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 133 – Fork-Tailed Palm Swift: A Passerine Pirate
July 28, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 40.4 MB“Thank you to Casy for our theme song. Hear more of Casy’s music by searching Casy Michelle on Youtube. Today we’re talking about a bird with a penchant for piracy, but more on that later…” Birds often display unexpected ingenuity. They’re famous for building nests, and those nests come in all shapes and sizes, from […]
Episode 132 – Water Anole: Squamata in the Wata
July 21, 2020 13:40 - 41 minutes - 44.6 MB“Thank you to Casy for our new theme song. Hear more of Casy’s music by searching Casy Michelle on Youtube. Today we’re talking about a familiar looking lizard with an unfamiliar amazing ability!” From the time of Alexander the Great, air breathers have been fascinated by the world beneath the waves. And humans aren’t the […]
Episode 131 – Eastern Emerald Elysia: An Animalian Rebel
July 14, 2020 10:00 - 35 minutes - 42.5 MB“…And today we’re talking about a naughty slug that doesn’t play by the rules. But more on that later.” Hi, LDT listeners. You’re about to hear something special: Life, Death and Taxonomy’s first ever theme song. We’ve long set the mood with free to use web found music, but thanks to our friend Casy, we […]
Episode 130 – Giant Cuttlefish: A Tricky Trist
July 07, 2020 10:00 - 35 minutes - 42.8 MB“…and today we’re talking about another misnamed sea creature with a sneaky nature.” The coral reefs of Australia are bright and colorful places of happiness for all kinds of fish and sea critters. But there’s always danger lurking around every corner. One surly cephalopod has a habit of hypnotizing its prey and tricking its rivals […]
Episode 129 – Golden Poison Dart Frog: The Miniature Midas
June 30, 2020 10:00 - 28 minutes - 34.2 MB“…and today we’re talking about a tiny bright yellow animal that doesn’t have to worry about most predators. But more on that later.” The rainforest is a lush verdant landscape covered in shades of green and brown. Organisms that deviate from this chromatic conformity usually want to be seen like budding flowers or lovestruck birds. […]
Episode 128 – Praying Mantis: The Penitent Predator
June 23, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutes - 33 MB“…and today we’re talking about an insect that’s not as pious and charitable as it’s posture projects. But more on that later.” While the prayers of a righteous man availeth much, the prayers of a righteous bug aren’t as effective. In fact, there is no such thing as a righteous bug. But that doesn’t stop […]
Episode 127 – Lion: The Sultan of the Savannah
June 16, 2020 10:00 - 36 minutes - 43.8 MB“…and today we’re talking about the sultan of the Savannah, the prince of the pride, the king of the jungle. But more on that later.” Cats are a solitary bunch. They prefer quiet naps in trees or in the sunbeam cast in an otherwise vacated living room. The loner lifestyle is just easier for felines […]
Episode 126 – Harpy Eagle: The Raging Raptor
June 09, 2020 10:00 - 40 minutes - 48.7 MB“Today we’re talking about a bird that’s as fearless as it is big. More on that later.” Life in the rainforest can be hard, but not if you’re a harpy eagle. Enjoying a top spot at the head of its food chain, these frilly feathers can choose from a wide variety of animals to make […]
Episode 125 – Okapi: The Sneak Forest Ungulate
June 02, 2020 10:00 - 38 minutes - 46.7 MB“And today we’re talking about a big sneaky horse, giraffe, zebra. But more on that later.” The African Savannah is dominated by predators but the jungles of the Congo aren’t much safer. The dense forests conceal powerful predators like the leopard, which catches prey that didn’t even know she was there. Today, poachers are even […]
Episode 124 – Giant Moray Eel: The Alien of the Deep
May 26, 2020 10:00 - 37 minutes - 44.1 MB“And today we’re talking about a sci-fi fish with some grumpy gills. But more on that later.” If you were to go diving almost anywhere in the shallows of an Indo-Pacific ocean, there’s a good chance you’ll find a moray eel stationed in some of the porous holes left in the rocky coral reefs. Looking […]
Episode 123 – Dwarf Olive Snail: The Swash Surfer
May 19, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 39.9 MB“Today we’re talking about an aquatic olive garden. But more on that later…” The sun, surf, and gentle sound of waves crashing against the sandy shores may bring to mind a welcome respite from daily life. But as with human surfers, the beach is life for some tidal animals. There’s a whole world of creatures […]
Episode 122 – African Elephant: The Savannah’s Bulldozer
May 12, 2020 10:00 - 39 minutes - 46.1 MB“…and today we’re going to talk about the elephant in the room. More on that for the entire episode…” Striding across the African Savannah in a constant search for food, the African Elephant is the largest land animal in the world. But in spite of its size, the elephant is a master of subtlety. When […]
