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Strange Animals PodcastEpisode 246: MOTHMAN!Sign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Don't forget our Kickstarter! I can't believe it reached its funding goal THE FIRST DAY!
We're getting so close to Halloween! This week we'll learn about Mothman! Is it a moth? Is it a ghostly entity from another world? Is it a bird? (hint: it's probably a bird)
Sandhill cranes (not mothmen):
A Canada goose (not mothman):
A great bustard (not mothman):
A green heron (definitely not mothman but look at those big cute feets and that telescoping neck):
A barn owl's eyes reflecting red...2021-10-1824 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 245: The Devil-PigSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Don't forget the Kickstarter, as if I'd let you forget it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kateshaw/beyond-bigfoot-and-nessie
Our next monster for monster month is the devil-pig! It's probably not a devil although it might be a pig.
The Asian tapir and its remarkable snoot:
The New Guinea carving:
The "gazeka" as imagined in the early 20th century:
Domestic and feral hogs are common in New Guinea:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
Don’t forget that our Kick...2021-10-1112 minStrange Animals PodcastKickstarter bonus! The NingenTHE KICKSTARTER IS LIVE AND I'M SO EXCITED!
The Kickstarter campaign is HERE! If you're not sure how Kickstarter works, that's what we talk about at the beginning of this episode. I then go over the different rewards available and finally we have a very short chapter from the audiobook.
Kickstarter FAQ
I talk about the Kickstarter for way too long, so if you don't care you can jump ahead to 9:56 to listen to the actual chapter. Also, I am definitely going to re-record that chapter for the actual audiobook because I recorded it before I made adjustments to my...2021-10-0605 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 244: The Wampus CatSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
It's the beginning of MONSTER MONTH! This episode's not very spooky unless you're outside at night and hear a terrifying scream! To be fair, that would be spooky even if you don't know anything about the wampus cat.
THE KICKSTARTER GOES LIVE IN JUST TWO DAYS!!
Further watching:
The Growling, Ferocious, Diurnal Kitty Cat: The Jaguarundi
Further reading:
My original article about the wampus cat will appear in Flying Snake #21. You can order it and back issues here and here.
The cougar:
A jaguar with...2021-10-0421 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 243: Bats and RatsSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Don't forget the Kickstarter, as if I'd let you forget it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kateshaw/beyond-bigfoot-and-nessie
Let's pre-game Halloween and monster month with an episode about some Halloween-y bats and rats! Thanks to Connor for the suggestion!
Further reading:
Meet Myotis nimaensis
Hyorhinomys stuempkei: New Genus, Species of Shrew Rat Discovered in Indonesia
Fish-eating Myotis
The orange-furred bat is Halloween colored!
The hog-nosed rat has a little piggy nose and VAMPIRE FANGS:
The fish-eating bat has humongous clawed feet:
The crested rat does...2021-09-2710 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 242: Snakes with Nose HornsSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Check out our Kickstarter pre-launch page!!
Thanks to Max for suggesting the rhinoceros viper! We'll learn about that one and several other snakes with nose horns this week.
The rhino viper, AKA the butterfly viper because of its beautiful colors and pattern:
The rhino viper has nose horns (photo by Balázs Buzás):
The West African Gaboon viper (Bitis rhinoceros), AKA the other rhino viper:
The rhinoceros snake, AKA the Vietnamese longnose snake (photo taken by me! That's why it's kind of blurry!):
The no...2021-09-2010 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 241: Weird and Wonderful SquirrelsSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Our pre-launch Kickstarter page! You can see what the book cover will look like!
Thanks to Liesbet and Enzo for their suggestions this week! Let's learn about squirrels!
Further reading:
Project Squirrel
Interspecies Breeding Is Responsible for Some Squirrels' Black Coloring
The Indian giant squirrel, without filter (left) and with filter (right):
Some variable squirrels (see lots more at iNaturalist):
The Eastern gray squirrel:
The Eurasian red squirrel:
The fox squirrel:
White Eastern gray squirrels (photos taken from the White and Albino Squirrel Research Initiative):
...2021-09-1319 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 240: The End of the DinosaursSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Here we go. It's the big one, the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event!
Further reading:
How Birds Survived the Asteroid Impact That Wiped Out the Dinosaurs
How an asteroid ended the age of dinosaurs
Extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs cleared way for frogs
How life blossomed after the dinosaurs died
66-million-year-old deathbed linked to dinosaur-killing meteor
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
Here it is, the extinction event episode that everyone’s been waiting for, or at least that ever...2021-09-0624 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 239: Mystery CrocodilesSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Thanks to Pranav and Max for their suggestions. Let's learn about some mystery crocodiles (and crocodile mysteries) this week!
Further reading:
Huge prehistoric croc 'river boss' prowled waterways
Extinct "horned" crocodile's ancestry revealed
New species of crocodile discovered in museum collections
Rediscovery of "Lost" Caiman Leads to New Crocodilian Mystery
The Orange Cave-Dwelling Crocodiles
The horned crocodile's fossil skull:
A baby Apaporis River caiman, looking fierce but cute (picture from link above):
An orange crocodile (later released, picture from link above):
Show transcript:
Welcome to...2021-08-3014 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 238: The Pink Fairy Armadillo and Two Adorable FriendsSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
This week we've got three adorable little animals to learn about! Thanks to Simon and Thia, Elaine, and Henry for their suggestions!
Further reading:
Turning the spotlight on the rusty-spotted cat (Wildlife SOS)
The cute and fuzzy pink fairy armadillo:
The cute and fuzzy rusty spotted cat:
The cute and fuzzy baby Arctic tern:
Adult Arctic terns:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’ve got three strange and adorable animals for you, all listener suggestions beca...2021-08-2312 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 237: Geckos and Other Arboreal ReptilesSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Thanks to Riley, Richard, and Aiden and Aiden's unnamed friend for suggestions this week! We're going to learn about some geckos and other reptiles that live in trees. Thanks also to Llewelly for a small correction about lions. Also, I mispronounced Strophurus--it should be more like Stroff-YOUR-us but I'm too lazy to fix it.
Further reading:
Cancer Clues Found in Gene behind 'Lemon Frost' Gecko Color
A chameleon's feets:
A rare healthy lemon frost domestic leopard gecko (photo taken from article linked above):
An ordinary...2021-08-1617 minStrange Animals PodcastBONUS Q&A Episode!It's our bonus question and answer episode, which turned out to be ridiculously long but hopefully interesting!
Further listening/watching:
The Axolotl Song
~~~Buy my books!~~~
Whiskers used to have two eyes and a nose. In the background, Dracula (left) and Poe (right):
Black squirrel!
King cobra!
Pufferfish, puffed:
Dog nose:
Show transcript:
Welcome to the bonus Q&A episode of Strange Animals Podcast! I’m your host, Kate Shaw, and this is a little extra episode where I answer listener questions. So let’s jump right into it.
To start us off, Simon and Thia wanted to know how I fi...2021-08-1327 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 236: Updates 4 and a Mystery Snake!Sign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
It's our fourth annual updates and corrections episode! I've already had to make a correction to this episode!
