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 83 – Cookie Cutter Shark: The Oceanic Cookie Monster
August 06, 2019 10:00 - 29 minutes - 34.6 MB“…and today we are talking about a ugly little baker that makes the kind of cookies only a predatory fish would love. But more on that later.” During the Cold War, the U.S. Navy’s fleet of nuclear submarines seemed invincible. A highly-mobile underwater tank with the capability of destroying entire cities, this death star of […]
Episode 82 – Seahorse: The Peculiar Parent
July 30, 2019 12:42 - 30 minutes - 33.9 MBAnd today we’re talking about an oceanic equine with strong paternal instincts and a unique dad bod, but more on that later.
Episode 81 – Dhole: The Giant Fox Dog
July 23, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 87.3 MB“…and today we’re talking about a canine that whistles while it works. But more on that later…” When you’re a predator that has to compete with leopards and tigers, you’re in for an uphill battle. If you’re smaller, slower, and not as stealthy as other carnivores in the mountain forests of Asia, you better have […]
Episode 80 – Emu: The Bird Wars of Australia
July 16, 2019 10:00 - 39 minutes - 43.6 MB“And today we’re talking about a bird, not Eastern Michigan University, which I guess has the eagle as its mascot so that’s also a bird. But we’re discussing a different bird. So if some silly SEO sent you here, stay awhile. You might learn something.” Australians are no strangers to deadly animals, everything from the […]
Episode 79 – Desert Kangaroo Rat: A Mouse Divided
July 09, 2019 10:00 - 30 minutes - 34.7 MB“And today we’re talking about a rat that’s metaphorically faster than a speeding bullet. But more on that later.” In nature, you’re a predator, prey, or both. When you’re small and delicious, you’re probably pretty low on the food chain. But there’s a rodent that lives in Mojave Desert that’s so adapted to dealing with […]
Episode 78 – Reticulated Glass Frog: Clear Frogs Full Hearts
July 02, 2019 10:00 - 37 minutes - 40.9 MB“And today we’re talking about a creature with a clear eyes and a full heart. But more on that later.” When it comes to relationships, one of the best qualities is transparency. When you find that special someone, you can really open up and let that special someone see your heart—as well as your liver […]
Episode 77 – Red-Capped Manakin: The Moonwalking Glitch Bird
June 25, 2019 10:00 - 27 minutes - 30.8 MB“And today we’re talking about a bird that claps for himself. But more on that later.” Dance is the language of love. Or at least, that’s the motto of a variety of birds in rain forests around the world. Some animals fight for their mates, but why do that when you can settle things with […]
Episode 76 – Cuckoo Bird: Lazy Not Crazy
June 18, 2019 10:00 - 31 minutes - 35.5 MB“Today we’re talking about a crummy parent and a nasty little child. But more on that later.” Like the social programs that Ayn Rand despises so much, parasites exist to profit off of someone else with no benefit to the host. The cuckoo bird likes making kids, but hates raising them. They’re a lot of […]
Episode 75 – Tapir: Chubby River Horse
June 11, 2019 10:00 - 33 minutes - 37.9 MB“Today we are talking about a river horse whose looks are laughable and unphotographable. Yet they’re my favorite work of art.” The Amazon Rainforest is home to a diverse population of plants and animals. But if you were hiking along the water in the brazil’s Amazon river basin, you might see something you’ve never seen […]
Episode 74 – Railroad Worm: More Brilliant Than a Locomotive
June 04, 2019 13:50 - 29 minutes - 33.5 MB“And today we’re talking about a worm that’s more radiant than a locomotive. But more on that later.” Description The railroad “worm” is actually a beetle that goes through multiple metamorphic stages like a butterfly. They start off as eggs that are laid in groups on the ground and encircled by the momma. They lay […]
Episode 73 – California Condor: An Old Bord
