Strange Animals Podcast

Episode 376: The Horned Lizard AKA Horny Toad

April 15, 2024 06:00 - 9 minutes - 11 MB

Thanks to Khalil for suggesting the horny toad, also called the horned lizard or horned toad! Further reading: The Case of the Lost Lizard The Texas horned lizard: Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) The rock horned lizard [photo taken from article linked above]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to learn about a reptile suggested by Khalil, who is Leo’s friend, so a big shout-out to both. Khalil wants to learn a...

Episode 375: The Praying Mantis Re-Revisited

April 08, 2024 06:00 - 8 minutes - 9.48 MB

Thanks to Elijah and an anonymous listener for suggesting that we talk about some more species of praying mantis! Further reading: The luring mantid: Protrusible pheromone glands in Stenophylla lobivertex (Mantodea: Acanthopidae) Dragons and unicorns (mantises) spotted in Atlantic forest Citizen scientists help discover new mantis species The dragon mantis [photo from first article linked above]: The possibly new species of unicorn mantis [picture from second article linked above]: Inimi...

Episode 374: PUFFERFISH!

April 01, 2024 06:00 - 8 minutes - 8.96 MB

Thanks to River for suggesting this week's topic, the pufferfish! Further reading: Grass puffer fish communicate with each other using a non-toxic version of their deadly toxin Mystery pufferfish create elaborate circular nests at mesophotic depths in Australia Pufferfish, puffed: A starry puffer, un-puffed [picture by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=116912671]: A grass puffer, un-puffed: The mystery structure that turns out to be made by puff...

Episode 373: The Tasmanian Devil and the Thylacine

March 25, 2024 07:00 - 9 minutes - 10.9 MB

Thanks to Carson, Mia, Eli, and Pranav for their suggestions this week! Further reading: RNA for the first time recovered from an extinct species Study finds ongoing evolution in Tasmanian Devils' response to transmissible cancer Tasmanian devil research offers new insights for tackling cancer in humans The Tasmanian devil looks really cute but fights all the time [picture by JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0]: The Thylacine could opens its jaws verrr...

Episode 372: Mystery Bovids

March 18, 2024 07:00 - 14 minutes - 15.8 MB

Thanks to Will and Måns for their suggestions this week! Let's learn about some mystery bovids, or cows and cow relations! Further reading: A Book of Creatures: Songòmby Kouprey: The Ultimate Mystery Mammal A musk ox (top) and a wild yak (bottom): A young kouprey bull from the 1930s: Sculpture of two grown kouprey bulls [photo by Christian Pirkl - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73848355]: A banteng bull (with a cow behind him) [photo taken from ...

Episode 371: The Peacock

March 11, 2024 07:00 - 14 minutes - 15.9 MB

Thanks to Ari for suggesting this week's episode, about the peacock! Further reading: Peacock tail feathers shake at resonance and hold eye-spots still during courtship displays Indian peafowls' crests are tuned to frequencies also used in social displays An ocellated turkey (not a peacock but related): An Indian peacock male: An Indian peahen with chicks [photo from this site]: Close-up of a male Indian peacock's crest [photo by Jatin Sindhu - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.w...

Episode 370: Animals Discovered in 2023

March 04, 2024 07:00 - 16 minutes - 19 MB

Let's look at some of the most interesting animals discovered last year! Further reading: Newly-discovered ‘margarita snails’ from the Florida Keys are bright lemon-yellow Tiny spirits roam the corals of Japan—two new pygmy squids discovered Strange New Species of Aquifer-Dwelling Catfish Discovered in India Bizarre New Species of Catfish Discovered in South America Unicorn-like blind fish discovered in dark waters deep in Chinese cave New Species of Hornshark Discovered off Australia ...

Episode 369: Animals and Ultraviolet Light

February 26, 2024 07:00 - 13 minutes - 15 MB

Sorry to my Patreon subscribers, since this is mostly a rerun episode from April 2019. It's a fun one, though! The teensy pumpkin toadlet [photo by Diogo B. Provete - http://calphotos.berkeley.edu, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6271494]: The electromagnetic spectrum. Look how tiny the visible light spectrum is on this scale! [By NASA - https://science.nasa.gov/ems/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97302056]: Show transcript: W...

