Creature Feature
331 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 857 ratingsWe take a critter’s eye view to explore how animal behavior parallels humans. Join comedians and science-lovers as we get inside the minds of animals
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Episodes
Listener Q's: Eclipse Blues
May 15, 2024 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBI answer your questions, like why do animals act weird during an eclipse? How do animals know what to eat? What's the deal with dino penises? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Animal Stereotypes
May 08, 2024 07:00 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBThe Wise owl, the lazy sloth, and the courageous lion, how much do these animals live up to their names, or should we not judge a book by its cover or a sloth by its algae? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: is owls stupid? Guest: Adam Todd Brown Source of last week's mystery animal sound: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TDMftMtr5to See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creature Classic®: Brood X!
May 01, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 70.7 MBTo celebrate cicadageddon 2024, here's one of my favorite past episodes, this one on cicadapocalypse 2021: BROOD X has been waiting 17 years to emerge from the ground. What is Brood X? Should we panic? Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: How is it fair that swarms of baby turtles are considered cute, but swarms of bugs are considered “horrifying?” Guest: Mara Wilson Footnotes: Cicada https://live.staticflickr.com/3067/2607912292_150e08400e_z.jpg Cicada tymbal ...
Backyard Science
April 24, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 71.5 MBYou can be a citizen scientist in your own backyard! Broods! Birds! And mushroom butts! I'm joined by podcaster and voice actress Janet Varney. Guest: Janet Varney See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aeroplankton
April 17, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 62 MBThey're in the air! There's billions of them! And they're tiny! We're talking about aeroplankton, what they're doing up there, and what happens when they get in your nose. Guest: Soren Bowie Last week's mystery animal sound source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8Phip5U-Wo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rats In The Walls
April 10, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBToday, we talk RATS! From plague to pets, rats have had a huge impact on humanity! What was the role of rats in the plague? What even is a rat?? Should you keep them as pets??? And are we so different after all? Guest: Jeff May Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/199aAaHgq-CmEoMcR4iRMnbePedjKrs0iafQalrKhp0I/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Biomimicry
April 03, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 74.1 MBWe talk about wild human inventions inspired by animal designs! Guest: Ellen Weatherford Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZEGyyeNn8trH-FmcchVthmmppq8-XiQlKILt-9fIISk/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creature Classic®: Firing the Easter Bunny
March 20, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBToday on the show, we're doing a re-broadcast of an Easter classic! We're firing the Easter Bunny and looking for a replacement! That's right E.B., you're getting benched and we're sending another animal out there to make merry with the eggs and the flowers! Guest: Soren Bowie Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uBq4b0mnk0TsQJfe5CqOZSg3Yk8CqCZ5vG5I1CgsYM8/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Q's: Tarzan, Frog Skins, Bird Dinner
March 13, 2024 07:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBI answer your questions, from the realism of Tarzan, to the details behind a frog Buffalo Bill, and how to best serve the birds of your community! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Animal, Mineral, or Vegetable?
March 05, 2024 08:00 - 57 minutes - 53.2 MBOn today's show I subject my guest to a gauntlet of strange oddities, and he (and you) must guess whether these are animals, minerals, vegetables, or something else entirely... Guest: DJ Danl Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rRUT2Ywx6B9XF-1SyNJ8lxVyLX94eY2n06FjiE4x-O8/edit?usp=sharing Mystery animal sound credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMwAgft_kZ8 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Robobees (More Bees Please)
February 28, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBToday: we're turning animals into robots! All the weirdest and wackiest ways that roboticists and researchers have played robo-god with animals. From robosaurus, to robot bees, and robo falcons, Adam and Katie discuss whether robots will inherit the earth. Guest: Adam Ganser Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t7NmSAXc6vg0zMZkMHIZKlXSQI_ROlsAyglMHNQ53Ww/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lisa Frankimals
February 21, 2024 08:00 - 53 minutes - 49.5 MBToday we're talking about animals that look like they jumped off of a page from Lisa Frank's notebook! Pink dolphins, rainbow squirrels, surprisingly fabulous pigeons, and the most beautiful butts in the world. Guest: Joelle Monique Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12uHLiRYjc0_-rKv_fCFSpkTMN8f4ysX9do1j_uLC0r4/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Valentine's Day Gift
February 14, 2024 08:00 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBI dragged my husband on the show to talk about animals who give romantic gifts, like dead voles and nutritional secretions! Hope he takes the hint! Guest: Brett McCully Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Kn459lVK4NKOeLYcUM47R-EWo4RX6tgwp0cTvQBPFs/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feed Drop: Let's Learn Everything, Birds in Space!
