Strange Animals Podcast

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...

Thanks to Alyx for this week’s suggestion, the cookie cutter shark! Further reading: If You Give a Shark a Cookie The business end of the cookie cutter shark: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to learn about a little shark suggested by Alyx, but first let’s learn about something else that might be related to the shark. In the...

Thanks to Riley and Dean, Elizabeth, and Leo for their suggestions this week! Further reading: Groundbreaking study reveals extensive leatherback turtle activity along U.S. coastline A bearded dragon: The tiny bog turtle: The massive leatherback sea turtle: The beautiful hawksbill turtle [photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host,...

Thanks to Molly and Mila for suggesting the anteater and its relations this week! Further reading: How anteaters lost their teeth The giant anteater has a long tongue and a little mouth, and adorable babies: The giant anteater has a weird skull [photos by Museum of Veterinary Anatomy FMVZ USP CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72183871]: The tamandua is like a mini giant...

Thanks to Ezra and Leo for suggesting these two sea monsters this week! Happy Halloween! Further reading: Legend of Chessie alive, well in Maryland Here be sea monsters: We have met Chessie and…is it us? Not actually a kraken, probably: Not actually Chessie but an atmospheric photo of a toy brontosaurus: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. Just a fe...

Thanks to Eesa for suggesting this week’s topic, the pliosaur Predator X! Further reading: Predator X / Pliosaurus funkei [you can find lots of interesting pictures here, some artwork and some skeletal diagrams] Kronosaurus had a big skull with big teeth: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. We’re one week closer to Halloween, and that means the mons...

Thanks to Nora and Richard from NC this week as we learn about some scary-sounding reptiles, including the hoop snake! Further reading: The Story of How the Giant “Terror Skink” Was Presumed Extinct, Then Rediscovered San Diego’s Rattlesnakes and What To Do When They’re on Your Property Snake that cartwheels away from predators described for the first time Giant new snake species identified in the...

Thanks to Murilo for suggesting El Gran Maja for our first monster month episode of 2024! Further reading: The Loch Ness Monster: If It’s Real, Could It Be an Eel? Further watching: Borisao Blois’s YouTube channel [I have not watched very many of his videos so can’t speak to how appropriate they all are for younger viewers] El Gran Maja, YouTube star: The European eel [photo by GerardM...

To donate to help victims of Hurricane Helena: Day One Relief – direct donation link World Central Kitchen – direct donation link It’s the big 400th episode! Let’s have a good old-fashioned mystery episode! Thanks to Richard from NC for suggesting two of our animal mysteries today. Further reading: A 150-Year-Old Weird Ancient Animal Mystery, Solved The Enigmatic Cinnamon B...

Thanks to Anbo, Murilo, Clay, and Ezra for their suggestions this week! Let’s learn about some bears! Further reading: Snack attack: Bears munch on ants and help plants grow Extinct vegetarian cave bear diet mystery unravelled Ancient brown bear genomes sheds light on Ice Age losses and survival The sloth bear has shaggy ears and floppy lips [photo from this site ]: An absolute unit of a Kod...

Thanks to Alexandra, Pranav, Eilee, Conner, and Joel for their suggestions this week! Velella velella , or by-the-wind-sailor [photo from this page ]: Porpita porpita , or the blue button [photo from this page ]: Cricetus cricetus , or the European hamster, next to a golden hamster: Nasua nasua , or the South American coati [photo from this page ]: Mola mola , or the ocean sunfish: Quelea quelea ,...

Thanks to Cosmo, William, and Silas for their fishy suggestions this week! You have until Sept. 13, 2024 to back the enamel pin Kickstarter ! Further reading: The Handfish Conservation Project Researchers Look in Tank and See Promising Cluster of Near-Extinct Babies The unique visual systems of deep sea fish A red handfish: Another red handfish. This one is named Hector: The black dragon fish: The...

Thanks to Joel and an anonymous listener for their suggestions this week! Further reading: Dieback and recovery in poplar and attack by hornet clearwing moth The enormous and beautiful Atlas moth: A male hairy tentacle moth without and with coremata extended [photos from this site ]: The hornet moth looks like a hornet but can’t sting: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m...

Thanks to Sy and Finn for their suggestions this week! Further reading: Creeping Crinoids! Sea Lilies Crawl to Escape Predators, New Video Shows New and Unusual Crinoid Discovered Sea otters maintain remnants of healthy kelp forest amid sea urchin barrens Sea urchins see with their feet A sea lily [photo from this page ]: A feather star [still from a video posted on this page ]: Purple urchins [ph...

Thanks to Anbo and Siya for suggesting the mantis shrimp this week! The Kickstarter for some animal-themed enamel pins is still going on! Further reading: Rolling with the punches: How mantis shrimp defend against high-speed strikes The magnificent peacock mantis shrimp [picture by Cédric Péneau, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=117431670]: Show transcript: Welcome to...