Strange Animals Podcast

This week we learn about the fossa and a few other animals of Madagascar, a suggestion by Pranav! Further reading: The stories people tell, and how they can contribute to our understanding of megafaunal decline and extinction in Madagascar The fossa! The votsotsa is a rodent, not a rabbit! [photo by Andrey Giljov – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11327...

Thanks to Jayson for suggesting this week’s topic, the new “dire wolf”! Also, possibly the same but maybe a different Jayson is the youngest member of the Cedar Springs Homeschool Science Olympiad Team , who are on their way to the Science Olympiad Nationals! They’re almost to their funding goal if you can help out. Further reading: Dire wolves and woolly mammoths: Why scie...

This week we examine two recent articles about coelacanth discoveries. Which one is real and which one is fake?! Further reading: Fake California Coelacanth First record of a living coelacanth from North Maluku, Indonesia A real coelacanth photo: A fake coelacanth photo (or at least the article is a fake) [photo taken from the first article linked above]: A real coelacanth photo [photo from the se...

Thanks to Katie, Torin, and Eilee for suggesting this week’s topic, foxes! Further reading: Meet the Endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox Long snouts protect foxes when diving headfirst in snow Black bears may play important role in protecting gray fox The red fox: A black and gold Sierra Nevada red fox [photo taken from the first link above]: The extremely fluffy Arctic fox: The gray fox [photo...

Thanks to Nora and BlueTheChicken for suggesting the inland taipan this week! The inland taipan in its summer colors [picture by AllenMcC. – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4442037]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we have a suggestion by Nora and BluetheChicken, who both wanted to learn about th...

Further reading: Reconstructing fossil cephalopods: Endoceras Retro vs Modern #17: Ammonites Hammering Away at Hamites An endocerid [picture by Entelognathus – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=111981757]: An ammonite fossil: A hamite ammonoid that looks a lot like a paperclip [picture by Hectonichus – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikime...

Thanks to Murilo, Alexandra, and Joel for their suggestions this week! The bird sounds in this episode come from xeno-canto , a great resource for lots of animal sounds! A cactus wren [picture by Mike & Chris – Cactus WrenUploaded by snowmanradio, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15876953]: The sultan tit [photo by By Dibyendu Ash – CC BY-SA 4.0, https:...

Thanks to Alyx and Richard from NC for their suggestions this week! Let’s learn about rabbits! Further reading: Why your pet rabbit is more docile than its wild relative FOUND: Small enigmatic rabbit with black tail lost to science for more than 120 years rediscovered hopping around mountain range in Mexico The Omiltemi cottontail rabbit, as caught on a camera trap [photo taken from second a...

Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. Recently I read about a giant snake supposedly seen in Tennessee in 1908. The story seemed a little suspicious so I dug into it, and it got a lot more complicated than I expected. On July 25, 1908, the St. Louis (Missouri) Globe-Democrat ran an article about a giant snake in Loudon, Tennessee. Loudon is a town half an h...

Further reading: Mouse filmed moving items in man’s shed in Bristol The pack rat: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week I’m sharing a Patreon episode from last year because I have surgery scheduled. Don’t worry, it’s minor thyroid surgery and I’ll be fine, but my doctor said that a side effect might be hoarseness while I recover. Rather than risk...

Thanks to Tim and Mia who suggested one of this week’s animals! Further reading: Genomic insights into the evolutionary origin of Myxozoa within Cnidaria A tardigrade, photo taken with an electron microscope because these little guys are incredibly tiny: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to talk about two microscopic or almos...

Thanks to Nora, Holly, Stephen, and Aila for their suggestions this week! Further reading: How ‘bin chickens’ learnt to wash poisonous cane toads Monkeys in Australia? Revisiting a Forgotten Furry Mystery Down Under The Australian white ibis: The greater glider looks like a toy: The thorny devil is very pointy: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Sh...

Thanks to Sam for suggesting this week’s topic, the sea bunny! My plush sea bunny, with one of my cats, Dracula, who does not like it: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to revisit an animal we haven’t talked about in a few years! Thanks to Sam for suggesting it, and for sending a whole list of questions after listening to epi...