Episode 368: The Bison

February 19, 2024 07:00 - 11 minutes - 12.7 MB

Thanks to Jason for suggesting this week's topic, the bison! Further reading: New research documents domestic cattle genetics in modern bison herds Higgs Bison: Mysterious Hybrid of Bison and Cattle Hidden in Ice Age Cave Art A cave painting of steppe bison and other animals: An American bison [photo by Kim Acker, taken from this site]: Some European bison [photo by Pryndak Vasyl, taken from this site]: The bison sound in this episode came from this site. Show transcript: Welcome to Str...

Episode 367: The Marozi

February 12, 2024 07:00 - 9 minutes - 11.1 MB

Thanks to Pranav for suggesting this mystery big cat this week, the marozi! Further reading: From Black Lions to Living Sabre-Tooths: My Top Ten Mystery Cats Spotted Lions A young lioness who still has some of her cub spots: Subadult lions who still have a lot of cub spots: The skin of an animal supposedly killed in 1931 and said to be a marozi: Two photos of a "leopon," a lion-leopard hybrid bred in captivity in a Japanese zoo: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m...

Episode 366: The Muntjac AKA Deer with Fangs

February 05, 2024 07:00 - 10 minutes - 12.2 MB

Thanks to Chuck for suggesting this week's topic, a weird little deer called the muntjac! Further reading: Dam Project Reveals Secret Sanctuary of Vanishing Deer Wildlife camera trap surveys provide new insights into the occurrence of two threatened Annamite endemics in Viet Nam and Laos Getting ahead (or two?) with Vietnam's Viking Deer - the Long-Running Saga of a Slow-Running Mystery Beast A giant muntjac [photo by Mark Kostich, taken from article linked above]: A Reeve's muntjac [ph...

Episode 365: A New Temnospondyl

January 29, 2024 07:00 - 10 minutes - 11.4 MB

Let's take a look at some new findings about the temnospondyls this week! Further reading: Ancient giant amphibians swam like crocodiles 250 million years ago Fossil of Giant Triassic Amphibian Unearthed in Brazil Kwatisuchus rosai was an early amphibian [picture taken from article linked above]: Koolasuchus was a weird big-headed boi: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to revisit an animal we talked about way back in epi...

Episode 364: Animals Who Will Outlive Us All

January 22, 2024 07:00 - 15 minutes - 18.5 MB

Thanks to Oz from Las Vegas for suggesting this week's topic! Further reading: Bobi, the supposed 'world's oldest dog' at 31, is little more than a shaggy dog story Greenland sharks live for hundreds of years Scientists Identify Genetic Drivers of Extreme Longevity in Pacific Ocean Rockfishes Scientists Sequence Chromosome-Level Genome of Aldabra Giant Tortoise Giant deep-sea worms may live to be 1,000 years old or more A Greenland shark [photo by Eric Couture, found at this site]: The ...

Episode 363: The Dodo and Friends

January 15, 2024 07:00 - 9 minutes - 11.5 MB

Thanks to Wilmer and Carson for suggesting we revisit the dodo! Further reading: Dodos and spotted green pigeons are descendants of an island-hopping bird On the possible vernacular name and origin of the extinct Spotted Green Pigeon Caloenus maculata Giant, fruit-gulping pigeon eaten into extinction on Pacific islands A taxidermied dodo: The Nicobar pigeon, happily still alive [photo by Devin Morris - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110541928]: ...

Episode 362: The Sawfish and the Sawshark

January 08, 2024 07:00 - 12 minutes - 13.8 MB

Thanks to Murilo for suggesting this week's episode about the sawfish and the sawshark! Further Reading: Sawfish or sawshark? Two New Species of Sixgill Sawsharks Discovered Do not step: The underside of a largetooth sawfish [photo by J. Patrick Fischer - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17421638]: The sawshark has big eyes [photo by OpenCago.info - Wikimedia Commons [1], CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25240095]: A c...

Episode 361: The New Hominin

January 01, 2024 07:00 - 9 minutes - 10.5 MB

Welcome to 2024! Let's learn about some exciting new discoveries in our own family tree! Further reading: 476,000-Year-Old Wooden Structure Unearthed in Zambia Mysterious 300,000-year-old skull could be new species of human, researchers say Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. It’s time to start the new year off with an episode that has me really excited. I was initially going to include this in the updates episode that usually comes out around su...

Episode 360: The Emu War

December 25, 2023 07:00 - 8 minutes - 9.4 MB

Apologies to patrons for redoing an old Patreon episode, but I have a cold and it's the holidays. The noble emu: A baby emu (picture from this site, which has lots of good info about emus and lots more great pictures): Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. I had a different episode planned to finish off the year, but I had lots of stuff to do for the holidays so I put it off, and then I came down with a cold. It’s just a cold, at least, and it's not...

