can we bring back big bugs?!  Guest: Will Poole See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These animals did NOT forget leg day! From leg battles, to deadly runway assassins, to miraculous thighs.  Guest: Joey Clift  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uMXBcVWbP2SsR00Gh4NUuXFZbPKlRpSFo2GOtjznN7k/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These animals have figured out how to treat their own ailments with the medicine available to them in their habitats. Plus, what can we learn from animals about human medicine? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question, does swallowing a rough leaf a day keep Doctor Zaius away?  Guest: Dr. Kaveh Hoda Source for last week's mystery animal sound: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v_rSygXA1lwSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, like why do animals act weird during an eclipse? How do animals know what to eat? What's the deal with dino penises? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wise owl, the lazy sloth, and the courageous lion, how much do these animals live up to their names, or should we not judge a book by its cover or a sloth by its algae? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: is owls stupid? Guest: Adam Todd Brown Source of last week's mystery animal sound:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TDMftMtr5toSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate cicadageddon 2024, here's one of my favorite past episodes, this one on cicadapocalypse 2021: BROOD X has been waiting 17 years to emerge from the ground. What is Brood X? Should we panic? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: How is it fair that swarms of baby turtles are considered cute, but swarms of bugs are considered “horrifying?”  Guest: Mara Wilson Footnotes: Cicada https://live.staticflickr.com/3067/2607912292_150e08400e_z.jpg   Cicada tymbal  https://www.cicadamania.com/images/tymbalanism.gif   Cicada sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNJ6DL_1R9I   Holes left by mass cicada emergence (warning for trypophobia) https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/A-e1373044330806.jpg   Lots of cicadas! https://mk0charlottestopdskr.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Cicadas-swarm-north-carolina.jpg   Mass sea turtle hatching!  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/olive-ridley-sea-turtle-swarm-filmed-costa-rica   Giant river turtle! https://zooinstitutes.com/img/animals/83/831567514683_33.jpg   Mass river turtle hatching! https://www.treehugger.com/rare-turtles-hatch-beach-brazil-5092340   Soft coral https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/84bPOAlpoBNPmyhMTsbhJ-iF7UDOo1lCST_18GrEChIqlOg6CL-nO1yx_6AVw8g2FWgRFAndhaD3HAUw_zMrVDbbNGYQS2Uqob1196fcVrNv7bveRZTylg03CdBwB3BCnpQ   Stony coral https://www.ecomagazine.com/images/Newsletter/0_2020/Week_1-6-20/underwater-photography-of-coral-reef-3100361.jpgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can be a citizen scientist in your own backyard! Broods! Birds! And mushroom butts! I'm joined by podcaster and voice actress Janet Varney. Guest: Janet Varney See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They're in the air! There's billions of them! And they're tiny! We're talking about aeroplankton, what they're doing up there, and what happens when they get in your nose.  Guest: Soren Bowie Last week's mystery animal sound source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8Phip5U-WoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we talk RATS! From plague to pets, rats have had a huge impact on humanity! What was the role of rats in the plague? What even is a rat?? Should you keep them as pets??? And are we so different after all?  Guest: Jeff May Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/199aAaHgq-CmEoMcR4iRMnbePedjKrs0iafQalrKhp0I/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk about wild human inventions inspired by animal designs! Guest: Ellen Weatherford Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZEGyyeNn8trH-FmcchVthmmppq8-XiQlKILt-9fIISk/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we're doing a re-broadcast of an Easter classic! We're firing the Easter Bunny and looking for a replacement! That's right E.B., you're getting benched and we're sending another animal out there to make merry with the eggs and the flowers! Guest: Soren Bowie  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uBq4b0mnk0TsQJfe5CqOZSg3Yk8CqCZ5vG5I1CgsYM8/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, from the realism of Tarzan, to the details behind a frog Buffalo Bill, and how to best serve the birds of your community! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's show I subject my guest to a gauntlet of strange oddities, and he (and you) must guess whether these are animals, minerals, vegetables, or something else entirely... Guest: DJ Danl Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rRUT2Ywx6B9XF-1SyNJ8lxVyLX94eY2n06FjiE4x-O8/edit?usp=sharing Mystery animal sound credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMwAgft_kZ8See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today: we're turning animals into robots! All the weirdest and wackiest ways that roboticists and researchers have played robo-god with animals. From robosaurus, to robot bees, and robo falcons, Adam and Katie discuss whether robots will inherit the earth.  Guest: Adam Ganser Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t7NmSAXc6vg0zMZkMHIZKlXSQI_ROlsAyglMHNQ53Ww/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're talking about animals that look like they jumped off of a page from Lisa Frank's notebook! Pink dolphins, rainbow squirrels, surprisingly fabulous pigeons, and the most beautiful butts in the world.  Guest: Joelle Monique  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12uHLiRYjc0_-rKv_fCFSpkTMN8f4ysX9do1j_uLC0r4/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I dragged my husband on the show to talk about animals who give romantic gifts, like dead voles and nutritional secretions! Hope he takes the hint!  Guest: Brett McCully Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Kn459lVK4NKOeLYcUM47R-EWo4RX6tgwp0cTvQBPFs/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feed drop time! Check out this Let's Learn Everything episode I was a guest on! We talk about BIRDS. IN. SPAAAAAACE! Guests: Ella Huber, Tom Lum, Alex Schmidt, Caroline RoperFootnotes: Space quails video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7-hm3A7ayISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a listener questions episode which means I answer your questions about animal baldness, skin, and poop! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm joined by naturalist, educator and author Heather Montgomery as we talk about her book "Sick" and the fascinating world of animal immune systems (and poop). Guest: Heather MontgomerySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summary: Happy holidays! I'll see you soon in the new year, until then, enjoy some of my favorite classic holiday episodes! This one's about weird ungulates. Guest: Alex Schmidt Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ofN2BMRRxu3ITqZZZjcH7LSae9rq2umS0pJ39rHJlRU/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy holidays! I'll see you soon in the new year, but until then, enjoy a past episode... millions of years in the past. Who will pull Cave Santa's sleigh? Guest: Alex Schmidt  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-moJs64fD53QyE_xt77iNcMexcY-sP4Pis2g7KK5qmo/edit?usp=sharing Credit to Aaron Kenny for Creative Commons music See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From hibernations to teeny naps, these wintery animals know how to catch a few z's!  Guest: Jeff May  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dEiKigGPXidNf5Jaa_LQ8HvJkP0h-9Tz6KNzC-OkFds/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weirdest, most expertly engineered eggs in the world! Not all eggs are, well, egg-shaped with Alex Schmidt!    Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16kSwzHPVP2CaYDiXf0jYvP1pBw140Ep8rjv77hOjAno/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, like why are there so many parasites? Do frogs really not have teeth? And what's going on with these ants?!?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie got the stomach flu, so here's one of her favorite old episodes! We promise the title is merely a coincidence.  Guest: Will Poole  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uJ2hX52ElPgYMGS8nVpxjDX1ioBmv5lIc1V_zDG9QII/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A deep dive into the factual accuracies and inaccuracies of the Garfield Movie trailer! Beat by beat we will examine the trailer, and talk about whether there are real life examples in evolutionary biology that can lend credence to the new Garfield Movie trailer. Sadly, we are not being sponsored by The Garfield Movie. Guest: Joey Clift Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KNPC0Xwqqh7W16Gy6mLciw1HSRy8YfddVuyYcq1N-cs/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joined by pro-Javelina guest Kylie Brakeman, we discuss the righteous fight of the Javelina against the golf courses of Arizona! And other animals who are bravely waging war against golf!  Guest: Kylie Brakeman  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uPIGPktJnmyjdY3xgSLjICSxXW-ZpnY7BP2QxPcGG6A/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, from how an elephant gets so big on grass alone, to animal schedules, witchy familars and suspiciously crab-like aliens! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From dog-fox hybrids, to radioactive doggies of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, we're talking about all the best boys and girls in the world! Also: dogs whose job is to save the turtles! Guest: Andrew TiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Real Halloweeny tales of animal biology! Undead fish skin, vampire mice, and flying zombies! Guests: Seanbaby & Robert Brockway Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1njNgJ35GLVLDYnPbfKM2hRFPOvxyj6K2wjOkEX17rus/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eye of newt, tongue of toad, well, more like excretion of toad, we're talking about the poisonous witch's brews of the animal kingdom! From trippy toads, to petrifying platypuses. Guest: Jason ParginSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An interview with naturalist/adventurer Forrest Galante! Guest: Forrest Galante  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the stretchiest mouthed reptiles, to sea creatures that are mostly mouths, we're talking about the most ghoulish gluttons on the globe! Guest: Katherine Spiers  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TolY6_BOV5SNiN08aMnXTjeUi2Vq5CBwYWpHWwK34iE/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These animals did NOT forget leg day! From leg battles, to deadly runway assassins, to miraculous thighs.  Guest: Joey Clift  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uMXBcVWbP2SsR00Gh4NUuXFZbPKlRpSFo2GOtjznN7k/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know Katie is the co-host on another show called Secretly Incredibly Fascinating? This week we're dropping an episode into the Creature Feature feed, because it's all about octopuses!!  Guest: Alex SchmidtSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 I answer your questions about backstroking sharks, chimpanzee bottoms, and giant wasp stingers!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Separating the facts from fiction about amazing animal spit!  Guest: Will Poole See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're slithering down the runway to talk about high animal fashion, from hats to outerwear to shabby chic, these animals are not born with it, they have meticulously crafted their fashionable attire from elements in their environment! Guest: Maggie Mae Fish Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aH39L-0GNVWx8hf7uR9HOYI0LEXat0Z9K1-NcbSfsy4/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, from dead wasp vengeance, cannibal babies, and adorable pets! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crustacean news station! All the crabby stories fit to print… or pinch. Lobsters not saying no to drugs, and crabs implicated in a famous disappearance. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can lobsters feel pain?  Guest: Ellen WeatherfordSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of the Oppenheimer movie, we're talking about explosive animals! From tiny explosions to a real WWII story involving animal bombs? I promise it's at least a little funny!  Guest: Adam GanserSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of the Barbie movie, today's theme is: PIIIINK! All the fabulous fuchsias, the prettiest pinks, found in nature! Pink is sometimes maligned as an "frivolous" color, but as we'll find out, nature takes its pink VERY seriously.  From camouflage, to ambushes, river battles and poison, we're taking a look at the dark side of pink. Guest: Alex SchmidtSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top ways animals stay cool in the heat, your results may vary! From gular fluttering to a stinky cool down method, bee fans and mucus cocoons, there are all sorts of ways to stay chill in the summer heat!  Guests: Ella Hubber, Tom Lum, and Caroline Roper Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/197ka55555R0ejpocBcPs4je_ZKXen1aDLbwqcwfw9rY/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, from otter armpit pockets to bugs that come back from the dead! Footnotes: Listener puppet maker bat video: https://vimeo.com/778536169See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re going to be playing a little game: see if you can guess which one of these animals we’re about to discuss is more likely to kill you than to cuddle you? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can you trim your hedges with a crocodile?  Guest: Joey Clift  Footnotes:  Striped eel catfish: https://lh6.ggpht.com/HPMmXXIdHNPICfAwmozv5rDOOO3isj6S4eCmO7xsAdh03ZvnetNJpowsNwLajM_YTOEgDer-ClRaMr9G2iT0=s1200 The gharial crocodile: https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/14168422_f1024.jpg The basking shark: https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/2017/baskingshark.jpg Blue-ringed octopus (if you see this RUN AWAY): https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/nk8JcdyT-e1AU_Qt5i_iivC0924=/2796x2097/smart/filters:no_upscale()/blue-ringed-octopus-467490389-5b66e3fcc9e77c0050c8aebc.jpg Be wary of the cassowary: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Southern_Cassowary_7071.jpg The shoebill stork is not a stork (but is kinda a dork): https://i.redd.it/fwvsltmy5lw41.jpgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions about speciation, weird eye situations, and swole gorillas! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie has returned to her home nesting ground for a quick break, so enjoy one of her favorite episodes from the past! I'm joined by Patch, the creator of the amazing biology YouTube channel TierZoo, to discuss how animals might beat some of the toughest, most iconic video game bosses out there!  