Further reading:
Cassowary, a rare emu-like bird, attacks and kills Florida man, officials say
The dog Bunny's Facebook page
3D printed replicas reveal swimming capabilities of ancient cephalopods
Enormous ancient fish discovered by accident
A rare observation of a vampire bat adopting an unrelated pup
Pandemic paleo: A wayward skull, at-home fossil analyses, a first for Antarctic amphibians
Neanderthals and Homo sapiens used identical Nubian technology
Entire...2021-08-0917 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 235: Deep-Sea SquidSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
This week we visit the weirdest squid in the deep sea!
I was a guest on Tim Mendees's After Hours that's now up on YouTube! It's mostly about my writing but we talk about all kinds of stuff, including cephalopods! There is some bad language but it's not all that bad and it's mostly toward the end.
Further reading/watching:
Elusive Long-Tailed Squid Captured on Film for First time
See Strange Squid Filmed in the Wild for the First Time (ram's horn squid)
Multiple observations...2021-08-0219 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 234: Sun Bears, Water BearsSign up for our mailing list! We also have t-shirts and mugs with our logo!
Thanks to Enzo and Lux for their suggestions! Let's learn about the sun bear and the water bear this week!
Sun bear just chillin:
Sun bears got long tongues:
The water bear, AKA tardigrade, is not actually a bear. For one thing, it has twice the number of legs as bears have:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
It’s summer in the northern hemisphere, which means hot weather and sunshine and, if you’re lucky, a trip to the...2021-07-2612 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 233: The Astonishing Aye-AyeSign up for our mailing list! We also have merchandise!
Thanks to Elaine, Molly, and Oliver for suggesting the aye-aye! I guess it's an idea whose time has finally come.
Further reading:
Gimme six! Researchers discover aye-aye's extra finger
Ah yes, I have many many many fingers:
S p i d e r h a n d s:
A baby aye-aye (blep):
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
I can safely say that this week’s episode is brought to you by popular demand. It was suggested by not one, not two, but three...2021-07-1914 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 232: Almost DomesticatedSign up for our mailing list! Buy our merch!
Thanks to "dog freak Ruby," we're going to learn about some animals that aren't exactly domesticated but aren't really wild either.
Further reading:
Memories of Ángela Loij
Mongolian horse and its person:
Mongolian horses:
OH MY GOSH HEART HEART HEART (photo from this website):
Dingos!
An artist's rendition of the Fuejian dog (left) and a picture of the cuelpo (right):
The cuelpo, happy fox-like canid:
A very fancy rat:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
Before we get started, and before I forget again to...2021-07-1215 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 231: Fish of the Twilight ZoneSign up for our mailing list! We also have merch!
Let's learn about some strange fish of the mesopelagic, or the twilight zone deep in the ocean! Thanks to Page, Joel, Anonymous Animal Lover, Brigham, and Fireburster for suggestions this week!
Further reading:
In Defense of the Blobfish
Further viewing:
Pacific viperfish (video embedded)
The Pacific viperfish, head-on (or rather teeth-on), still from video linked above:
Sloane's viperfish, rocking those teeth:
The blobfish as it's usually seen on the internet:
The blobfish as it looks when it's cozy in its deep-sea environment:
The barreleye, which I have helpfully labeled for y...2021-07-0517 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 230: Weird Dogs and Round FrogsSign up for our mailing list!
Let's learn about some strange dog breeds (including a mystery dog!) and what may be the cutest frog ever. Thanks to Brad and Dan for their suggestions this week, and a special thanks to Richard from NC for suggesting the Carolina dog at just the right time.
Check out Dan's podcast, "Sure, Jan!"
Further viewing:
World's Cutest Frog - Desert Rain Frog
A talbot dog from the olden days:
The Xoloitzcuintli dog:
Norwegian lundehund hard at work:
The Norwegian lundehund has lots of toes:
DOUBLE NOSE DOGGO (Pachón Navarro):
ANOTHER DOUBLE NOSE DOGGO (Tars...2021-06-2819 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 229: Blue Ghosts and Vanishing SharksSign up for our mailing list!
I got to meet some listeners this week to see the synchronous fireflies, so thanks to Shannon, Diana, Derek, and Autumn for hanging out with me! This week we'll learn about a different kind of lightning bug as well as a shark mystery!
Derek's photography, Enchanting Ectotherms
Further reading:
A shark mystery millions of years in the making
I suspect this is a doctored image but it's gorgeous so here it is anyway, supposedly some blue ghost fireflies:
This is a real photo, no photoshop, taken by Derek Wheaton during our trip. The long...2021-06-2110 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 228: Monkey Lizards and Weird Turtle…ThingsSign up for our mailing list!
We have a merch store now too!
Thanks to Ethan for this week's topic, two weird animals that developed after the Great Dying we talked about last week!
Further reading:
Monkey Lizards of the Triassic
Placodonts: The Bizarre 'Walrus-Turtles' of the Triassic
Drepanosaurus (without a head since we haven't found a skull yet, but with that massive front claw):
Drepanosaurus's tail claw:
Hypuronector had a leaf-like tail:
Placodus was a big round-bodied swimmer:
Some placodonts [art by Darren Naish, found at the second article linked above]:
Henodus was the oddball placodont that probably ate...2021-06-1414 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 227: The Great DyingSign up for our mailing list!
It's another extinction event episode! This one's about the end-Permian AKA the Permian-Triassic AKA the GREAT DYING.
Further Reading:
Ancient mini-sharks lived longer than thought
Lystrosaurus's fossilized skeleton:
Lystrosaurus may have looked something like this but I hope not:
This artist's rendition of lystrosaurus looks a little less horrific but it might not be any more accurate:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
It’s time for our next extinction event episode, and this week it’s the big one. Not the extinction event that killed the dinosa...2021-06-0716 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 226: Brood X CicadasSign up for our mailing list!
It's the 2021 brood of 17-year cicadas! Thanks to Enzo (and several others) who suggested it!
Further listening:
Varmints! Podcast - "Cicadas"
Our local Brood X cicada (photo by me!):
The holes that cicadas emerged from (photo also by me):
Discarded cicada shells. My work keys and Homestar Runner keychain for scale:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’re going to talk about cicadas, specifically the 17-year cicadas that you may have heard about in the news or in your own back yard, depending on wher...2021-05-3110 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 225: Talking AnimalsTalking animals! It's not what you're thinking about. No parrots here, just mammals.
Our new logo is by Susanna King of Flourish Media! If you'd like to JOIN OUR MAILING LIST!, I'll be sending out a discount code soon for merch with our logo on it--but only for people on the mailing list (and patrons).
Further listening:
The MonsterTalk episode about Gef the Talking Mongoose (this episode has no swearing that I recall but some other episodes may have a little bit of salty language)
Mongolian Throat Singing
Further reading:
'Talking' seals mimic sounds from human speech, and validate a...2021-05-2426 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 224: Diprotodon and FriendsThanks to Ruby and Tex for their suggestions this week!
Diprotodon was big and had a big nose:
Koala!
The bush thick-knee looks like it has regular knees, actually:
Show Transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week let’s head to Australia for a short episode about three interesting animals. Thanks to Ruby and Tex for their suggestions!
Recently, we had an episode about the wombat—episode 208, to be exact. Ruby suggested we talk about an extinct giant wombat called Diprotodon too, because while we touched on it in the wombat episode, an animal...2021-05-1707 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 223: The Elephantnose Fish and the Burmese Star TortoiseSign up for our mailing list!
