Enjoy one of my favorite old episodes: animals who live the trash lifestyle, pretend to be trash, live inside trash, or are generally having a crappy day (and that's how they like it)! With guest, Pallavi Gunalan! Stay tuned for the results of last week's Mystery Animal Sound next week! 

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Today on the show, Weird little guys! Animals that are a wee bit freaky, and also, a bit wee. We're going to get progressively littler, and weirder as we go on. From a cryptid that is essentially a tiny sandworm from Dune, to an even smaller animal that likes to get ahead of home security, these animals have devised some odd evolutionary strategies. Featuring Molly Conger of the new podcast Weird Little Guys! 

Footnotes

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Today on the show, earth! Is it a spaceship? Is it a blue marble? A giant egg? A hologram projected by aliens? Or is it a living, breathing organism? I'm joined by science writer Ferris Jabr to talk about his new book "Becoming Earth" and whether the planet is alive!

Guest: Ferris Jabr 

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If you don't like spiders, I've got bad news for you! Because today is all about spiders! From cute baby spider dreams, to spider catapults, and the friendship between a spider and a carnivorous plant! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what's ruder after mating, eating your partner, or yeeting your partner? 

Guest: Ivy Le, host of FOGO: Fear of Going Outside

Footnotes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L6-fj-ZxyYBZ4aZQugZnbafE3V8Rc34er6ZNS6VmJf0/edit?usp=sharing

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I'm joined by the McElroy brothers to talk about CORAL! Why is it alive? Is it coming for us? Can you really get through life with only one hole? And can crabs teach us how to combine the art of cheerleading with that of boxing? 

Guests: Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, & Griffin McElroy 

Footnotes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19CROfPYR-ROWOQY4aFd8YMj6L5-LTkHCZU95ZXVDswM/edit?usp=sharing

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I answer your listener questions, from how eyeballs work, to whether toucans are transparent. And hey, are snakes just legless lizards?

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Some animals jump, some animals fly, and some animals fall with style! All the best fallers in the animal kingdom, with stunts that would make Tom Cruise's stuntman blush.

Guest: Alex Schmidt

Footnotes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JOlreqBJHJanozq9hsPeJYoDgN2eYdoB7heL9M5DUpQ/edit?usp=sharing

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Katie on the run from a group of bloodthirsty penguins, so here's a re-run of our episode on the freakiest teeth in the animal kingdom. And if you think it's silly to be afraid of penguins, wait until you see inside their MOUTHS. Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yE2Oh8FIciFwlW6l-dJbhc1FaK5XcwAdwQWe19TcGHA/edit?usp=sharing

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We're zooming way out and looking at animals not as individuals, but as herds, colonies, crowds, and flocks. And we're going to find out that animals, including people, share more in common with particles found in physics than we may like to believe. Discover this and more with Daniel Whiteson as we answer the age-old question: when does an ant mosh pit get deadly? 

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We're addressing the elephant in the room... well, three elephants, who aren't actually elephants. The elephant shrew, the elephant fish, and the elephant bird! How can there be so many elephants?!? What are their secrets?? Can we boop their snoots?!!?!

Footnotes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_sbovOjB-MPmirz8bqjbW1HTIWmm_4HXKnR8fe0q9pQ/edit?usp=sharing

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I answer your questions: combat between polar bears and great whites, turtle sleep, goat milk, turkey antics, and more! 

Footnotes: 

Camel playing soccer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=nXMa4fsH9xQ&feature=emb_title

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 We're having a heat wave here, and I imagine a lot of you out there are dealing with the same. So let's cool down with some stories of how animals beat the heat with Joelle Monique!

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Katie is on a short vacation (no she hasn't been taken over by parasitic wasps, haha) so here's one of her favorite older episodes, about animals who rebuild themselves with Dave Schilling.

