Explore every episode of the podcast Animal Power Showdown
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magawa, the Rat Who Won a Gold Medal (+ 3 More Animal Superpowers) | 24 Oct 2026 | 00:08:03 | |
A great eared nightjar that looks like a tiny dragon, with feather "ears" and a beak that opens like a net. A red-lined bubble snail striped like peppermint candy. Mozzarella, a dwarf crocodile with bony armor all the way down to her belly. And Magawa, a giant pouched rat who sniffed out landmines and won a gold medal! Then it's your turn at Super Sniffer vs. Armored Croc: who wins a sniffing contest, and who wins a tug-of-war, the rat or the crocodile? 00:00 Secret opening 00:20 Welcome to Animal Power Showdown 00:50 Round 1 · The Dragon Bird of the Night (great eared nightjar) 02:07 Round 2 · The Candy-Striped Bubble Snail (red-lined bubble snail) 03:12 Round 3 · Meet Mozzarella, the Mini Crocodile (dwarf crocodile) 04:19 Round 4 · Magawa, the Rat Who Won a Gold Medal (giant pouched rat) 05:44 Your Turn: Super Sniffer vs. Armored Croc 07:09 Power check and goodbye Talk about it at home: different bodies win different contests. What contest would your body be great at? Fact sources: Great eared nightjar: Massimo (@Rainmaker1973), photo by Jenisha Aggarwal, https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2113948623654498671 Red-lined bubble snail: Massimo (@Rainmaker1973), https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2113941792076734960 Mozzarella the dwarf crocodile: Houston Zoo, https://x.com/houstonzoo/status/2113620224926716257 Magawa the giant pouched rat: Massimo (@Rainmaker1973), https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2113929743384941012 | |||
| The Tiny Blue Dragon That Eats Stingers (+ 4 More Animal Superpowers) | 23 Oct 2026 | 00:08:11 | |
A tiny blue sea slug that floats upside down and eats stingers. Peale's dolphins with white "armpits" that scientists once thought couldn't whistle. A pink roseate spoonbill that finds food by feel with its spoon-shaped bill. The very first dinosaur sculptures in the world, and their funny mistakes. And Horand, the very first German Shepherd! Then it's your turn at Tiny vs. Long: who wins, the 1-inch blue glaucus or the Portuguese man o' war? 00:00 Secret opening 00:22 Welcome to Animal Power Showdown 00:51 Round 1 · The Tiny Blue Dragon That Eats Stingers (blue glaucus) 02:00 Round 2 · The Dolphin That Barely Whistles (Peale's dolphin) 02:56 Round 3 · Pink Bird, Spoon Face (roseate spoonbill) 03:54 Round 4 · Oops! The Dinosaurs That Got It Wrong (Crystal Palace Dinosaurs) 05:05 Round 5 · Horand, the Very First German Shepherd (German Shepherd) 06:09 Your Turn: Tiny vs. Long 07:14 Power check and goodbye Talk about it at home: the first dinosaur statues put a thumb on the nose by mistake! What's something you once guessed wrong, and then fixed? Fact sources: Blue glaucus: Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2113314198348263722 Peale's dolphin: Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2113505704489214299 Roseate spoonbill: Massimo (@Rainmaker1973), https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2113314440162791753 Crystal Palace Dinosaurs: Natural History Museum, https://x.com/NHM_London/status/2113571598934450432 Horand von Grafrath: Massimo (@Rainmaker1973), https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2113499277788090742 | |||
| Fod, the Owl Who Snuck onto a Warship (+ 3 More Animal Superpowers) | 22 Oct 2026 | 00:08:03 | |
