Life, Death, and Taxonomy
334 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 50 ratingsLearn about all things animalia in this family friendly podcast. Each week Joe and Carlos dive deep into nature to find animals that have at least one amazing talent they use to survive. Gather up some animal knowledge and crazy nature facts to drop on your friends at parties with each new episode of Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
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Episodes
Episode 179 – Brown-Throated Sloth:
June 22, 2021 10:00 - 43 minutes - 50.6 MB“…and today we’re talking about the sloooowest mammal in the world. But more on that later.” The Amazon jungle is home to a wide variety of animals both fast and slow, with one of the slowest being the brown-throated sloth. But with so many fierce predators on the jungle floor, it helps to spend all […]
Episode 179 – Brown-Throated Sloth: The Slowest Mammal
June 22, 2021 10:00 - 43 minutes - 50.6 MB“…and today we’re talking about the sloooowest mammal in the world. But more on that later.” The Amazon jungle is home to a wide variety of animals both fast and slow, with one of the slowest being the brown-throated sloth. But with so many fierce predators on the jungle floor, it helps to spend all […]
Episode 178 – Spiny Leaf Insect: Egg Mimicry
June 15, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 49.1 MB“…and today we’re talking about a bug that looks like a deep fried praying mantis. But more on that later.” The forest is a dangerous place for an egg. They are packed with proteins and fats in order to grow the new creature inside, but those qualities also make them tasty morsels for foragers. Moms […]
Episode 177 – Sea Pen: A Perfect Plume
June 08, 2021 14:04 - 41 minutes - 48 MB“…and today we’re talking about the plume in the room. But more on that later.” At the bottom of the deepest oceanic trench, you’ll find an animal that’s worth writing home about. The sea pen is a feathery friend with multiple personalities and penchant for puffing itself up when the coast is clear. But when […]
Episode 176 – Pronghorn: Fastest in the New World
June 01, 2021 10:00 - 41 minutes - 48.8 MB“And today we’re talking about one of the fastest ungulates west of the Mississippi. But more on that later.” North America has a few big animals, but it’s mostly dominated by smaller fauna that have learned to thrive in the amber waves of grain. However, America was once a continent like Africa, home to great […]
Episode 175 – Honeypot Ant: Living Honey Chandeliers
May 25, 2021 10:00 - 40 minutes - 46.4 MB“…and today we’re talking about an insect that’s part ant and part dump truck. But more on that later.” For most animals, storing food for later is for jive squares. It’s all about getting as much food as you can stomach right now and letting tomorrow take care of itself. For the more prudent, however, […]
Episode 174 – Shield-Tailed Agama: The Aegis Posterior
May 18, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 41.2 MB“…and today we’re talking about a spike-covered tush that lives out in the bush. But more on that later.” The subterranean lifestyle has it’s benefits and many small animals make their beds below the earth. From the sleeping cicada to the idle fox, the shelter of a sand and soil roof provides protection from predatory […]
Episode 173 – Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse: The King of Cleaners
May 11, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 41.9 MB“…and today we’re talking about a fish that enjoys working at the carwash. More on that later.” When you run a lucrative maritime cleaning service, you gotta protect your turf. The dominant bluestreak cleaner wrasse defends its territory, its business, and its family on a daily basis. But when the don disappears, it’s up to […]
Episode 172 – Bighorn Sheep: Nature’s Hard Hats
May 04, 2021 10:00 - 39 minutes - 44.7 MB“…and today we’re talking about the mountain lamb that the Lord provided. Literally, because it’s just a wild sheep.” If you’re in America’s western snow capped regions and you hear a sudden crack that echoes through mountains, it might not be thunder. If that cracking continues at periodic intervals for close to an hour, you […]
Episode 171 – Grey Butcherbird: This Singing Butcher
April 27, 2021 10:00 - 37 minutes - 43.8 MB“…and today we’re talking about Yennefer of Vengerbird, the black and white songbird downunder. But more on that later.” If you’re out for a stroll in the wilds of Australia, Europe, or North America, you might stumble upon a peculiar and gruesome sight: the impaled victims of the butcherbird. Setting its sights on larger prey […]
Episode 170 – Gorilla: Strong of Heart
April 20, 2021 18:16 - 46 minutes - 54.4 MB“…and today we’re talking about the biggest and the strongest primate in the world.” The largest primate in the world is also the strongest. In fact, the eastern lowland gorilla is among the strongest animals pound for pound. Their size and strength has led to their depiction as classic monsters that Superman and Godzilla need […]
Episode 169 – Tuatara: This is Not a Lizard
April 13, 2021 10:00 - 36 minutes - 43 MB“…and today we’re talking about something that looks just like an iguana but it’s apparently not a lizard at all.” Scattered along the northern coast of New Zealand’s north island is a living fossil that was thought to be extinct: the tuatara. A laid-back lizard with a lazy lifestyle, the tuatara spends most of its […]
Episode 168 – Meerkat: A Mongoose Most Foul
April 06, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 41.7 MB“…and today we’re talking about a mongoose most foul. But more on that later.” The savannah is a brutal place for the animals that call it home. Between lions, leopards, and hyenas, many of the mammals that populate Africa’s jungles and plains are built with sharp claws and powerful jaws. But when it comes to […]
Episode 167 – Giant Oarfish: Seismic Sensitivity?
