Strange Animals Podcast

This week let’s venture into the ocean and learn about the fin whale! Further reading: The songs of fin whales offer new avenue for seismic studies of the oceanic crust Fin whales’ big gulp The fin whale can hold a whole lot of water in its mouth (illustration from the second article linked above): A fin whale underwater. Look at that massive tail. That’s pure muscle: A fin whale...

Does the Shreve’s lightbulb lizard really emit light? (Hint: sort of.) Let’s find out! Further reading: The Lightbulb Lizard of Benjamin Shreve Shreve’s lightbulb lizard, looking pretty ordinary really: A web-footed gecko in moonlight: A Jamaican gray anole showing off his dewlap: Show Transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week let’s learn...

Here’s a 2020 retrospective episode that looks at the bright side of the year! Thanks to Page for the suggestion! Let’s learn about some animals discovered in 2020 (mostly). Further reading: Watch This Giant, Eerie, String-Like Sea Creature Hunt for Food in the Indian Ocean Rare Iridescent Snake Discovered in Vietnam An intrusive killer scorpion points the way to six new species in Sri...

Thanks to Phoebe for suggesting the quokka and the wombat, two of the cutest, happiest-looking animals in Australia! Further Reading: Viral stories of wombats sheltering other animals from the bushfires aren’t entirely true Satellites reveal the underground lifestyle of wombats Giant Wombat-Like Marsupials Roamed Australia 25 Million Years Ago Further Listening: Animals and Ultraviolet Light...

This week we’re on the cutting edge of science, learning about the brand new genetic study of dire wolves that rearranges everything we know about the dire wolf and other canids! Also, a bonus turtle update. Further reading: Dire Wolves Were Not Really Wolves, Genetic Clues Reveal An artist’s rendition of dire wolves and grey wolves fighting over a bison carcass (art by Mauricio Anton)...

This week let’s learn about two birds of New Guinea, bowerbirds and the Victoria crowned pigeon! Both are beautiful and the bowerbird is kind of weird. Thanks to M Is for Awesome for the suggestion! Further Reading: The Women Who Removed Birds from People’s Hats Various bowers made by various species of bowerbird: The golden-fronted bowerbird: Not a bowerbird but a close relation, a de...

Happy new year! This week we’ll learn about the oldest mass extinction event, some 450 million years ago, and also sea scorpions. Further reading: Coming up for air: Extinct sea scorpions could breathe out of water, fossil detective unveils Sea scorpions could get really, really big: A fossil Eurypterus: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. Hello, 20...

Let’s finish off a very weird year and welcome in the new year with a basket of colorful frogs! The northern leopard frog comes in many color morphs, all of them pretty: The starry dwarf frog is also pretty and has an orange tummy: The astonishing turtle frog:   Poison dart frogs are colorful and deadly (blue poison dart frog, golden poison dart frog): The tomato frog looks like a tomato tha...

Thanks to Nicholas and Juergen for their suggestions! Let’s learn about some insects that migrate and swarm! Further listening: The Animal Migrations Patreon episode (it’s unlocked so anyone can listen) Further reading: Ladybugs Are Everywhere! Monarch butterflies gathered in winter: The painted lady butterfly: The bogong moth: The globe skimmer dragonfly: Ladybugs spend the winter in...

Let’s find out about some gigantic birds this week! Thanks to Pranav and Richard for the suggestions! Further reading: Exceptionally preserved fossil gives voice to ancient terror bird Antarctica yields oldest fossils of giant birds with 21-foot wingspans Look at that beak! Llallawavis scagliai : Big birdie! A red-legged seriema and an unfortunate snake: Another big birdie! Toothy birdie! Sh...

This week we’ll learn about a fascinating parrot and some more weird praying mantises! Thanks to Page and Viola for the suggestions! Further watching: Nova Science Now: Irene Pepperberg and Alex Alex: Number Comprehension by a Grey Parrot The Smartest Parrots in the World Further reading: Why Do Parrots Talk? Ancient mantis-man petroglyph discovered in Iran Alex and Irene Pepperberg (photo t...

This week we’re going to learn about elephants! Thanks to Damian, Pranav, and Richard from NC for the suggestions! Further Reading: Dwarf Elephant Facts and Figures An Asian elephant (left) and an African elephant (right). Note the ear size difference, the easiest way to tell which kind of elephant you’re looking at: Business end of an Asian elephant’s trunk: An elephant living t...

Thanks to Lorenzo for this week’s topic, carnivorous sponges! How can a sponge catch and eat animals? What is its connection to the mystery of the Eltanin Antenna? Let’s find out! Further reading/watching: New carnivorous harp sponge discovered in deep sea (this has a great video attached) How Nature’s Deep Sea ‘Antenna’ Puzzled the World Asbestopluma hypogea , beauti...

Let’s learn about a whole lot of mustelids, including some otters, weasels, and their relations and ancestors! Thanks to Jacob for the suggestion! Further reading: Weasels in Stone: Mustelid Evolution With voices joined in chorus, giant otter families create a distinct sound signature Further watching/listening: Video of giant river otters making noise Giant river otters: The least weasel is...

Thanks to Pranav for this week’s suggestion, Titanoboa, the biggest snake that ever lived! Parts of this episode come from an old Patreon episode about super-gigantic snakes, which is unlocked and you can listen to it here . A modern anaconda vertebra next to a Titanoboa vertebra. Guess which one is which: Carlos Jaramillo, one of the scientists who found Titanoboa and Acherontisuchus (taken...

Thanks to Nick and Richard from NC for their suggestions this week! Let’s learn about A BUNCH OF MONKEYS! Further reading: How we solved the Green monkey mystery–and found an important clue to Bronze Age world Field Notes: Singing Titi Monkeys (with a video of them singing) Dracula monkeys and Dracula: The Dracula monkey orchid (not a vampire, not a monkey, but it is an orchid): A capu...