Thanks to Charlotte, Clay, and Richard from NC for their suggestions this week! Further reading: Seal whiskers, the secret weapon for hunting Elephant seals drift off to sleep while diving far below the ocean surface Scientists Discover Remains of Antarctic Elephant Seal in Indiana River The elephant seal and its proboscis: The bunyip carving: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I...

This week we take a look at some of the many animals that were discovered last year! Further reading: ‘Blob-Headed’ Catfish among New Species Discovered in Peru New Species of Dwarf Deer Discovered in Peru Hylomys macarong , the vampire hedgehog Hairy giant tarantula: The monster among mini tarantulas with ‘feather duster’ legs Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and partners discover...

I’m a bit under the weather this week, so here’s a Patreon episode about a weird bird! Further reading: Hoatzin nestling locomotion: acquisition of quadrupedal limb coordination in birds Show transcript: Welcome to the Patreon bonus episode of Strange Animals Podcast for mid-November, 2019! We’re going to learn about a mystery bird today. When I say mystery bird, I don’t mean that peop...

Thanks to Siya, Sutton, Owen, and Aksel for suggesting this week’s topic, the Goliath birdeater tarantula and the fire ant! Further listening: The TEETH Podcast Further reading: Tropical fire ants traveled the world on 16th century ships The Goliath birdeater tarantula, bigger than some kittens: Fire ants: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This we...

This week we’re going to learn about some animals that seem to have individual names! Further reading: Bottlenose dolphins can use learned vocal labels to address each other How Do Dolphins Choose Their Name? Vertical transmission of learned signatures in a wild parrot Baby Parrots Learn Their Names from Their Parents Study: African Elephants Address Each Other With Name-Like Calls Marmoset...

Thanks to Eilee and Alexis for their suggestions this week, two amazing frogs! Further reading: Paradoxical frog: The giant tadpole that turns into a little frog Fungus is wiping out frogs. These tiny saunas could save them. How to build a frog sauna The paradoxical frog [photo by Mauricio Rivera Correa – http://calphotos.berkeley.edu, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?...

Thanks to Pranav for suggesting this week’s massive topic! Further reading: When did the Isthmus of Panama form between North and South America? Florida fossil porcupine solves a prickly dilemma 10-million years in the making Evidence for butchery of giant armadillo-like mammals in Argentina 21,000 years ago Glyptodonts were big armored mammals: The porcupine, our big pointy friend: Show tra...

Thanks to Elizabeth, Alexandra, Kimberly, Ezra, Eilee, Leon, and Simon for their suggestions this week! Further reading: New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian Ocean An Endangered Dolphin Finds an Unlikely Savior–Fisherfolk The humpback whale: The gigantic blue whale: The tiny vaquita: The Indus river dolphin: The false killer whale: Show transcript: Welcome to Strang...

Thanks to David and Jayson for their suggestions this week! Further reading: Unveiling the lionfish invasion in the Mediterranean Sea DeepCCZ: The Weird and Wonderful Megafauna of the Abyssal CCZ The red lionfish is beautiful but does not look like a lion [photo by Alexander Vasenin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25523559]: The sea squirrel is yello...

Thanks to Cosmo for suggesting this week’s animal, the electric catfish! Further reading: The shocking truth about electric fish Efficient high-voltage protection in the electric catfish Gimme kiss [electric catfish photo from this site ]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re finally going to talk about a fish Cosmo wanted us to learn...

Thanks to Mary, Mila, and Riley for their suggestions this week! Further reading: Comfortable and dermatological effects of hot spring bathing provide demonstrative insight into improvement in the rough skin of Capybaras Comfort of capybaras determined by SCIENCE: An especially attractive guinea pig: Guinea pigs come in lots of colors, patterns, and fur types [picture taken from this excellent sit...

Thanks to Lydia and “warblrwatchr” for this week’s suggestions! Further reading: Sweet tooth: Ethiopian wolves seen feeding on nectar The African wild dog is not actually a dog and eats lots of things: The aardwolf is not a dog at all and eats insects: The Ethiopian wolf is not a dog (or a wolf or a fox) and eats rodents and nectar [photo by Adrien Lesaffre and taken from this pa...