This week let's learn about an amazing little fish and an awesome tortoise! All the pictures here were taken by ME at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga!
Further Reading:
Star tortoise makes meteoric comeback
The astonishing elephantnose fish:
Burmese star tortoises:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. I’m fully vaccinated now so I’m able to go out and about cautiously, still wearing a mask of course, and this weekend I went to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. I had a fantastic time and saw lots and lo...2021-05-1012 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 222: Two Dangerous Birds of New GuineaThis week let's learn about a couple of dangerous birds of New Guinea! They're not what you might think.
Join our mailing list!
Further Reading/Watching:
How Dangerous Are Cassowaries, Really?
Inside the Cassowary's Casque
Breakfast Club Ep. 34: Jack Dumbacher on Poisonous Birds (a long video but a really great deep dive into the pitohui)
The mighty cassowary with a mighty casque on its head, looking like a modern dinosaur, which it is:
A cassowary and babies:
A hooded pitohui, looking surprised to learn it's toxic:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
It’s ti...2021-05-0315 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 221: Arachnids in the Antarctic!Thanks to Ella for this week's suggestion. There may not technically be spiders in the Antarctic, but there are mites.
A nunatak (note the size of the research vehicles at the bottom left):
I don't have any pictures of the Antarctic mites, so here are some red velvet mites, although they're giants compared to their Antarctic cousins:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’re going to have a short episode, because I get my second Covid-19 vaccine on the Thursday before this episode goes live and I want to have the e...2021-04-2609 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 220: Panda Mysteries, Solved!This week let's learn about a mystery panda and a few small panda mysteries!
Join our mailing list!
Further Reading:
Mystery of the brown giant panda deepens
The Qinling panda is not like other pandas:
The giant panda is subtly different from the Qinling panda. Can you spot the difference?
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
I usually like to shake things up from week to week, but April has turned into mammal month. We’ve got another interesting mammal this week, a panda that until recently was a mystery. But first! A quic...2021-04-1909 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 219: The Strange and Mysterious TarsierThanks to Phoebe for suggesting the tarsier, this week's strange and interesting primate!
Further Reading:
Decoding of tarsier genome reveals ties to humans
Long-lost 'Furby-like' Primate Discovered in Indonesia
Tarsiers look like weird alien babies:
A tarsier nomming on a lizard:
A tarsier nomming on an insect:
The pygmy tarsier and someone's thumb:
There's probably not much going on in that little brain:
Show Transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’re looking at a weird and amazing little primate, but it’s not a monkey or ape. It’s the tarsier, with tha...2021-04-1214 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 218: More Unusual Hoofed AnimalsSo many interesting hoofed animals in this episode, so many awesome suggestions! Thanks to Page, Elaine, Pranav, Richard E., Richard from NC, and Llewelly!
Further Reading:
Meet the Takin: The Largest Mammal You've Never Heard Of
New hope for the elusive okapi, the Congo's mini giraffe
The Resurrection of the Arabian Oryx
Eucladoceros was not messing around with those antlers:
Megaloceros and Thranduil's elk in the Hobbit movies. COINCIDENCE?
The stag-moose. What can I say? This thing is AWESOME:
Hoplitomeryx. Can you have too many horns? No, no you cannot:
The gerenuk, still beautiful but freaky-looking:
The golden takin looking...2021-04-0525 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 217: Three (Small) Mystery AnimalsThis week we're going to look at three small mystery animals! Well, the mysteries are small. The animals are not particularly small.
Further Reading:
Long-Extinct Gibbon Found Inside Tomb of Chinese Emperor's Grandmother
Ancient Egypt's Mona Lisa? An elaborately drawn extinct goose, of course
A case of mistaken identity for Australia's extinct big bird
Bones of a mystery gibbon found in a noblewoman's tomb:
Gibbons painted about a thousand years ago by artist Yi Yuanji:
A couple of gibbons at MAX FLUFF:
The mystery goose painting (left) compared with a modern version of the painting (middle) and a red-breasted goose...2021-03-2914 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 216: Gentle Giant SharksLet's learn about some of the biggest sharks in the sea--but not sharks that want to eat you!
Further reading:
'Winged' eagle shark soared through oceans 93 million years ago
Manta-like planktivorous sharks in Late Cretaceous oceans
Before giant plankton-eating sharks, there were giant plankton-eating sharks
An artist's impression of the eagle shark (Aquilolamna milarcae):
Manta rays:
A manta ray with its mouth closed and cephalic fins rolled up:
Pseudomegachasma's tooth sitting on someone's thumbnail (left, photo by E.V. Popov) and a Megachasma (megamouth) tooth on someone's fingers (right):
The megamouth shark. I wonder where its name came from?
The...2021-03-2218 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 215: The Cutest InvertebratesThanks to Lorenzo and Page for suggestions used in this week's episode, and a belated thanks to Ethan for last week's episode! Let's learn about some of the cutest invertebrates out there!
Further reading:
Photosynthesis-like process found in insects
Mystery of the Venezuelan Poodle Moth
Further viewing:
Dr. Arthur Anker's photos from his Venezuela trip, including the poodle moth
The pea aphid, red morph and regular green
So many ladybugs:
The sea bunny is a real animal, but it's not a real bunny:
A larval sea bunny is SO TINY that fingertip looks like it's the size of a BUILDING:
...2021-03-1517 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 214: Armored Fish and the Late Devonian Mass ExtinctionsIt's the next in our short series of episodes about mass extinctions! Don't worry, it won't be boring, because we're going to learn about a lot of weird ancient fish too.
Further reading:
Titanichthys: Devonian-Period Armored Fish was Suspension Feeder
Behind the Scenes: How Fungi Make Nutrients Available to the World
Dunkleosteus was a beeg feesh with sharp jaw plates that acted as teeth:
Titanichthys was also a beeg feesh, but it wouldn't have eaten you (picture from the Sci-News article linked above):
Pteraspis: NOSE HORN FISH:
Cephalaspis had no jaws so it couldn't chomp you:
Bothriolepis kind of looked...2021-03-0821 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 213: More Honeybees, But StinglessThanks to Nicholas for this week's suggestion! Let's learn about the Australian stingless bee and its relatives!
Listen to BewilderBeasts if you want more fun, family-friendly animal facts!
Further reading/watching:
Australian Stingless Bees
Women Work to Save Native Bees of Mexico (I really recommend the short video embedded on this page! It's utterly charming!)
House of the Royal Lady Bee: Maya revive native bees and ancient beekeeping
A Maya beekeeper's hut and some Central/South American stingless bees (pictures from the last link, above):
Stingless bees build their combs in a spiral shape:
An Australian stingless bee collecting nectar a...2021-03-0112 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 212: The River of GiantsThanks to Pranav for his suggestion! Let's find out what the river of giants was and what lived there!
Further reading:
King of the River of Giants
Spinosaurus was a swimming dinosaur and it swam in the River of Giants:
A modern bichir, distant relation to the extinct giants that lived in the River of Giants:
Not actually a pancake crocodile:
A model of Aegisuchus and some modern humans:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
A while back, Pranav suggested we do an episode about the river of giants in the Sahara. I ha...2021-02-2215 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 211: The Magnificent Fin WhaleThis week let's venture into the ocean and learn about the fin whale!
