Life, Death, and Taxonomy

“…and today we’re talking about a spider that sat down beside her and tilted the bench under its immense weight, spilling curds and whey everywhere.” Tarantulas are big. The Goliath Birdeater Tarantula is even bigger. But being big doesn’t mean you don’t have enemies and predators to deal with. So how do you handle them? […]

“And today we’re talking about a big pig with interesting headgear, but more on that later.” The jungles of Indonesia have provided several episodes of interesting animal info so far. The terrain seems to provide a smorgasbord of offbeat animals. But none may be as strange as a particular forest pig with an odd dental […]

“And today we’re talking about a tiny little long-lived sea booger. But more on that later. The long lived stuff. Not the booger stuff.” Description Like many sea creatures, the jellyfish is found all over the world’s oceans. They prefer temperate to tropical regions.  They are believed to have originated in the pacific but may […]

“And today we’re talking about a tiny helicopter with some interesting upward momentum.” Tiny insects are key menu items for a lot of creatures in the kingdom animalia. To be small and tasty is a recipe for doom if you don’t have some interesting survival tactics. Entire orders of insects start in vulnerable metamorphic stages […]

“…and today we are talking about an animal for the 100th time and we’re announcing the winner of the listener’s favorite part of the show vote!” The official listener’s favorite part of the show is…. Measure Up! That’s right! You came out to the polls and let your voices be heard. With Twitter and Facebook […]

And today we’re talking about a wide eyed and expressive cat! But more on that later! They may look like your average domestic feline on the surface. But a closer look will reveal some odd features. Thick fur, short stubby ears, and rotund bodies, give away that this particular Himalayan cat isn’t your typical tabby. […]

“And today we’re talking about a whale with a rostrum for adventure! But more on that later!” Way high up in the frigid arctic waters swims what many would consider to be a mythical creature: a unicorn. No, not a white horse with a horn sticking out of its head, but a whale with a […]

“And today we’re talking about a turtle that does what it wants because it’s punk rock.” Turtles enjoy the aquatic lifestyle, eating algae, river plants, and fish. But, unlike those fish that are privileged with water-breathing gills, turtles must make trips to the surface to breathe. But one Australian turtle species with a punk rock […]

“And today we are talking about beefiest boys in the bovine brotherhood. But bore on that later.” Clutching his rifle in his hand, veteran British big game hunter Owain Lewis made his way through the dense brush of Zimbabwe, carefully tracking an injured cape buffalo that had been shot three days earlier by an American […]

“And today were talking about a terror tube that makes the sarlacc that swallowed Bobba Fett seem like a kiss on the cheek. But more on that later.” The ocean floor is a treasure trove of decaying plant and animal matter that’s ripe for the picking for fish and invertebrates that are looking for tasty […]

“…and today we’re talking about a creepy crawly with a nasty sting that might be living in your backyard.” K – Animalia  P – Arthropoda  C – Insecta O – Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, yellow jackets, hornets)  F – Pompilidae (parasitic wasps) SubF – Pepsinae G – Pepsis S – Gross Spider Parasites While an adult [&#823...

“And today we are telling a Thai tale of a towering tail. But more on that later.” Grass is important to dads with perfectly manicured lawns, but it goes unnoticed by the rest of us. But what if you were a lot smaller, and you made you home in thick tall grass. You might find […]

“And today we’re talking about a fish that looks like a victim of the scream extractor machine in Monsters Inc.” You might think you know anglerfish, but think again. He strides across the ocean floor luring his prey, his body a crude caricature of a much more well-adapted animal. He’s the hero Galapagos deserves, but […]

“And today we are talking about an animal that David Attenborough once called ‘the most wonderful looking fox’ and also ‘bizzare with a curious body shape.’ I guess a fox can be two things but more on that later…” The Ethiopian highlands are often called the roof of Africa, but The Tibetan Plateau is called […]

“And to day we’re talking about a guilty little monkey. But more on that later!” The rules of engagement vary widely in the animal kingdom, especially when it comes to romance. But whether a species has multiple mates, or just one, at least there are rules. The Gelada Monkey may seem like a tasty Italian […]

“Today we are talking about a tiny mammal with a big appetite. But more on that later.” Intro Being tiny is difficult for a lot of reasons. It can make you easy prey for a variety of larger predators. And it can limit your own food sources to plants and even smaller animals. But being […]

“…and today, we’re talking about a frog whose fashion actually has a fantastic function, but more on that later.” Intro music: Jorge Mendez Outro music: Morning Light Music

…and today, we’re talking about a strong, independent woman who is literally a homemaker.”

“…and today, we’re talking about a big, plush tree rodent with a bold fashion sense, but more on that later.”

“…and today, we’re talking about the desert ships that opened up the trans-Saharan trade routes. But more on that later.“

“…and today we’re talking about a burrowing bee whose beef is between brothers, but more on that later…”

“…and today we are talking about a ugly little baker that makes the kind of cookies only a predatory fish would love. But more on that later.” During the Cold War, the U.S. Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines seemed invincible. A highly-mobile underwater tank with the capability of destroying entire cities, this death star of […]

And today we’re talking about an oceanic equine with strong paternal instincts and a unique dad bod, but more on that later.

“…and today we’re talking about a canine that whistles while it works. But more on that later…” When you’re a predator that has to compete with leopards and tigers, you’re in for an uphill battle. If you’re smaller, slower, and not as stealthy as other carnivores in the mountain forests of Asia, you better have […]

“And today we’re talking about a bird, not Eastern Michigan University, which I guess has the eagle as its mascot so that’s also a bird. But we’re discussing a different bird. So if some silly SEO sent you here, stay awhile. You might learn something.” Australians are no strangers to deadly animals, everything from the […]