Guest: Patch from TierZoo Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqBX-Pmk6SpmRBxFIO6W_k8tflRskHjyumSu5k70PpM/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't worry, these critters haven't been mutilated, but rather through evolution, they've ditch certain appendages. Legs? Don't need 'em. Wings? Forget about it. Tails? Lose 'em. Sometimes efficiency requires sacrifice, and body parts have go to go! Apologies for an initial audio issue (ironically, some missing audio data)! This has been fixed! Thank you for your patience  Guest: Joelle Monique Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v9AWcvOv1K2ailxCWHMD-LMOWn2DtGcAPD5udVNdNiE/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, from what happens in a cocoon to the evolutionary history of bird bones! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leeches leeches leeches leeches! How big can they get? Can we really use them in medicine? And are they secretly... cuuuute?  Guest: Joey Clift Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15XDOP0Auky-Ot2LdYBj0T6td_xGXm7wmyDrQy21nQWg/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plants are just the hapless victims of herbivores, right? Wrong! Listen to how plants fight back in sometimes delicious fashion.  Guest: Dr. Vikram BaligaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These critters have a taste for the weird, the morbid, and the wildly unethical. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what do you do with a cannibal boss baby? Guests: Michael Swaim & Abe Epperson  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/111Bvmkr8zACAH3thS90DmvDLI0YqKQvunMMT_8Tzpv4/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Snouts, jaws, and eyeballs that look like they're about to break the graphics engine on the planet earth video game. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what's an echidna's deal? Guest: Chris Crofton  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RM6R3-Di9qnzxORJcPI6u83J75SnRdHBI3FWlBq4Feo/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AUKS! You heard me right. From puffins, to razorbills, to crested auklets, these seafaring birds may be a little AUK-ward on land, but they can cut through the skies and the seas like acrobats. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what does bird cologne smell like? Guest: Jack Baker Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IomXvjwFO1I0jUVubi-f0yv2S5ysOGH-pnuISSXEuYw/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LIPS! The lovely luscious lips of living and extinct animals. Who has the best pout? Plus, a talking beluga! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: if you have a real long tongue, where do you keep it?  Guest: Anna Hossnieh  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hKwcP67esS0xOVIWmWJI9SXHbOByADpRbRMghZMCZHY/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some worms like it cold, some like it hot, but what they all have in common is living life as a basic tube. That's right we're talking about worms who live in the most extreme places on earth, able to endure temperatures and chemicals that would easily kill a human. Guest: Soren Bowie  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_0sOAU6eIBMyVGfW6KFU2IDu3TMVBnJ5kQLI1pW3FEI/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, from epigenetics to dog pee studies! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show: dizzy apes, pirouetting spiders, and twisty birds. While these animals all have a different spin on spinning, they all share a love for the twirl. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: how do you get your lover back with the help of a bird?  Guest: Bridgett Greenberg  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DR6X_VIhyUJV1li5AKl1776jxBCDqfd24UAOsvT68f8/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These non-alien lifeforms look more alien than the aliens in Avatar. From gloopy ghosts, to glowing alien eyes, these animals may give us a hint at what could be in store for us on alien planets. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: is the holy grail just a pile of snot?  Guest: Daniel Whiteson  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c6BwVI0pW24VOfG6DOK1mNc2hEIDR-jao4WzmlzusYc/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this interview with infectious diseases expert Professor David Boulware, we discuss the real impact ophiocordyceps  has on ants, and whether we humans should be concerned.  Guest: Professor David Boulware See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From insect repellants, to treating dangerous bites, we'll find out that animals can look at a tree and see a pharmacy. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: would you call an elephant midwife a more of a mega-wife? Guest: Joelle MoniqueSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're a fan of weird internet culture you've probably heard of the SCP foundation, a mysterious compendium of top-secret (totally real) trans-dimensional paranormal phenomena! So I'm going to go through some real life documented animals who could easily be SCP entries. Guests: Robert Brockway & Seanbaby Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZXDxLMqpCBvdndCJUvDf3El5wZylsjyBtkyt97j3SnY/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From massive dragon hoards of nuts, to the treasures of tiny kickboxers, we're looking at caches that these animals only hope to clear by eating them. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: can a giant weasel see into the future?  Guest: Joey Clift Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xBRxZgWar2_mKRKfpTlqn0Rle8BCud_wDsxalnMyPj0/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These animals enjoy a good moshpit, and have secret powers!  Guest: Danl Goodman Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mxjuqCMmHt8wY53h-nJME9NfQmdZQXbCynuqcvej5wI/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk about some of the angriest, most frustrated, most peeved critters out there, and how they cope! Joined by the absolutely furious Alex Schmidt!  Guest: Alex Schmidt  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sbuZSa8toAvXOTOv7JVt1fxLbLlgmzKh-cMCb-LsE8s/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your amazing questions, including one about milking pigs, animal drunkenness, anime style critters, too many legs, rat facts and bird aliens.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Animals who live the trash lifestyle, pretend to be trash, live inside trash, or are generally having a crappy day (and that's how they like it)!  Guest: Pallavi Gunalan Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-rA_E9WjWna6pEsuDmkfa9ZkFZ22m7myHd3_GUSB-k/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we're talking about real life metal heads! These animals are literally metal, reinforcing their bodies with metallic armor. From spiders, to snails, to waspy tails, you don't want to find yourself on the bad side of these tough as nails critters. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: are figs vegan? Guest: Tom Reimann Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nEg3DpNzk38zrlUGQJebbTxx7RmXH8y_L5dr4H8Acd8/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie's enjoying Creature Kringletimes, so please enjoy this already-chewed on beaver episode!  Guest: Soren Bowie  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jNkvYjDL2PFuljk7GJ2P3MKTbydqcDym5pgcNZx3TAg/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're sacking Santa's reindeer and replacing them with my favorite contenders from Kringletime's past… way past… millions of years in the past. Guest: Alex Schmidt  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-moJs64fD53QyE_xt77iNcMexcY-sP4Pis2g7KK5qmo/edit?usp=sharing Credit to Aaron Kenny for Creative Commons music See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your fascinating questions, like whether there are more eyes or legs in the world, or if an elephant could be a witting accomplice!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes the scary, tough, and slimy animals in the world just need a friend! From a friendly little shop of horrors, to the toughest animals in the world frolicking together, we find friendship and cooperation in the unlikeliest of places. Guest: Ellen Weatherford See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are lots of things we know we shouldn't put in our mouth: cyanide, parasites, a styrofoam coffee cup you got out of the trash. But some animals have found a way to expand their culinary tastes, or even benefit, from things that would make a human restaurant shut down and the chefs go to prison. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: why are scientists so mean to larvae?  Guest: Adam Ganser See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the silliest most adorable animals out there, a furry tank, a rabbit deer, and a fish who smiles! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: do you want to vacation on a pile of poop?  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LIp-VyPwAtCWjU9pXkL22Hed5pV6nUZJlwH5rtPCdT8/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the cutest serial killers in the animal kingdom! Big ol' eyes, big ol' ears, and a sweet feathery fuzzball who are more devious than Jack the Ripper.  Guest: Bridgett Greenberg  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rRuJRXELHhZHG3jrUSG7uAxs82zrL6qJ8Jx1XrBp-8g/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, from "can wild animals get the zoomies" to "vampire deer?!?!" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Hags, slime, frogs, and the boogie woogies who can kill you with a touch! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can we use ectoplasm as a substitute for egg-whites in baking?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can pick your nose, you can pick your friends, and your nose can pick your friends! "Smell ya later" can be literal in the animal kingdom, and some secret handshakes make sure URINE the clique. Guest: Jason Pargin  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to spooky October! Katie's definitely not busy diggin up bones in a pet cemetery to create an undead guinea-cat-bird, but she is doing something innocent this week. So enjoy this rerun of one of her favorite spooky episodes, and we'll see you next week with a fresh one!   Guest: Bridget Greenberg Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ikmVakjOrOSpD-9Ge4oRw9s11rIQS6cYOv35SquEXt8/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From flies who turn cows into swiss cheese, to the world's largest parasites, this episode is not for lunchtime! Content warning: really gross parasite stuff! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your listener questions about how dog ears stick up or flop down, human fish, mammals during dinosaurs, and the mysteries of deep sea shrimp! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm joined by Tiktok's favorite zoologist Mamadou to talk about animals who seem cute... right up until they absolutely wreck you. Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1izCgFfOxu-jNVbClQbmhEKvuuAs9Xn2zT__6z2WzOqQ/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're looking at the evolutionary history of the housecat, their wild ancestors, some murderous cousins, and the best way to entertain your overlords, I mean, the best way to entertain your cats! Join us and Mikel Delgado to learn more.    Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11uo3M0yM6GstLHCmxbNFyuQ_n-8EJRsLAOKOegT9eJs/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is a bird of paradise so fantastic? Do the beautiful colors and crests found in birds and other animals have some secret purpose, or do they just like to look hot? Joining me today to discuss this question is science writer the New York Times Magazine, Scientific American, and many other publications, Ferris Jabr!  Guest: Ferris Jabr  Footnotes: Check out Ferris Jabr's article on bird beauty! https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/09/magazine/beauty-evolution-animal.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you don't like spiders, I've got bad news for you! Because today is all about spiders! From cute baby spider dreams, to spider catapults, and the friendship between a spider and a carnivorous plant! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what's ruder after mating, eating your partner, or yeeting your partner?  Guest: Ivy Le, host of FOGO: Fear of Going Outside Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L6-fj-ZxyYBZ4aZQugZnbafE3V8Rc34er6ZNS6VmJf0/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm joined by the McElroy brothers to talk about CORAL! Why is it alive? Is it coming for us? Can you really get through life with only one hole? And can crabs teach us how to combine the art of cheerleading with that of boxing?  Guests: Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, & Griffin McElroy  Footnotes:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/19CROfPYR-ROWOQY4aFd8YMj6L5-LTkHCZU95ZXVDswM/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your listener questions, from how eyeballs work, to whether toucans are transparent. And hey, are snakes just legless lizards?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some animals jump, some animals fly, and some animals fall with style! All the best fallers in the animal kingdom, with stunts that would make Tom Cruise's stuntman blush. Guest: Alex Schmidt Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JOlreqBJHJanozq9hsPeJYoDgN2eYdoB7heL9M5DUpQ/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie on the run from a group of bloodthirsty penguins, so here's a re-run of our episode on the freakiest teeth in the animal kingdom. And if you think it's silly to be afraid of penguins, wait until you see inside their MOUTHS. Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yE2Oh8FIciFwlW6l-dJbhc1FaK5XcwAdwQWe19TcGHA/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're zooming way out and looking at animals not as individuals, but as herds, colonies, crowds, and flocks. And we're going to find out that animals, including people, share more in common with particles found in physics than we may like to believe. Discover this and more with Daniel Whiteson as we answer the age-old question: when does an ant mosh pit get deadly? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're addressing the elephant in the room... well, three elephants, who aren't actually elephants. The elephant shrew, the elephant fish, and the elephant bird! How can there be so many elephants?!? What are their secrets?? Can we boop their snoots?!!?! Footnotes:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_sbovOjB-MPmirz8bqjbW1HTIWmm_4HXKnR8fe0q9pQ/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions: combat between polar bears and great whites, turtle sleep, goat milk, turkey antics, and more!  