Further reading:
The songs of fin whales offer new avenue for seismic studies of the oceanic crust
Fin whales' big gulp
The fin whale can hold a whole lot of water in its mouth (illustration from the second article linked above):
A fin whale underwater. Look at that massive tail. That's pure muscle:
A fin whale above water. It's like a torpedo:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
It’s been too long since we had an episode about whales. Yes...2021-02-1512 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 210: The Mysterious Lightbulb LizardDoes the Shreve's lightbulb lizard really emit light? (Hint: sort of.) Let's find out!
Further reading:
The Lightbulb Lizard of Benjamin Shreve
Shreve's lightbulb lizard, looking pretty ordinary really:
A web-footed gecko in moonlight:
A Jamaican gray anole showing off his dewlap:
Show Transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week let’s learn about an interesting reptile with a mystery that’s mostly solved, but still really weird. It’s called Shreve’s lightbulb lizard.
The story of this little lizard starts in 1937, when zoologist Ivan Sanderson was collecting freshwater crabs on a mountainto...2021-02-0810 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 209: Animals Discovered in 2020Here's a 2020 retrospective episode that looks at the bright side of the year! Thanks to Page for the suggestion! Let's learn about some animals discovered in 2020 (mostly).
Further reading:
Watch This Giant, Eerie, String-Like Sea Creature Hunt for Food in the Indian Ocean
Rare Iridescent Snake Discovered in Vietnam
An intrusive killer scorpion points the way to six new species in Sri Lanka
What may be the longest (colony) animal in the world, a newly discovered siphonophore:
New whale(s) just dropped:
A newly discovered pygmy seahorse:
A newly discovered pipefish is extremely red:
So tiny, so newly discovered, Jonah's...2021-02-0118 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 208: The Happiest Animals in AustraliaThanks to Phoebe for suggesting the quokka and the wombat, two of the cutest, happiest-looking animals in Australia!
Further Reading:
Viral stories of wombats sheltering other animals from the bushfires aren't entirely true
Satellites reveal the underground lifestyle of wombats
Giant Wombat-Like Marsupials Roamed Australia 25 Million Years Ago
Further Listening:
Animals and Ultraviolet Light (unlocked Patreon episode)
The adorable quokka with a nummy leaf and a joey in her pouch:
Quokka (left) and my chonky cat Dracula (right)
Some quokka selfies showing quokka smiles. That second picture really shows how small the quokka actually is:
Wombats!
A wombat and its...2021-01-2516 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 207: The Dire Wolf!This week we're on the cutting edge of science, learning about the brand new genetic study of dire wolves that rearranges everything we know about the dire wolf and other canids! Also, a bonus turtle update.
Further reading:
Dire Wolves Were Not Really Wolves, Genetic Clues Reveal
An artist's rendition of dire wolves and grey wolves fighting over a bison carcass (art by Mauricio Anton):
The pig-nosed face of the Hoan Kiem turtle, AKA Yangtze giant softshell turtle, AKA Swinhoe's softshell turtle:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
You may have heard the new...2021-01-1809 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 206: The Bowerbird and the Victoria Crowned PigeonThis week let's learn about two birds of New Guinea, bowerbirds and the Victoria crowned pigeon! Both are beautiful and the bowerbird is kind of weird. Thanks to M Is for Awesome for the suggestion!
Further Reading:
The Women Who Removed Birds from People's Hats
Various bowers made by various species of bowerbird:
The golden-fronted bowerbird:
Not a bowerbird but a close relation, a dead bird of paradise from New Guinea, decorating an old-timey lady's fancy hat. I would not want to put this on my head:
A Victoria crowned pigeon, wearing a built-in fancy hat:
A Victoria crowned pigeon b...2021-01-1115 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 205: Sea Scorpions and the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction EventHappy new year! This week we'll learn about the oldest mass extinction event, some 450 million years ago, and also sea scorpions.
Further reading:
Coming up for air: Extinct sea scorpions could breathe out of water, fossil detective unveils
Sea scorpions could get really, really big:
A fossil Eurypterus:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
Hello, 2021, please be better than 2020 was. I’ve got lots of fun, interesting episodes planned for this year, but let’s start the year off right with an episode about, uh, a major extinction event. Specifically it’s the Late Ord...2021-01-0416 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 204: Frogs of Many Cheery ColorsLet's finish off a very weird year and welcome in the new year with a basket of colorful frogs!
The northern leopard frog comes in many color morphs, all of them pretty:
The starry dwarf frog is also pretty and has an orange tummy:
The astonishing turtle frog:
Poison dart frogs are colorful and deadly (blue poison dart frog, golden poison dart frog):
The tomato frog looks like a tomato that is also a frog:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
It’s the very last week of 2020, and good riddance. Let’s kick th...2020-12-2815 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 203: Swarms!Thanks to Nicholas and Juergen for their suggestions! Let's learn about some insects that migrate and swarm!
Further listening:
The Animal Migrations Patreon episode (it's unlocked so anyone can listen)
Further reading:
Ladybugs Are Everywhere!
Monarch butterflies gathered in winter:
The painted lady butterfly:
The bogong moth:
The globe skimmer dragonfly:
Ladybugs spend the winter in bunches, sometimes in your house:
A stink bug, one of many potentially in your house:
This person is not afraid of locusts even though I would be freaking out:
A field in Australia being eaten by locusts (the brown part):
Show transcript:
Welcome to...2020-12-2121 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 202: Terror Birds and Pseudotooth BirdsLet's find out about some gigantic birds this week! Thanks to Pranav and Richard for the suggestions!
Further reading:
Exceptionally preserved fossil gives voice to ancient terror bird
Antarctica yields oldest fossils of giant birds with 21-foot wingspans
Look at that beak! Llallawavis scagliai:
Big birdie!
A red-legged seriema and an unfortunate snake:
Another big birdie!
Toothy birdie!
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’re going to learn about some gigantic extinct birds! Pranav wants to hear about Phorusrhacidae, also known as the terror bird. Something called a terror bird is d...2020-12-1417 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 201: The African Grey Parrot and More MantisesThis week we'll learn about a fascinating parrot and some more weird praying mantises! Thanks to Page and Viola for the suggestions!
Further watching:
Nova Science Now: Irene Pepperberg and Alex
Alex: Number Comprehension by a Grey Parrot
The Smartest Parrots in the World
Further reading:
Why Do Parrots Talk?
Ancient mantis-man petroglyph discovered in Iran
Alex and Irene Pepperberg (photo taken from the "Why do parrots talk?" article above):
Two African grey parrots:
The "mantis man" petroglyph:
The conehead mantis is even weirder than "ordinary" mantis species:
Where does Empusa fasciata begin and the flower end (photo by Mehmet Ka...2020-12-0715 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 200: ElephantsThis week we're going to learn about elephants! Thanks to Damian, Pranav, and Richard from NC for the suggestions!
Further Reading:
Dwarf Elephant Facts and Figures
An Asian elephant (left) and an African elephant (right). Note the ear size difference, the easiest way to tell which kind of elephant you're looking at:
Business end of an Asian elephant's trunk:
An elephant living the good life:
Can't quite reach:
Elephant teef:
A dwarf elephant skeleton:
An elephant skull does kind of look like a giant one-eyed human skull:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
Th...2020-11-3022 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 199: Carnivorous Sponges!Thanks to Lorenzo for this week's topic, carnivorous sponges! How can a sponge catch and eat animals? What is its connection to the mystery of the Eltanin Antenna? Let's find out!
