Quirky Creepy and Freaky

In episode 21, we're talking about a group of snakes that can jump from tree to tree without falling to the ground!  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod

To ring in the new year, I'm bringing you an episode talking about some giant lizards that like to have their friends for dinner! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod

Merry Christmas everyone! With Christmas coming up, here's an episode about some festive, colorful bugs that emerge just in time for Christmas!  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod

This week, we're going on a trip to Australia to talk about the only animals that make cube shaped poo!   patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod

In this week's episode, as we get into the holiday season, we're going to talk about some animals that flicker through the night like Christmas lights in July!  For the extra organic chemistry details: Marques, S.M., Esteves da Silva, J.C.G. 2009. Firefly bioluminescence: A mechanistic approach of luciferase catalyzed reactions. Life, 61(1): 6-17 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreaky...

Now we're visiting some boneless marine life, and looking at an octopus hitching a ride!

We're back in the ocean for this week's episode with a trip to the Arctic to talk about an animal that has a tusk coming out of its face! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod

For this episode, we talk about a chemical defense spray of some beetles!  Patreon: www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod

This week, we will explore the source of your cats constant purrs!

Happy Halloween! Our final Spooky Season Series episode features animals that only eat blood!

This week, we explore the extinction and continued sightings of an animal that officially went extinct almost 100 years ago.  To check out the review paper I talk about and the sightings they mention: Sleightholme S.R. and Campbell C.R. 2016. A retrospective assessment of 20th century thylacine populations. Aust. Zool. 38(1). And check out sightings and videos posted on the Thylacine Awareness Gro...

Our next episode in the Halloween Spooky Season series features a parasite capable of mind control and changes the behavior of the host! 

In this episode, we're going down to the deep sea for a creature that can extend its jaws out to the end of its snout!  For more detailed illustrations and information, check out: Nakaya, K., Taketeru, T., Suda, K., Sato, K., Ogimoto, K., Chappell, A., Sato, T., Takano, K., Yuki, Y. 2016. Slingshot feeding of the goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni (Pisces: Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae). Sci Rep 6:277...

We're back to the ocean this week with an animal that looks like it should be one individual but is actually a colony of tiny organisms! 

Episode 7 brings us another parasite episode with a fly who parasitizes mammals! 

In this week's episode, we will talk about one of the longest insect migrations out there!  To learn more about monarch butterflies, check out the Monarch Lab at: https://monarchjointventure.org/

In episode 5, we're back to the ocean with animals that steal stinging cells from their prey!  If you'd like to read the study I mentioned in this episode: Greenwood, P.G., Garry, K., Hunter, A., Jennings, M. 2004. Adaptable defense: A nudibranch mucus inhibits nematocyst discharge and changes with prey type. Biol. Bull. 206:113-120

Episode 4 is our first journey into parasites, and we talk about some wasps that parasitize other bugs!

In episode 3, we'll talk about some snakes that are both venomous and poisonous!

In this episode, you'll hear about animals that have a second set of jaws they use to catch prey!  For more on the specific musculature of moray eel jaws: Mehta & Wainwright. 2007. Raptorial jaws in the throat help moray eels swallow large prey. Nature 449: 79-82.

For the first episode, we will be featuring a group of organisms that frequently reverse their blood flow!