Strange by Nature Podcast

This week, Victoria talks about the bird pirates of the sea, the Great Skua. These birds have an incredible memory for people they don't like and they have also been known to steal other animals eyeballs. Woah. Kirk is up next with a story about the epic battles waged by Pavement Ants. These colonies go head to head battling colony vs colony but their strange behavior is acutaly making them highly...

This week it's back to the briny deep as Rachel talks about a program to train sharks to eat lion fish. It's the latest in a strange list of ways people have been trying to control this invasive fish species. Kirk brings us the strange tale of the 2000 foot tall WEAU TV tower in Wisconsin that was responsible for thousands of bird deaths every year until it fell. The truly strange part is that the...

On this week's show, Kirk talks about the uncomfortable middle path. How does ambiguity shape our choices? Why do things that are not quite one thing or the other make us uncomfortable. Up second, Rachel takes us to New Zealand to talk about the heaviest parrot in the world. the Kākāpō aka, the Moss Chicken. Enjoy these two very different and strange topics this week!   Join us weekly for more str...

The gang's all together this week. Victoria kicks things off with a story about a bizarre fern that displayed a totally new concept in plants. Ladies and Gentlemen, we present, the Zombie Fern. This bizarre plant can convert dead fronds into roots. It's something we've never seen before and completely strange. Rachel is up next to tell us the tale of the Wētā. These giant insects from New Zealand...

Hello Everyone, ready for another fun episode? Rachel kicks us off this week by talking about Alpha Gal. No, she's not a superhero. Alpha Gal is an allergy to mammal meat you can get from being bitten by a tick. Absolutely terrible. Victoria delves into the strange phenomenon of animals playing dead and what it may have to do with something called Tonic immobility. Many animals, when turned on the...

Kirk once again takes us back to space this week to talk about Schloz's Star. Incredibly, scientists discovered that 70,000 years ago, this star actually passed THROUGH our solar system.  Rachel's tale this week is almost as big and mind boggling but it takes place right here on Earth. She tells us why we are spending millions of dollars to drop 14.7 million screwworms into the rainforest in Panam...

Rachel goes back to the ocean to talk about bizarre, small, upside-down, solar powered jellyfish. Kirk goes the exact opposite direction and takes us to space with a primer on the Heliosphere. It's all just so he can tell us about some strange research that came out that suggests the sun's heliosphere collapsing 2 million years ago may have caused the last ice age or even the evolution of modern h...

Kirk tells us all about the amazing but extinct Elephant Bird, an incredible bird that could grow to a massive 2000 pounds. Rachel next brings us an absolutely astounding story of a researcher who wanted to answer the question of why snakes strike and bite and that research involved stepping on snakes 40,000 times. Victoria rounds out this week by telling us about mushrooms and the intriguing case...

We're all over the place this week. Victoria is back and she brings a mind blower talking about how the length of the day and the number of days in a year have changed dramatically over time. Kirk then brings things back to birds (of course) with a talk about the amazing Ostrich. Rachel rounds out this week's show talking about the tiny but mighty Mottled Cup Caterpillar, a little critter that pac...

This week Kirk starts us off with a fascinating story of PMO or Prosopometamorphopsia, a condition where people strangely see distortions to other people's faces that can make them look like demons, elves or dragons. Rachel wants to tell us all about ticks this week and it turns into a bit of a PSA on tick safety before going into some interesting facts about these much maligned blood sucking crea...

This week Rachel and Kirk share some incredible stories. Rachel starts us of with some amazing facts about the Albatross. They are truly giant and amazing birds that spend much of their life at sea.  I know, you thought Rachel had turned a page and wasn't going to do a story about the ocean but alas, even when she talks about birds she finds a way to make it about the sea.  Kirk shares this week a...

On this week's show, Kirk tells us about a fascinating discovery that may mean feathers are older than dinosaurs. Rachel is up next with the story about a rare Tiger Quoll that suddenly showed up in an unexpected spot. Victoria rounds out this week's show with an amazing tale of a man who narrowly escaped death after eating the poisonous Spotted Water Hemlock. Join us weekly for more strange natur...

