Creature Feature (iHeartPodcasts)

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: 

1. Water scavenger beetles 
2. The daring Houdini act of the water scavenger beetle
3. The pearlfish at home sweet home 
4. Your close and personal friend, demodex folliculorum!
5. Gold speckled flatworm
6. A comb jelly!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions about everything from penis bones to the origins of life

See 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

See 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

See 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

See 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? 

See 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

See 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! 

See 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. 

See 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. 

See 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. 

See 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.

See 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. 

See 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. 

See 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 sponges

2. Video of a tailor bird sewing leaves together

3. New Caledonian crows create their own hooks

4. The Brazen Bull torture device

5. Butcher bird impaling its prey

6. Macaques using human hair to floss

7. Palm cockatoos drumming to get the ladies

8. Elephant's big D energy

9. The weird world of dragonfly wieners

10. The woman who has trained herself how to run like a horse

Correction: Living root bridges are found in Meghalaya, Northeast India. 

See 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 Snail

2. Noodling for catfish

3. Poison pass: the man who became immune to snake venom

5. Slow Loris

6. Platypus venom

7. leopard seal feeds photographer

8. Hippo's skull, showing the large canines and incisors used for fighting.

See 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 isopod

3. Atolla jellyfish

4. Proboscis worm

5. Sand dollars are freaky

6. Planarians regrow their bodies

7. Octopus, Making Contact

See 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

See 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 superstitious

2. The Papal Bull behind black cat superstition

3. Kattenstoet cat parade in Ypres, Belgium!!

4. The legend of the Catsith

5. Do satanists sacrifice black cats on Halloween, probably not

6. Black cat's protective fur

7. BF Skinner's pigeon experiment

8. Study: Ravens can make complex plans

9. Ravens can talk!

10. This raven can talk too!

11. The aye aye hunting

See 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:

1. Video of leucochloridium paradoxum
2. Our DNA stealing friend, the delloid rotifer
3. Carrion beetles staying calm and carrion
4. Everyone welcome onto the U.S.S carrion beetle
5. A hot, young David Attenborough explains the corpse lily
6. A parasitic hairworm noodling its way out of a cricket (warning: gross)
7. Russian nesting worms
8. Eyebleach: cat discovering its own ears

See 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:

1. Halloween crab & halloween snake
2. Dramatic emo vampire squid
3. Vampire finch
4. Dracula ants
5. Doggy licks of death
6. Serial killer kitties love human blood
7. Lions of Tsavo
8. (TRIGGER WARNING: ANIMAL CRUELTY) Experiments in the Revival of Organisms
9. Slightly suspect TedX talk using bananas as models for human head transplants
10. Pig brains being reanimated
11. Gator pops
12. Ghost Shark 2013 movie
13. The real "ghost shark," a deep sea cutie pie
14. Ring tailed lemur
15. Black and white ruffed lemur

See 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.

1. Extinct or Alive TV show
2. The Pinocchio Lizard
3. The Horned Frog
4. Giant Extinct Crocodiles
5. Thylacosmilus was a Bit of a Doof
6. Gastric Brooding Frog
7. A Case for De-Extinction
8. A Case Against De-Extinction
9. The Saola

See 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:

1. Beluga playing rugby video
2. Beluga noises
3. Beluga sounding very much like a foghorn/crow/sea turkey
4. Wolf puppies play fetch 
5. Geckos play in space, spiders flirt with each other
6. The tale of "Pigface" the softshell turtle
7. Video of African softshell turtle
8. Rats getting tickles!
9. Crocodiles playing 
10. Birds like to play! 
11. CROWBOARDING!! 
12. SWAN SURFING!! 
13. Rescue owl playing with cat toys 
14. Dolphins yeet fish out of the water 
15. Absolute unit of a cat runs onto football field
16. Lion plays with a dead warthog (warning: warthog dismemberment, kinda gross) 
17. Lion playing with antelope prey (warning: no gore, but still sad/disturbing) 
18. Young hippo playing with a crocodile! 
19. Hippo and hyena sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G  