Further reading/watching:
New carnivorous harp sponge discovered in deep sea (this has a great video attached)
How Nature's Deep Sea 'Antenna' Puzzled the World
Asbestopluma hypogea, beautiful but deadly if you're a tiny animal:
The lyre sponge, also beautiful but deadly if you're a tiny animal:
The ping-pong tree sponge, also beautiful but deadly if you're a tiny animal:
The so-called Eltanin antenna:
A better photo of Chondrocladia...2020-11-2314 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 198: Pop Goes the MustelidLet's learn about a whole lot of mustelids, including some otters, weasels, and their relations and ancestors! Thanks to Jacob for the suggestion!
Further reading:
Weasels in Stone: Mustelid Evolution
With voices joined in chorus, giant otter families create a distinct sound signature
Further watching/listening:
Video of giant river otters making noise
Giant river otters:
The least weasel is possibly the most cute:
This mink would like to keep its fur for itself please and thank you:
The Patagonian weasel:
The greater grison looks like a badger and a honey badger:
The fisher:
The Chinese ferret badger has a...2020-11-1622 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 197: Titanoboa!Thanks to Pranav for this week's suggestion, Titanoboa, the biggest snake that ever lived!
Parts of this episode come from an old Patreon episode about super-gigantic snakes, which is unlocked and you can listen to it here.
A modern anaconda vertebra next to a Titanoboa vertebra. Guess which one is which:
Carlos Jaramillo, one of the scientists who found Titanoboa and Acherontisuchus (taken from a Smithsonian Channel video):
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This has been a really busy week for me and I wasn’t able to finish researching the episode I ha...2020-11-0909 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 196: Many MonkeysThanks to Nick and Richard from NC for their suggestions this week! Let's learn about A BUNCH OF MONKEYS!
Further reading:
How we solved the Green monkey mystery--and found an important clue to Bronze Age world
Field Notes: Singing Titi Monkeys (with a video of them singing)
Dracula monkeys and Dracula:
The Dracula monkey orchid (not a vampire, not a monkey, but it is an orchid):
A capuchin monkey insisting a friend "see no evil":
Abu!
Mandrills gonna get as colorful as monkily possible:
Rafiki! Why is your tail so long?
One of the "blue monkey" wall frescos and some...2020-11-0218 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 195: Black Dogs and Mystery CanidsIt's almost Halloween!! Our Halloween episode this year is all about some of the legends of ghostly black dogs in the UK and some other parts of the world, as well as some canid mysteries we haven't covered before. Thanks again to Pranav for the suggestion!
This is your last chance to enter the book giveaway! You have until October 31, 2020, and that night at midnight (my time, Eastern daylight savings, or more likely when I wake up on November 1) I will randomly draw a name from all the people who have entered. To enter, just send me a message by...2020-10-2628 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 194: The Dover DemonIt's almost Halloween, and time for another spooky episode! Thanks to Pranav for the suggestion!
You still have time to enter the book giveaway contest, deadline October 31, 2020 at midnight! Details are here. There are also links on that page to look at the books if you want to order copies. You know, just in case.
I was a guest cohost on the Varmints! podcast again, and this time we talked about ticks! Listen here if you don't already subscribe (but you should totally subscribe).
Further reading:
The Demon of Dover
Decades later, the Dover Demon still haunts
Bill Bartlett's drawings...2020-10-1931 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 193: Beebe’s Mystery Deep-Sea FishThis week we'll learn about five mystery fish that William Beebe spotted from his bathysphere in the early 1930s...and which have never been seen again. Thanks to Page for suggesting deep-sea fish!
Further reading:
How some superblack fish disappear into the darkness of the deep sea
The Fine Art of Exploration
Further listening:
99% Invisible "Bathysphere"
The Gulper Eel unlocked patreon episode
These two guys crammed themselves into that little bathysphere together. Sometimes they got seasick and puked in there. Also, they didn't like each other very much:
The Pacific blackdragon is hard to photograph because it's SUPERBLACK:
A larval...2020-10-1222 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 192: Ghostly AnimalsLet's start off October with a spooky episode about some ghost animals--real ones, and some ghost stories featuring animals!
Don't forget to enter our book giveaway! Details here.
Further reading:
Lolo the Ghost Snake
Barn Related Ghost Stories
What big teef you have, ghost bat:
Nom nom little ghost bat got some mealworms (also, clearly this rehabilitation worker has THE BEST JOB EVER):
Ghost snake!
This is where the ghost snake lives. This photo and the one above were both taken by Sara Ruane (find a link to the article and photos in the "further reading" section):
The ghost crab...2020-10-0518 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 191: Masters of Disguise!Thanks to Nicholas and Pranav for their suggestions which led to this episode about animals that are especially good at disguising themselves!
If you'd like to listen to the original Patreon episode about animal mimics, it's unlocked and you can listen to it on your browser!
Don't forget to contact me in some way (email, comment, message me on Twitter or FB, etc.) if you want to enter the book giveaway! Deadline is Oct. 31, 2020.
Further watching:
An octopus changing color while asleep, possibly due to her dreams
Crows mobbing an owl!
Baby cinereous mourner and the toxic caterpillar it's imitating:
...2020-09-2821 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 190: The Northern Gannet and PlotopteridsThanks to Lorenzo for suggesting the northern gannet this week! We'll also learn about an extinct ancestor of the gannet, called plotopterids!
Don't forget to enter our book giveaway! Details here.
The northern gannet is the assassin of the bird world, probably:
DIVING! It's what they do:
Northern gannets hanging out on their nesting grounds:
An artist's rendition of a plotopterid, with the silhouette of a modern emperor penguin for comparison. Picture from March of the Fossil Penguins.
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week let’s learn about two interesting birds! Than...2020-09-2112 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 189: The Handfish and the LumpsuckerThis week we have two more listener suggestions, so thanks to Rosy and Simon! They both suggested small but intensely interesting fish!
Further reading:
The Handfish Conservation Project - Name a Fish!
Further watching:
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker making adorable faces
The only smooth handfish specimen in the whole world:
In case you were wondering why it's called a handfish (this one is a spotted handfish):
A red handfish. You'd be angry too if there were fewer than 100 individuals left in your species (photo by Rick Stuart-Smith):
A Pacific spiny lumpsucker:
HOW IS THIS REAL? I AM GOING TO DIE. These...2020-09-1410 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 188: The Hyena and HyaenodonThis week we're going to learn about hyenas and the not-related-but-similarly-named hyaenodon! BUT we've got a PARENT WARNING WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP *klaxon sounds, red lights flash*
Parents and others who listen with small kiddos, you may want to pre-screen this episode since we go into some details of hyena anatomy that may not be appropriate for younger listeners.
CORRECTION! Thanks to Bal who pointed out that despite what I say on the episode, the hyena is not a canid! Oops, that was a really basic mistake.
Further watching:
Two hyena cubs pester their napping mom until she wakes up and...2020-09-0713 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 187: The Praying Mantis and the CockroachWe finish off Invertebrate August in style, with great suggestions from Rosy and Kim!
