Species

In this episode, we learn about a bird that basically evolved into a mammal. The sheer number of areas where they have converged with mammals is absurd. Ironically, the mammals they have almost become may be their undoing. Enjoy the show.   Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1id0OV22jN1L-B0LqABkE9gLZ3hfR52d0MuHC-MjDRis/edit?usp=sharing  

This show opens up with a horrifying attack on a kayaker, and from there it only gets worse... On this podcast, you will hear about the nightmarish hunting methods of one of the most fearsome animals in the ocean. Find out about their life history, and their surprisingly high likelihood of killing you in the safety of your own home, all on this episode of Species.   If you enjoy this show, please...

In this episode, Macken celebrates America's independence by discussing obscene Russian experiments, a world without water, as well as the ramifications of cattle being sacred in some parts of India. All of this, incredibly, is totally relevant to the golden jackal. Prepare for an episode full of stories, anecdotes, and information about hybridization, regurgitation, and domestication.   If this s...

In this episode, Macken talks to wildlife biologist Tyus D. Williams. During this long and wide-ranging conversation, they covered some of the following topics: The ethics of mosquito sterilization, conservation, pseudonaturalism, scientific contrarianism, Tyus's jaguar research, and tigers that eat bears.  Tyus is a researcher and science communicator whose work with jaguars has been published in...

What has 10 eyes, 12 legs, a spike for a tail, a tube-shaped heart, and blue blood worth $60,000 a gallon? A horseshoe crab! This animal is ancient, they are even older than trees, and today you are going to learn all about them. On this episode, Macken takes you on a tour of the horseshoe crab's anatomy, and tells you all the weird things you never knew about the Atlantic horseshoe crab.   Biblio...

Come listen to the weirdest conservation story of all time: The story of a primate named "Swampy Marsh," who decided to train a dog to defend blue penguins from foxes. Seriously. This show will teach you about the immense challenges inherent to being a tiny penguin, and will tell you all the fun (and not-so-fun) facts about fairy penguins. Along the way, you will learn about chimpanzee warfare and...

Tuna are incredibly underestimated animals. We usually think of them as ingredients, instead of creatures. In reality, they are marvelous predators; on par with lions, sharks, and other creatures we generally respect. Today we are going to talk about an animal that is extreme in every way... Extreme speed, extreme size, and extreme price: the Atlantic bluefin tuna. Find out why the Atlantic bluefi...

Can an earthworm survive being cut in half? Do they re-grow both ends? Is it true that worms can reproduce with themselves? Was Charles Darwin obsessed with earthworms, and did he scientifically determine their favorite food? Do worms have brains? What about hearts? Why do they carry leaves back to their dens? Find out all the answers on this episode of Species. Bibliography:  https://docs.google....

Can an earthworm survive being cut in half? Do they re-grow both ends? Is it true that worms can reproduce with themselves? Was Charles Darwin obsessed with earthworms, and did he scientifically determine their favorite food? Do worms have brains? What about hearts? Why do they carry leaves back to their dens? Find out all the answers on this episode of Species. Bibliography:  https://docs.google....

Why are flamingos pink? Why do they stand on one leg? Do flamingos have teeth? Do flamingos know how to dance? Find out the surprising answers to all these questions and more, hear two weird conservation stories, and learn all about the American flamingo on this episode of Species. Bibliography:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A5aZn6YhKxoQfvSSsHRFpsmBMRKYf0I5gfZxT-88sIo/edit?usp=sharing

The Japanese nickname for the oarfish is "ryugu no tsukai," which translates to English as "messenger from the sea god's palace." In the traditional Japanese mythos, this animal is a warning: They are a sign that a tsunami is coming. In this episode, we explore the possibility that this seemingly absurd theory is true, and we talk all about what is perhaps the longest fish in the sea.   Bibliograp...

John Oberg is one of the most prominent characters in the modern animal rights movement. He is an animal advocate hoping to make the world a kinder place by utilizing the power of social media. Today, John sat down with Macken for a conversation about veganism and animal rights advocacy. Together they went through the reasons for being vegan, discussed the future of veganism, and jointly addressed...