See 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:

1. Find your blindspot
2. Blindspot studies
3. Rats can move each eye independently
4. Experience rat vision!
5. Pacific barreleye fish's transparent head!
6. The brownsnout spookfish's four eyes
7. The brownsnout spookfish looking like some kind of fake Jim Henson puppet 
8. Kitty with possible signs of phantom limb
9. Crab self-amputating to escape gull
10. Mirror therapy reorganizes brain
11. Can animals understand mirrors?
12. What happens when you poke the fusiform gyrus
13. Horses hold grudges
14. You aren't crazy, dogs ham it up just for you
15. Wasps know a friendly face
16. Bee orchid trying to seduce bees with sexy bee shape
17. Monkey orchids
18. Beautiful crab spider mimics flower
19. The completely unreal looking orchid mantis

See 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:

1. Dong tao chicken
2. ko shamo chicken
3. English pouter
4. Silkie chickens
5. Frizzle chicken
6. Serama "Arnold Schwarzenegger" chicken
7. Ayam cemani "goth chicken"
8. What really killed the dodo?
9. Mangalitza pig
10. Belgian blue cow
11. Damascus goat

See 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:

1. Capuchins cracking open nuts
2. Baby ants making vomit soup for their caretakers
3. Catching Fire: How Cooking Makes Us Human
4. The Killer Shrews (1959)
5. Murderous fur-tube (Blarina brevicauda shrew)
6. Killer caterpillars (not from outer space)
7. Elanora's Falcons use live food-prisons
8. Early humans stored bone marrow
9. Fish-eye fluke
10. Shark-eye parasite
11. Beware eye-eating amoebas
12. Asian palm civet
13. The problem with Kopi Luwak
14. Fuzzy baby t-rex!

See 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:

1. My frozen bear heart
2. Calendar cells
3. Arctic fox faceplanting into snow
4. Arctic fox's awkward wardrobe malfunctions
5. Arctic fox shedding its coat
6. Ancient snow goggles
7. Frozen wood frog
8. Siberian salamander
9. Painted turtles breathe through their butts
10. Wild Yakut horses
11. MORE. FLUFFY. HORSES
12. Kulning video by Jonna Jinton

See 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:

1. Hydra, an immortal wiener with tentacles
2. Quetzalcoatlus northropi
3. Peregrin falcon dive
4. Elephants never forget
5. Dolphins remember their friends
6. Crows hold eternal grudges
7. Ravens remember who's naughty and who's nice
8. Blue whales win at having a jolly belly
9. Howler monkey chorus
10. Gorilla getting tickled via Cell Press
11. Chimp laughing on the BBC

See 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: 

1. Cute reindeer noses
2. Reindeer eyeballs magically change color
3. Glowing Firefly squid looks like festive holiday lights
4. Glowing railroad worm
5. Foxfire (not firefox) glowing fungus
6. Angler fish's deadly but festive glowing light

See 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 00:55:47

Footnotes:

1. The ant-head bursting fly, Euryplatea nanaknihali
2. Another fly that decapitates ants
3. Ants who decorate their homes with the heads of their enemies
4. Ant who pretends to be a butt
5. Study on Antman & Spiderman helping phobias
6. Margays imitate baby tamarins
7. Cats mimic the cry of babies
8. WARNING: CATERPILLAR BODY HORROR. Glyptapanteles wasp larvae bursting from a parasitized caterpillar.
9. Audubon Society's "When Is a Bird a ‘Birb’? An Extremely Important Guide"
10. Creature FEET pod twitter
11. Margay used in episode image
12. Pied tamarin used in episode image

See 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:

1. Cougar purring
2. Cat tongue closeup
3. Cat slo-mo drinking water
4. The rusty-spotted cat, the world's smallest cat!
5. Hercules, the liger
6. The margay climbing a tree! 
7. The flat-headed cat
8. The Canada lynx's big ol' legwarmers
9. Pallas's cat looking like a muppet
10. Seriously Pallas's cats look like Yoda/Wookies
11. The Löwenmensch figurine, AKA, world's first furry
12. "Pinpointing the Exact Moment Cats Reviewers Lost Their Minds" 
13. "I took my dad, a veterinarian, to see Cats — he has some thoughts"

See 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:

1. VOTE on which koala we should adopt for the podcast
2. 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
3. Video of the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital
4. Koalas aren't the only ones in danger, check out the beautiful endangered Corroboree tree frog
5. Bog skinks are in serious trouble
6. Support the NSW Fire Service
7. Donate to WIRES, an Australian wildlife rescue organization
8. WWF has a wildfires donation fund
9. On to some fun stuff, here's a wombat farting and attacking corn
10. Australia's adorable pincushions, the echidna
11. A bandicoot
12. Just kidding, here's a real bandicoot
13. The adorable quoll, call 1-800-QUOLL-ITY-QUOLLS
14. The brushtail possum grabbing things with its little handsies
15. A dingo doing some yoga instruction (do NOT try this at home)
16. Long-nosed potoroo looking emo
17. Noisy kookaburra
18. The all-animals cover of Drowning Pool
19. Pink robins
20. Lyrebirds's standup impressions set
21. Australian magpie mimicking emergency vehicles

See 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:

1. Puffin "flying" underwater
2. The horned puffin's fantastic mascara
3. Tufted puffin's weird head doodads
4. Inside a puffin's mouth
5. Japanese dwarf flying squirrel
6. Desert rain frog squeakin'
7. The horrifying bobbit worm
8. Light saber sharks
9. The saiga antelope
10. Video someone took of a saiga antelope shaking its nose (warning: audio windy & loud)

See 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:

1. The grebe's beautiful mating dance
2. The grebe's weed dance (heh)
3. The red-capped manakin's moonwalk
4. Lance-tailed manakin wingman dance
5. Blue manakin's boy band dance
6. Snowball the cockatoo's dance moves
7. Sea lion dances
8. Black-bellied bustard cork-popping call
9. Club-winged manakin buzz pop and lock
10. Capuchin bird's bizarre call
11. Willow grouse call
12. White bellbird's record-breaking loud call (warning: loud)
13. Howard the bowerbird dance
14. Frigatebird blows up his neck balloon
15. Kiwi's awkward mating ritual
16. Bald eagle mating spiral
17. Check out the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

Habanera by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license

See 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:

1. Velvet worm in action
2. Velvet worm looking absolutely adorable
3. Another velvet worm looking cute as heck
4. I AM IN LOVE WITH VELVET WORMS
5. Velvet worm cuddle pile!
6. Peacock spider dancing for its life! 
7. Peacock spiders showing off all their moves
8. Absolutely beautiful peacock spider
9. Bee flies are fantasy fairy creatures

See 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:

1. Microhylid frog and tarantula best friends
2. Coyote and badger going on adventures together!
3. Coyote and badger hunting together (WARNING: squirrel carnage)
4. Geladas and wolves have a diplomatic relationship
5. Birds & people working together to screw over bees
6. The weird sucker-head of a remora
7. Shark with pilotfish groupies
8. Urchin crab giving a piggyback ride to an urchin
9. Owen the hippo adopted by Mzee the tortoise
10. Dalmation adopts spotted lamb
11. Sperm whales seemingly adopt dolphin with spinal deformation
12. Check out the koala hospital where my daughter Twinkles (the koala) is from
13. Potoroo Palace in NSW Australia
14. Animal Tracks Sanctuary in Los Angeles
15. Wild Haven Ranch in Lake Arrowhead

See 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:

1. Sloth bears are smart!
2. Vividness of visual imagery questionnaire
3. PINK manta ray!
4. Troll haired mystery bug!
5. Another fuzzy-butt planthopper
6. Another broom-butt

See 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:

1. The weird origins of the werewolf
2. Dire wolf skulls at the La Brea Tar Pits!
3. Breeding a dire wolf dog?

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=sharing

See 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.