Also, I was a guest on The Flopcast last week if you want to hear me talking about DragonCon and birding with my friend Kevin! Also, he actually has a few pictures of me if you want to know what I look like (I hate having my picture taken).
Further Reading:
Why Do Mantids Only Have One Ear?
Secrets of the orchid mantis revealed
In this new praying mantis group, gender dictates disguise
Male (left) and female (right) Hondurantemna chespiritoi (photos from article linked to just...2020-08-3114 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 186: Velvet AnimalsThis week's episode is about some invertebrates who look like they're made of velvet! Thanks to Rosy and Simon for their suggestions!
Further reading:
Red Velvet Mite
Chigger Bites
Structure and pigment make the eyed elater's eyespots black
The red velvet mite looks like a tiny red velvet cake but is NOT CAKE, NOT A SPIDER, NOT A SPIDER CAKE:
GIANT RED VELVET MITE:
Regular sized red velvet mites on a fingertip and one parasitizing a daddy long legs spider:
An eastern velvet ant female (it's actually a wasp, not an ant):
Velvet worms on hands:
A blue velvet worm!
...2020-08-2421 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 185: Ice Worms, Army Ants, and Other Strange Invertebrates!Let's learn about some weird insects this week! Thanks to Llewelly for suggesting army ants!
Further reading:
If you're interested in the magazine Flying Snake, I recommend it! You can order online or print issues by emailing the editor, Richard Muirhead, at the address on the website, and there's a collection of the first five issues on Amazon here (in the U.S.) or here (UK)!
The magnificent, tiny ice worm! The dark speckles in the snow (left) are dozens of ice worms, and the ones on the right are shown next to a penny for scale. Teeny!
ARMY ANTS...2020-08-1724 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 184: The Mosquito!Thanks to Kaiden who suggested we learn about mosquitoes this week! You know what eats a lot of mosquitoes? Bats! If you don't already listen to the excellent podcast Varmints!, jump on over to it to listen to last week's episode about bats! I cohosted with Paul and had a great time, and I know you'll like the episode and the podcast in general. It's family friendly and lots of fun!
Further reading:
The Paleobiologist Who Inspired the Science in 'Jurassic Park'
SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK:
Mosquito larvae:
An elephant mosquito in amber:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I...2020-08-1014 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 183: BEES! AKA honey and “honey”Thanks to Linnea for suggesting bees! Obviously we can't learn about ALL 20,000 bee species in this episode, but we'll learn about the honeybee and some other interesting bees!
Further reading:
Bee friendly? Pollinating California's almond crop
The vulture bee
Western honeybees on a honeycomb:
A vulture bee thinking about "honey":
The wholesome, solitary ivy bee:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
It’s August and we’re kicking off a full month of our spineless friends! That’s right, it’s Invertebrate August, and to get us started, we’re going to learn about some r...2020-08-0317 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 182: The Coconut Crab and FriendsJoin us this week for some interesting crabs! Thanks to Charles for suggesting the aethra crab!
Aethra crabs look like little rocks, although some people (who must be REALLY hungry) think they look like potato chips:
A hermit crab using a light bulb bottom as an inadequate shell:
The tiniest hermit crab:
Gimme shell pls:
THE BIGGEST HERMIT CRAB, the coconut crab. It really is this big:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
We have a bunch of crustaceans this week! I’m sorry I’ve taken so long to get to Charles’s sugges...2020-07-2715 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 181: Updates 3 and a lake monster!It's our annual updates and corrections episode, with a fun mystery animal at the end!
Thanks to everyone who contributed, including Bob, Richard J. who is my brother, Richard J. who isn't my brother, Connor, Simon, Sam, Llewelly, Andrew Gable of the excellent Forgotten Darkness Podcast, and probably many others whose names I didn't write down!
Further reading:
Northern bald ibis (Akh-bird)
Researchers learn more about teen-age T. rex
A squid fossil offers a rare record of pterosaur feeding behavior
The mysterious, legendary giant squid's genome is revealed
Why giant squid are still mystifying scientists 150 years after they were discovered...2020-07-2022 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 180: Synchronous FirefliesThanks to Adam for the great suggestion of synchronous fireflies! Let's learn about lightning bugs (or fireflies) in general, and in particular the famous synchronous fireflies!
Further reading:
How Fireflies Glow and What Signals They're Sending
Further watching:
Tennessee Fireflies
Synchronizing Fireflies in Thailand (it shows an experiment to encourage the fireflies to start blinking by the use of LEDs)
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’re going to learn about a bioluminescent insect, the firefly, also called the lightning bug, but we’ll especially learn about a specific type of var...2020-07-1315 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 179: Lost and Found AnimalsThis week let's learn about some animals that were discovered by science, then not seen again and presumed extinct...until they turned up again, safe and sound!
Further reading:
A nose-horned dragon lizard lost to science for over 100 years has been found
Modigliani's nose-horned lizard has a nose horn, that's for sure:
Before the little guy above was rediscovered, we basically just had this painting and an old museum specimen:
The deepwater trout:
The dinosaur ant:
The dinosaur ant statue of Poochera:
The false killer whale bite bite bite bite bite:
Some false killer whales:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange...2020-07-0613 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 178: The KoolakambaLet's learn about another mystery ape, the koolakamba (also spelled kooloo-kamba or other variations)!
Further reading:
Between the Gorilla and the Chimpanzee
The Yaounde Zoo mystery ape and the status of the kooloo-kamba
Mystery of the Koolakamba
Antoine the Yaounde Zoo ape, supposedly a koolakamba:
Mafuka (sometimes spelled Mafuca):
A rare photo of the Bili ape:
A handsome western gorilla:
A handsome western chimpanzee:
A western chimpanzee mother and baby:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’re going to round out our bonus mystery animal month with a mystery ape call...2020-06-2913 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 177: The Mush-khush-shu, AKA the SirrushThis week we'll look at an ancient mystery from the Middle East, a mythological dragon-like animal called the Mush-khush-shu, popularly known as the sirrush. Thanks to Richard J. for the suggestion!
The Ishtar Gate (left, a partial reconstruction of the gate in a Berlin museum; right, a painting of the gate as it would have looked):
The sirrush of the Ishtar Gate:
Two depictions of Silesaurus:
The desert monitor, best lizard:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week I have an interesting mystery animal suggested last September by Richard J. Thanks for th...2020-06-2214 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 176: More Globsters and Horrible CarcassesWe have more mystery animals this week, horrible carcasses that have washed ashore and are hard to identify! It's a sequel to our popular Globsters episode, episode 87. None of these are actual mysteries but they're all pretty gross and awesome.
(I don't know what I did wrong with the audio but it sounds bad, sorry. I just got a new laptop and have been experimenting with improving audio, and this was obviously a failed experiment.)
Further reading:
The Conakry monster: https://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/05/30/conakry-monster-tubercle-technology
Brydes whale almost swallows a diver! https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2015/AugSept/PhotoZone/Brydes-Whales
...2020-06-1513 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 175: Three Small Mystery AnimalsThis week we've got three more mystery animals, but they're small instead of gigantic! Also, I didn't say anything about it in the episode, but Black lives matter. Stay safe and fight for justice, everyone.
