Strange by Nature Podcast

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...

This week we Rachel and Kirk both head to the ocean but or very different reasons.   Rachel tells us all about the Portuguese Man-O-War, one of the strangest creatures in the sea. Upon hearing the story, Kirk decides he may never swim in the ocean again.   Kirk brings us back to the sea again with a story about the time his ship almost fell victim to the North Sea and then fills us in on the pheno...

This week Kirk kicks things off with details of a fascinating study that determined which perfume tigers find most alluring. The implications for research are surprisingly useful.   Rachel takes on a listener suggestion and covers new research into the bizarre ability of Reindeer to eat while they sleep!   Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free!...

This week Victoria starts us off by having us think about dinosaurs and why we haven't updated our portrayals of them based on new science. It turns out, T-Rex probably had lips.   Kirk then tells the tale of a time in the far distant past when birds ate our ancestors.   Rachel wraps things up this week with the bizarre tale of a moth with a surprising diet.   Join us weekly for more strange natur...

Rachel kicks off this week with a bizarre tale of a parasite that invades the nests of red ants, pretends to be their queen, works the ants to death, and eats their young all in a quest to become a beautiful butterfly.  Victoria takes us to Australia and asks the question, why are there so many poisonous animals there? Kirk rounds out the episode with the strange story of how volcanoes may be chan...

This week on the show, Kirk talks about how Beer saved his life (and yours.) Rachel then has a mystery animal that isn't anything like you would suspect from the name. The Mountain Chicken doesn't live in mountains, and isn't a chicken. It isn't even a bird. It is the biggest frog in the world. Weird.  Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free!  Su...

Two great topics this week. Rachel tells us about mysterious rivers that flow under the ocean and Kirk tracks the history and evolution of the tongue! Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free!  Support us: patreon.com/strangebynature Email us: contact@strangebynaturepodcast.com Visit us at: strangebynaturepodcast.com

This week, Kirk kicks things off by sharing some incredible research that shows it may be possible to induce a torpor/hibernation state in mammals with ultrasound. Rachel lets us know all about the Gopher Tortoise, and Victoria tell us all about the strange world of Mussel reproduction.  Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free!  Support us: patre...

Hello Dear Listeners. Here's what we have for you this week. Victoria kicks things off by telling the tale of her recent encounter with one of the world's few venomous mammals and you'll never guess where she found it...her basement! Kirk invents a weird quiz about strange ways nature might try to kill you. Which is more likely, getting hit in the face by a duck while jet skiing or being gored by...

We had an absolute blast this week with the full crew. Rachel kicks us off by telling us exactly how strange Scallops really are. Are those eyes? Yup. Next up, Victoria tells us the story of the golf course with bull sharks in the water traps. Kirk then wraps things up by testing out how well the other hosts can spot a hidden snake in digitally altered images all to test out something called the S...

Kirk takes us on a journey to learn about where the smell of Musk comes from and along the way we find out about a problem with the synthetic versions that took our nostrils by storm starting in the 1990s. Rachel then tells the amazing story about how the physical structure of dragonfly wings can destroy bacteria just by coming into contact with it.  Support us: patreon.com/strangebynature Email u...

Rachel kicks things off this week with the most ridiculous looking spider ever. Seriously. This thing is bizarre and cool and completely stupid looking. Listen as we learn about the Pelican Spider. Kirk takes us on a real-life Hero's Journey to the briny depths of the Galapagos Spreading Zone where biologists got a little help finding a rich biological treasure below the waves.  Support us: patreo...