May 28, 2019 10:00 - 36 minutes - 40.9 MB“And today we’re talking about a big black buzzard the binges on bear beef but more on that later.” When the arid American West claims a life, it doesn’t go to waste. The clean up crew soars high above the ground looking for new ways to cleanse the earth. This biological catharsis not only fills […]
Episode 72 – West African Giraffe: A Tall Horse
May 21, 2019 10:00 - 30 minutes - 33.5 MB“And today we are talking about one of the biggest animal celebrities. I’m a little star struck already.” Striding across the blazing Serengeti, the towering, wiry frame of the giraffe moves with surprising grace as it searches-for food. As the tallest mammal in the world, the giraffe makes for an easy target for large African […]
Episode 71 – Walrus: The Sabertooth Puppy-Whale
May 14, 2019 12:37 - 34 minutes - 39 MB“And today we’re talking about a big blubbery boy with wonderful whiskers with which they wade around in the water.” There may be no harsher environment in the world than arctic. The extreme cold makes it an inhospitable place for most plants and animals. But for a few unique species, it’s an ideal to place […]
Episode 70 – Mimic Octopus: The Mocking Mollusk
May 07, 2019 13:22 - 37 minutes - 43.5 MB“And today we are talking about a slippery sucker pup that has more than 15 ways to get out of danger.” Lots of animals pretend to be other animals. Hiding and visual deception have helped countless butterflies, snakes, and millipedes either eat or avoid being eaten by donning masks and acting their little hearts outs. […]
Episode 69 – Black Kite: The Harbinger of Destruction
April 30, 2019 10:00 - 34 minutes - 38.5 MB“And today we are talking about a bird that is a harbinger of doom and destruction. But more on that later.” Fire is a blessing and a curse. It’s constructive potential is rivaled only by its destructive capabilities. It was once thought that humans were the only creature on earth to harness this powerful energy […]
Episode 68 – Honey Badger: The Badger Who Lived
April 23, 2019 10:00 - 31 minutes - 35.6 MB“And today we’re talking about the John Wick of weasels and like John Wick, you just don’t want to get in it’s way. But more on that later.” The plains of sub-Saharan Africa are a dangerous place for mid- to smallish-sized mammals. There are lots of predators that want to make a meal out of […]
Episode 68 – Cassowary: World’s Deadliest Bird?
April 16, 2019 10:00 - 36 minutes - 41.9 MB“…and today we’re talking about what is called the most dangerous bird in the world. But more on the truth of that later.” We often think of birds as benign, graceful creatures, alighting on the forefingers of princesses and singing songs to one another as the sun crests the horizon. When in danger, these skittish […]
Episode 67 – Tongue-Eating Louse: The Prometheus Peekaboo Parasite
April 09, 2019 10:00 - 27 minutes - 31.8 MB“And today we’re talking about a crustacean whose name sounds like an old-timey insult. ‘Hey, get back here you tongue-eating louse and I’ll give you what for!’” Have you ever loaded your family into a big RV and taken to the open road? One undersea crustacean does something similar with its family. Only instead of […]
Episode 66 – Shocking Pink Dragon Millipede: Seeing Double Dragon
April 02, 2019 10:00 - 32 minutes - 36.6 MB“…and today we’re talking about an animal whose name is click bait and what they smell like will shock you! But more on that later.” When traipsing along the Mekong in Southeast Asia, you may smell the delicious scent of almonds wafting on the stagnant, humid air. While this may seem like a decadent oasis […]
Episode 65 – Taita African Caecilian: The Apoda Shuffle
March 26, 2019 10:00 - 29 minutes - 32.5 MB“…And today we are talking about a slimy tube that has a vague resemblance to a nasty appendage that might shoot out of an alien at Sigourney Weaver. But more on that whenever you get a chance to look up a picture.” Life in the mud isn’t glamorous, but, like Arnold’s character in Predator, it […]
Episode 64 – Leatherback Sea Turtle: The Sea Tank