Elephant seals that shout with their big noses and dive more than a mile deep. Orca grandmas who help their families survive. A rhinoceros rat snake with a horn that scientists still can't explain. And Fod, a tiny owl found hiding inside a fighter jet on a Navy aircraft carrier! Then it's your turn at the Ocean Olympics: who wins the deepest dive and the fastest sprint, the elephant seal or the orca? 00:00 Secret opening 00:20 Welcome to Animal Power Showdown 00:49 Round 1 · The Great Elephant Seal Shout-Off (northern elephant seal) 02:15 Round 2 · Super Grandmas of the Sea (orca) 03:16 Round 3 · The Snake with a Rhino Horn (rhinoceros rat snake) 04:17 Round 4 · Fod, the Owl Who Snuck onto a Warship (Eurasian scops owl) 05:34 Your Turn: Ocean Olympics 07:06 Power check and goodbye Talk about it at home: orca grandmas remember the best fishing spots. What's something you've learned from someone older than you? Fact sources: Northern elephant seal: Discovery, https://x.com/Discovery/status/2112514244478386237 Orca grandmothers: NOAA Fisheries, https://x.com/NOAAFisheries/status/2113048450627428739 Rhinoceros rat snake: Bronx Zoo, https://x.com/BronxZoo/status/2112968424674476409 Fod the owl: Massimo (@Rainmaker1973), https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2112931917972799649 | |||
| The Squid in Striped Pajamas (+ 3 More Animal Superpowers) | 21 Oct 2026 | 00:08:08 | |
A tiny squid in striped pajamas that hides in the sand and oozes slime. An hourglass dolphin with a disappearing trick. A sloth that lives upside down and can hold its breath for up to 40 minutes. And three baby tortoises named Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeño! Then it's your turn: whose escape trick is better against a hungry predator, the squid or the dolphin? 00:00 Secret opening 00:16 Welcome to Animal Power Showdown 00:44 Round 1 · The Squid in Striped Pajamas (striped pyjama squid) 02:01 Round 2 · The Hourglass Dolphin's Disappearing Trick (hourglass dolphin) 03:15 Round 3 · Life Upside Down (three-toed sloth) 04:27 Round 4 · Meet the Pickles Family (radiated tortoise) 05:47 Your Turn: whose escape trick is better? 07:11 Power check and goodbye Talk about it at home: the sloth goes slow to save energy. When is going slow the smart choice? Fact sources: Striped pyjama squid: American Museum of Natural History, https://x.com/AMNH/status/2112782953281462451 Hourglass dolphin: Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2112592944792289312 Three-toed sloth: National Geographic, https://x.com/NatGeo/status/2112619862841303234 Radiated tortoises (the Pickles family): Massimo (@Rainmaker1973), https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/2112575822397640940 | |||
| The 1-in-30,000 Snow-White Raven (+ 4 More Animal Superpowers) | 20 Oct 2026 | 00:07:57 | |
A wolf family with a howl that carries for miles. Jaguars at home in the trees, with jaws that crunch turtle shells. A snow-white raven, about 1 in 30,000. A stingray whose bright blue spots mean "back off." And oysters that clean the water! Then it's your turn: who's the better hunter, the jaguar or the wolf pack? 00:00 Secret opening 00:16 Welcome to Animal Power Showdown 00:42 Round 1 · It's Wolf Awareness Week! (gray wolf) 01:34 Round 2 · Jaguars in the Treetops (jaguar) 02:34 Round 3 · A Snow-White Raven?! (raven) 03:55 Round 4 · Blue Spots Mean "Back Off!" (blue-spotted stingray) 04:51 Round 5 · The Ocean's Water Filter (oyster) 05:40 Your Turn: who's the better hunter? 06:58 Power check and goodbye Talk about it at home: what's something you can do better as a team than all by yourself? Fact sources: Wolf pack (Wolf Awareness Week): International Wolf Center, https://x.com/IntlWolfCenter/status/2111847806252249557 Jaguars: Natural History Museum, London, https://x.com/NHM_London/status/2111021498219589654 White raven: American Museum of Natural History, https://x.com/AMNH/status/2112393356995100690 Blue-spotted stingray: American Museum of Natural History, https://x.com/AMNH/status/2112176046103552328 Oysters: NOAA Fisheries, https://x.com/NOAAFisheries/status/2112198614449582538 | |||
| The Ghost Shark's Super-Sensor Snout (+ 4 More Animal Superpowers) | 19 Oct 2026 | 00:07:54 | |