The water chevrotain:
The real-life face-scratcher monster, Schizodactylus monstrosus, more properly known as a dune cricket:
Flying ants:
It's flying ants, that's what it is:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’re going to learn about three mystery animals, but they’re not giants. They’re small mysteries.
We’ll start with a small mystery animal fro...2020-06-0812 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 174: MONSTER CEPHALOPODS!It's a bonus monster month in June, because everything is awful and learning about monsters will take our minds off the awfulness. This week let's learn about some mysterious stories from around the world that feature huge octopus or squid!
Further watching:
River Monsters episode about the Lusca
A colossal squid, up close to that gigantic eyeball:
Blue holes in the ocean and on land:
A giant Pacific octopus swimming:
The popular image of the kraken since the 1750s:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
Last week’s mystery bird got me thinking abou...2020-06-0114 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 173: The Mystery of the Forest RavenWe have a fun mystery bird this week, the forest raven! Was it a real bird??? (hint: yes, but not a raven)
The "forest raven" illustration from Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner's Historiae Animalium, published in 1555:
Scans of the original pages about the forest raven. It's written in Latin:
The Northern bald ibis. Wacky hair!
Flying bald ibises:
Further viewing:
This Weird Bird May Have Been the First Protected Species
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
It’s high time we had a mystery animal episode, so this week we’re going to learn about...2020-05-2511 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 172: TemnospondylsThis week let's go back back back in time to more than 300 million years ago, when amphibian-like animals lived in enormous swamps. Don't be fooled by the word amphibian: many Temnospondyls were really big!
Further reading:
Palaeos Temnospondyli
Dvinosaurus, three feet long and full of teeth:
And Sclerocephalus, five feet long and full of teeth. This one has a couple of larvae nearby:
Fayella (art by Nix)
Nigerpeton's astonishing NOSE TEETH:
Mastodonsaurus had nose teeth too and it was way bigger than Nigerpeton, but somehow it just looks goofy instead of cool:
Koolasuchus just looked weird:
The largest Temnospondyl known, P...2020-05-1813 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 171: The Animals of St. KildaThanks to Emma for the suggestion! Let's learn about some animals that live on the St. Kilda islands off the coast of Scotland!
St. Kilda:
Soay rams (kept on farms, not the feral sheep):
A small flock of Soay sheep (these are from a farm too):
A Boreray ram (on a farm):
A Boreray ewe with her babies (also on a farm, or at least I think so):
The St. Kilda wren (not a sheep):
The St. Kilda field mouse (also not a sheep) is the size of a hamster:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your ho...2020-05-1110 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 170: SpinosaurusThis week let's find out what has paleontologists so excited about this dinosaur!
Further reading:
The Nature article that kicked this all off (you can only read the abstract for free but it's full of good information)
Paleontologist Who Uncovered Prehistoric River Monster's Tail Explains Why It's Such a Game Changer (Newsweek)
Further watching:
A good video about the new findings
Spinosaurus's updated look:
This trackway from a swimming animal may have been made by a Spinosaurus (photo by Loic Costeur):
A male Danube crested newt, with a tail that somewhat resembles that of Spinosaurus:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange...2020-05-0410 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 169: The Tarantula!This week let's learn about my nemesis (in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, at least), the tarantula!
Further reading:
Tarantulas inspire new structural color with the greatest viewing angle
My character in Animal Crossing (and the shirt I made her--yes, I know tarantulas are arachnids, not insects, but I think the shirt is funny):
Boy who is not afraid of a tarantula:
The Goliath birdeater and a hand. Not photoshopped:
The cobalt blue tarantula:
The Gooty sapphire ornamental:
The Singapore blue tarantula:
The painting by Maria Sibylla Merian that shows a tarantula eating a hummingbird (lower left):
The pinktoe tarantula that...2020-04-2714 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 168: The Longest LivedThis week let's take a look at some animals (and other living organisms) that live the longest!
This isn't Methuselah itself (scientists aren't saying which tree it is, to keep it safe), but it's a bristlecone pine:
The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, a sacred fig tree in Sri Lanka, planted in 288 BCE by a king:
Some trees of the quaking aspen colony called Pando:
Glass sponges (this one's called the Venus Flower Basket):
Further reading:
Glass sponge as a living climate archive
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we’re going to l...2020-04-2014 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 167: Animals That Just Look WrongThanks to Sam for this week's topic suggestion and animal suggestions! This week we're looking at some animals that just look...weird? And wrong? And not what you expect?
Like the gerenuk:
And the Tibetan fox:
And the maned wolf:
And the proboscis monkey:
And the bald uakari:
Further watching:
Shani the baby gerenuk (so cute!)
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week the theme and many of the animals we’ll cover are a suggestion by Sam. We were chatting on Twitter earlier this week and they linked me to an anima...2020-04-1313 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 166: The Domestic CatI just adopted two black cats, named Dracula and Poe, so let's learn about domestic cats! Thanks to RosyWindFox, Nicholas, Richard E., Kim, and an anonymous listener who all made suggestions and contributed to this episode in one way or another!
Further listening:
Weird Dog Breeds - an unlocked Patreon episode
Two beautiful examples of domestic cats (Dracula on left, Poe on right, and it is really hard to photograph a black cat):
The African wildcat, ancestor of the domestic cat:
The blotched tabby (left) and regular tabby (right):
A cat's toe pads (Poe's toes, in fact):
The big friendly...2020-04-0628 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 165: Furry FishI hope you're all well and not too bored if you're one of the millions who are having to stay inside right now! This week let's learn about a fishy mystery, fish with fur!
Further reading:
Mirapinna esau - a Furry Fish from the Azores
The so-called fur-bearing trout:
A hairy frogfish:
The hairyfish (I couldn't find any actual photos of one):
This man is serious about moldy fish. He wants the mold to think about what it's done while it's in time out:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week let’s lea...2020-03-3008 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 164: The PronghornThis week let's learn about the pronghorn!
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week let’s finally look at an animal I’ve wanted to cover for at least a couple of years now, the pronghorn! We’ve talked about the pronghorn before a few times, but it definitely deserves its own episode.
The pronghorn is a cloven-hoofed mammal that lives in western North America, especially in open terrain where it can see any predators that might try to sneak up on it, because it has good eyesight. It stands up to about 3...2020-03-2308 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 163: Three Weird FishThanks to Nathan for his suggestions! This week we're going to learn about three strange and interesting fish!
A northern snakehead:
A giant snakehead:
A Greenland shark, fish of mystery:
The upside-down catfish is indeed upside down a lot of the time (this is actually a picture of Synodontis nigriventris, closely related to the upside-down catfish we talk about in the episode):
An ancient Egyptian upside-down catfish pendant that ladies wore in their hair:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
We haven’t done a fish episode in a while, so this week let’...2020-03-1611 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 162: Some Seals and the END OF THE WORRRRLLLDDDDThanks to Kim and Pranav for their unsettling suggestions for this episode! I swear the reason I decided to do this episode this week was to celebrate getting over my cold, but then I realized I needed to address the virus everyone is talking about right now. I hope you all stay well and safe out there!
The Hawaiian monk seal OMG LOOK YOU CAN SEE ITS BELLY BUTTON, SO CUTE:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
I’m finally over my cold, so to celebrate let’s do a little bit of an unu...2020-03-0920 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 161: Strange Bird Sounds 2I still have a cold, so let's let some birds do part of the talking in this episode about more weird bird calls!