Episode 359: The Antarctic Death Star(fish)!

December 18, 2023 07:00 - 7 minutes - 9.18 MB

Thanks to Morgan for suggesting this week's topic, the Antarctic Death Star! Further reading: Giant Monster Starfish ALERT Echinoderm Tube Feet Don't Suck! They Stick! Bodies of Starfish and Other Echinoderms Are Really Just Heads, New Research Suggests The Antarctic death star [from first link listed above]: The "beartrap" structures, magnified [from first link listed above]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. It’s been way too long since we...

Episode 358: The Bush Dog and the Maned Wolf

December 11, 2023 07:00 - 8 minutes - 10.5 MB

Thanks to Dean, Mia, and Lydia for their suggestions this week! The tayra looks kind of like a canid but is a mustelid [photo by Bob Johnson - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85291909]: The bush dog looks kind of like a mustelid but is a canid: The maned wolf looks like a fox with reallllllly long legs: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we have a suggestion from Dean, who wanted to learn about...

Episode 357: When Scientists Ate Mammoth Meat

December 04, 2023 07:00 - 10 minutes - 11.7 MB

This week we're going to talk about stories of scientists, explorers, and other modern people eating meat from long-dead extinct animals. Did it ever really happen? Check out the great new podcast Herbarium of the Bizarre! I highly recommend it even though they don't eat any mammoth meat. Further reading: Was frozen mammoth or giant ground sloth served for dinner at The Explorers Club? Study Proves the Explorers Club Didn't Really Eat Mammoth at 1950s New York Dinner Company Serves World...

Episode 356: The Volcano Rabbit

November 27, 2023 07:00 - 6 minutes - 7.91 MB

Thanks to Eva for suggesting the adorable volcano rabbit this week! Further watching: American Pikas Calling Out The volcano rabbit is not a volcano but it is a very small rabbit: The volcano rabbit is SO CUTE: The American pika looks kind of like its rabbit cousin [photo by Justin Johnsen, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91574]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we have a suggestion from Eva, who wan...

Episode 355: Tiny Owls

November 20, 2023 07:00 - 9 minutes - 10.8 MB

This week we learn about two tiny owls! Thanks to Elizabeth and Alexandra for their suggestions! Further reading: Burrowing Owl Elf Owl The burrowing owl is tiny but fierce [photo by Christopher Lindsey, taken from page linked above]: The elf owl is also tiny but fierce [photo by Matthew Grube, taken from page linked above]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to learn about two tiny owls. Thanks to Elizabeth and Alexand...

Episode 354: Sheep and Sivatherium

November 13, 2023 07:00 - 10 minutes - 12.2 MB

Thanks to Hannah, who suggested sheep as this week's topic! We'll also learn about a few other hoofed animals, including the weird giraffe relative, sivatherium. Further reading: The American Jacob Sheep Breeders' Association What happened with that Sumerian 'sivathere' figurine after Colbert's paper of 1936? Well, a lot. A Jacob sheep ewe with four horns (pic from JSBA site linked above): The male four-horned antelope [photo by K. Sharma at this site]: A modern reconstruction of sivath...

Episode 353: Warm-Blooded Fish

November 06, 2023 07:00 - 9 minutes - 11.4 MB

This week we're going to learn about some fish that feature warm-bloodedness! Thanks to Eilee for suggesting the moonfish, or opah. Further reading: Are all fish cold-blooded? The Opah Fish Is Warm-Blooded! Basking Sharks Are Partially Warm-Blooded, New Research Suggests Megalodon Was Partially Warm-Blooded, New Research Shows The opah, or moonfish, looks like a pancake with fins but is an active swimmer [picture from first article linked above]: An opah not having a good day [photo by U...

Episode 352: The Not-Deer

October 30, 2023 07:00 - 16 minutes - 20.2 MB

Happy Halloween! We have a super spooky episode for you this week, a full five out of five bats on the spookiness scale, all about the not-deer of modern folklore! Join our Patreon and get bonus episodes and other perks! You can also buy copies of the Beyond Bigfoot & Nessie book and Kate's other books! Further reading: Not Deer, or a Deer? Days before Halloween, creepy trail photo reveals deer standing on 2 legs in NC woods Sharon A Hill's Spooky Geology (not about the not-deer but a lo...