Episode 121 – Lesser Long-Nosed Bat: A Long Secret
May 05, 2020 13:29 - 32 minutes - 39.4 MB“…And today we’re talking about an animal that has gotten some bad press recently. But hopefully some cool facts will turn it around. More on that later.” A dry barren wasteland seems like the kind of place most creatures would avoid. But the dessert offers rare opportunities to those who have the tools to capitalize […]
Episode 120 – Peacock Spider: The Real Tiny Dancer
April 28, 2020 10:00 - 36 minutes - 43.4 MB“And today we’re talking about an adorable arachnid with as much style as they have charisma. But more on that later.” While John Travolta dances to cope with the stresses of life and Kevin Bacon dances so that the Bomont seniors can go to prom, the peacock spider is a much more dire dancer. When […]
Episode 119 – Least Weasel: The Voracious Forest Noodle
April 21, 2020 10:00 - 36 minutes - 42.2 MB“Today we’re talking about an animal that least but certainly not last. But more on that later.” There are two basic paths of sustenance in the animal kingdom. You can gather and graze or you can eat the grazers. Predators are usually large, powerful, and able to take down prey that are built to resist […]
Episode 118 – Sunflower Sea Star: Limb from Limb
April 14, 2020 13:50 - 36 minutes - 45.7 MB“And today we’re talking about an arms race that moves about three feet per minute, but more on that later…” We all love starfish, cute, slow-moving, harmless little creatures whose desiccated husks make for great souvenirs from your trip to Key Largo. But not all starfish can be as whimsical as Patrick Star, some are […]
Episode 117 – Bolas Spider: The Swinging Moth Muncher
April 07, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 39.8 MB“…and today we’re talking about a spider that’s truly magnificent. But more on that in a few minutes.” Australia is no stranger to animals that do things differently. The denizens of the large island often have to carve their own path. It’s not surprising that the continent’s animals are often as intrepid and undaunted by […]
Episode 116 – Argonaut: The Shelled Sailor
March 31, 2020 10:00 - 38 minutes - 47.1 MB“And today we’re talking about a nautilus that isn’t actually a nautilus at all, but it is a Greek mythological hero. More on some of that later.” You may have heard of Alexander the Great’s famous diving bell, but he was far from the first earthling to explore the depths with trapped air. Putzing around […]
Episode 115 – Baikal Seal: The Seal with a Bubble Buddy
March 24, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 41 MB“And today we’re talking about a seal that can play the saxophone! But not really! But not much more on that later.” Lake Baikal stretches across southern Siberia and it contains enough water to exceed all of the Great Lakes combined. It’s so large and deep, it’s said to be a leading candidate for the […]
Episode 114 – Electric Eel: The Electric Puppet Master
March 17, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 42 MB“And today we’re talking about an electric water type Pokémon. But more on that later.” If there’s anything we learned as kids, it’s stop drop and roll, don’t do drugs, and never mix electricity with water. But a certain stunning slippery serpentine creature didn’t get the memo. If you go swimming with the electric eel, […]
Episode 113 – Kinkajou: The Tree Sower
March 10, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutes - 42.6 MB“And today we’re talking about a carnivore in name only. But more on that later.” A seed falls from overhead into the soft soil beneath. It’s buried by a steady rain that lasts all afternoon. It’s growth will mark the beginning of a new tree in the rain forest. But where did that seed come […]
Episode 112 – Koala: The Pickiest Herbivore
March 03, 2020 11:00 - 34 minutes - 42.6 MB“And today we’re talking about a cuddly looking lazy old bear that’s not a bear at all. But more on that later…” Hoigh app in the eucalyptus trays of Ustreya, the koala beeah suffahs from a caise of mistaken oidentity. It’s not really even a beeah, it’s a mahsupial loike the kaingaroo. And it has […]
Episode 111 – White Bellbird: The Avian Airhorn
February 25, 2020 11:00 - 36 minutes - 44.8 MB“And today we’re talking about a bird with perfect projection for a passeriform. But more on that later…” In the bird world, it takes a lot to attract a mate. Some go for brilliant colorful costumes, other’s choreograph a complex dance, and a select few even dabble in architecture. But why do any of that […]
Episode 110 – Ocean Sunfish: The Saucy Saucer