Were honey badgers weaponized by the UK during the Iraq war? Who would win, the greatest fighter on earth, or a honey badger? What about a honey badger vs. a lion? Or a hyena? Or a cobra? How come honey badgers are so absurdly brave? Why are they such creative escape artists? Honey badgers are the toughest animals on the face of the planet, and today we talk all about them. Bibliography:  https://...

This is the animal who inspired King Kong, and maybe some dragon stories. Find out about their magical healing abilities, their insane sense of smell, and their truly disturbing method of killing their prey. Discover the answer to the following questions: Why do almost all cultures have dragons? Do Komodo dragons kill by sepsis or venom? Are baby Komodo dragons just reptilian squirrels? Bibliograp...

Ashley Gary is a science communicator and a wildlife educator. This afternoon, she had a wide-ranging, hilarious conversation with Macken in which they discussed the following topics:   The ethics of retweeting.  Social media and wildlife education.  What schools might do to improve entertainment value in class.  Indiana Jones & lizards.  I nstagram aesthetics.  Wildlife television.  Gorillas vs....

This animal is a sensory genius. They are masters at detecting everything while staying undetected. On this episode, Macken goes deep into the incredible science of how this animal can hear everything, without ever being heard; how this animal can see everything, without being seen. They are debatably the best listeners in the animal kingdom, and their entire face is like a radar dish. Find out al...

Today we are going to talk about the ugliest animal on earth (at least, by popular vote). Join us, and discover why they look so awful on land and so normal at sea. Find out the fun facts we have about this animal, and learn about the nature of ugliness itself, on this episode of Species.

This animal forces us to ponder the nature of intelligence itself. They are running incredibly complex software on unbelievably small hardware: Their brain could fit on the head of a pin, and yet their sensory processing and strategizing abilities rival those of the smartest animals on earth.   Look closely at the photo above, and you will count eight eyes. This spider-hunting spider can see in al...

This creature has the greatest deceptive abilities in the animal kingdom, unless you count humans. The fork-tailed drongo's ability to lie and manipulate other species into doing what they want is nothing short of stunning, and their intelligence is absolutely unbelievable. Today, we learn about why humans lie, why it is usually wrong, and why Darwin might disagree. We address questions, such as:...

Whale sharks are the biggest fish, in the biggest pond on earth. This animal can get to be nearly 50,000 pounds and over 40 feet long. That is the length of a school bus, and double the weight! On this episode, Macken tells you all the fun facts about whale sharks, and gives you the best available answers to some of the following questions, like:  Why the heck are whale sharks so dang big? Has a w...

Salamander expert Kirsten Hecht—also known as Kirsten "Hechtbender," for reasons that will become clear—gave Macken a call tonight to talk about salamanders and other topics. The conversation was light & fun, we heard a few stories, learned a bit of history, and found out a lot about animals. Macken had several questions for her tonight, including:  Why are they called hellbenders?  Can all salama...

Learn all about an animal that is simultaneously man's best friend, and man's worst enemy. Discover how a massive, muscular carnivore was changed into a baguette-loving basset hound like mine, and find out everything you want to know about dogs and wolves. Learn the answers to all your wolf & dog questions, including: Why do wolves howl? Are wolves howling at the moon? Do wolves eat people? Why di...

This animal may look pretty, but they can do some pretty ugly things to your nervous system. Discover the science of how octopuses change color, find out why "octopi" is grammatically incorrect, and learn about the scandalous mating techniques of this strange and dangerous animal all on this episode of Species. Bibliography:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YhqDS42XkO-KniTav6H3hpbeRK-q0lcNdwwC...

Is color itself an illusion? Can blue jays speak English and imitate dogs? How can I get on Ellen? Do blue jays kill hawks? Do they use tools? Why do they mimic hawks? Are they bullies? What is so mysterious about them? This episode will more or less answer all those questions, and together we will learn all about blue jays on this episode of Species. Bibliography:  https://docs.google.com/documen...

Was the movie "Alien" plagiarized? How does an anglerfish make their lure glow? Why do fish fall for such a simple trick? What does it feel like to be a male anglerfish? The anglerfish might be the creepiest animal in the ocean. Find out what we know about them through the lens of the humpback anglerfish, on this episode of Species.   Bibliography:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lLpuGJI2tzvC...