Episode 351: The Bunyip and the Kelpie

October 23, 2023 06:00 - 10 minutes - 12 MB

Thanks to Will and Henry for their suggestions this week! This episode is two bats out of five on the spookiness scale for monster month, so it's only a little spooky. Further reading: Does the Bunyip Really Haunt the Australian Wetlands? A map and drawing of the original earth carving of a bunyip, from the mid-19th century: An elephant seal can really look like a monster: So can a leopard seal [photo by Greg Barras and taken from this site]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals...

Episode 350: Bigfeet and Littlefeet

October 16, 2023 06:00 - 11 minutes - 14.4 MB

It's another spooky episode (three out of five bats on this year's spookiness scale), with suggestions from Will and Pranav! Further reading: Tracking the Swamp Monsters Further watching: The Harlan Ford Footage (Honey Island Swamp Monster) A crab-eating macaque: A plaster cast purportedly from the Honey Island Swamp Monster's footprints [photo from article linked above]: Alligator tracks in the mud [photo from this site]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your ho...

Episode 349: The Masked Monkey-Man

October 09, 2023 06:00 - 10 minutes - 12.9 MB

Thanks to Pranav for suggesting one of the monsters we're talking about this week! This episode is rated three out of five bats on our spookiness scale. Further reading: The Return of Spring-Heeled Jack Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. As monster month continues, this week we have a really spooky episode on a topic Pranav suggested a long time ago. I’m rating it three out of five bats, meaning that if you’re one of our younger listeners, you mig...

Episode 348: Australopithecus and Gigantopithecus

October 02, 2023 06:00 - 18 minutes - 22.5 MB

Thanks to Anbo for suggesting Australopithecus! We'll also learn about Gigantopithecus and Bigfoot! Further reading: Ancient human relative, Australopithecus sediba, 'walked like a human, but climbed like an ape' Human shoulders and elbows first evolved as brakes for climbing apes You Won't Believe What Porcupines Eat Past tropical forest changes drove megafauna and hominin extinctions An Australopithecus skeleton [photo by Emőke Dénes - kindly granted by the author, CC BY-SA 4.0, https...

Episode 347: Two (Sort of) Spooky Amphibians

September 25, 2023 06:00 - 8 minutes - 9.89 MB

Thanks to Max for suggesting one of our slightly spooky amphibians this week! Further reading: New crocodile newt discovered in Vietnam Further watching: Brave Wilderness Giant Screaming Frog! The new Halloween-y crocodile newt discovered in Vietnam [photo by Phung My Trung and taken from the article linked above]: A smoky jungle frog: A screenshot from the video linked above: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. It’s the end of September and yo...

Episode 346: The Rhinoceros!

September 18, 2023 06:00 - 10 minutes - 11.8 MB

Thanks to Mia for suggesting the black rhino this week! We'll also learn about other rhinos and their relations, including a mystery rhino. Further reading: Photos suggest rhino horns have shrunk over past century The Blue Rhinoceros - In Quest of the Keitloa A rhino with a very small third horn: Some rhinos have really big second horns [photo by David Clode and taken from this site]: The "blue rhinoceros," or keitloa, as illustrated in the mid-19th century: Show transcript: Welcome to...

Episode 345: Spotless Giraffes and Spotted Zebras

September 11, 2023 06:00 - 9 minutes - 11.2 MB

This week let's learn about some astonishing giraffes and zebras that don't look like you'd expect! Further reading: See the Rare, Spotless Giraffe Born at a Tennessee Zoo Giraffe Conservation Foundation Brights Zoo A tale of two zebras: South African photos used in misleading posts about Kenya's polka-dot foal Zebra News: Spotted Tira, Zonkeys and Zorses Further viewing: The Mysterious Return of Tira the Spotted Dark Zebra in Masai Mara Kipekee the spotless giraffe [pic is from the ...

Episode 344: Psittacosaurus!

September 04, 2023 06:00 - 9 minutes - 10.9 MB

Thanks to Clay for suggesting this week's topic, psittacosaurus! Thanks to Will for a correction about kangaroos too. Don't forget to check out the great podcast I Know Dino for all the best big dinosaur info! Further reading: What dinosaurs’ colour patterns say about their habitat Unusual fossil shows rare evidence of a mammal attacking a dinosaur A countershaded psittacosaurus model [photo by Jakob Vinther, from first article linked above]: Repenomamus and psittacosaurus, fighting for...