A spooky forest fungus called dead man's fingers. A ghost shark with a super-sensor snout for the dark deep sea. A rare turtle named after Steve Irwin. A walking fish with its own fishing rod. And 15 bison that grew into a whole herd! Then it's your turn: who's the better hunter, the ghost shark or the frogfish? 00:00 Secret opening 00:17 Welcome to Animal Power Showdown 00:44 Round 1 · Dead Man's Fingers! (fungus) 01:50 Round 2 · Meet the Ghost Shark (rhinochimaera) 02:46 Round 3 · Steve Irwin's Turtle (Irwin's turtle) 03:39 Round 4 · The Walking Fish with a Fishing Rod (scarlet frogfish) 04:39 Round 5 · From Almost Gone to Roaming Again (American bison) 05:34 Your Turn: who's the better hunter? 06:52 Power check and goodbye Talk about it at home: if you could borrow one of today's superpowers for a day, which one would you pick, and why? Fact sources: Dead man's fingers: American Museum of Natural History, https://x.com/AMNH/status/2112058732582436908 Ghost shark (rhinochimaera): Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2111911506870751586 Irwin's turtle: American Museum of Natural History, https://x.com/AMNH/status/2108671293868421602 Scarlet frogfish: Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2110522830165086260 Wichita Mountains bison: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, https://x.com/USFWS/status/2111119995669229815 | |||
| The Fossa Climbs Down Trees Headfirst (+ 4 More Animal Superpowers) | 18 Oct 2026 | 00:07:45 | |
A hunter that climbs down trees headfirst. Dinosaur footprints so big a kid can stand inside. A fish that can eat its own weight in plants in one day. A tiny shrimp that works as a fish dentist. And the real Canadian bear behind Winnie-the-Pooh! Then it's your turn: who wins a race, and who wins a pushing contest? 00:00 Secret opening 00:15 Welcome to Animal Power Showdown 00:42 Round 1 · Madagascar's Mystery Hunter (fossa) 01:42 Round 2 · Giant Dinosaur Footprints (theropod and sauropod) 02:56 Round 3 · The Very Hungry Vegetarian (grass carp) 03:48 Round 4 · The Tiny Fish Dentist (Pacific cleaner shrimp) 04:36 Round 5 · The Real Winnie-the-Pooh Was Canadian! (black bear) 05:25 Your Turn: who wins a race, and who wins a push? 06:45 Power check and goodbye Talk about it at home: which of today's animals would you most like to meet, and what would you ask it? Fact sources: Fossa: Bronx Zoo, https://x.com/BronxZoo/status/2108203554381164921 Glen Rose Trackway dinosaur footprints: American Museum of Natural History, https://x.com/AMNH/status/2109475975272779779 Grass carp: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, https://x.com/USFWS/status/2109660574866882796 Pacific cleaner shrimp: Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2110066554553446744 Winnie the black bear: ZSL London Zoo, https://x.com/zsllondonzoo/status/2110355195138064576 | |||
| The Shark's Secret Sixth Sense (+ 4 More Animal Superpowers) | 18 Oct 2026 | 00:07:54 | |
A shark that can feel electricity. A dinosaur with a crown of spikes. A slug that curls its tail like a cat. A seadragon that looks like seaweed. And a cuttlefish that changes color in less than a second! Then it's your turn: who is the better hider? 00:00 Secret opening 00:19 Welcome to Animal Power Showdown 00:47 Round 1 · The Secret Sixth Sense (hammerhead shark) 01:50 Round 2 · Spiky Crown Dino (Styracosaurus) 03:04 Round 3 · Tail Champion (long-tailed semi-slug) 03:56 Round 4 · The Swimming Seaweed (leafy seadragon) 04:40 Round 5 · Color-Changing Ninja (cuttlefish) 05:33 Your Turn: who is the better hider? 06:52 Power check and goodbye Talk about it at home: if you could have just one of these superpowers, which one would you pick? Fact sources: Sharks' sixth sense: Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2109744673862344902 Styracosaurus: American Museum of Natural History, https://x.com/AMNH/status/2106109666191360109 Long-tailed semi-slug: American Museum of Natural History, https://x.com/AMNH/status/2110217125470044178 Leafy seadragon: Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2111188700629463107 Cuttlefish: Oceana, https://x.com/oceana/status/2109024710373626341 | |||