Further reading:
Listen to the Loudest Bird Ever Recorded
Further listening/watching:
A video of the screaming piha. You need to see this.
The yellow-bellied sapsucker is a real bird, and an adorable one too:
The mute swan is not actually mute:
The white bellbird is the loudest bird ever recorded (photo by Anselmo d’Affonseca):
The screaming piha is hilariously loud. Left, sitting like a normal bird. Right, screaming:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’...2020-03-0208 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 160: Two Rare BeesI feel like I'm coming down with a cold, so here's a short episode that I can get finished before I start to croak like a bullfrog or a raven. It's time for some astonishing bees! Thanks to Richard J. for the suggestion!
Wallace's giant bee compared to an ordinary honeybee:
Osima avosetta makes her nest out of flower petals:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
I think I’m coming down with a cold, so to avoid another potential bullfrog and raven episode where I croak to you for fifteen minutes in an i...2020-02-2406 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 159: Sky AnimalsTo celebrate my new book, Skyway, this week let's learn about sky animals! They're fictitious, but could they really exist? And what animals are really found in the high atmosphere?
You can order a copy of Skyway today on Kindle or other ebook formats! It's a collection of short stories published by Mannison Press, with the same characters and setting from my novel Skytown (also available)!
Further reading:
"The Horror of the Heights" by Arthur Conan Doyle (and you can even listen to a nice audio version at this link too!)
Charles Fort's books are online (and in the public d...2020-02-1720 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 158: Legless Lizards and Other Not-SnakesWhat's the difference between a snake and a legless lizard? Find out this week and learn about all kinds of interesting reptiles without legs that aren't actually snakes!
The slow-worm. Not a snake:
Burton's legless lizard. Not a snake:
The excitable delma. Not a snake:
The Mexican mole lizard. Not a snake or a worm:
The red worm lizard (Amphisbaena alba). Also not a snake or a worm, but honestly, it looks a lot like I imagine the Mongolian death worm to look:
The giant legless skink. Not a snake:
Stacy's bachia. Not a snake:
Further reading (and this is...2020-02-1012 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 157: Rodents of Unusual SizeUh, yeah, not the legless lizard episode. But just as interesting! This week let's learn about the largest rodents in the world! Hint: way bigger than a rat.
Further reading:
Rodents of Uncertain Systematics
The mellow and photogenic capybara:
Oh to be a capybara in an open bath with an orange on its head:
Hey, pacarana:
Oh to be a paca with half an orange:
Oh to be a chevrotain with a piece of orange. (The chevrotain is not a rodent. It has hooves. Episode 116 explains this creature):
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Sh...2020-02-0311 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 156: Animals of MongoliaIn honor of my new favorite band, The Hu, let's learn about some animals from their country, Mongolia! (You can also watch the "Wolf Totem" video with English lyrics.)
The Hu. Oh my heart:
If you need the podcast's feed URL, it's https://strangeanimalspodcast.blubrry.net/feed/podcast/
A handsome prize-winning domesticated yak and rider (photo taken from this site):
The saiga, an antelope with a serious snoot:
A Bactrian camel (photo by *squints* Brent Huffman, looks like):
The taimen, a fish that would swallow you whole if it could:
Further watching:
A clip from the TV show Beast Man...2020-01-2720 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 155: Extreme Sexual DimorphismMany animals have differences between males and females, but some species have EXTREME differences!
The elephant seal male and female are very different sizes:
The huia female (bottom) had a beak very different from the male (top):
The eclectus parrot male (left) looks totally different from the female (right):
The triplewart seadevil, an anglerfish. On the drawing, you can see the male labeled in very small letters:
The female argonaut, also called the paper nautilus, makes a delicate see-through shell:
The male argonaut has no shell and is much smaller than the female (photo by Ryo Minemizu):
Lamprologus callipterus males...2020-01-2017 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 154: Some Australian animals and how to helpThis week let's learn about some lesser-known Australian animals. A heat wave and dry conditions have led to many terrible bush fires in Australia, with many animals and people left hurt, killed, and homeless. Fortunately, there are ways you can help!
Check out the Animal Rescue Craft Guild for patterns and other information about crafting pouches, beds, and other items needed for injured and orphaned animals, and where to send the items you make.
Animals to the Max has a great episode about the fires and a long list of places where you can donate money where it's needed most.
...2020-01-1315 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 153: The White River MonsterLet's start out the new year with a bona fide mystery animal, the White River Monster from Arkansas! Is it a real animal? If so, is it a known animal or something new to science? If it's a known animal, what could it be? Lots of questions, maybe a few answers! Happy new year!
Further listening:
MonsterTalk
The not exactly useful picture supposedly of the White River Monster, taken in 1971:
A northern elephant seal, AKA Mr. Blobby:
A Florida manatee:
A bull shark:
Two bottlenose dolphins:
An alligator gar (below) and a human (above):
Alligator gar WEIRD FISH FACE:
Gulf...2020-01-0617 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 152: The Freshwater Seahorse and Other Mystery Water AnimalsThis week let's look at some (mostly) smaller mystery animals associated with water! Thanks to Richard J., Janice, and Simon for the suggestions!
Further reading:
What Was the Montauk Monster?
The black-striped pipefish. Also, that guy has REALLY BIG FINGERTIPS:
The Pondicherry shark, not looking very happy:
A ratfish. What BIG EYES you have!
The hoodwinker sunfish, weird and serene:
The Montauk monster, looking very sad and dead:
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
Let’s finish off the year with an episode about a few mystery animals, specifically a few mystery animals asso...2019-12-3015 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 151: Fossils with other fossils insideThanks to Pranav who suggested this week's amazing topic, animals that fossilized with the remains of their last meal inside!
Indrasaurus with a lizard inside. Yum!
Baryonyx:
Rhamphorhynchus (left, with long wing bones) and its Fish of Doom (right):
The fish within a fish fossil is a reminder to chew your food instead of swallowing it alive where it can kill you:
The turducken of fossils! A snake with a lizard inside with a bug inside!
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This week we have a listener suggestion from Pranav, who has se...2019-12-2315 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 150: Hamsters, Gerbils, and FerretsThis week we venture into the land of CUTE to learn about hamsters, ferrets, and some other small domesticated animals. Thanks to Kim and the Angel City Ferret Club for the suggestions!
Hamsters are SO CUTE:
Hamsters have giant cheek pouches to carry food in:
Gerbils are also SO CUTE:
Ferrets are SO CUTE in a totally different way:
The black-footed ferret does not want anything to do with the domestic ferret, thank you:
An extremely complicated but neat way to use your pet's exercise wheel to generate power:
Hamster-Powered Night Light
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m...2019-12-1615 minStrange Animals PodcastEpisode 149: A Zebra with SPOTSSOMEONE forgot their flash drive at work, so here's a short but hopefully interesting episode about a mystery animal, a zebra with spots instead of stripes!
Ordinary zebras:
A SPOTTED ZEBRA?!??
A BABY SPOTTED ZEBRA?!?
Show transcript:
Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.
This episode was going to be another listener suggestion, but I left my flash drive at work that has all my research and the half-written script on it. So that episode will be next week, and instead this week we’re going to learn about the mysterious spotted zebra.
Spotted zebras are occa...2019-12-0907 min