Episode 343: Mystery Jellyfish

August 28, 2023 06:00 - 10 minutes - 12.7 MB

This week we finish out Invertebrate August with some mysterious jellyfish, including a suggestion by Siya! Further reading: Mystery giant jellyfish washes up in Australia New jellyfish named after curious Australian schoolboy Mysterious jellyfish found off the coast of Papua New Guinea intrigues researchers Newly discovered jellyfish is a 24-eyed weirdo related to the world’s most venomous marine creature Rare jellyfish with three tentacles spotted in Pacific Ocean The Immortal Jellyf...

Episode 342: Giant Snails and Giant Crabs

August 21, 2023 06:00 - 10 minutes - 12.7 MB

Thanks to Tobey and Anbo for their suggestions this week! We're going to learn about some giant invertebrates! Further reading: The Invasive Giant African Land Snail Has Been Spotted in Florida A very big shell: The giant African snail is pretty darn giant [photo from article linked above]: The largest giant spider crab ever measured, and a person: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to learn about some giant invertebrates, ...

Episode 341: The Leaf Sheep and the Mold Pig

August 14, 2023 06:00 - 9 minutes - 10.4 MB

Thanks to Murilo and an anonymous listener for their suggestions this week! Further reading: The ‘sheep’ that can photosynthesize Meet the ‘mold pigs,’ a new group of invertebrates from 30 million years ago A leaf sheep: Shaun the sheep: A mold pig: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week let’s learn about two animals that sound like you’d find them on a farm, but they’re much different than their names imply. Thanks to Murilo for sugges...

Episode 340: Whale Lice and Sea Lice

August 07, 2023 06:00 - 13 minutes - 16.1 MB

Thanks to Eilee for suggesting the sea louse this week! Further reading: Secrets of the Whale Riders: Crablike ‘Whale Lice’ Show How Endangered Cetaceans Evolved Parasite of the Day: Neocyamus physeteris A whale louse [By © Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19259257]: The salmon sea louse [By Thomas Bjørkan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7524020]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. ...

Episode 339: The Tully Monster!

July 31, 2023 06:00 - 13 minutes - 15.3 MB

Is it an invertebrate? Is it a vertebrate? It's the Tully monster! Further reading: 3D Tully monster probably not related to vertebrates Has the "Tully monster" mystery finally been solved after 65 years? Possibly what the Tully monster looked like while alive: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to learn about an ancient creature surrounded by mystery. When I was working on last week’s updates episode, I found some new infor...

Episode 338: Updates 6 and an Arboreal Clam!?!

July 24, 2023 06:00 - 19 minutes - 23.3 MB

This week we have our annual updates and corrections episode, and at the end of the episode we'll learn about a really weird clam I didn't even think was real at first. Thanks to Simon and Anbo for sending in some corrections! Further reading: Lessons on transparency from the glass frog Hidden, never-before-seen penguin colony spotted from space Rare wild asses spotted near China-Mongolia border Aye-Ayes Use Their Elongated Fingers to Pick Their Nose Homo sapiens likely arose from mult...

Episode 337: Ghost Shrimp and Snapping Shrimp

July 17, 2023 06:00 - 9 minutes - 11 MB

Thanks to Zachary and Anbo for their suggestions this week! Let's learn about some shrimp! Further reading: This is why the pistol shrimp is immune to its own powerful shock waves The Symbiotic Relationship Between Gobies and Pistol Shrimp An eastern ghost shrimp: A snapping shrimp: A goby fish and its snapping shrimp buddy: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we’re going to have an episode about a few different types of shrimp, wi...

Episode 336: The Turtle Ant and the Alien Butt Spider

July 10, 2023 06:00 - 9 minutes - 10.8 MB

Thanks to Kari for suggesting this week's topics! Definitely check out her book Butt or Face?, which is funny and has lots of animal information! Further reading: Butt or Face? by Kari Lavelle GBIF: Araneus praesignis [the spider pictures below come from this site] The turtle ant's body is flattened and the soldier caste ants have specialized head shapes to block the nest entrances: The alien butt spider has a butt that looks like an alien's face! The alien butt spider hides during the ...

Episode 335: Large Blue Butterfly vs Ants

July 03, 2023 06:00 - 7 minutes - 7.99 MB

We're kicking off July with a beautiful butterfly that does horrible things to ants! Further reading: UK Butterflies - Large Blue The large blue butterfly (picture taken from page linked above): Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. I recently realized that I have so many weird and interesting invertebrates saved up to feature for invertebrate August that I can’t fit them all into one month, so let’s kick off invertebrate August in July! This we...