Plants are just the hapless victims of herbivores, right? Wrong! Listen to how plants fight back in sometimes delicious fashion. 

Guest: Dr. Vikram Baliga

See 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.

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.) 

See 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.

See 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.

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.

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-Wo

See 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=sharing

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=sharing

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=sharing

See 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.

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.

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 Monique

See 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=sharing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See 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=sharing

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=sharing

See 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=sharing

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=sharing

See 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_title

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions, from epigenetics to dog pee studies! 

See 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.html

See 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-hm3A7ayI

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=sharing

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=sharing

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=sharing

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.

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=sharing

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.

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.

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=sharing

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.

 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.

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 Schmidt

See 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=sharing

See 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!

See 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.

See 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-uk

Dog and monkey alliance

https://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

See 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 song

https://dosits.org/galleries/audio-gallery/fishes/gulf-corvina/

Male western toad's saying "hands off!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2E-bcEJgLc

Last week's mystery animal sound:

https://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/Listen-to-Nature/022M-LISTNAT00077-0001V0

See 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.

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.jpg

See 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:

1. Mexican blind cavefish!
2. Cave wolf spider!
3. Texas blind salamander! 
4. THE OLM! Aka "Human fish..." 
5. Cave leeches, oh dear...
6. White cave velvet worm :3 
7. All Yesterdays book!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See 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:

1. Nosewalker cryptid!
2. A very "convincing" taxidermy
3. Another interesting "rhinograde"
4. Not quite factual taxidermy!
5. Unicornfish!
6. How handsome
7. Homer J. Simpson fish
8. Sawfish!
9. Cutie vampire bat
10. Horseshoe bat
11. Swordnose bat! 
12. Hammerhead bat!

See 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:

1. Hercules moth!
2. Hercules moth caterpillar
3. Atlas moth with snake head wingtips
4. Giant African land snail 
5. Black Sea Hare
6. Goliath frog
7. Dart the bullfrog pollywog
8. Dart, a banana, and some beer
9. Sawfish rostrum sword!

See 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:

1. Bee sex diagram (with the help of pokemon)
2. Zebrafish!

See 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: 

1. Self-decapitating sea slug! 
2. Salamander limb regeneration! 

See 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:

1. Deep sea shrimp?!
2. EYELESS deep sea shrimp?!?!
3. A pistol shrimp's big meaty claw
4. Brine shrimps is aliens
5. Beautiful peacock mantis shrimp
6. GIANT MANTIS SHRIMP
7. THERE'S A DUCK IN YOUR FROG metal cover
8. Check out more of Andrew's music!

See 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:

1. Pika (but no pikachu)! 
2. A black-tailed jackrabbit
3. Another jackrabbit
4. Newborn HARES come out HAIRY
5. Newborn rabbits come out NUDE
6. The rare amani rabbit
7. FLEMISH GIANT RABBIT
8. Pygmy rabbit (juveniles) 
9. Netherland dwarf rabbit (haunted version)
10. Netherland dwarf rabbit (with more fluff) 
11. English lop
12. Fluffiest angora rabbit 

See 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:

1. Cicada
2. Cicada tymbal 
3. Cicada sounds
4. Holes left by mass cicada emergence (warning for trypophobia)
5. Lots of cicadas!
6. Mass sea turtle hatching! 
7. Giant river turtle!
8. Mass river turtle hatching!
9. Soft coral
10. Stony coral

See 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

See 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

See 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

See 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

See 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

See 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

See 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? 

See 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

See 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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With one of our favorite guests, Kristi Yamaguccimane.

Footnotes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_fTwRx3ZmUCCyVkhXgvgj1n75uuupAV2FYQ4Y8dT0_A/edit?usp=sharing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.