January 31, 2024 08:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBFeed drop time! Check out this Let's Learn Everything episode I was a guest on! We talk about BIRDS. IN. SPAAAAAACE! Guests: Ella Huber, Tom Lum, Alex Schmidt, Caroline RoperFootnotes: Space quails video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7-hm3A7ayI See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Q's & Sloth Poos
January 24, 2024 08:00 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBIt's a listener questions episode which means I answer your questions about animal baldness, skin, and poop! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Animals Are Sick!
January 17, 2024 08:00 - 56 minutes - 51.4 MBI'm joined by naturalist, educator and author Heather Montgomery as we talk about her book "Sick" and the fascinating world of animal immune systems (and poop). Guest: Heather Montgomery See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creature Classic© Festive Swole Deer
January 03, 2024 08:00 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBSummary: Happy holidays! I'll see you soon in the new year, until then, enjoy some of my favorite classic holiday episodes! This one's about weird ungulates. Guest: Alex Schmidt Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ofN2BMRRxu3ITqZZZjcH7LSae9rq2umS0pJ39rHJlRU/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creature Classic© Cave Santa's Sleigh
December 27, 2023 08:00 - 46 minutes - 43.1 MBHappy holidays! I'll see you soon in the new year, but until then, enjoy a past episode... millions of years in the past. Who will pull Cave Santa's sleigh? Guest: Alex Schmidt Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-moJs64fD53QyE_xt77iNcMexcY-sP4Pis2g7KK5qmo/edit?usp=sharing Credit to Aaron Kenny for Creative Commons music See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creature Kringletimes Special: Teeny Penguin Naps
December 20, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBFrom hibernations to teeny naps, these wintery animals know how to catch a few z's! Guest: Jeff May Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dEiKigGPXidNf5Jaa_LQ8HvJkP0h-9Tz6KNzC-OkFds/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Odd Eggs
December 14, 2023 08:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBThe weirdest, most expertly engineered eggs in the world! Not all eggs are, well, egg-shaped with Alex Schmidt! Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16kSwzHPVP2CaYDiXf0jYvP1pBw140Ep8rjv77hOjAno/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Q's: Shrinking Ant Brains
December 06, 2023 08:00 - 34 minutes - 32 MBI answer your questions, like why are there so many parasites? Do frogs really not have teeth? And what's going on with these ants?!? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creature Classic®: Please Scream With Your Butt
November 30, 2023 00:26 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBKatie got the stomach flu, so here's one of her favorite old episodes! We promise the title is merely a coincidence. Guest: Will Poole Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uJ2hX52ElPgYMGS8nVpxjDX1ioBmv5lIc1V_zDG9QII/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fact Checking The Garfield Trailer
November 22, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBA deep dive into the factual accuracies and inaccuracies of the Garfield Movie trailer! Beat by beat we will examine the trailer, and talk about whether there are real life examples in evolutionary biology that can lend credence to the new Garfield Movie trailer. Sadly, we are not being sponsored by The Garfield Movie. Guest: Joey Clift Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KNPC0Xwqqh7W16Gy6mLciw1HSRy8YfddVuyYcq1N-cs/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Javelina vs. Golf
November 15, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBJoined by pro-Javelina guest Kylie Brakeman, we discuss the righteous fight of the Javelina against the golf courses of Arizona! And other animals who are bravely waging war against golf! Guest: Kylie Brakeman Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uPIGPktJnmyjdY3xgSLjICSxXW-ZpnY7BP2QxPcGG6A/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Q's: Mouse VR
November 08, 2023 08:00 - 31 minutes - 28.6 MBI answer your questions, from how an elephant gets so big on grass alone, to animal schedules, witchy familars and suspiciously crab-like aliens! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who's A Good Fallout Boy?