Footnotes:  Camel playing soccer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=nXMa4fsH9xQ&feature=emb_titleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 We're having a heat wave here, and I imagine a lot of you out there are dealing with the same. So let's cool down with some stories of how animals beat the heat with Joelle Monique!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie is on a short vacation (no she hasn't been taken over by parasitic wasps, haha) so here's one of her favorite older episodes, about animals who rebuild themselves with Dave Schilling. Footnotes:  Self-decapitating sea slug!  https://vp.nyt.com/video/2021/03/08/92303_1_08tb-seaslug-video_wg_480p.mp4 Salamander limb regeneration!  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lJNO-ZRuE1g/TF6bvuBV7cI/AAAAAAAACO4/lRDWA1VFymA/s1600/regeneration.jpgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the domesticated donkey, to their wild ass kin, donkeys are an underestimated animal with a courageous heart. There are many varieties of donkeys, but all asses have one thing in common: a desire to kick ass. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what's the lamborghini of the donkey world?   Guest: Andrew Ti   Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1prV2OI4LB-SVFsFcfkVnjaSuJv397hut4wSpbLxmR1A/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm joined by Ed Yong, science journalist for the Atlantic, Pulitzer prize winner for his coverage of COVID-19, and author of the book, An Immense World, which explores the hugely diverse way in which animals perceive our planet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do animals have money? Before you shake down your local squirrel, we're not talking about dollars, buttcoin, or whatever. Could animals have a currency, make trades, and understand when they're getting grifted? I'm joined by Brett McCully, an economist, who is also my husband. What a coincidence! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From lynxes that refuse to be the missing lynx, to extinct cats who have a cheeky surprise. Join us with guest, Jeff May, as we discover this and more answers to the age-old question: you can pick your friends, you can pick your cat's nose, but can your cat pick their friends out of a police lineup? Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l_nXTK9auiwiPJZ9UvucBFQ69KyON_hNGvObhUXANZw/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've got the author of Around The World In 80 Birds, Mike Unwin, on to talk BIRDS! Why we love these little feathery dinos, and some of the most surprising birds from around the world! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for extra sound effects!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm answering your listener questions! Do owl eyes change colors? Would aliens be hot? What would a kraken look like?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Etiquette is a manner of perspective and species, from flamingos with topsy-turvy eating habits, to the goats who have a more arboreal take on dining, you'll learn how to dine with the animals, and how to politely hold your termite-stick depending on your chimpanzee hosts's tastes. Discover this and more with Katherine Spiers as we answer the age-old question: Can Australia's version of the trash-eating racoon fly? Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10iFXcG4uUg4TuzMjuhA_FNJjHw9X7RT-Utv9lfJGBPo/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From rattlesnakes to copperheads, we're talking about some of America's most dangerous cutie noodles! How does their venom work? Do they really want to bite your stinky ol' leg? And how to respect nature's most potent linguini. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, why are we injecting horses with snake venom? Featuring naturalist and snake expert Alexi Grousis! Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yuHcp1EU6xXdwVk1k2UPnVDLD1IG9mFVmL31NcsA3-k/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Physics and biology collide! This episode is from the wonderful physics podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain The Universe, on which Katie is a guest host. Discover whether the human eye can see a single photon, how eyes evolved, and check out the Daniel and Jorge Explain The Universe podcast! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I'm joined by my friend and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson of Daniel & Jorge Explain the Universe to talk about how the beauty of nature, from a tiger's stripes to a butterfly's wings comes down to photons bonking around your eyeballs! And are there people who can see UV light? Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n2S4DJ75HSp1jNLIzoNRyCJeO5WSdJ4z9F6csOsR6dI/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roses are red, blood is blue, blood is green, and transparent too??? Join us as we discover all the colors of the blood rainbow with Seanbaby & Robert Brockway.  Footnotes:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1omHDiujE1aOr7FHnkukk61Fjnd0asnlXMDh0R1Dl7P8/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we're firing the Easter Bunny and looking for a replacement with Soren Bowie! That's right E.B., you're getting benched and we're sending another animal out there to make merry with the eggs and the flowers! Footnotes:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uBq4b0mnk0TsQJfe5CqOZSg3Yk8CqCZ5vG5I1CgsYM8/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From bird spas crawling with ants to chimpanzee pharmacology, Anna Hossnieh joins us as we learn that a millipede a day can keep the doctor away! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: should you replace your doctor with a spider?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have a special guest, Dr. Winifred Frick, chief scientist of Bat Conservation International. The Hill's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hilli, had been feared extinct, as neither hair nor wing has been seen for forty years. But after a 5 year period of survey efforts, Bat Conservation International, and the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, spotted a bat with an incredibly strange looking face...  Hill's Horseshoe bat rediscovery link: https://www.batcon.org/press/conservationists-announce-the-rediscovery-of-an-african-bat-species-lost-for-40-years/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything you could possibly ever want to know about camels with special guest Bridgett Greenberg! Plus: flesh balloons (romantic flesh balloons)! Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wzSqttUixtTsUlLPKKKmXWuHRQyUgko7TT9UUz6y33I/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're seeing red in a whole new light, from red fur to red hair to red scales! Join Maggie Mae Fish as we discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: why are red pandas?  Footnotes:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcPaLUqp6Eunc1LYwertLbAVbOvRs2-oroN9dYbpIQQ/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From dangerous booties to headbutts from hell, we're looking at froggies with some devilish secrets. Discover this and more with  Chris Crofton as we answer the age-old question: Are my eyes up here, or are they down there?  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zs_MedD7Auz3U7l_A2cGSID5IBUVIT5nRDC6Q8FC6_g/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big trypophobia warning for this episode, especially if your name is Pinocchio and you're made out of wood. From hidden delicacies within rotting logs, to nutty drama, to the story of a parasite's parasite, we're looking at what happens when the Giving Tree gives you nausea with Shereen Younes. Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OZVHmrD_DNgYp5Kx3D2iZLslDd9JpvSWTXbpERFzqbU/edit?usp=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes mating isn't so straightforward! From parasites that take the scenic route to reproduction to some species boycotting normal mating altogether! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: does a nematode understand what a little freak it's being? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From bird humping helmets to toxic toad sausage thrown out of helicopters, sometimes conservationists have to get wild to save the wild. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: how do you keep a whooping crane from catching feelings for you; with guest Anna Salinas.Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pf3_5_UfDGV-m82Pm1PQULxv9lxt_AEYYWLlLNJqHd0/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Pallavi Gunalan Summary: Life is tough on these teeny tinies, so they need creative solutions to get around the world without being immediately destroyed! From the world's itty bittiest snail, to dastardly little fish, to the world's lil'est cowboys doing a giddy-up in the sea, we're looking at some cuties who are sometimes surprisingly devious. Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c02vaTXLPLd0eMjrwGuxgtjHN70uK_iQakMHN-LhhaA/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's listener questions day! A sexy game of rock paper scissors lizards, eels mating in the Bermuda triangle, and Doggie Bowser, M.D., all your questions answered! (P.S: No goats were harmed in the making of this podcast). Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xSwpxwMqsXRIrWt9zvZlwpmOg_IERaov0A9q9Ie5MTM/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inventions versus animals! Can we innovate our way into being as cool as animals? Can animals inspire breakthroughs in medical devices? And what does one of history's greatest inventors and sharks have in common?Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d7QVe02iVmsXE83p9rJS-jzzhYL1f4XEd3F_lbKJlz0/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sexy aquatic scandals! From the loudest fishy lovemaking in the world, to amphibians having a ball… discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, what does Ed Gein and marine biologists have in common? Footnotes:Male gulf corvina singing a love songhttps://dosits.org/galleries/audio-gallery/fishes/gulf-corvina/Male western toad's saying "hands off!"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2E-bcEJgLcLast week's mystery animal sound:https://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/Listen-to-Nature/022M-LISTNAT00077-0001V0 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From giant bugs to monkey dog friendships, a trio of good news stories to start out 2022! Footnotes: Giant millipede discovered https://www.livescience.com/giant-ancient-millipedes-ukDog and monkey alliancehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/a-vervet-monkey-befriends-some-hostile-dogs/Last week's mystery animal sound answer!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TeStCgLUWE Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie's flying back home this week (and boy are her arms tired) so we're playing a great episode from the past year! This one's about crabs, how they're taking over civilization, and WE (snap) ARE (snap) HERE (snap) FOR (snap) IT! She's joined by the incredible Kylie Brakeman. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are cats parasites? Do animals go to the gym? Have you ever been pranked by a monkey? All your questions answered! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of today's most fascinating animals had surprising ancestors. From giant sloths to wooly rhinos to enormous… turtle rabbits? Discover all this and more as we answer the age-old question, which animal is best at sphere? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a miracle! A Creaturekringletimes holiday special about miracles in nature, from immaculately conceived condors to the Tiny Tim of parrots! Join us with special guest, Will Poole.Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yn4zFLfJVkTcGI8l4cGnZ1oN9yJbx7Xi6eTSVNHFw_U/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're joined by fan favorite, Alex Schmidt. Today, we're giving those CreatureKringleTimes reindeer a break and hiring some new mystical steeds to carry Kringle Claw's sleigh, and using a bit of Kringletime magic we're bringing some megafauna back from extinction! Discover some unforgettable ungulates as we answer the age-old question, did Santa steal the family dog??? Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ofN2BMRRxu3ITqZZZjcH7LSae9rq2umS0pJ39rHJlRU/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From terrified bee shrieks to lemur airhorn songs, these animals are screaming for your attention. Join Will Poole as we answer the age-old question: what's better home security, Poop Safe or OxPecker Alert? Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uJ2hX52ElPgYMGS8nVpxjDX1ioBmv5lIc1V_zDG9QII/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ellen Weatherford joins us as we visit the world of pocket monsters again and show how real-life animals can be even more incredible than a boring ol' Pikachu. We're talking about the real-life animal inspiration for pokemon, as well as animals that SHOULD be in the next generation of pokemon. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: who's got the most boopable snoot? Footnotes: Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From adorable penguins to innocent-looking fish, these animals are hiding a mouth straight from your dentist's nightmares. Discover this and more witch, Joey Clift, as we answer the age-old question: which animal do you least want to see with human teeth?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a listener question episode! From cat tails to sperm whales, I'm answering your burning animal questions. Speaking of burning, what's going on near those thermal vents? And why are milkweed butterflies terrifying?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're gonna play some squid games with lucky contestants, Molly Lambert, Lydia Bugg, and Danl Goodman, who definitely know what they signed up for! How will these humans fare against squids? After all, squids are spineless, right?Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1viiby4IDNFerj1S-Jeym6xisXBNV8kI-ANgZ5Ag8r_U/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does your immune system work? And why are some animal's immune systems wildly different? Are fish aliens? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: you can share your heart, but can you share your circulatory system? I'm joined today by the creator of the extremely popular YouTube series Kurzgesagt! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Katie's been abducted by brain-eating aliens (or, as she puts it, "I have a cold, it's fine guys seriously") so here's a classic episode she thought you'd enjoy (unless it's just the alien brain parasites talking): Today we’re talking about ALIENS! Right here on earth. Does that sound paradoxical? Well, maybe you should think about whether we were the aliens all along?? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, do animals really need to breathe? With special guest Joelle Monique. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From secret societies to secret nighttime powers, to secretly being a living animal in the first place, these critters are NOT letting you in their club unless you know the handshake! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: if you stab a rock, does it not bleed? Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dfn_6GNkH4x86gqVnUXgi4Zx2XFylqthpWS6sRvPMME/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm joined by Patch, the creator of the amazing biology YouTube channel TierZoo, to discuss how animals might beat some of the toughest, most iconic video game bosses out there! Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqBX-Pmk6SpmRBxFIO6W_k8tflRskHjyumSu5k70PpM/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes genetic oopsies can be beautiful (and change the course of evolutionary history)! From stretch daisies to puppy eyes, discover some marvelous mutations! Join us with today's guest, Pallavi Gunalan.Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O06A0isbDFHt21m8O7uUSCtKwzoe2KzcbbHw_1ih9nc/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