Victoria kicks things off this week with a bizarre question, is there anything we have three of in our body? This interesting question lead her on a deep dive looking at the strange diversity of body plans on Earth. Kirk pours on the nightmare fuel with the story of a patient who's headaches ended up being...wait for it...tapeworms in his brain. Rachel rounds out the show with an uplifting story a...

This week Rachel brings nightmares to life with a land shark. That's right, a shark that walks on land. Listen to this week's show to learn more about epaulette sharks! Not to be outdone, Kirk tells us about the new discovery of a beetle that can be eaten by a frog and survive a trip through the digestive tract and crawl out the other end. Truly a bizarre week of stories. Thanks for being along fo...

This week we ended up with the accidental theme of things being bigger than we expected. Kirk tells us the tale of coming face to face with enormous coastal manta rays while swimming in the ocean at night and Rachel blows Kirk's mind with the world's tallest sunflower. Everything's huge. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free!   Support us: patr...

This week Victoria tells us all about the strange bird, the Pelican. Did you know they can fit 5 gallons of water in their mouth? Kirk is up next and blows our minds when it comes to a new find that teaches us about the very last minute dinosaurs spent on Earth. Rachel is up last and tells us about one of her favorite flowers, the very useful Jewelweed. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our...

This week Rachel brings the amazing story of the relationship between humans and birds called Honeyguides. Victoria looks into the strange story of bird respiration and Kirk discusses the process of how volcanic islands become lush and green. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free!   Support us: patreon.com/strangebynature Email us: contact@stra...

This week, Kirk talks about how scientists found a way to double or even triple your lifespan. The catch? You have to be an ant and you have to be infected with tapeworms.  Keeping with the gross topics. Rachel serves up a disgusting bouquet of Ambergris. One of the most valuable substances on earth that smells both wonderful and awful.  Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Pa...

Rachel's up first this week with a deep dive on the largest toothed whale in the world, the Sperm whale. How did they get that weird name? You'll have to listen to find out. Kirk shares the bizarre story of the time Idaho parachuted 76 beavers into a remote wilderness as part of operation Beaver Drop. It's an amazing story with some long-term benefits you can even see from space! Join us weekly fo...

This week, Kirk starts us off with an unbelievable story about a recent science expedition to one of the most remote jungles in the world where scientists bizarrely discovered a terrestrial shrimp. That's right a shrimp that lives on land.  Rachel is up next and tells us about a beautiful and rare phenomenon, hair snow. This strange creation requires a fungus and exactly the right weather. When th...

This week, Victoria spins a tale of a mystery creature inflicting terrible pain swimmers and the strange unorthodox researcher who solved the mystery. Kirk then tells us about strange obelisks living in our mouths. Rachel rounds out the week by diving down 16,000 feet under the ocean to track down a bizarre eel with a giant mouth.   Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon...

It's that time again, the end of another year of Strange by Nature. So, as usual, we're joined by professional naturalist Brett Sieberer and he takes over the show to quiz us about the past year of shows and other bizarre nature knowledge. Yes, we play the ever popular game, Eat, Ride, Jacket. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free! Support us:...

This week Rachel kicks of the show talking about the bizarre theoretical phenomenon of Spaghettification, the process of your body being stretched out into a line of sub-atomic particles inside a black hole. Victoria then takes us to the ocean where we learn about how the ear-wax plugs of whales can teach us about their life-histories. Kirk then wraps it all up by telling us about the horrific exp...

This week Kirk kicks us off with a discussion of Samurai Crabs and realizes they sound familiar because of a strange childhood connection involving a cartoon rabbit.  Rachel then dives into prions and Chronic Wasting Disease. Fear not, she has good news.  Victoria rounds out this week by telling us about the missing continent of Zealandia.  Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on...

Victoria kicks off this week with a charged up salute to caffeine. Sure, you can find it in Coffee and Tea but there are other plants from around the world with caffeine including a Holly from North America.   Kirk is up next and he shares multiple examples of times humans have unintentionally caused the evolution of species.   Rachel rounds out this week's episode with a Valentine's treat of pear...