March 19, 2019 10:00 - 33 minutes - 38.7 MB“…and today we’re talking about a huge reptile that has a Salt Life bumper sticker and really isn’t into the time honored reptilian tradition of basking in the sun.” Just like little kids at the fair, we love turtles. They’re armored, they’re scaly, and they take life slowly. However, the leatherback sea turtle takes turtleness […]
Episode 63 – Spotted Hyena: The Queen of Crunch
March 12, 2019 10:00 - 30 minutes - 34.7 MB“…and today we’re talking about a pupper who’s not a pupper at all. But more on that in like a minute.” The top dog isn’t always an alpha male. In fact, it isn’t even always a dog. All kinds of animals survive by forming social bonds and working as a team, but sometimes survival requires […]
Episode 62 – Irukandji Jellyfish: Tiny Deadly Squishy
March 05, 2019 11:00 - 25 minutes - 28.8 MB“…And today we’re talking about a smol sea booger with a nasty sting. But more on that later.” Australia is filled with lots of cute things, and also lots of deadly things. The irukandji jellyfish is that second part, but also a little bit of the first. At about the same size as a match […]
Episode 61 – Golden Eagle: The Aquila and the Bleat
February 26, 2019 11:00 - 28 minutes - 32.1 MB“…And today we are talking about a bird with an impressive wingspan and brutal hunting tactics. I would make a joke, but frankly, I’m scared of it.” A bird who’s at home in the skies needs a body built for aviation. That means a light frame, hollow bones, and a wingspan wide enough to generate […]
Episode 60 – Goby Fish: The Waterfall Wriggler
February 19, 2019 11:00 - 35 minutes - 39.5 MB“And today we’re talking about a fish with a green fin, a bright personality, and a future with an upward trajectory, but more on that later.” Beneath the sun soaked rivers of Hawaii, there dwells a fascinating fish with tenacious tendencies. After being born, the Stimpson’s Goby is swept out to sea, far from its […]
Episode 59 – Tree Kangaroo: The Jumping Joey
February 12, 2019 11:00 - 33 minutes - 37.5 MB“…and today we’re talking about Australia’s version of a monkey, which is of course a marsupial. Way to play to the stereotypes, Australia. I guess there’s no improving on a classic.” Imagine you’re high up in the rainforest canopy, munching on some of your favorite foliage when all of a sudden, you hear the rustle […]
Episode 58 – Nile Crocodile: The Tunneling Tank
February 05, 2019 11:00 - 39 minutes - 43.7 MB“…And today we are talking about the most amazing animal that comes second place in two categories and first place in one!” When your big and cold blooded, maintaining the right temperature can be a challenge, especially when you live on a continent that sees a wide range of temperatures. But for one primordial reptile […]
Episode 57 – Chiton: The Neato Magneto
January 29, 2019 11:00 - 29 minutes - 33.2 MB“…and today were are talking about a little pair of wax lips that scoots around the ocean smooching submerged surfaces.” Molluscs come in all shapes and sizes, but this little dumpling is an armored tank. With eight shell segments and a tongue covered in sharp teeth, the Chiton has a magnetic attraction to certain places […]
Episode 56 – Patagonian Mara: Urine For a Big Surprise
January 22, 2019 09:30 - 31 minutes - 34.8 MB“…Y hoy estamos hablando de un animal argentino con patas largas y un método de comunicación único.” Nature is weird, and the Patagonian Mara is weird right alongside it. It’s not enough that it’s a crazy rabbit kangaroo deer, but it also has a form of communication that we can all agree is pretty gross. […]
Episode 55 – Dracula Ant: The Formidable Formica
January 15, 2019 11:00 - 27 minutes - 30.8 MB“…and today we’re talking about an ant that can’t grant kindness when food is scant. Even aunt ants pant for a hemolymph transplant. But more on that later.” Madagascar is a place that’s been isolated by ocean for as long as it has existed, and it’s only recently started to be developed by humans. Because […]
Episode 54 – Pistol Shrimp: The Sonic Slayer