LISTENER QUESTIONS! From why flies fly like they fly, to the mysteries of whale eyes! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what are the sparrows plotting? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This one's all about beavers, their weird little bodies, godlike powers, and shocking history with Soren Bowie.Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jNkvYjDL2PFuljk7GJ2P3MKTbydqcDym5pgcNZx3TAg/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From human conspiracies involving animals, to literal conspiracies of lemurs, to a conspiracy of slander against some of the world’s most misunderstood animals, we’re getting out our thumbtacks and cork-boards to connect the dots, and sometimes spots with Ben Bowlin.Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/15xZeziURXFppY97q3P3fG2WVC6urd7CRFtRveP3DElw/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we’re talking about creatures who spit in the face of gravity! These critters laugh at the general concept of physics and take things to an extreme level, defying gravity, shrugging off spaceflight, and being just plain weird. Join us, and special guest Daniel Whiteson!Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ASz8xRJNNHWrpq-i42BIq4Cq4-5FeO7brISt80XsRrw/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Joelle Monique Footnotes:  First-ever animal discovered who doesn't breathe?!?  The blanket octopus! Behold the blanket octopus's cape of wonder! Blanket octopus looking like an alien spaceship:   The sarcastic fringehead (open mouth for a surprise) The pink fairy armadillo burrowing right into our hearts. Treehoppers are out of control. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TREEHOPPERS?  WHAAAAAT?? The King Vulture is the most festive undertaker ever. She colorful. She chic. But most importantly. She eats dead meat.   Cock-of-the-rock AKA Mr. Handsome  Potoo's are alien ghosts, exhibit A.  Potoo's are alien ghosts, exhibit B. Potoo's are alien ghosts, exhibit C.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Blake Wexler Footnotes:  Microhylid frog and tarantula best friends: Coyote and badger going on adventures together! Coyote and badger hunting together (WARNING: squirrel carnage): Geladas and wolves have a diplomatic relationship: Birds & people working together to screw over bees: The weird sucker-head of a remora: Shark with pilotfish groupies: Urchin crab giving a piggyback ride to an urchin: Owen the hippo adopted by Mzee the tortoise: Dalmation adopts spotted lamb: Sperm whales seemingly adopt dolphin with spinal deformation: Check out the koala hospital where my daughter Twinkles (the koala) is from: Potoroo Palace in NSW Australia: Animal Tracks Sanctuary in Los Angeles: Wild Haven Ranch in Lake Arrowhead: Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With: Laci Mosley Footnotes: Chinstrap penguin stealing rocks: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/video/chinstrap-penguin-steals-rocks-from-neighbours-stock-video-footage/3B2FBBE0_0118Gelada male: https://www.instagram.com/p/-AtXWGIVc3/Firefly femme fatale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWdCMFvgFboHawk moth caterpillar mimics viper: https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/untamed/00000162-300f-ddf6-a5eb-712f562a0000Passion flower mimicry: http://plantmimicrybz2820.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-passiflora-genus.htmlAutomimicry: https://naturestories.org/heres-looking-at-you-kid-6eaf9e8b76eConformity elevator experiment: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-psychology-of-conformity/251371/Jumping spider ant mimics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ant_and_jumping_spider_Gorongosa_National_Park,_Mozambique.jpgJumping spider mimicking one ant carrying another (this is ONE spider): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant_mimicry#/media/File:Myrmarachne_plataleoides_male_thailand.jpg Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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With one of our favorite guests, Kristi Yamaguccimane.Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_fTwRx3ZmUCCyVkhXgvgj1n75uuupAV2FYQ4Y8dT0_A/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I'm presenting a trio of tiny terrors, and at the end, one humongous horror with Robert Brockway and, Seanbaby! And I’ll let you decide if all the miniature monsters formed a team, could they defeat the largest bear the world's ever seen?Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pNcfxtDGElm10cTKSAc6KIgY-IrBRpZnJe_VVTXmcac/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From discovering the origins of butts, to finding the mystery glitter-pooper at zoos, it turns out that poop can teach us a lot about animals. And later, I’ll be joined by the real-life Batman of Mexico Dr. Rodrigo Medellin, to talk about glowing poop and long-nosed bats!Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UkCm9D4Wc818HkwurBKIYkzIfjlzrimgClDLV7LsQZs/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re taking on scary urban legends about animals, and showing you that there’s nothing to fear! Well… okay, maybe there is, but it's not what you think! Join us with special guest Maggie Mae Fish.Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zPY_hNdmrgUy8GgrctKEBmwielWQNYfv080KVAxzjDo/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm answering listener questions again, from what makes ticks tick, to platypus egg cuisine, to attack of the clones! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, how delicious is your sweat?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, these squirrels are NUTS! with Adam Ganser! Giant flying squirrels, rainbow squirrels, and goth squirrels! Dissquirrelver this and more as we answer the age-old question: is that dried squirrel pee you’re using as an aphrodisiac, or are you just happy to see me? Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kh0Q0Wi_dyvRwnbJN7Nlr1urhJr9G6lSMxEVjz767jk/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MEERKATS! What are they? Why do we love them? What are the horrifying, salacious details of meerkat murders? And where’s the love for their kinder cousins, the banded mongoose? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: war… HUH, what is it good for? Absolutely mating!  Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/12ONuZIv1NQKBFQeaTMMMPzjDssHDdDN61RB74j-TAMY/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What the crab are crabs up to? Are crabs building a crab-ciety? What kinds of crabstructions are the crabs crabbing up crab? Discrabber this and more as we answer the age old crustacean, uh I mean question, should we all be crabs? Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/15fGxThb_XQJ3DJBlfJM5HWL8TqTn6-xZ36jcx2I1lrA/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the animal news that’s fit to paw-print, and a dose of extra science just for you with guest Shereen Lani Younes! Whales caught hugging on camera, Angelina Jolie covered in BEES, and a new glowing toadlet just dropped! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: can you get sued by a bee for copyright infringement?Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zS50O8TnvmSwQLDnB-bhv7Ahwd18YNscCy6E3RbXFpg/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm reading your emails and questions about how bugs taste, graveyard dogs, juvenile delinquent birds, and existential ponderings about evolution. Discover this and more as we answer the TRULY age old question: zebras, black with white stripes or white with black stripes?Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nUQgscnJ7qOZSadnOGZZRhqjMtpMSLVutKXfXIyPvRw/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are getting to the bottom of some viral animal stories! Are these real animals? Real behaviors? Or hogwash? From deep sea War of the Worlds aliens, to long ducks, to kissing carp, we’re taking on internet rumors and separating fact from fishion with Robert Brockway and Seanbaby.Footnotes:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h9K21PgnglD8PvDZBsoh5e2df6eAxOAGzHAy58MsOVg/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Planet’s haunted guys! From ghostly worms, to eight-armed specters, to ghost bats far scarier than any vampire, we’ve got a passion for possession when it comes to these cute hauntings! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what are ghost dogs with Bridget Greenberg.Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ikmVakjOrOSpD-9Ge4oRw9s11rIQS6cYOv35SquEXt8/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re talkin' about the world’s most spectacular fliers, from the tiny and nimble hummingbird, to the bird with a wingspan longer than any basketball player. We’ll cover mammalian gliders and murmurating starlings with Anna Hossnieh!Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DBtY8v-AzSXBY7KZdGCIU__QavLFCvXLub1IEputujQ/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're going on a deep dive on three listener questions with Kristi Yamaguccimane! From killer kangaroos to pesky parasites, to evolutionary copycats! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: Why is Australia? Footnotes:Google doc with all the images for this episode https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I5PQ9z3QffxZAjwudtmSh1ENv7L9W8sl_u9LKBcGiys/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BROOD X has been waiting 17 years to emerge from the ground. What is Brood X? Should we panic? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: How is it fair that swarms of baby turtles are considered cute, but swarms of bugs are considered “horrifying,” with Mara Wilson. Footnotes: Cicada Cicada tymbal  Cicada sounds Holes left by mass cicada emergence (warning for trypophobia) Lots of cicadas! Mass sea turtle hatching!  Giant river turtle! Mass river turtle hatching! Soft coral Stony coral Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re talking all things lagomorphs, from hares to rabbits to domesticated bunnies! We’ll learn that rabbits don’t lay colorful eggs, but they DO eat their own poop! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: could a rabbit fly on those ears with enough thrust? Find out with our special guest Joelle Monique!Footnotes: Pika (but no pikachu)!  A black-tailed jackrabbit Another jackrabbit Newborn HARES come out HAIRY Newborn rabbits come out NUDE The rare amani rabbit FLEMISH GIANT RABBIT Pygmy rabbit (juveniles)  Netherland dwarf rabbit (haunted version) Netherland dwarf rabbit (with more fluff)  English lop Fluffiest angora rabbit  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve got round-trip tickets to crustacean station, and I’m answering all your shrimpy questions. What is shrimp? How big they get? What’s up with that poop vein? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: are shrimp just tiny lobsters? Join us with guest Danl Goodman on this journey under the sea.Footnotes: Deep sea shrimp?! EYELESS deep sea shrimp?!?! A pistol shrimp's big meaty claw Brine shrimps is aliens Beautiful peacock mantis shrimp GIANT MANTIS SHRIMP THERE'S A DUCK IN YOUR FROG metal cover Check out more of Andrew's music! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're talking about animals who can rebuild themselves like some kind of T-1000 with Dave Schilling! Self-decapitation, magical dolphin healing, and the incredible regeneration that’s happening inside our very own bodies!Footnotes:  Self-decapitating sea slug!  Salamander limb regeneration!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions about everything from penis bones to the origins of life Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From mathematical bee sex, to baby animals who are cute little calculators, to the way math can produce some of the most beautiful living works of art in the natural kingdom, these word problems are no problem at all! Join us as we explore mathanimals with Daniel Whiteson!Footnotes: Bee sex diagram (with the help of pokemon) Zebrafish! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pallavi Gunalan and I are going to check out some animals that you typically would think of as being small, but sometimes get super large and very hunky chunky! From moths to snails to frogs and pollywogs, these animals will give you a HUGE surprise!Footnotes: Hercules moth! Hercules moth caterpillar Atlas moth with snake head wingtips Giant African land snail  Black Sea Hare Goliath frog Dart the bullfrog pollywog Dart, a banana, and some beer Sawfish rostrum sword! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re getting to know some of the most fascinating noses in the animal kingdom with Hana Michels and Dave Bell! From a fantastical cryptid, to the real-life incredible noses that you couldn’t make up! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: why are bats? Footnotes: Nosewalker cryptid! A very "convincing" taxidermy Another interesting "rhinograde" Not quite factual taxidermy! Unicornfish! How handsome Homer J. Simpson fish Sawfish! Cutie vampire bat Horseshoe bat Swordnose bat!  Hammerhead bat! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re talking about the biggest daredevils with Alex Schmidt. When it comes to derrieres, the pop stars of posteriors, the analysts of… well, you know. How do you survive a trip through a frog? What are some unconventional uses for a sea cucumber? And do you really need a butt?Footnotes:  Water scavenger beetles  The daring Houdini act of the water scavenger beetle The pearlfish at home sweet home  Your close and personal friend, demodex folliculorum! Gold speckled flatworm A comb jelly! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show we’re gonna take a BITE out of TROGLOBITES! What happens deep in the cold, dark depths of caves? How does anything stay alive down there? What happens when you don’t need eyes? Find out with guest, Michael Swaim.Footnotes: Mexican blind cavefish! Cave wolf spider! Texas blind salamander!  THE OLM! Aka "Human fish..."  Cave leeches, oh dear... White cave velvet worm :3  All Yesterdays book! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the shiny and splendiferous scale worms of the deep, to scuba diving lizards, these animals all have one thing in common: they are 100% glam. Join us as we explore these extravagant trend setters with special guest Danl Goodman.Footnotes:  Elvis worm!  