February 18, 2020 11:00 - 35 minutes - 42.8 MB“And today we’re talking about fish head fish heads rolly polly fish heads. But more on that later…” If you’re cruising around in temperate waters on a sunny day, don’t be surprised if you see a huge flat disk floating on the surface nearby. The Mola mola is a massive fish that sometimes needs a […]
Episode 109 – Pangolin: The Armored Carrier
February 11, 2020 11:00 - 40 minutes - 48.9 MB“…and today we’re talking about an amazing armored animal! But more on that later.” Speed and strength are popular in the animal kingdom. If danger comes my way, I’ll outrun it or fight it off. But some creatures go another route: head to tail armor. It’s a road less traveled among mammals, but some have […]
Episode 108 – Cicada: The Brooding Bug
February 03, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 47.2 MB“And today we’re talking about a periodic pest. But more of them later.” All across the eastern U.S., a tenacious bug makes a long-awaited debut. Teeming just below the ground beneath your feet, millions of cicadas will wait years to emerge into the wild blue yonder. But why do they wait so long? And how […]
Episode 107: Disco Clam: Saturday Night Survivor
January 30, 2020 03:16 - 34 minutes - 40.1 MB“…and today we’re returning to an old friend, but we’re going to hear the other side of the story.” Today we’re returning to familiar territory. We’ve covered a brilliant and formidable predator that seems to be unstoppable because of its powerful punch. But there’s at least one item on its menu that’s not going into […]
Episode 106 – Wels Catfish: Some Fishy Tales
January 21, 2020 11:00 - 33 minutes - 41.3 MB“…and today we’re talking about a fish of legend for which meat is back on the menu.” If you ever find yourself swimming in the freshwater lakes and streams in Europe, you may want to keep an eye on dark waters below. The Wels catfish may not have the teeth or temperament of a shark […]
Episode 105 – Great White Pelican: Feeding Friends. See?
January 14, 2020 11:00 - 29 minutes - 36.1 MB“… and today we’re talking about an animal that’s great and white. No, not that great white animal! More on that later.” Food is limited and the flock is many. For most animals, seeking to feed yourself first and then resting to conserve energy, is the best way to survive. But without the aid of […]
Episode 104 – Goliath Birdeater: Along Came a Spider
January 07, 2020 11:00 - 29 minutes - 37 MB“…and today we’re talking about a spider that sat down beside her and tilted the bench under its immense weight, spilling curds and whey everywhere.” Tarantulas are big. The Goliath Birdeater Tarantula is even bigger. But being big doesn’t mean you don’t have enemies and predators to deal with. So how do you handle them? […]
Episode 103 – Babirusa: Toothy Baby Ruthy
December 31, 2019 11:00 - 33 minutes - 41.3 MB“And today we’re talking about a big pig with interesting headgear, but more on that later.” The jungles of Indonesia have provided several episodes of interesting animal info so far. The terrain seems to provide a smorgasbord of offbeat animals. But none may be as strange as a particular forest pig with an odd dental […]
Episode 102 – Turritopsis Jellyfish: To Be Young Again
December 24, 2019 14:12 - 38 minutes - 46.9 MB“And today we’re talking about a tiny little long-lived sea booger. But more on that later. The long lived stuff. Not the booger stuff.” Description Like many sea creatures, the jellyfish is found all over the world’s oceans. They prefer temperate to tropical regions. They are believed to have originated in the pacific but may […]
Episode 101: Treehopper – Leaping Bug Teens
December 16, 2019 11:00 - 34 minutes - 41.9 MB“And today we’re talking about a tiny helicopter with some interesting upward momentum.” Tiny insects are key menu items for a lot of creatures in the kingdom animalia. To be small and tasty is a recipe for doom if you don’t have some interesting survival tactics. Entire orders of insects start in vulnerable metamorphic stages […]
Episode 100 – Potoo: A Funny Feathered Extravaganza
December 11, 2019 01:52 - 38 minutes - 46 MB“…and today we are talking about an animal for the 100th time and we’re announcing the winner of the listener’s favorite part of the show vote!” The official listener’s favorite part of the show is…. Measure Up! That’s right! You came out to the polls and let your voices be heard. With Twitter and Facebook […]
Episode 99 – Pallas Cat: Mr. Whisples
December 03, 2019 11:00 - 34 minutes - 41.9 MBAnd today we’re talking about a wide eyed and expressive cat! But more on that later! They may look like your average domestic feline on the surface. But a closer look will reveal some odd features. Thick fur, short stubby ears, and rotund bodies, give away that this particular Himalayan cat isn’t your typical tabby. […]
Episode 98 – Narwhal: The Sea Unicorn