March 30, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 44.9 MB“…and today we’re talking about the longest boy in the ocean. But more on that later.” Earthquakes are some of the most destructive events on this planet, snuffing out lives by the thousands and destroying entire cities. The worst part is, we can’t really predict them in advance-or can we? The elusive oarfish is often […]
Episode 166 – Goshawk: The Ghost of The Woodlands
March 23, 2021 10:00 - 33 minutes - 38.9 MB“…and today we’re talking about the ghost of the forest. But more on that later.” A hare grazes in a clearing surrounded by the forest edge. An uneasy feeling comes over him, like he’s being watched. He makes for the tree line, seeking safety among the trees and shrubs. But it does him no good. […]
Episode 165 – Coconut Crab: The Quick Claw Crustacean
March 16, 2021 10:00 - 39 minutes - 46.2 MB“…and today we’re talking about an animal that sounds like a delicious Caribbean dish but looks like it inspired the Witcher’s endrega monsters. But more on that later.” Scattered across the islands of the south Pacific is a population of crabs that are great in a pinch. The coconut crab is the largest land crab […]
Episode 164 – Sailfin Dragon Lizard: The Icarus Iguana
March 09, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutes - 38.5 MB“…and today we’re talking about a modern day dinosaur with a name to match. But more on that later.” Lizards sometimes retain primordial qualities. To look at them, you may see the scaly faces of ages long gone. The sailfin dragon lizard has a look that matches it’s fantastical name. But the dinosaur-esque nature of […]
Episode 163 – Dung Beetle: The Bowel Bowler
March 02, 2021 11:00 - 34 minutes - 40.2 MB“…and today we’re talking about a poo poo paladin that rolls with the punches and makes the most out of a smelly situation. But more on that later.” One animal’s waste is another animal’s treasure. The dung beetle was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians for its apparent fecal-oriented immortality, but modern discoveries have found new […]
Episode 162 – Desert Locust: Ruin on the Breeze
February 23, 2021 11:00 - 38 minutes - 44.3 MB“…and today we’re talking about a deadly insect that’s carried on the winds of change. But more on that later.” Many animals have amazing abilities that make them especially ferocious and formidable. But few are so terrible and mighty that they can be classified as a natural disaster. No we’re not talking about a giant […]
Episode 161 – Tasmanian Devil: The Devil Down Under
February 16, 2021 11:00 - 41 minutes - 48.1 MB“…and today we’re talking about the devil down under and his horrifying night time death screams.” Far from the reckless, neckless monstrosity that Warner Brothers uses to move their cartoon plots along, the real Tasmanian Devil is a semi-cute mongoose pig that will eat anything that comes across its path. From its brutal and competitive […]
Episode 160 – Venus’ Flower Basket: A Structure Like Steel
February 09, 2021 11:00 - 39 minutes - 46.6 MB“…and today we’re talking about a coveted animal crossing catch. But not much more on that later.” The sponge life is a simple one. With nowhere to go and no way to get there, a sponge needs to make the most of its surroundings. To protect against the current, sponges form skeletons out of whatever’s […]
Episode 159 – Hummingbird Moth: The Master of Disguise
February 02, 2021 11:00 - 33 minutes - 39.9 MB“…and today we’re talking about an animal that I could have sworn we did before but I can’t find it in our list!” Avoiding becoming someone else’s meal is typically priority number one for most animals. While there are many different ways to live another day in the “eat or be eaten” kingdom of Animalia, […]
Episode 158 – Thorn Bug: Thorin Oaken-eater
January 26, 2021 11:00 - 37 minutes - 43.4 MB“…and today we’re talking about a bug with a prickly personality. But more on that later.” The tropics are teaming with life. That means there’s an abundance of resources for you and your brood to enjoy. It also means that there’s plenty of competition looking to eat your food or eat you. Protecting yourself can […]
Episode 157 – Blobfish: Blobby Fisher
January 19, 2021 11:00 - 32 minutes - 37.6 MB“…and today we’re talking about a waterlogged football with eyes and a taste for shrimp. But more on that later.” The blobfish might be the subject of cruel internet memes for many a year, but that digital ridicule may be unduly bestowed upon our deep-sea friend. He may look goofy, but that’s just because he’s […]
Episode 156 – Purple Frog: Born in the Storm
January 12, 2021 11:00 - 31 minutes - 36 MB“…and today we’re talking about a frog with a secret underground life. But more on that later.” The forests of India’s Western Ghats, are teaming with life. Many amphibian species live there, and many have only been discovered in the last few decades. As frogs hop from log to log and branch to branch, one […]
Episode 155 – White Rhino: Crash and the Birds