January 08, 2019 08:00 - 32 minutes - 35.3 MB“…Today we’re talking about a small fry with a loud personality and the fastest draw this side of the Mississippi… and the other side too. But more on that later… You don’t really think of the ocean being a noisy place, but it can get pretty rambunctious down there sometimes. One of the chief troublemakers […]
Episode 53 – Clark’s Nutcracker: The Squirrelly Bird Gets the Worm
January 01, 2019 11:00 - 29 minutes - 33.4 MB“Today we’re talking about a bird with a knack to crack snacks and packs snacks to prep for when Jack frost comes back. But more on that later.” You may know that a lot of nature’s most amazing animal adaptations are developed in the bitter fight against winter. When earth tilts away from the warmth […]
Episode 52 – Western Diamondback Rattlesnake: A Heat Visionary
December 25, 2018 14:30 - 33 minutes - 37.7 MB“And today we’re talking about a moody snek with a bejeweled back and baby toy for a butt!” Sometimes, all you need in a shootout is a keen eye and your trusty gun. But nature’s tricky, and you can’t always see your target with just your eyes. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake can see through the […]
Episode 51 – Water Deer: The Fanged Forrest Fawn
December 18, 2018 11:00 - 30 minutes - 34 MB“…and today we’re talking about a creature whose binomial name means defenseless water drinker in latin. But more on that later.” As the deer pants by the water, it must keep a sharp eye out for predators. Once they turn their heads down to take a few sips of that life-giving elixir, they’re vulnerable to […]
Episode 50 – Bullseye Snakehead: A Fishy 50th Extravaganza
December 11, 2018 11:00 - 35 minutes - 40 MB“…and today we’re talking about the Bullseye snakehead, which is a classic Floridian story in that it’s from somewhere else and it’s really just making the place worse.” Fish live and breathe water, right? Of course they do! Fish are in the water and we’re on land, that’s what prevents sharing the planet with sharks […]
Episode 49 – Shoebill: The Prehysterical Pescatarian
December 04, 2018 10:00 - 23 minutes - 26.2 MB“And today we’re talking about a weird-looking dinosauresque bird that looks like it may have been drawn by a fourth grader.” Every so often, a creature comes along that defies the conventions of adaptation and reform. Such creatures cling to the tried and true and, subsequently, resemble relics of a bygone age. One prehysterical looking bird […]
Episode 48 – Star-Nosed Mole: The Anemone-Faced Horror
November 27, 2018 14:31 - 34 minutes - 36.4 MB“And today we are talking about a creature that could be a schnoz seismologist. But more on that later…” Deep in the forests of Appalachia, a friendly earthworm makes its way to who knows where. When suddenly, a dark form approaches. If it had eyes, the earthworm would see a large furry creature coming toward […]
Episode 47 – Archer Fish: The Pond Sniper
November 20, 2018 11:00 - 34 minutes - 38.5 MB“…And today we’re talking about a fish that sick of the taste of fish! But more on that later.” Intro It’s a fish eat fish world, but some aquatic animals aren’t strict pescatarians. Some favor the fruit of the forest. But what can you do if you have terrestrial tastes? Well, you’ve got to bring […]
Episode 46 – Blue Sea Slug: The Cnidarian Nightmare Dragon
November 13, 2018 10:00 - 30 minutes - 33.9 MB“And today we are talking about the magellan with dark blue flagellum. But more on that later.” Description Small symmetrical slug that doesn’t look like your typical slug. It has a slender body with appendages coming off of each side that almost look like hands. Instead of fingers, they have Cerata, which are appendages found […]
Episode 45: Monarch Butterfly: The 3,000 Mile Flutter
November 06, 2018 11:00 - 34 minutes - 39 MB“And today we are talking about the monarch butterfly, an insect that tastes so bad other bugs are trying to be her! But more on that later…” She prepares for a journey she may never complete, And from which she will never return. No insect migration could ever compete But it’s not the glory she […]