November 01, 2023 07:00 - 50 minutes - 46.8 MBFrom dog-fox hybrids, to radioactive doggies of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, we're talking about all the best boys and girls in the world! Also: dogs whose job is to save the turtles! Guest: Andrew Ti See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creatureween: Undead Fish Skin
October 25, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 47.9 MBReal Halloweeny tales of animal biology! Undead fish skin, vampire mice, and flying zombies! Guests: Seanbaby & Robert Brockway Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1njNgJ35GLVLDYnPbfKM2hRFPOvxyj6K2wjOkEX17rus/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Witch's Brew
October 18, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBEye of newt, tongue of toad, well, more like excretion of toad, we're talking about the poisonous witch's brews of the animal kingdom! From trippy toads, to petrifying platypuses. Guest: Jason Pargin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Interview: Forrest Galante!
October 11, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBAn interview with naturalist/adventurer Forrest Galante! Guest: Forrest Galante See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Big Mouths
October 04, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBFrom the stretchiest mouthed reptiles, to sea creatures that are mostly mouths, we're talking about the most ghoulish gluttons on the globe! Guest: Katherine Spiers Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TolY6_BOV5SNiN08aMnXTjeUi2Vq5CBwYWpHWwK34iE/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Leg Day
September 27, 2023 20:10 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBThese animals did NOT forget leg day! From leg battles, to deadly runway assassins, to miraculous thighs. Guest: Joey Clift Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uMXBcVWbP2SsR00Gh4NUuXFZbPKlRpSFo2GOtjznN7k/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feed Drop! Secretly Incredibly Fascinating: Octopuses
September 13, 2023 07:00 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBDid you know Katie is the co-host on another show called Secretly Incredibly Fascinating? This week we're dropping an episode into the Creature Feature feed, because it's all about octopuses!! Guest: Alex Schmidt See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Q's: Upside down sharks and chimpanzee butts
September 06, 2023 07:00 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBI answer your questions about backstroking sharks, chimpanzee bottoms, and giant wasp stingers! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Spittin' Facts
August 30, 2023 23:44 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBSeparating the facts from fiction about amazing animal spit! Guest: Will Poole See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fashion Beak
August 23, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MBWe're slithering down the runway to talk about high animal fashion, from hats to outerwear to shabby chic, these animals are not born with it, they have meticulously crafted their fashionable attire from elements in their environment! Guest: Maggie Mae Fish Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aH39L-0GNVWx8hf7uR9HOYI0LEXat0Z9K1-NcbSfsy4/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Q's: Dead Wasps, Cannibals, Cute Bunnies!
August 16, 2023 07:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBI answer your questions, from dead wasp vengeance, cannibal babies, and adorable pets! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Crustacean News Station
August 09, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MBCrustacean news station! All the crabby stories fit to print… or pinch. Lobsters not saying no to drugs, and crabs implicated in a famous disappearance. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can lobsters feel pain? Guest: Ellen Weatherford See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creatureheimer
August 02, 2023 07:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBIn honor of the Oppenheimer movie, we're talking about explosive animals! From tiny explosions to a real WWII story involving animal bombs? I promise it's at least a little funny! Guest: Adam Ganser See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Naturally Barbie!