Footnotes: 

Self-decapitating sea slug! 

https://vp.nyt.com/video/2021/03/08/92303_1_08tb-seaslug-video_wg_480p.mp4

Salamander limb regeneration! 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lJNO-ZRuE1g/TF6bvuBV7cI/AAAAAAAACO4/lRDWA1VFymA/s1600/regeneration.jpg

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Katie is hiding under her bed from the fireworks, so here's one of her favorite summer episodes: Top ways animals stay cool in the heat, your results may vary! From gular fluttering to a stinky cool down method, bee fans and mucus cocoons, there are all sorts of ways to stay chill in the summer heat! 

Guests: Ella Hubber, Tom Lum, and Caroline Roper

Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/197ka55555R0ejpocBcPs4je_ZKXen1aDLbwqcwfw9rY/edit?usp=sharing

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From the domesticated donkey, to their wild ass kin, donkeys are an underestimated animal with a courageous heart. There are many varieties of donkeys, but all asses have one thing in common: a desire to kick ass. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what's the lamborghini of the donkey world?

Guest: Andrew Ti

Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1prV2OI4LB-SVFsFcfkVnjaSuJv397hut4wSpbLxmR1A/edit?usp=sharing

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I'm joined by Ed Yong, science journalist for the Atlantic, Pulitzer prize winner for his coverage of COVID-19, and author of the book, An Immense World, which explores the hugely diverse way in which animals perceive our planet.

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Do animals have money? Before you shake down your local squirrel, we're not talking about dollars, buttcoin, or whatever. Could animals have a currency, make trades, and understand when they're getting grifted? I'm joined by Brett McCully, an economist, who is also my husband. What a coincidence!

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From lynxes that refuse to be the missing lynx, to extinct cats who have a cheeky surprise. Join us with guest, Jeff May, as we discover this and more answers to the age-old question: you can pick your friends, you can pick your cat's nose, but can your cat pick their friends out of a police lineup? 
Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l_nXTK9auiwiPJZ9UvucBFQ69KyON_hNGvObhUXANZw/edit?usp=sharing

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I've got the author of Around The World In 80 Birds, Mike Unwin, on to talk BIRDS! Why we love these little feathery dinos, and some of the most surprising birds from around the world! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for extra sound effects!

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I'm answering your listener questions! Do owl eyes change colors? Would aliens be hot? What would a kraken look like?

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Etiquette is a manner of perspective and species, from flamingos with topsy-turvy eating habits, to the goats who have a more arboreal take on dining, you'll learn how to dine with the animals, and how to politely hold your termite-stick depending on your chimpanzee hosts's tastes. Discover this and more with Katherine Spiers as we answer the age-old question: Can Australia's version of the trash-eating racoon fly?

Footnotes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10iFXcG4uUg4TuzMjuhA_FNJjHw9X7RT-Utv9lfJGBPo/edit?usp=sharing

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From rattlesnakes to copperheads, we're talking about some of America's most dangerous cutie noodles! How does their venom work? Do they really want to bite your stinky ol' leg? And how to respect nature's most potent linguini. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, why are we injecting horses with snake venom? Featuring naturalist and snake expert Alexi Grousis!

Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yuHcp1EU6xXdwVk1k2UPnVDLD1IG9mFVmL31NcsA3-k/edit?usp=sharing

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Physics and biology collide! This episode is from the wonderful physics podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain The Universe, on which Katie is a guest host. Discover whether the human eye can see a single photon, how eyes evolved, and check out the Daniel and Jorge Explain The Universe podcast! 

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Today I'm joined by my friend and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson of Daniel & Jorge Explain the Universe to talk about how the beauty of nature, from a tiger's stripes to a butterfly's wings comes down to photons bonking around your eyeballs! And are there people who can see UV light?

Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n2S4DJ75HSp1jNLIzoNRyCJeO5WSdJ4z9F6csOsR6dI/edit?usp=sharing

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 How do zebras get stripes? How does Mike Wazowski keep his eyeball moist? And how come a group of crows is called a "murder?" I answer your questions! 