Elvis worms fighting, oh no!  Scale worm jaws, extra oh no!  Living beetle jewelry  Shiny diving lizards, oh my! Shiny diving lizards caught on video!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re talking all things Jurassic, as we fact check Jurassic Park! Was John Hammond in over his head? Could life uuuuuuuuh find a way? And are T-Rexes eyesight REALLY based on movement? We’re digging up dinos and the truth with Kay B!Footnotes: Baby T-Rex was a cutie pie! Yutyrannus was a monstrous chicken More art of yutyrannus Deinocheirus: world's most terrifying muppet?  Deinocheirus, like Big Bird and snuffleupagus had a baby Why is this feathery monstrosity not in movies???  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These animals seem like hoaxes! Living tampons that walk the earth, purple blobs who walk UNDER the earth, a new animal superhero, and the weird sex-capades of horny bees! Discover this and more with guest Vanessa Guerrero, as we answer the age-old question, is that a snorkel coming out of your butt or are you just happy to see me? Footnotes: (Warning, icky) rat-tailed maggots look like crawling tampons Purple frog (blob)  Such a little blob Backwards butt lookin guys  Purple frogs in love :)  Purple frog tadpole  Alligators can regrow tails! Blister beetle larvae tricking horny bees Pile of larvae pretending to be a sexy female bee Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A quokka for your patience :)  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the BEE MOVIE CANCELLATION SPECIAL!!! That’s right, we are TAKING ON BEE MOVIE, to HOLD IT ACCOUNTABLE for all its inaccuracies with Jamie Loftus and Caitlin Durante!! Footnotes: Bee orchid Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this holiday special, we will explore three holiday classics, Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer, Die Hard, and The Santa Clause, and recast the leading roles as even more incredible real-life animals with Joelle Monique! Footnotes: Rudolph the Glowing Tasmanian Devil? Glowing platypus  Glowing wombats Glowing bilby ears  Bioluminescent sea unicorns?  GIANT pyrosome:  Flashing pyrosome Blizzard of glowing pyrosomes Die Hard planarian  Planarian looking silly Oh come on  Yeti crabs (aka hoff crabs)  Rock ptarmigan summer fashion  Rock ptarmigan winter fashion Rock ptarmigan peekin’ out of a snow cave  Queen bee body vs. Worker bee  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Creature Feature holiday special episode will air next week! In the meantime, please enjoy this soothing Q&A where I answer your questions about animals! And though we talk about alien parasites and the horrifying truth behind guinea pigs, let the soothing tones of my voice and ambient music bring you some tranquility. Footnotes:  Parasitic salminicola Sun bear epic tongue  Plough snails absolutely booking it  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we’re talking about those tubular dudes, those little wiggle pipes, those cylindrical squamates, SNAAAAAKES! From the goofiest, to the cutest, to the most dazzling snakes, we’re going to find out how truly odd snakes can be with our guest, Maggie Mae Fish!Footnotes: Arabian sand boa! Madagascar leaf-nosed snake Male and female leaf-nosed snakes Tentacled snake  Elephant trunk snake Hognose snake  Blunthead tree snake Big-eye green whip snake Sunbeam snakes Brazilian Rainbow boa  Formosan odd-scaled snake Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year I know a lot of your responsible folks are modifying your normal holiday season to be safer. But we don’t have to isolate from turkeys, so I’m gonna invite a whole flock of turkeys into your home! We’re gonna talk turkey facts, turkey romance, turkey history, and alternative turkeys with our guest Alison Stevenson!Show Notes: A turkey snood that's... um... Turkey sounds! Ocellated turkey! Ocellated turkey sounds! Australian brush turkey! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The past few weeks have been pretty hectic when it comes to news, so here are some animal news stories that you may have missed with our guest Alex Schmidt! Footnotes:  Anti-bear robot wolves!  Dystopian bear facial recognition!  Bear raids convenience stores! Wolves got voted in!  Giant murder hornet nest found!  Two new species of greater glider discovered, found to be TOTALLY CUTE!  Somebody let the devils back into Australia!  GLOWING. PLATYPUS.  Half male, half female bird, split right down the middle!  Wrinkles faced bats think mask-wearing is sexy!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don’t know about you guys, but my brain is completely melted after this election week! So I thought I’d take it easy today and answer some fascinating listener questions!Footnotes: Baby pygmy hippo ;)  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re discussing some horror tropes you can find right in nature! Evil deadly lakes, fungus that isn’t fun, terrifying ANT-ics, and things that go bump in the night! Stay tuned for an audio guessing game with David Bell & Tom Reimann !Footnotes: Lake Natron Dead animal statues of Lake Natron  Alien fungus Uh oh more alien fungus  Jumping spider ant mimic Predatory female spider ant mimic Predatory male spider ant mimic  Ant algorithim Extinct vampire ant trapped in amber Mystery caller #1 Mystery caller #2 Mystery caller #3 Mystery caller #4 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re visiting the spookiest, smartest, most spectacular family in the animal kingdom: the corvids! Crows, ravens, rooks and more! Are crowsthe smartest being on earth? Do they mourn their dead? Featuring crow expert Dr. Kaeli Swift!Footnotes!Dr. Swift's spooky crow study! DO NOT BE ALARMED! CROW RESEARCH! Genius New Caledonian crows Crow gifts?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this first episode of our two-episode spooktacular, Bridgett Greenberg and Abe Epperson help us flee from a chitinous terror, a ten-legged devilish decapod, a creepy crustacean crawling closer and closer! ATTACK! OF THE KILLER CRAAAAABS! Footnotes:  King "crab"  Porcelain "crab" Hairy stone "crab"  Inspirational tweet  Flower crab spider Another crab spider  Happy face spider Clown face on a green crab spider!  Pubic lice, aka, "crabs"  Halloween crab, spooooky!  Christmas island crabs!  Coconut crab!  Yeti Crabs! Japanese spider crab! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From slimy love unicorns to sexy eight-legged twerking, we’re looking at all the beautiful and bizarre mating habits of all sorts of creatures, gastropods, arthropods, birds, and mammals with our guests Carolina Barlow & Devin Leary.Footnotes: Snail love dart, aw yeah... Black widow males twerk for love! Cosmophasis umbratica rave!  Twelve-wired bird of paradise video Wilson’s bird of paradise video Six-plumed bird of paradise video Naked mole rat mutant sperm Mouse sperm swim teams  You know what they say about mice who eat yogurt...  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show we’re scouring the animal kingdom to look for a new species of animal to cast as the replacement Garfield! Will it be the pygmy bluetongue skink? The gulper eel? Reticulated python? Or another candidate? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: is Garfield measured more by his laziness, his hatred for Mondays, or his ability to eat an entire tray of lasagna in one bite? Find out with our guests Hana Michels and Joey Clift.Footnotes:  Pygmy bluetongue skink pokin' out of its burrow! Starfish everting its stomach! Gulper eel caught on camera Tasmanian devil Garfield colored pythons?  Golden pheasant Tiger moth caterpillar Carrion beetle Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I got my brother, Aaron Goldin, to come on the podcast to talk about siblings in the animal kingdom! From siblicide to unstoppable armies of siblings! Footnotes:  Baby sand tiger sharks eat each other in the womb!  Tiger salamander cannibal morph!  Baby bald eagles A giant caterpillar? Millipede baby buddy ball!  Black lace weaver spiders at a uh, family dinner...  Copidosoma floridanum wasp caterpillar thunderdome (warning: NSFE, not safe for eating) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While us humans are all trying to figure out our favorite hobbies to occupy our time, animals are already running, crocheting, and baking circles around us! We’re talking bee bakers, web-spinners, carpenters, fake astronomers, and dolphin shenanigans with our guest, Teresa Lee!Footnotes:  Bee bread!  Bee sorbet!  Webspinner!  Carpenter ants handiwork! Honeypot ants!  Carnivorous stars!  Dolphin vape tricks! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reproduction is the key to evolution, which means that mother nature can get a little strange when it comes to sex. We’re talking about strange equipment, bizarre courtship, and fatal attraction with Arden Myrin!Footnotes: Crane Fly! Echidna!  Echidna penis (NSFW) Bull penis cane?  Whiptail lizards Hanging flies hanging out North American Porcupine! Old world porcupine Brown widows (yes that little guy is a male)  Anaconda breeding ball Dawson's burrowing bees (NSFW: BEE SEX)  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we’re talking about INTERSPECIES BUDDIES! We’ll talk about the difference between mutualism and commensalism, why every birdy loves a capybara, how the beaches of the Galapagos are a great place for friendship, and the only time you want to be inside the mouth of a giant moray.Footnotes:Marine iguana! https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Amblyrhynchus_cristatus_%283838137696%29.jpgMarine iguana and lava lizard! https://i.pinimg.com/originals/28/f5/aa/28f5aab7039f29b4f33bb950a12c1395.jpgMarine iguana with a bad case of crabs! https://dhtt.smugmug.com/Other/Galapagos-789/i-NbXhP5D/0/L/P1030305-L.jpgCapybaras with a bad case of birds! https://www.researchgate.net/figure/FIGuReS-21-26-Capybaras-as-clients-of-cleaner-birds-21-A-disturbed-capybara_fig5_277776494Ducks walking all over a capybara! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D6lrkc81Js&app=desktopMoray eel and cleaner wrasse! https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/giant-moray-eel-and-cleaner-wrasse-mathieu-meur.jpgMeat ant eating butt syrup! https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/Common_jassid_nymph_and_ant02.jpg/1024px-Common_jassid_nymph_and_ant02.jpgDolphins and birds coming together to screw over fish! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE49xEU_z7g Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show we’re talking about ridiculous species names, and learning all about the animals behind them. Can you really judge a pigbutt worm by its name? Or a screaming hairy armadillo? Or a lumpsucker fish?Footnotes: Pigbutt worm: Pigbutt worm face:  Lumpsuckers!  Lil lumpsucker sucking on a finger Lumpsuckers on balloons Lumpsuckers sucking on lumpsuckers Tassled wobbegong Hellbender salamander Screaming hairy armadillo Screaming hairy armadillo, well, screaming Cinereous mourner Cinereous mourner acting Fried egg jellyfish Red-lipped batfish https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/p/proboscis-monkey/ Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Animal pranks aren’t always just for fun, they can be crucial for survival. We’re going to fall down a web of lies, deceit, and outright mockery. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: you can pick your nose, you can pick your friend’s nose, but can you pick a monkey’s nose? Footnotes: Portia spiderIranian spider-tailed viper Fork-tailed drongoCapuchins pranking eachotherChimps pranking visitorsOctopuses pranking everyone Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are some animals nocturnal? What evolutionary adaptations do you have to make to be awake during the GRAVEYARD SHIFT with horror expert with Sabina Graves? And what lurks in the ocean… at night? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, why is owls? I mean, why… why is owls? Footnotes:  The cathemeral fossa Barking gecko mating call Australian greater glider THE TAILS The tarsier Incredible zooplankton Spiny tiger shrimp Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re talking animals that are unusually musical, from up in the skies to deep under the ocean. We have a special guest Dajae Williams, an Engineer at NASA, who uses music to educate and inspire, as answer the age-old question: do all birds like Taylor Swift, or just the swifts?Footnotes: Dajae Williams' website SongHive Musician wren Wood thrush Humpback whale song Blue whale song Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show we’re going to look at the truth behind viral stories about animals! Which claims are real, and which are dirty lies?Footnotes: Salmon shark pictures on Twitter? Dwarf lantern shark Pygmy shark Famous orca pregnant again?  Decapitated wolf eel head biting? A live wolf eel Spotted zebra?  Melanistic fox? Cross fox?  Many different fox color morphs Unicorn puppy?  Seal trying to impress a cat?  Margay mimics Orangutan handwashing?  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The animal kingdom is full of devoted parents, whose child rearing skills are incredible, shocking, and gross! Some parents, like our guest Steph Williams, would give you the shirts off their backs, and others would give you the skin off their backs... literally.Footnotes: Horned marsupial frog Horned marsupial frog with eggs (warning, yucky) Blue poison dart frog with tadpole on his back Suriname toads (warning, trypophobia trigger) Killdeer mating Killdeer faking injury Rhea dad with babies Octopus mothers Cotton topped tamarin Barbary macaque Elephant showing off her baby to rescuers Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you stick two different animals together and let nature take its course? Some whacky evolutionary mixups! We’re talking scientists who accidentally created a hybrid, how hybridization works in the first place, and the mysteries of animals like the narulga and pizzly. Discover this and more as we and guest Kayla Maria answer the age-old question: how come scientists tried to make a Jesus fish? Footnotes: Sturddlefish!!! Geep!  The Narluga The Leopon Pizzly!!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show we’re talking about D-D-D-DANK ANIMAL MEMES, KIDS with Alex Schmidt! Did you know humans aren’t the only ones spreading sweet memes? That’s right, we’re talking about viral birdsong that’s getting retweeted like crazy, otter tupperware parties, and dolphins engaging in the hottest new trend, “shelling.”Footnotes:  Otter tupperware parties Dolphins shelling!  Tandem recruitment in ants Viral birdsong Sperm whale dialects Baby meerkat eating scorpion Orangutan building nests Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Summary:  This week we're talking about something very important. We’re going to cover the use of dogs in cases of police brutality, the history of how dogs have been used as weapons, and the harm this does to people as well as to the dogs themselves. And at the end, we'll cover some of the positive jobs that dogs can do that are better for people and better for dogs.Guests: Pallavi Gunalan, Joelle MoniqueFootnotes: Police dog bite study Cancer sniffing dogs Little "fairy" penguin Oddball the sheepdog giving a fairy penguin a kiss Supporting Black Lives mailing list Supporting Black Lives Google Drive link Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Catch some Z’s with nap-time transformers, contortionists, animals who barely need a wink, and animals who slept in past their alarm by a few years. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: how do you sleep floating in the middle of the sea? You’ll be otter-ly surprised with guest Alexis Torres! Footnotes:Dead leaf butterflyMore of the dead leaf butterflyMalachite sunbirdMalachite sunbird asleepSea otter use kelp to babysitGiraffe sleeping with its head on its buttSperm whales sleep VERTICALLYViral "drunk" owlSnowy owl chicks sleepingBurrowing owl striking an Instagram poseDesert snail forgot to set its alarm Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we’ll be talking about a BRIEF HISTORY OF BIRDS. Are there secretly still dinosaurs still lurking among us? How did birds learn how to fly? Why did some birds decide to be so small? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question, is birds dinosaurs? Footnotes: Birds is dinosaurs? Archaeopteryx WONDERCHICKEN Sandhill crane Baby blue heron Baby southern ground hornbill Adult southern ground hornbill The hoatzin Inca tern mustache! Inca tern calls Indohyus (whale ancestor)  Bee hummingbird Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re going to be playing a little game: see if you can guess which one of these animals we’re about to discuss is more likely to kill you than to cuddle you with Joey Cliff? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can you trim your hedges with a crocodile? Footnotes:  Striped Eel Catfish The Gharial Crocodile The Basking Shark Blue-Ringed Octopus (if you see this RUN AWAY) Be Wary of the Cassowary The Shoebill Stork is not a Stork (but is kinda a dork) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re talking about animals who are all about the presentation with Katie Cullen! Sequined spiders, mantises with deadly cosplay, fish who prove the devil really does wear Prada, a bird who literally slays on the runway, and the cutest little Billie Eilish loving hyena on the planet. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: have you ever watched a crab swim? I mean, really watched it? Footnotes:  Sequined mirror spiders  These spiders look like jewels  Pine processionary caterpillars form a giant conga line!  Stunning orchid mantis A flower mantis with an emoji on her wings!  Blue glaucus or blue dragon Portugese man o' war is surreal   Yellow boxfish!  Crabs swimming!  Indian bullfrogs look like a crazy sports fan  Indian bullfrog orgy!  Secretary birds stomp down the runway  Aardwolf cubs, the cutest hot topic emos in the world  Charities to donate to:  https://blacklivesmatter.com/ https://peoplesbudgetla.com/ Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re talking about PETS with Dr. Lisa Lippman and Richie Redding! When did humans decide to own pets? Do we own pets, or do pets own us? We’re also going to go into depth on animals, coronavirus, and zoonotic diseases, and how you can protect yourself and your pet. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question, should we be making dog arcades?Footnotes:  History of pet ownership Domestication of dogs Farmers brought their dogs with them when migrating The evolution of domesticated cats Dog visitation therapy Enrichment for older dogs Researchers made a dog arcade Enrichment techniques for your dog Olfactory (smelly) enrichment for cats Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I'm joined by particle physicist Daniel Whiteson to talk about RADIATION! What does it do to humans? How have animals adapted to radioactive contamination? Also: killer bananas!?!Footnotes:  Birds Adapting to Chernobyl Study on Chernobyl's Birds Chernobyl Wildlife 30 Years Later Tardigrades Have Radiation Shields!  How Tardigrades Might Help Human Cells Conan the Bacterium Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re talking about introverts! Fish who want to stay inside all day and play Fintendo, an animal who doesn’t want to see anybody right now, in fact, it’s completely ditched its eyeballs, and spiders who should be called shy-ders, because, well, they’re very shy. Footnotes:  Aquarium in Tokyo needs your help to socialize eels!  Garden eels getting facetimed European conger That's a moray!  The electric eel (which is not an eel) The golden mole (which is not a mole) The wrap around spider (which is not a tree branch) The bird dropping spider (which is not a bird dropping)  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show: INVASION OF THE MURDER HORNETS! I’ll also be talking with Alex Schmidt about two of the world’s other most notorious invasive species, a big toad with a bad attitude, and an adorable little fuzzy noodle who just loves to kill things! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: how many decapitations a minute can the murder hornet do?Footnotes:  Murder hornet!  Japanese Honeybees Roasting Murder Hornets to Death Alien Cane Toad Call Via the Western Australia Museum The Unstoppable Cane Toad The Northern Quoll Australian Water Rats Dissecting Cane Toads (Yay?)  The Adorable Invasive Indian Mongoose The Amani Rabbit Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're admiring some particularly devilish animals, like the Dracula parrot, a very gothic gastropod, a satanic gecko, bleeding plants, exploding trees, and a beetle with a biblical reputation. Discover this and more while we, and out guest Megan Salinas, answer the age-old question: can humans and birds unite over our love of fashion? Footnotes:  The Dracula Parrot is a Gothic Icon Dracula Parrot Call Sounds Like a Creaky Door on a Cold Stormy Night Goth Snail Long Wattled Umbrella Bird Umbrella Birds have PRESENCE The Bare Necked Umbrella Bird The Desert Bloodwood Tree, You Know, Bleeding Monkey No Climb Tree and Seed Pumpkin Explosive Seed Pod Bleeding Tooth Fungus Devil's Beetle Flamingo Satanic Ritual, or a Nice Family Dinner?  SATANIC LEAF TAILED GECKO! A Leaf Tailed Gecko Showing Off Red Tongue (featured in episode art) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re gonna CREATURECISE! We’re gonna see some of the most impressive animal athletic feats! Woodcocks love to boogie! Dung beetles are gymnasts! Bats do crunches every time they pee! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: Are dolphins jerks? Footnotes:Woodcock dancing:Chameleon video to soothing classical music: Dance of the dung beetle: Baby bat learning to backflip and pee! Klipspringer jumping around:Copepods swimming: Impressive copepod jump: Spinner dolphins!! Fishing spiders walking on water: Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we review the Animal Crossing game from a scientific perspective. We’ll be fact-checking some Blathers facts about evolutionary biology! Can goldfish grow bigger than a foot? Do they have teeth in their throats? Can tarantulas shoot butt hair at you? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what is Blathers the owl hiding? We attempt to answer all these questions with our guests Maggie Mae Fisher and Adam Ganser.Footnotes:  GIANT GOLDFISH Pharyngeal/Throat Teeth! Yikes!  Bitterlings Spawning Using a Mussel (video) Coconut Octopus (Video)!  Spider Shooting Urticating Hairs Mantis Attacking Hummingbird Video (WARNING: anti-bird content. Hummingbird does get saved in the end though).  A Nice Detailed Coprolite (Fossilized Dung!)  Dunkleosteus Fossil Megacerops Reconstruction Diplodocus's Ridiculous Proportions We got Creature Feature T-Shirts!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 We’re gonna talk about some goat invaders, macaque riots, and what pandas are up to with some added...privacy. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: when you let penguins take over an aquarium, what’s next? The world?? Footnotes: The Vaquita The Sea Shepherds Mission to Protect the Vaquita in Danger Goats Taking Over Welsh Resort!  Macaques Brawling in  Lopburi, Thailand Sika Deer Painting the Town Red Some Zoo Animals Miss Us!  Pandas Finally Got It On The Tiger who got Covid KITTENS VISIT AQUARIUM!  Elephant Visits Sea Lion PENGUINS HAVE TAKEN OVER!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right now, dating is difficult amidst this pandemic. So let's check in on some animals and how their romantic lives are going. Will you be wooed by throbbing red face balloons, pufferfish art, and sea slug conga lines? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: if your date is 30 times your size, how do you make sure you don’t end up as her appetizer?Footnotes: Hooded seals doing sock 'em boppers Pufferfish's romantic art The argonaut octopus Banana slugs (don't put 'em in your mouth) Sea hare sex conga line Oops it's a snake orgy Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today it's an auditory journey as we listen to some ANIMAL SOUNDS! Listen to lyrical lynxes, possessive porcupines, chirping cheetahs, whistling walruses, and other very vocal critters! Discover this and more a we answer the age old question, are horses mocking us? Our guest this week is David Bell.Footnotes: Lynx argument Lynxes REALLY love to argue Grey go-away bird The ballad of Mr. McBouncy Pants Porcupine throwing a tantrum over corn Cheetah chirping It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a cheetah!  Cheetah barking like a puppy Cheetah meowing More cheetah sounds Baby rhino squeals Baby rhino arguing with mom Harp seal calling for mom Harp seal mumbling to himself Seals sounding like synthesizers Harbor seal having to get a butt shot Walrus whistling Attractive walrus noises Horse mockery Horsing around Man arguing with a goat Goat screams Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Check out theses weird adaptations! We’ll look at some incredible immunities from critters we think of as “dirty” or “dangerous,” some animals who are hardcore to the bone, and some insects who are getting pretty creative with this whole adaptation thing. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: are birds real? Footnotes: Creature Feature shirts!Opossums help fight against lyme diseaseOpossum vs PossumCompound found in dogfish shark has antiviral propertiesSpanish ribbed newtAn adorable potto! Hummingbird moths! THEY'RE MOTHS! Ladybug invasion!!!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I want to talk to you about animal homes! We’ll discover animals who built their homes out of straw, built their homes outof sticks, and built their homes out of bricks and… poop… and… mucus? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what the heck is that ant doing with that larva’s butt??? Footnotes: Baya Weaver Nest Sociable Weaver Nest Weaver Ant Nest Weaver Ant Using Baby Butt Glue Bagworm Log Cabin African Bullfrog and "teeth" Red Ovenbird Nests Hornbill Nests Incredible Caddisfly Cases Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re talking about POKEMON ANIMALS! These creatures are even more unbelievable than those fantastic little pocket monsters. I’m talking cute little critters crazier than Pikachu, sea animals that seem too cute to be real, and behavior that you’d think you’d only find in a Pokedex.Footnotes: Check out our new shirts in the shirt store! Lowlandstreaked Tenrec Someone did a fanart of a tenrec as a pokemon!  Armadillo Girdled Lizard David Attenborough bothering an armadillo lizard Pangolin SEA BUNNY!!!! Seriously though SEA BUNNY Sea bunny butt!  Lemon flavored sea bunny (just kidding, still toxic)  This is a real animal, the sheep leaf sea slug Mary river turtle rocking an algae mohawk Tadpoles with spiral bellies Diving bell spider Pipevine swallowtail caterpiller Tailed emperor butterfly caterpillar The Japanese emperor butterfly caterpillar Uh oh, the GUM LEAF SKELETONIZER Goofy phengodidae beetle Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re talking about ALIENS! Right here on earth. Does that sound paradoxical? Well, maybe you should think about whether we were the aliens all along??? We’ll be looking for aliens on earth from the bottom up: aliens under the sea, on land, and in the skies. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, do animals really need to breathe? With special guest Joelle Monique.FOOTNOTES: FINALLY SHIRTS! First ever animal discovered who doesn't breathe?!? The blanket octopus! Behold the blanket octopus's cape of wonder! Blanket octopus looking like an alien spaceship The sarcastic fringehead (open mouth for a surprise)  The pink fairy armadillo burrowing right into our hearts Treehoppers are out of control WHAT ARE YOU DOING TREEHOPPERS? WHAAAAAT?? The King Vulture is the most festive undertaker ever She colorful. She chic. But most importantly. She eats dead meat Cock-of-the-rock AKA Mr. Handsome Potoo's are alien ghosts, exhibit A Potoo's are alien ghosts, exhibit B Potoo's are alien ghosts, exhibit C Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today’s episode we’re talking about WEREWOLVES! Where are they? What are they? And is there any truth behind the werewolf legends? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: does your dog want to eat your face? With special guest Nick Turner.FOOTNOTES: The weird origins of the werewolf Dire wolf skulls at the La Brea Tar Pits! Breeding a dire wolf dog? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I want to take on a trip to Imagination Station for the WHOLE ENTIRE EPISODE! That’s right, we’re exploring the world of imagination. What is imagination? Do animals have imagination? And can your imagination run as wild as nature itself? Discover this as we answer the age old-question: what’s the point of having a broom for a butt! With special guest Kim Winder.FOOTNOTES: Sloth bears are smart! Vividness of visual imagery questionnaire PINK manta ray! Troll haired mystery bug! Another fuzzy-butt planthopper Another broom-butt Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Valentines times! Today I thought that we’d look at a different type of love… platonic love between species! That’s right we’re looking at some cross-species cuddles, some dynamic duos, and truly unusual friendships within the animal kingdom! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: is it fun to suck on a shark? With special guest comedian Blake Wexler.FOOTNOTES: Microhylid frog and tarantula best friends Coyote and badger going on adventures together! Coyote and badger hunting together (WARNING: squirrel carnage) Geladas and wolves have a diplomatic relationship Birds & people working together to screw over bees The weird sucker-head of a remora Shark with pilotfish groupies Urchin crab giving a piggyback ride to an urchin Owen the hippo adopted by Mzee the tortoise Dalmation adopts spotted lamb Sperm whales seemingly adopt dolphin with spinal deformation Check out the koala hospital where my daughter Twinkles (the koala) is from Potoroo Palace in NSW Australia Animal Tracks Sanctuary in Los Angeles Wild Haven Ranch in Lake Arrowhead Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's discover the CUTEST bugs on the planet! Bugs are some of the most populous and diverse animals on the planet, with a fascinating range of behaviors. I think that bugs are often overlooked: everybody loves a cute cuddly panda, but an adorable jumping spider? Who will hug ITS eight fuzzy arms? With special guest Carmen Angelica.FOOTNOTES: Velvet worm in action Velvet worm looking absolutely adorable Another velvet worm looking cute as heck I AM IN LOVE WITH VELVET WORMS Velvet worm cuddle pile! Peacock spider dancing for its life!  