July 26, 2023 07:00 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MBIn honor of the Barbie movie, today's theme is: PIIIINK! All the fabulous fuchsias, the prettiest pinks, found in nature! Pink is sometimes maligned as an "frivolous" color, but as we'll find out, nature takes its pink VERY seriously. From camouflage, to ambushes, river battles and poison, we're taking a look at the dark side of pink. Guest: Alex Schmidt See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Top Ways To Stay Cool (The Bird Pee Technique)
July 19, 2023 18:38 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBTop ways animals stay cool in the heat, your results may vary! From gular fluttering to a stinky cool down method, bee fans and mucus cocoons, there are all sorts of ways to stay chill in the summer heat! Guests: Ella Hubber, Tom Lum, and Caroline Roper Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/197ka55555R0ejpocBcPs4je_ZKXen1aDLbwqcwfw9rY/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listener Q's: Otter Armpit Pockets
July 12, 2023 07:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBI answer your questions, from otter armpit pockets to bugs that come back from the dead! Footnotes: Listener puppet maker bat video: https://vimeo.com/778536169 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creature Classic®: Will It Cuddle or Kill You?
July 05, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBToday, we’re going to be playing a little game: see if you can guess which one of these animals we’re about to discuss is more likely to kill you than to cuddle you? Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can you trim your hedges with a crocodile? Guest: Joey Clift Footnotes: Striped eel catfish: https://lh6.ggpht.com/HPMmXXIdHNPICfAwmozv5rDOOO3isj6S4eCmO7xsAdh03ZvnetNJpowsNwLajM_YTOEgDer-ClRaMr9G2iT0=s1200 The gharial crocodile: https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/1...
Listener Q's: Third Eyes & Swole Gorillas
June 28, 2023 07:00 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MBI answer your questions about speciation, weird eye situations, and swole gorillas! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Creature Classic®: Animals vs. Video Game Bosses
June 21, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 66 MBKatie has returned to her home nesting ground for a quick break, so enjoy one of her favorite episodes from the past! I'm joined by Patch, the creator of the amazing biology YouTube channel TierZoo, to discuss how animals might beat some of the toughest, most iconic video game bosses out there! Guest: Patch from TierZoo Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqBX-Pmk6SpmRBxFIO6W_k8tflRskHjyumSu5k70PpM/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Missing Parts
June 14, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBDon't worry, these critters haven't been mutilated, but rather through evolution, they've ditch certain appendages. Legs? Don't need 'em. Wings? Forget about it. Tails? Lose 'em. Sometimes efficiency requires sacrifice, and body parts have go to go! Apologies for an initial audio issue (ironically, some missing audio data)! This has been fixed! Thank you for your patience Guest: Joelle Monique Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v9AWcvOv1K2ailxCWHMD-LMOWn2DtGcAPD5udVNdNiE/edit?...
Listener Q's: Butterfly Goo
June 07, 2023 07:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBI answer your questions, from what happens in a cocoon to the evolutionary history of bird bones! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Leeches Are Okay!
May 31, 2023 07:00 - 52 minutes - 48.1 MBLeeches leeches leeches leeches! How big can they get? Can we really use them in medicine? And are they secretly... cuuuute? Guest: Joey Clift Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15XDOP0Auky-Ot2LdYBj0T6td_xGXm7wmyDrQy21nQWg/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Plants vs. Animals
May 24, 2023 07:00 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBPlants are just the hapless victims of herbivores, right? Wrong! Listen to how plants fight back in sometimes delicious fashion. Guest: Dr. Vikram Baliga See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Animal Lecter
May 17, 2023 07:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MBThese critters have a taste for the weird, the morbid, and the wildly unethical. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what do you do with a cannibal boss baby? Guests: Michael Swaim & Abe Epperson Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/111Bvmkr8zACAH3thS90DmvDLI0YqKQvunMMT_8Tzpv4/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why The Long Face
May 10, 2023 07:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBSnouts, jaws, and eyeballs that look like they're about to break the graphics engine on the planet earth video game. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what's an echidna's deal? Guest: Chris Crofton Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RM6R3-Di9qnzxORJcPI6u83J75SnRdHBI3FWlBq4Feo/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.