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Roses are red, blood is blue, blood is green, and transparent too??? Join us as we discover all the colors of the blood rainbow with Seanbaby & Robert Brockway. 

Footnotes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1omHDiujE1aOr7FHnkukk61Fjnd0asnlXMDh0R1Dl7P8/edit?usp=sharing

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Today on the show, we're firing the Easter Bunny and looking for a replacement with Soren Bowie! That's right E.B., you're getting benched and we're sending another animal out there to make merry with the eggs and the flowers!

Footnotes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uBq4b0mnk0TsQJfe5CqOZSg3Yk8CqCZ5vG5I1CgsYM8/edit?usp=sharing

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From bird spas crawling with ants to chimpanzee pharmacology, Anna Hossnieh joins us as we learn that a millipede a day can keep the doctor away! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: should you replace your doctor with a spider?

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We have a special guest, Dr. Winifred Frick, chief scientist of Bat Conservation International. The Hill's horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus hilli, had been feared extinct, as neither hair nor wing has been seen for forty years. But after a 5 year period of survey efforts, Bat Conservation International, and the Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, spotted a bat with an incredibly strange looking face... 

Hill's Horseshoe bat rediscovery link: https://www.batcon.org/press/conservationists-announce-the-rediscovery-of-an-african-bat-species-lost-for-40-years/

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Everything you could possibly ever want to know about camels with special guest Bridgett Greenberg! Plus: flesh balloons (romantic flesh balloons)!

Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wzSqttUixtTsUlLPKKKmXWuHRQyUgko7TT9UUz6y33I/edit?usp=sharing

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We're seeing red in a whole new light, from red fur to red hair to red scales! Join Maggie Mae Fish as we discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: why are red pandas? 

Footnotes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcPaLUqp6Eunc1LYwertLbAVbOvRs2-oroN9dYbpIQQ/edit?usp=sharing

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From dangerous booties to headbutts from hell, we're looking at froggies with some devilish secrets. Discover this and more with  Chris Crofton as we answer the age-old question: Are my eyes up here, or are they down there?

 Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zs_MedD7Auz3U7l_A2cGSID5IBUVIT5nRDC6Q8FC6_g/edit?usp=sharing

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Big trypophobia warning for this episode, especially if your name is Pinocchio and you're made out of wood. From hidden delicacies within rotting logs, to nutty drama, to the story of a parasite's parasite, we're looking at what happens when the Giving Tree gives you nausea with Shereen Younes.

Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OZVHmrD_DNgYp5Kx3D2iZLslDd9JpvSWTXbpERFzqbU/edit?usp=sharing

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Sometimes mating isn't so straightforward! From parasites that take the scenic route to reproduction to some species boycotting normal mating altogether! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: does a nematode understand what a little freak it's being?

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From bird humping helmets to toxic toad sausage thrown out of helicopters, sometimes conservationists have to get wild to save the wild. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: how do you keep a whooping crane from catching feelings for you; with guest Anna Salinas.

Footnotes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pf3_5_UfDGV-m82Pm1PQULxv9lxt_AEYYWLlLNJqHd0/edit?usp=sharing

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From clownfish to bonobos, biology and the animal world is far more complex than prudes like to think it is. Joining me today are Laine and Owen, hosts of the podcast A Field Guide to Gay Animals, a podcast exploring queerness in the natural world!

Guests: Owen Ever & Laine Kaplan-Levenson

Footnotes: Last week's mystery animal sound source

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Guest: Pallavi Gunalan 

Summary: Life is tough on these teeny tinies, so they need creative solutions to get around the world without being immediately destroyed! From the world's itty bittiest snail, to dastardly little fish, to the world's lil'est cowboys doing a giddy-up in the sea, we're looking at some cuties who are sometimes surprisingly devious. 

Footnotes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c02vaTXLPLd0eMjrwGuxgtjHN70uK_iQakMHN-LhhaA/edit?usp=sharing

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It's listener questions day! A sexy game of rock paper scissors lizards, eels mating in the Bermuda triangle, and Doggie Bowser, M.D., all your questions answered! (P.S: No goats were harmed in the making of this podcast). 