Peacock spiders showing off all their moves Absolutely beautiful peacock spider Bee flies are fantasy fairy creatures Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These avians are some regular Fabios, wooing the ladies with spectacular displays of romance. Why do birds dance? Why do some birds do the moonwalk? Can you walk on water if you love someone enough? Then, we play the popular bird dating show, The MATING GAME! With special guest Kimia Behpoornia.FOOTNOTES: The grebe's beautiful mating dance The grebe's weed dance (heh) The red-capped manakin's moonwalk Lance-tailed manakin wingman dance Blue manakin's boy band dance Snowball the cockatoo's dance moves Sea lion dances Black-bellied bustard cork-popping call Club-winged manakin buzz pop and lock Capuchin bird's bizarre call Willow grouse call White bellbird's record-breaking loud call (warning: loud) Howard the bowerbird dance Frigatebird blows up his neck balloon Kiwi's awkward mating ritual Bald eagle mating spiral Check out the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital Habanera by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mother nature has whipped up some animals that are even weirder than what you can find in Star Wars. We talk about real life porgs, a monster scarier than a sarlaac pit, and an adorable alien-looking antelope. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: why does Fluke Skywater have hundreds of lightsabers? With special guest Maggie Mae Fish.FOOTNOTES: Puffin "flying" underwater The horned puffin's fantastic mascara Tufted puffin's weird head doodads Inside a puffin's mouth Japanese dwarf flying squirrel Desert rain frog squeakin' The horrifying bobbit worm Light saber sharks The saiga antelope Video someone took of a saiga antelope shaking its nose (warning: audio windy & loud) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you may know, Australia is facing a human and ecological crisis right now, as fires ravage New South Wales. We’ll talk about the cause of these fires, how it’s affecting humans and animals in the area, and how human activity has influenced this disaster. Then we’ll talk about one of Australia’s most iconic animals, the Koala, as well as a whole bunch of other incredible animals found only in Australia. With special guest David Huntsberger.FOOTNOTES: VOTE on which koala we should adopt for the podcast SO many people have donated to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital that their website is down. We can still donate on behalf of the koala we adopt through their GoFundMe Video of the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital Koalas aren't the only ones in danger, check out the beautiful endangered Corroboree tree frog Bog skinks are in serious trouble Support the NSW Fire Service Donate to WIRES, an Australian wildlife rescue organization WWF has a wildfires donation fund On to some fun stuff, here's a wombat farting and attacking corn Australia's adorable pincushions, the echidna A bandicoot Just kidding, here's a real bandicoot The adorable quoll, call 1-800-QUOLL-ITY-QUOLLS The brushtail possum grabbing things with its little handsies A dingo doing some yoga instruction (do NOT try this at home) Long-nosed potoroo looking emo Noisy kookaburra The all-animals cover of Drowning Pool Pink robins Lyrebirds's standup impressions set Australian magpie mimicking emergency vehicles Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cats movie presents a lot of misinformation about felis catus! So today we'll be talking cat facts: what are the answers to some of the most common questions about cats? What are some of the wildest wild cats in the world? And finally, what's going on with that Cats movie, huh? With special guest comedian Joey Clift.FOOTNOTES: Cougar purring Cat tongue closeup Cat slo-mo drinking water The rusty-spotted cat, the world's smallest cat! Hercules, the liger The margay climbing a tree!  The flat-headed cat The Canada lynx's big ol' legwarmers Pallas's cat looking like a muppet Seriously Pallas's cats look like Yoda/Wookies The Löwenmensch figurine, AKA, world's first furry "Pinpointing the Exact Moment Cats Reviewers Lost Their Minds"  "I took my dad, a veterinarian, to see Cats — he has some thoughts" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, HAPPY NEW FEAR! Let’s discover fears you didn’t even know you had with some horrifying creatures! Take a one way trip to decapitation station, check out some very creepy babies, and endure the existential crisis after finding out when a butt is NOT a butt. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, is 80 worms too many worms to have inside of you? With special guests Tess Lynch, Molly Lambert, and Emily Yoshida of the Night Call Podcast. CONTENT WARNING: the trypophobia section starts at 00:42:55 and ends at 00:55:47Footnotes: The ant-head bursting fly, Euryplatea nanaknihali Another fly that decapitates ants Ants who decorate their homes with the heads of their enemies Ant who pretends to be a butt Study on Antman & Spiderman helping phobias Margays imitate baby tamarins Cats mimic the cry of babies WARNING: CATERPILLAR BODY HORROR. Glyptapanteles wasp larvae bursting from a parasitized caterpillar. Audubon Society's "When Is a Bird a ‘Birb’? An Extremely Important Guide" Creature FEET pod twitter Margay used in episode image Pied tamarin used in episode image Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy holidays everyone, it’s me, Katie Goldin, your host of many parasites! Today, on the second part of our two-part holiday special, we’ll be creating our own non-denominational holiday using evolutionary biology to make this magical time of year scientifically accurate! We’ll talk the biology of reindeer, and the best bacteria-filled lightshow in the world! With special guest Jamie Loftus of The Bechdel Cast. FOOTNOTES:  Cute reindeer noses Reindeer eyeballs magically change color Glowing Firefly squid looks like festive holiday lights Glowing railroad worm Foxfire (not firefox) glowing fungus Angler fish's deadly but festive glowing light Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy holidays everyone, it’s me, Katie Goldin, your host of many parasites! On this two-part holiday special, we’ll be creating our own non-denominational holiday using evolutionary biology to make this magical time of year scientifically accurate! We’ll make our own, better Santa out of animal DNA, learning about these animals along the way! With special guest Jamie Loftus of the Bechdel Cast.FOOTNOTES: Hydra, an immortal wiener with tentacles Quetzalcoatlus northropi Peregrin falcon dive Elephants never forget Dolphins remember their friends Crows hold eternal grudges Ravens remember who's naughty and who's nice Blue whales win at having a jolly belly Howler monkey chorus Gorilla getting tickled via Cell Press Chimp laughing on the BBC Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we'll be talking about how animals prepare for winter! From hibernation, to magical wardrobe changes, to cryogenic freezing! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: when, if ever, is the right time to breathe through your butt? With special guest Caitlin Durante of the Bechdel Cast.FOOTNOTES: My frozen bear heart Calendar cells Arctic fox faceplanting into snow Arctic fox's awkward wardrobe malfunctions Arctic fox shedding its coat Ancient snow goggles Frozen wood frog Siberian salamander Painted turtles breathe through their butts Wild Yakut horses MORE. FLUFFY. HORSES Kulning video by Jonna Jinton Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, Gobble Gobble! No, we’re not talking about turkeys this time, but the weird and wild eating behaviors of people and animals! We’re talking gluttonous grubs who gobble on gastropods, animals who store their leftovers like they’re leatherface on steroids, animal chefs and foodies with very peculiar tastes. Discover these animals and more as we answer the age old question: is eating civet poop a crappy thing to do? With special guests Anney Reese and Lauren Vogelbaum of the Savor podcast. FOOTNOTES: Capuchins cracking open nuts Baby ants making vomit soup for their caretakers Catching Fire: How Cooking Makes Us Human The Killer Shrews (1959) Murderous fur-tube (Blarina brevicauda shrew) Killer caterpillars (not from outer space) Elanora's Falcons use live food-prisons Early humans stored bone marrow Fish-eye fluke Shark-eye parasite Beware eye-eating amoebas Asian palm civet The problem with Kopi Luwak Fuzzy baby t-rex! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to domestication station as we talk about the weird and wild world of artificial selection! Giant chickens, turkeys, swole cows, oh my. Discover these animals and more as we answer the age old question: if Arnold Schwarzenegger was a chicken, what would he look like? With special guest David Bell.FOOTNOTES: Dong tao chicken ko shamo chicken English pouter Silkie chickens Frizzle chicken Serama "Arnold Schwarzenegger" chicken Ayam cemani "goth chicken" What really killed the dodo? Mangalitza pig Belgian blue cow Damascus goat Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re talking about virtual reality, but ditch those computer goggles and just listen with your brain meats, because we’re talking about a more organic, squishy form of virtual reality. What happens when the human or animal brain takes some creative license? Or when your own hand rebels against you? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: if you call a fish four-eyes, is that science or just bullying? With special guest Anna Salinas.FOOTNOTES: Find your blindspot Blindspot studies Rats can move each eye independently Experience rat vision! Pacific barreleye fish's transparent head! The brownsnout spookfish's four eyes The brownsnout spookfish looking like some kind of fake Jim Henson puppet  Kitty with possible signs of phantom limb Crab self-amputating to escape gull Mirror therapy reorganizes brain Can animals understand mirrors? What happens when you poke the fusiform gyrus Horses hold grudges You aren't crazy, dogs ham it up just for you Wasps know a friendly face Bee orchid trying to seduce bees with sexy bee shape Monkey orchids Beautiful crab spider mimics flower The completely unreal looking orchid mantis Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, PLAYTIME! It’s time to have fun in the sun, or the sea, or, you know, in a rotting carcass or whatever! Dogs fetch balls, rats giggle with glee when you tickle them, birds like to snowboard, spiders like to fool around… wait, spiders? We’re going to talk about all the animals who love to play, and the list is more extensive than you may think. With special guest Kimia Behpoornia.FOOTNOTES: Beluga playing rugby video Beluga noises Beluga sounding very much like a foghorn/crow/sea turkey Wolf puppies play fetch  Geckos play in space, spiders flirt with each other The tale of "Pigface" the softshell turtle Video of African softshell turtle Rats getting tickles! Crocodiles playing  Birds like to play!  CROWBOARDING!!  SWAN SURFING!!  Rescue owl playing with cat toys  Dolphins yeet fish out of the water  Absolute unit of a cat runs onto football field Lion plays with a dead warthog (warning: warthog dismemberment, kinda gross)  Lion playing with antelope prey (warning: no gore, but still sad/disturbing)  Young hippo playing with a crocodile!  Hippo and hyena sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we’re talking about animals who are BACK FROM THE DEAD! Animals who were previously thought to be gone from the face of the earth get rediscovered: reports of these animals’ extinction have been greatly exaggerated. With special guest Forrest Galante from Animal Planet's Extinct or Alive. Extinct or Alive TV show The Pinocchio Lizard The Horned Frog Giant Extinct Crocodiles Thylacosmilus was a Bit of a Doof Gastric Brooding Frog A Case for De-Extinction A Case Against De-Extinction The Saola Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Creatureween everyone! Today on the show, it’s a Monster Mash! All the classic horror movie monsters, brought to life through the very real world of science! We’re looking at animals who can truly call themselves Dracula, real life Frankenstein’s monsters, and ghoOOost sharks! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: can a dog lick you to death? With special guest Jamie Loftus.FOOTNOTES: Halloween crab & halloween snake Dramatic emo vampire squid Vampire finch Dracula ants Doggy licks of death Serial killer kitties love human blood Lions of Tsavo (TRIGGER WARNING: ANIMAL CRUELTY) Experiments in the Revival of Organisms Slightly suspect TedX talk using bananas as models for human head transplants Pig brains being reanimated Gator pops Ghost Shark 2013 movie The real "ghost shark," a deep sea cutie pie Ring tailed lemur Black and white ruffed lemur Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We love horror movies and horror stories, but when it comes to pure blood-curdling terror, there’s no competing with mother nature. We’ll compare some classic horror tropes to their real-life counterparts, and let me tell ya: when it comes to evolution, the director’s cut holds nothing back. Parasites that contort your body and mind to their will, evil flowers and even more evil worms! With special guest Emily Yoshida of the Night Call Podcast.FOOTNOTES: Video of leucochloridium paradoxum Our DNA stealing friend, the delloid rotifer Carrion beetles staying calm and carrion Everyone welcome onto the U.S.S carrion beetle A hot, young David Attenborough explains the corpse lily A parasitic hairworm noodling its way out of a cricket (warning: gross) Russian nesting worms Eyebleach: cat discovering its own ears Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, SUPERSTITION! Black cats, crows, ravens, and a mysterious demonic monster… where do superstitions come from? What are the facts behind the superstition? And are crows really conspiring against us. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, do satanists like to kiss cat butt? With special guest Joey Clift.FOOTNOTES:1. 50% of polled Americans are superstitious2. The Papal Bull behind black cat superstition3. Kattenstoet cat parade in Ypres, Belgium!! 4. The legend of the Catsith5. Do satanists sacrifice black cats on Halloween, probably not6. Black cat's protective fur7. BF Skinner's pigeon experiment8. Study: Ravens can make complex plans9. Ravens can talk!10. This raven can talk too!11. The aye aye hunting Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy October everyone! This week: Dunanunanunanuna BAT FACTS! Why do bats hang upside down? How did bats become associated with Dracula? What are some of the craziest bat species in the world? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: If Batman was bitten by a radioactive bat, what powers would he have? With special guest Molly Lambert from the Night Call Podcast. FOOTNOTES:1. Bats in folklore2. Common vampire bat3. Hairy legged vampire bat4. Trumpet-nosed bat5. Lesser long-nosed bat covered in pollen6. The effects of myth on attitudes towards bats7. Bats and Halloween8. BATS ON A TREADMILL! 9. Madagascar Sucker footed bats10. Bats & Rabies facts11. Flying fox bat12. Bumblebee bat13. Big-eared bat14. Hammer headed bat15. Honduran white bat16. Honduran white bats snuggling17. Wrinkle-faced bat18. Chapin's bat (punk rock bat)19. How to do bat real estate20. DANCING BATS Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giant bugs, animals that clone themselves, things that come back to life after being eviscerated... if you're looking for aliens, you can find them under the sea. And later on the show, we’ll be speaking to a professor of marine biology who invited an octopus into his home! With special guests comedian Chris Crofton and Professor of Marine Biology David Scheel.FOOTNOTES:1. Goblin Sharks (they look like MR. BURNS not MR. SMITHERS whoops)2. Giant isopod3. Atolla jellyfish4. Proboscis worm5. Sand dollars are freaky6. Planarians regrow their bodies7. Octopus, Making Contact Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show we’re talking PSEUDOSCIENCE! Did you know that sometimes people claim things are scientific, but whoops, they’re not? We’ll be looking at some scammers, some flim-flammers, some people who claim things are scientific but they’re maaaaaaybe not really. With special guests Katy Stoll and Cody Johnston. FOOTNOTES: 1. Study on redness and association with sex2. Snub nosed monkeys3. Bearded vulture makeup4. Baboon utopian society5. Testosterone not correlated with attractiveness6. Races do not differ genetically7. LET'S GIVE BIRDS TEETH8. Whoops, sometimes snakes have legs9. Horses with extra hooves10. Neural crest cells are what make dogs so cute11. Pseudoscience whistleblowers12. Hey, guess what? Physiognomy is still dumb!13. Darwin almost thwarted by pseudoscience Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show we’re talking WEIRD DIETS! Animals eating other animals eating other animals! Humans eating well… some pretty freaky things. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: is cannibalism good for you? With special guest Smart Mouth's Katherine Spiers. FOOTNOTES: 1. A lotl Axolotl2. Greenland sharks3. Horrifying Fine Dining Lovers article4. Vilhjalmur Stefansson5. Butterflies drinking turtle tears6. Tear drinking moths harassing birbs7. Vegan ortolan8. Marijuana-fed pigs9. Potato-washing macaques10. Red colobus monkeys detoxing11. Peruvian parrots eating dirt12. Spices as defensive weapons13. Blind snakes survive being eaten and escapes toad's b-hole14. The Honey Hunters of Nepal15. Bee getting punched in the face by a flower16. Tapir "climbing" a tree17. GET ON THE CHEVROTAIN TRAIN Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re going to explode some myths about human and animal biology & psychology, and discover that the truth really is stranger than fiction. With special guest comedian and Nerdificent co-host Ify Nwadiwe.Footnotes:1. Komodo dragon venom2. Bees are angered by the color red3. Mathematician & grandfather of the scientific method, Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham4. Unihemispheric slow wave sleep5. Lionesses synchronize their "periods" (estrus)6. Immortal jellyfish7. Scallop eyeballs8. Horse mustaches!!!9. Bornean bearded pig10. The mystery of wombat cube poop, solved? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The truth behind Mothman, The Chupacabra, and Bigfoot! Today, we’ll be looking at the facts behind cryptids, what it would mean if they actually existed, and the real animals that are just as crazy as the cryptids themselves. With special guest Tess Lynch of the Night Call podcast. FOOTNOTES:1. Mothman2. Sandhill crane3. Barred owl4. Owls or aliens?5. Owl without feathers (artistic rendering)6. Do those legs go owl the way up7. Vampire bats8. Giant Gippsland earthworm9. Giant Gippsland earthworm sounds10. Gigantopithecus blacki Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right now, the Amazon is burning — we’re going to talk about why this is happening, what’s at stake, and what you can do to help. With special guest Miles Gray. FOOTNOTES: How you can help the Amazon! 1. WWF 5 Ways To Help The Amazon2. Donate to protect an acre of rainforest3. Rainforest Trust4. Defend Indigenous rights and protect the rainforest by donating or signing a pledge5. Signal boost the Indigenous Women's March6. Learn more about Indigenous RightsImages of the beautiful animals on this episode!7. The glass frog8. A very Kermit looking glass frog9. The incredible & freaky decoy building spider10. Boto river dolphins (plus bonus picture of a boto dolphin peeing)11. Giant otters KILL A FREAKING CAIMAN while squeaking adorably12. Bald Uakari monkey looking red-headed and pink-faced13. Adorable hyacinth macaw interview Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re talking about getting bamboozled, pulling shenanigans, getting conned by caterpillars and hoaxed by horses. With special guest Laci Mosley. FOOTNOTES:1. Chinstrap penguin stealing rocks2. Gelada male3. Firefly femme fatale4. Hawk moth caterpillar mimics viper5. Passion flower mimicry6. Automimicry7. Conformity elevator experiment8. Jumping spider ant mimics9. Jumping spider mimicking one ant carrying another (this is ONE spider) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re going to talk about CUTENESS! Why do we love baby animals? Do baby animals love us? What are some of the cutest studies in science? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: yikes, what’s it like to give birth to a baby porcupine? With special guest Bridgett Greenberg. FOOTNOTES:1. Peak-a-boo researcher2. Sea turtle swim suits3. Cutest age for a dog study4. Sea lion puppy covered in sand5. Prehensile Tailed Porcupine "talking"6. Image of Prehensile Tailed Porcupine's boopable snoot 7. Daily Herald cuteness article8. Hamster wheel study9. Mosha the elephant gets a prosthetic leg10. Rampaging elephant stops to save baby11. Selfie quokkas12. Image of Quokka13. Dik Dik alarm call14. Shy Dumbo Octopus15. "Venezuelan Poodle Moth"16. Birb bounces golf ball Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us today as we talk about the history and stories behind mythological creatures, and find out that they have real-life animal counterparts who are just as magical. With special guest Alex Shifman.FOOTNOTES:1. Bombardier Beetles2. Warsaw Basilisk3. Basilisk lizard running on water4. Argentavis Magnificens5. Terror Birds6. Detachable penis7. Horrible picture of a Stegodyphus lineatus spider being eaten by her babies8. Atacama skeleton9. Horrible picture of a "real" Jackalope (papilloma virus infected rabbit) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re answering some of the weirdest questions about evolution and anatomy, like how do woodpeckers keep from scrambling their brains? What animals have not one, not two, but three vaginas? Why would a doctor want to sew your leg on backwards? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what are some of the most bodacious boobs in the animal kingdom. With special guests hosts of the podcast Ridiculous History, Noel Brown and Ben Bowlin. FOOTNOTES:1. Weird woodpecker tongues2. A kangaroo's three amazing vaginas3. Elephant honkers4. The Colugo Flying Lemur (who is not a lemur)5. Woman whose organs were flipped6. The popcorn-smelling Binturong7. The dank Maned Wolf8. The beautiful Snub-nosed Monkey9. Pterosaurs were flying death machines10. Video of the Iranian Spider-Tailed Viper11. Video of the Mexican Mole Lizard12. Katie's slideshow! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re going to look at some wild animal teams, how they compare to humans, and what the robot-dominated future may hold! Discover this and more as we answer the age old riddle: what animal doesn’t feel pain and loves eating poop? With special guest comedian Blake Wexler. FOOTNOTES: 1. Dog frees friends from a kennel2. Dog frees tied up dog3. Do Dogs Know Other Dogs Are Dogs?4. More info on nake mole rats than you even want to know5. Naked mole rats eat poop6. Zombees7. Social spider web8. Dogs and humans dream team defeat neanderthals9. Cattle tyrant majestically riding a capybara10. Devil's gardens Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re talking about some adorable animals who look so sweet and cute, and who want to murder you to death. We’re talking the most surprisingly scary animals you should be afraid of. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what the heck is catfish noodling? With special guest Sofiya Alexandra. FOOTNOTES:1. World's Weirdest: Killer Cone Snail2. Noodling for catfish3. Poison pass: the man who became immune to snake venom5. Slow Loris6. Platypus venom7. leopard seal feeds photographer8. Hippo's skull, showing the large canines and incisors used for fighting. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’ll be talking about tools! Tools of the trade, tools of torture, and tools of, well, hehe, you know. Bow-chika-wa-wah! What’s a butcher, a tailor, and a bendy-stick maker got in common? They’re all birds! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what’s the most humiliating thing to happen to an eel? With special guest Carmen Angelica.FOOTNOTES:  1. Bottlenose dolphins wielding sponges2. Video of a tailor bird sewing leaves together3. New Caledonian crows create their own hooks4. The Brazen Bull torture device5. Butcher bird impaling its prey6. Macaques using human hair to floss7. Palm cockatoos drumming to get the ladies8. Elephant's big D energy9. The weird world of dragonfly wieners10. The woman who has trained herself how to run like a horseCorrection: Living root bridges are found in Meghalaya, Northeast India.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re talking the classic tale of David and Goliath, unlikely matchups with even unlikelier conclusions. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what’s the best way to round-house kick a wasp? With special guests Alex Schmidt and Dr. Greg Pauly.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know there are animals out there with real comic-book super powers? And people with superhuman abilities? Today, we’ll be looking at the real life animal and human counterparts to famous superheroes, and maybe some super villains too. With special guest Soren Bowie.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us today as we look at some of the most mind-blowing, most important, and weirdest scientific studies that have been done on rats. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: is there eternal sunshine of the spotless rat mind? With special guest comedian Pallavi Gunalan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’ll be talking about SHAPE SHIFTERS, tales of terrific transformers who have some shocking before and after pics. What’s got two thumbs and started life out as a tiny donut? Can snails take laziness to a freaky new level? Humans and animals on the lam: how would you escape the heat? With special guests Anna Hossnieh and Shereen Younes of the Ethnically Ambiguous podcast.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insect butts explode, spraying deadly chemicals! Hippos make poop rockets! Scorpions are willing to literally throw away their anus in deadly combat! We’re talking about some of the nastiest acts of foul-play in the animal and human kingdom. With special guest Kimia Behpoornia.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we’re talking about city slickers: how do animals cope with human cities?  What are some of the ways animals have adapted to human society? And did we domesticate dogs, or did dogs domesticate us? With special guest Katie Willert.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this nail-biting conclusion to The Seven Deadly Sins, we're covering lustful birds, greedy chimps, and gluttonous sea squirts. We'll also discuss some freaky stories of human sinners! Join us today as we excommunicate some tunicates!  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let the species who is without sin cast the first stone. Slap some scarlet letters on these sinful animals who best symbolize each of the seven deadly sins. We'll also look at the science behind human sin, referencing texts that may not be holy, but are certainly peer reviewed. Featuring Katy Stoll from Some More News.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’ll be talking about the most evil killers, kidnappers, murderers and bloodthirsty lurkers walking… or crawling… among us. Then, we’ll answer the age old question: who’s the most prolific serial meow-derer? Featuring Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown of Ridiculous History.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We go beyond the five senses to explore the uncanny ways that animals (and people) are able to perceive the world. That kid from The Sixth Sense is a lame nerd compared to the creatures featured in this episode. Featuring Jamie Loftus of the Bechdel Cast.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can animals suffer from mental illness? We explore issues of mental health, imprisonment, and midlife crisis in animals and humans, while also clearing the good name of cuckoos. With special guest Hana Michels.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holy mother of animals... from feasting upon mommy's flesh, to mom mafias, these creatures will make you rethink motherhood. Join us as we explore some of the scariest mom (and baby) monsters, both human and animal. Sometimes mommy dearest is mommy deadliest. With special guest Miles Gray of The Daily Zeitgeist.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apparently "Just Say No" doesn't work on animals. We look at the most seedy vices in the human and natural world. Doped up dolphins, bats with DUIs, naughty otters, and a drunken mutiny on a Russian plane. With special guest Robert Evans from Behind The Bastards and Cracked.com. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Death is just another part of life... or is it? Let's explore some of the strangest ways of coping with death in the animal and human world. We'll look at freaky funerals, real-life zombies, brains in jars, immortality, and most importantly... chicken hypnosis. With special guest Cody Johnston, host of the Some More News Podcast. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than in this episode. We'll cover pyromaniacs, fishy scams, kleptomaniac penguins, and what moral philosophy has to do with sex. With special guest Alex Schmidt (Cracked Podcast.)  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a critter’s eye view to explore how animal behavior parallels humans. Join host Katie Goldin as she, comedians, and science-lovers get inside the minds of animals. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.