January 05, 2021 14:05 - 40 minutes - 47.7 MB“…And today we’re talking about Marco Polo’s thick unicorn! But more on that later.” Grazing along the African savannah, the white rhino keeps his ears peeled for the danger bird – despite not having many predators to worry about. When opportunity squawks, the rhino definitely listens. But the classic symbiotic relationship between the rhino the […]
Episode 153 – Pygmy Hedgehog: The Adorable Pincushion
December 29, 2020 11:00 - 37 minutes - 45.1 MB“…Today we’re talking about a prickly bush pig, though it’s not a pig at all. But more on that later.” The cutest and most mild mannered animals often find themselves in the pet trade. But in the wild world of woodland creatures, cute doesn’t get you very far. For those creatures that tread the line […]
Episode 154 – Pygmy Hedgehog: The Adorable Pincushion
December 29, 2020 11:00 - 37 minutes - 45.1 MB“…Today we’re talking about a prickly bush pig, though it’s not a pig at all. But more on that later.” The cutest and most mild mannered animals often find themselves in the pet trade. But in the wild world of woodland creatures, cute doesn’t get you very far. For those creatures that tread the line […]
Episode 153 – Blanket Octopus: Let the Octopus Win
December 22, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 38 MB“…Today we’re talking about a cephalopod that wears a beautiful gown. But more on that later.” The ocean is home to many a strange and wondrous creature, but few are so strange as the blanket octopus. Worthy of its name, the blocktopus drifts and flutters with dazzling colors across the pelagic seas. But unfurling your […]
Episode 152 – Pacific Hagfish: Sticky Business
December 15, 2020 11:00 - 28 minutes - 35 MB“…And today we’re talking about a sea noodle that’s as disgusting as we’ve come to expect from the bottom of the ocean.” Imagine you’re a big fish with a hankering for some ocean detritus. You find a carcass that’s descended to the seafloor, but you’re late to the party. It’s surrounded by a nightmare mob […]
Episode 151 – Platypus: Defying its Stars
December 08, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 37.5 MB“…and today we’re talking about a creature that looks like it specced into every skill tree. But more on that later.” In the land down under, there’s dwelleth a strange mammal that looks like an otter that glued a bunch of other animal parts onto its body. The platypus is famous not only for its […]
Episode 150 – Spider-Tailed Horned Viper: The Crafty Serpent
December 01, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 37 MB“And today we’re talking about something we were supposed to talk about a few weeks ago but we goofed and now we’re talking about it now. More on that now.” Hunters have all kinds of methods to help catch their prey. There’s ambushing, stalking, and brute force. But one of the most clever ways may […]
Episode 149 – Bottlenose Dolphin: Thanks for all the Fish
November 24, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 45.6 MB“…and today we’re talking about one of the most famous sea animals of all time. The white hat to the black hat of the great white shark. Though, PR can be deceiving. But more on that later…” When life kicks mud in your face, most of us, and most animals, would give up or bemoan […]
Episode 148 – Coyote: An Unlikely Friendship
November 17, 2020 11:00 - 35 minutes - 43 MB“…And today we’re talking about a legendary animal friendship. But more on that later.” The American coyote is a famous animal in folklore and fables. The cunning animal is a mainstay in Native American folk tales and culture. Coyotes have long exhibited a behavior that was thought to only be true in stories. In fact, […]
Episode 147 – Penduline Tit: The Prepper Penny Parker
November 10, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 37.2 MB“…and today we wrestle between good SEO and saying the awkward name of a bird over and over. But more on that later.” If you were walking through the woods one day, you might see something strange… a fluffy white mass up in the trees. You might think it was a hanging goat carcass or […]
Episode 146 – Black Footed Cat: A Prolific Predator
November 03, 2020 11:00 - 33 minutes - 40.2 MB“… and today we’re talking about a predator so adorable, it rivals the pika-killing stoat in deadly cuteness.” Predators come in all shapes and sizes, but a small size doesn’t necessarily mean an animal is a less effective hunter. And if you’re a rodent in the semi-desert plains of southern Africa, it’s a lesson you […]
Episode 145 – Adelie Penguin: A Formal Feathered Friend
October 27, 2020 10:00 - 39 minutes - 46.8 MB“…and today we’re talking about a formal feathered friend. But more on that later.” Birds of a feather waddle together. And that’s never been truer than it is for the Adelie penguin. As the dapper flippers make their way across the Antarctic ice each year, it’s important for each one to stake their claim on […]
Episode 144 – Horned Viper: The Vied Viper
October 20, 2020 10:00 - 39 minutes - 46.5 MBToday, in the podcast, we talk about the horned viper and sidewinding!