Episode 44 – Vampire Bat: The Spooky Sky Rat
October 30, 2018 10:00 - 33 minutes - 38.2 MB“And today we are talking about a dark and mysterious creature that’s the subject of frightening folklore and spooky stories. But more on the later.” Creeping quietly through the night A vampire finds its hearts delight Breathing softly in its sleep The prey knows not what’s in the deep With slash and prick, the wound […]
Episode 43: Lowland Streaked Tenrec: The Spiky Stridulator
October 23, 2018 10:00 - 28 minutes - 32.5 MB“And today we are talking the lowland streaked tenrec, about a spiky mamma that looks like a cross between a hedgehog and a shrew but is actually neither.” Lowland Streaked Tenrec Intro The search is vast and they’ve got to be fast To catch the worms in the twilight hours. The moon is high and brief is […]
Episode 42 – Superb Lyrebird: The Pants on Friarbird
October 16, 2018 12:57 - 26 minutes - 30.3 MB“Today we’re talking about a fancy bird with a thousand words for romance.” It’s a beautiful Australian morning, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and— what was that? Was that a chainsaw you just heard? Nope, it was just the song of the lyrebird, nature’s most complicated songwriter. By imitating other birds, animals, […]
Episode 41 – Orangutan: The Forest People of Borneo
October 09, 2018 10:00 - 32 minutes - 37.2 MB“And today we are talking about a large primate with orange hair whose bellowing can be heard for great distances… even without twitter.” Intro Life in the rain forests of Borneo may seem like a peaceful existence in paradise, but finding food and shelter requires the right tools and the brains to use them. It’s […]
Episode 40 – Pilot Whales: Enter the Sand Porpoise
October 02, 2018 10:00 - 25 minutes - 28.4 MB“And today we are learning about a whale that’s as much a whale as they are Federal Aviation Administration approved pilots.” Have you ever been sleeping? And during that sleep had a dream? And did that dream seem incredibly real? Well, you probably just ate too much sugar before bed, but this happens to the […]
Episode 39 – Daddy Longlegs: Spider Not Spider
September 25, 2018 07:00 - 27 minutes - 30.8 MBLife is dangerous for a small arthropod. You might be on the menu for every animal from birds to mammals. But sometimes, you just have to let go of the stress of being small and learn to adapt to the changes as they come. For the daddy longlegs, maintaining life might mean giving up some […]
Episode 38 – Naked Mole Rat: Wrinkly Pink Old Rat
September 19, 2018 01:15 - 26 minutes - 30.1 MBWhen searching for the key to a long cancer-free life, there is one place that few people want to look—which is directly into the beady, unblinking eyes of a hairless underground horror. Enter the naked mole rat, the sort of cold-blooded super ugly mammal with cells that loath social contact. But hey, maybe we’ll find […]
Episode 37 – Mourning Gecko: A Lovely Lady Lizard
September 10, 2018 06:27 - 31 minutes - 39.6 MB“And today we’re talking about a strong independent gecko, who loves sailing and walks on the beach. But more on that later.” Intro If you found yourself all alone on a desert island, you might be pretty lonely. But what if you could make friends… literally! There’s one little lizard that has developed a way […]
Episode 36 – Jaguar: The Champion of Chomp
September 04, 2018 06:00 - 30 minutes - 34 MB“…and today we’ll be talking about a cool cat that can bat at crocodile backs and fat rats like they’re doormats and defeat them in combat. But more on that later.” Intro The jungle is home to some of the most extraordinary creatures on planet Earth. One such creature stalks the rainforests of Central and […]
Episode 35 – Thresher Shark: Smack ’em and Snack ’em
August 28, 2018 06:00 - 33 minutes - 36.9 MB“…and today we are talking about a shark that steals a technique from Indiana Jones to get some fishy treasures. But more on that later!” Intro The ocean is a great place with lots of room to roam. The perfect way to escape for the fish that call it home. “Just stick together and we’ll […]