Footnotes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xSwpxwMqsXRIrWt9zvZlwpmOg_IERaov0A9q9Ie5MTM/edit?usp=sharing

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Inventions versus animals! Can we innovate our way into being as cool as animals? Can animals inspire breakthroughs in medical devices? And what does one of history's greatest inventors and sharks have in common?

Footnotes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d7QVe02iVmsXE83p9rJS-jzzhYL1f4XEd3F_lbKJlz0/edit?usp=sharing

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Sexy aquatic scandals! From the loudest fishy lovemaking in the world, to amphibians having a ball… discover this and more as we answer the age-old question, what does Ed Gein and marine biologists have in common? 

Footnotes:

Male gulf corvina singing a love song

https://dosits.org/galleries/audio-gallery/fishes/gulf-corvina/

Male western toad's saying "hands off!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2E-bcEJgLc

Last week's mystery animal sound:

https://sounds.bl.uk/Environment/Listen-to-Nature/022M-LISTNAT00077-0001V0

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From giant bugs to monkey dog friendships, a trio of good news stories to start out 2022! 

Footnotes: 

Giant millipede discovered 

https://www.livescience.com/giant-ancient-millipedes-uk

Dog and monkey alliance

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/a-vervet-monkey-befriends-some-hostile-dogs/

Last week's mystery animal sound answer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TeStCgLUWE

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Katie's flying back home this week (and boy are her arms tired) so we're playing a great episode from the past year! This one's about crabs, how they're taking over civilization, and WE (snap) ARE (snap) HERE (snap) FOR (snap) IT! She's joined by the incredible Kylie Brakeman.

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Are cats parasites? Do animals go to the gym? Have you ever been pranked by a monkey? All your questions answered!

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Some of today's most fascinating animals had surprising ancestors. From giant sloths to wooly rhinos to enormous… turtle rabbits? Discover all this and more as we answer the age-old question, which animal is best at sphere?

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It's a miracle! A Creaturekringletimes holiday special about miracles in nature, from immaculately conceived condors to the Tiny Tim of parrots! Join us with special guest, Will Poole.

Footnotes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yn4zFLfJVkTcGI8l4cGnZ1oN9yJbx7Xi6eTSVNHFw_U/edit?usp=sharing

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We're joined by fan favorite, Alex Schmidt. Today, we're giving those CreatureKringleTimes reindeer a break and hiring some new mystical steeds to carry Kringle Claw's sleigh, and using a bit of Kringletime magic we're bringing some megafauna back from extinction! Discover some unforgettable ungulates as we answer the age-old question, did Santa steal the family dog??? 

Footnotes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ofN2BMRRxu3ITqZZZjcH7LSae9rq2umS0pJ39rHJlRU/edit?usp=sharing

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These animals steal the food right out of your mouths! The most daring (and grossest) thieves in the world. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question, should there be spider butt dentists? 

Guest: Katherine Spiers 

Footnotes: This week's mystery animal sound source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPiFdOStVkM

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From terrified bee shrieks to lemur airhorn songs, these animals are screaming for your attention. Join Will Poole as we answer the age-old question: what's better home security, Poop Safe or OxPecker Alert? 

Footnotes: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uJ2hX52ElPgYMGS8nVpxjDX1ioBmv5lIc1V_zDG9QII/edit?usp=sharing

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Ellen Weatherford joins us as we visit the world of pocket monsters again and show how real-life animals can be even more incredible than a boring ol' Pikachu. We're talking about the real-life animal inspiration for pokemon, as well as animals that SHOULD be in the next generation of pokemon. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: who's got the most boopable snoot? 

Footnotes:

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From adorable penguins to innocent-looking fish, these animals are hiding a mouth straight from your dentist's nightmares. Discover this and more witch, Joey Clift, as we answer the age-old question: which animal do you least want to see with human teeth? 

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