Episode 334: Piranha!

June 26, 2023 06:00 - 9 minutes - 10.3 MB

Thanks to David for this week's suggestion, the piranha! Further reading: Florida wildlife officer's fish seizure nibbles at illegal piranha sales How Teddy Roosevelt Turned Piranhas into Ferocious Maneaters The beautiful butterfly peacock bass (not a piranha): The red-bellied piranha (By H. Zell - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82557603): Chompy chompy teeth: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This ...

Episode 333: Robins and Ravens

June 19, 2023 06:00 - 13 minutes - 15.3 MB

Thanks to Liesbet, Simon, and Thea for their suggestions this week! Let's learn about some birds! Further reading: Blue Tits and Milk Bottle Tops Ravens parallel great apes in flexible planning for tool-use and bartering Further watching: A Raven Calling [this is a great video of a raven making all sorts of interesting sounds--I only used a tiny clip of it in the episode but it's worth watching the whole thing] The European robin: The American robin and a worm that is having a very bad...

Episode 332: Hunting Partners and Mutualism

June 12, 2023 06:00 - 10 minutes - 11.9 MB

Thanks to Vaughn and Jan for their suggestions this week! We're going to learn about mutualism of various types. Further reading: The odd couple: spider-frog mutualism in the Amazon rainforest What Birds, Coyotes, and Badgers Know About Teamwork Octopuses punch fishes during collaborative interspecific hunting events An Emotional Support Dog Is the Only Thing That Chills Out a Cheetah Buddies [picture from the first link above]: The honeyguide bird: Cheetahs and dogs can be friends: ...

Episode 331: Ompax, the Mystery Fish

June 05, 2023 06:00 - 10 minutes - 11.9 MB

This week we have a mystery fish from Australia, the ompax! Main source consulted: Whitley, G. P. (1933). Ompax spatuloides Castelnau, a Mythical Australian Fish. The American Naturalist, 67(713), 563–567. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2456813 The fateful Ompax drawing: The freshwater longtom (picture by Barry Hutchins): Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. For the Patreon episode this month, we had a bird mystery from Queensland, Australia. Whil...

Episode 330: Vintana and Tiarajudens

May 29, 2023 06:00 - 8 minutes - 9.47 MB

Thanks to Lorenzo for suggesting Tiarajudens! We'll learn about it this week along with another extinct animal, Vintana. Further reading: Funky facial flanges [the skull picture below comes from this site] First Postcranial Fossils of Rare Gondwanatherian Mammal Unearthed in Madagascar The Earliest Saberteeth Were for Fighting, Not Biting [the skeleton picture below comes from this site] Vintana's skull had weird jugal flanges: Tiarajudens had saber teeth as well as palatal teeth: Show...

Episode 329: Manatees and a Surprise Sloth

May 22, 2023 06:00 - 13 minutes - 14.8 MB

Thanks to Alexandra and Pranav for their suggestions this week! Let's learn about manatees and sloths, including a surprising extinct sloth. Further reading: Sloths in the Water A West Indian manatee: A three-toed sloth: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we have a suggestion from Alexandra and Pranav, who wanted an episode about manatees. We’ll also talk about another marine mammal, a weird extinct one you may never have heard of. Th...

Episode 328: Giant Ants

May 15, 2023 06:00 - 6 minutes - 7.66 MB

Thanks to Richard from NC for suggesting Titanomyrma! Further reading: 'Giant' ant fossil raises questions about ancient Arctic migrations A fossilized queen Titanomyrma ant with a rufous hummingbird (stuffed) for scale: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This week we have a suggestion from Richard from North Carolina, who sent me an article about an extinct giant ant called Titanomyrma. This episode is short, but I think you’ll find it intere...

Episode 327: The Humble Marmot

May 08, 2023 06:00 - 8 minutes - 9.88 MB

Thanks to Dean for suggesting this week's topic, the marmot! Thanks also to Al-Ka-Lines Studio for the beautiful bat pin! You should definitely visit their online shop, because all their jewelry is hand-made by the two of them. Further reading: The secret to longevity? Ask a yellow-bellied marmot The yellow-bellied marmot doing a sit [By Inklein, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2675916]: A groundhog keeping an eye out for danger: Show transcript: Welcome to...

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