November 26, 2019 11:00 - 36 minutes - 44.3 MB“And today we’re talking about a whale with a rostrum for adventure! But more on that later!” Way high up in the frigid arctic waters swims what many would consider to be a mythical creature: a unicorn. No, not a white horse with a horn sticking out of its head, but a whale with a […]
Episode 97 – Mary River Turtle: The Punk Rock Respirator
November 19, 2019 11:00 - 24 minutes - 29.3 MB“And today we’re talking about a turtle that does what it wants because it’s punk rock.” Turtles enjoy the aquatic lifestyle, eating algae, river plants, and fish. But, unlike those fish that are privileged with water-breathing gills, turtles must make trips to the surface to breathe. But one Australian turtle species with a punk rock […]
Episode 96 – Cape Buffalo: Revenge on the Range
November 12, 2019 11:00 - 32 minutes - 39.1 MB“And today we are talking about beefiest boys in the bovine brotherhood. But bore on that later.” Clutching his rifle in his hand, veteran British big game hunter Owain Lewis made his way through the dense brush of Zimbabwe, carefully tracking an injured cape buffalo that had been shot three days earlier by an American […]
Episode 95 – Bobbit Worm: The Terror Tube
November 05, 2019 11:00 - 30 minutes - 36.8 MB“And today were talking about a terror tube that makes the sarlacc that swallowed Bobba Fett seem like a kiss on the cheek. But more on that later.” The ocean floor is a treasure trove of decaying plant and animal matter that’s ripe for the picking for fish and invertebrates that are looking for tasty […]
Episode 94 – Tarantula Hawk: Gross Pepsi
October 29, 2019 08:00 - 32 minutes - 56.1 MB“…and today we’re talking about a creepy crawly with a nasty sting that might be living in your backyard.” K – Animalia P – Arthropoda C – Insecta O – Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, yellow jackets, hornets) F – Pompilidae (parasitic wasps) SubF – Pepsinae G – Pepsis S – Gross Spider Parasites While an adult […]
Episode 93 – Long-Tailed Grass Lizard: Reggie Tails
October 22, 2019 10:00 - 33 minutes - 39.7 MB“And today we are telling a Thai tale of a towering tail. But more on that later.” Grass is important to dads with perfectly manicured lawns, but it goes unnoticed by the rest of us. But what if you were a lot smaller, and you made you home in thick tall grass. You might find […]
Episode 92 – Red-Lipped Batfish: Beauty Bats
October 15, 2019 11:47 - 26 minutes - 32.5 MB“And today we’re talking about a fish that looks like a victim of the scream extractor machine in Monsters Inc.” You might think you know anglerfish, but think again. He strides across the ocean floor luring his prey, his body a crude caricature of a much more well-adapted animal. He’s the hero Galapagos deserves, but […]
Episode 91 – Tibetan Fox: The Fat Cheeks Fox
October 08, 2019 10:00 - 36 minutes - 41.3 MB“And today we are talking about an animal that David Attenborough once called ‘the most wonderful looking fox’ and also ‘bizzare with a curious body shape.’ I guess a fox can be two things but more on that later…” The Ethiopian highlands are often called the roof of Africa, but The Tibetan Plateau is called […]
Episode 90 – Gelada Monkey: The Sneaky Monkey
October 01, 2019 12:23 - 29 minutes - 36.8 MB“And to day we’re talking about a guilty little monkey. But more on that later!” The rules of engagement vary widely in the animal kingdom, especially when it comes to romance. But whether a species has multiple mates, or just one, at least there are rules. The Gelada Monkey may seem like a tasty Italian […]
Episode 89 – Etruscan Shrew: A Rusted Shoe
September 24, 2019 10:00 - 33 minutes - 37.8 MB“Today we are talking about a tiny mammal with a big appetite. But more on that later.” Intro Being tiny is difficult for a lot of reasons. It can make you easy prey for a variety of larger predators. And it can limit your own food sources to plants and even smaller animals. But being […]
Episode 88 – Emei Mustache Toad: The Monster Stache
September 17, 2019 09:00 - 33 minutes - 49.3 MB“…and today, we’re talking about a frog whose fashion actually has a fantastic function, but more on that later.” Intro music: Jorge Mendez Outro music: Morning Light Music
Episode 87 – Darwin’s Bark Spider: The Master Arachnotect
September 10, 2019 09:00 - 34 minutes - 53 MB…and today, we’re talking about a strong, independent woman who is literally a homemaker.”
Episode 86 – Malabar Giant Squirrel: The Coat of Many Colors
August 27, 2019 09:00 - 33 minutes - 50.7 MB“…and today, we’re talking about a big, plush tree rodent with a bold fashion sense, but more on that later.”
Episode 85 – Dromedary Camel: The Desert U-Boat
August 20, 2019 09:00 - 30 minutes - 46 MB“…and today, we’re talking about the desert ships that opened up the trans-Saharan trade routes. But more on that later.“
Episode 84 – Dawson’s Bee: My Chemical Romance
August 13, 2019 09:00 - 34 minutes - 50.4 MB“…and today we’re talking about a burrowing bee whose beef is between brothers, but more on that later…”