Creature Feature

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 moo...

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...

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 Au...

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 r...

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 gue...

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 T...

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 ....

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...

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 eatin...

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 S...

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 th...

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...

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 Thy...

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 Loft...

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 specia...

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....

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. Ba...

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 lo...

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 sex 2. Snub nosed monkeys 3....

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 Axolotl 2. Greenland sharks 3. Horrifying Fine Dining Lovers article 4. Vilhjalmur Stefansson 5. B...

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 venom 2. Bees are angered by the color red 3. Mathematician & grandfather of the scientific method, Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham 4. Unihemispheric slow wave sleep 5. L...

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. Mothman 2. Sandhill crane 3. Barred owl 4. Owls or aliens? 5. Owl without feathers (artistic rendering)...

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 Amazon 2. Donate to protect an acre of rainforest 3. Rainforest Trust 4. Defend Indigenous rights and protect the rainforest by donating or signing a pledge 5. Signal boost...

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 rocks 2. Gelada male 3. Firefly femme fatale 4. Hawk moth caterpillar mimics viper 5. Passion flower mimicry 6. Automimicry 7. Conformity elevator experiment 8. Jumping spider ant mimics 9. Jumping spider mi...

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 researcher 2. Sea turtle swim suits 3. Cutest age for a dog study 4. Sea lio...