Episode 143 – Barreleye: The Spookiest Fish
October 13, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 35.1 MB“…and today we’re talking about a mysterious organic, deep-diving submarine. But more on that later.” Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, there sits an alien monster fish that stares up straight through its own skull to spy prey: the barreleye. How does it do this? By being one of the weirdest creatures alive, […]
Episode 142 – Vinegaroon: A Real Whippersnapper
October 06, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutes - 41.1 MB“…And today we’re talking about an arthropod that might be right at home on English dining table next to a bottle of brown sauce. But more on that later…” The desert is home to some strange creatures with some even stranger adaptation. Few phyla find as much success in arid climates like arthropods, which develop […]
Episode 141 – Woodlouse: The Pill Bug is No Bug
September 29, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 39.6 MB“…and today we’re talking about a bug of very many names. But more on that right now.” You might think that gills are just for ocean dwellers, and you’d be wrong. For the terrestrial woodlouse or roly-poly, using gills is as easy as breathing. But how and why does it have gills? It’s all a […]
Episode 140 – Mako Shark: Hot-Blooded Hotrod
September 22, 2020 10:00 - 35 minutes - 41.9 MBSharks are a primordial design. A torpedo built to catch and shred prey. These cold black eyes, like a doll’s eyes, are nothing but dark pools of basic, rudimentary instinct, right? Well some sharks are built differently than their kin. The mako shark is one of a few fish with an interesting adaptation that is […]
Episode 139 – Giant Manta Ray – A Focused Fish
September 15, 2020 10:00 - 41 minutes - 50 MB“…and today we’re talking about a buccal pumping pup sucking histotroph in huge chunks. That sentence will only get grosser when you know what those words mean. But more on that later…” Sometimes the biggest giants are the gentlest giants. But this gentle giant is also a genius giant. While the oceanic manta ray might […]
Episode 139 – Giant Manta Ray: A Focused Fish
September 15, 2020 10:00 - 41 minutes - 50 MB“…and today we’re talking about a buccal pumping pup sucking histotroph in huge chunks. That sentence will only get grosser when you know what those words mean. But more on that later…” Sometimes the biggest giants are the gentlest giants. But this gentle giant is also a genius giant. While the oceanic manta ray might […]
Episode 138 – Crab Spider: A Fantastic Floral Friend
September 08, 2020 10:00 - 36 minutes - 43.5 MBWe talk about a floral-patterned crab spider and how it catches prey in this episode.
Episode 137 – Polka Dot Tree Frog: A Light in the Darkness
September 01, 2020 10:05 - 31 minutes - 38.1 MB“Today we’re talking about a tree frog with a bright personality. But more on that later.” The tropical rainforests of South America hide all kinds of rare and fascinating animals – including a host of one-of-a-kind frogs. The polka-dot tree frog may look like your typical aimless amphibian but it actually leads a secret glamorous […]
Episode 136 – Orca: The Social Sea King
August 25, 2020 10:00 - 41 minutes - 49 MB“…and today we’re talking about a seriously amazing cetacean sensation. But more on that later…” Upon first look, a cetacean may seem perfectly alien to a human being. But a closer look may reveal soulful eyes, intelligent behavior, and playful attitudes. An even closer inspection will uncover the fact that these organic torpedoes are extremely […]
Episode 136 – Damselfly: The Damsel Down Under
August 18, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutes - 32.7 MBIn this episode of the podcast, we talk about the damselfly, an insect with an interesting childhood.
Episode 135 – Scaly Foot Snail: Snail Mail Armor
August 10, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 39.6 MBIn this animal podcast episode, we talk about the scaly foot snail, an animal with metal armor.
Episode 134 – Slow Loris: A Precious Little Primate
August 04, 2020 10:00 - 35 minutes - 42.6 MB“…Thank you to Casy Michelle for creating our theme song. Hear more of Casy’s music by searching Casy Michelle on Youtube. Today we’re talking about a sluggish forest clown! But more on that later.” If you’re slow in the animal kingdom, you’d better have a plan when trouble comes a-knockin’. Some animals freeze, some hide, […]