Life, Death, and Taxonomy

Episode 147 – Penduline Tit: The Prepper Penny Parker

Post author By admin
Post date November 10, 2020

“…and today we wrestle between good SEO and saying the awkward name of a bird over and over. But more on that later.”

If you were walking through the woods one day, you might see something strange… a fluffy white mass up in the trees. You might think it was a hanging goat carcass or a pinata of the abominable snowman from the stop-motion Rudolphi Christmas special. Well, you’d be wrong on both points. It’s actually the nest of the penduline tit, a tiny bird with a tendency for traps. But having options helps this bug-out bird survive here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Episode 146 – Black Footed Cat: A Prolific Predator

Post author By admin
Post date November 3, 2020

“… and today we’re talking about a predator so adorable, it rivals the pika-killing stoat in deadly cuteness.”

Predators come in all shapes and sizes, but a small size doesn’t necessarily mean an animal is a less effective hunter. And if you’re a rodent in the semi-desert plains of southern Africa, it’s a lesson you need to learn quickly, lest you be lunch for a tiny feline. The black-footed cat is smaller than a typical tabby, but it’s anything but tame. But hiding fierceness behind a pair of finely tuned night-vision goggles is one key to success in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Tags africa, cat, feline, mammal

Episode 145 – Adelie Penguin: A Formal Feathered Friend

Post author By admin
Post date October 27, 2020

“…and today we’re talking about a formal feathered friend. But more on that later.”

Birds of a feather waddle together. And that’s never been truer than it is for the Adelie penguin. As the dapper flippers make their way across the Antarctic ice each year, it’s important for each one to stake their claim on what little land is available. But how can birds solve these gerrymandering disputes? With money of course! But having a crude currency is just one of the Adelie’s survival techniques here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Tags antarctica, bird, Penguin

Episode 144 – Horned Viper: The Vied Viper

Post author By admin
Post date October 20, 2020

“…and today we’re talking about an animal that has adapted to a legless lifestyle in an arid region. But more on that later.”

Cursed to crawl on their bellies, snakes have taken to the limbless life with seemingly listless languid movement. But these apparently listless articulations of their sinuous bodies, are done with great intention. Snakes are able to slither almost everywhere. Without claws, legs, or arms that can climb trees, slide across the ground, and some can even glide on the air. But the horned viper is posed with a particular challenge in the form of soft shifting sand. But laudable locomotion is an interesting way a serpent can make its way through Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Tags dessert, horned viper, reptile, snake

Episode 143 – Barreleye: The Spookiest Fish

Post author By admin
Post date October 13, 2020

“…and today we’re talking about a mysterious organic, deep-diving submarine. But more on that later.”

Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, there sits an alien monster fish that stares up straight through its own skull to spy prey: the barreleye. How does it do this? By being one of the weirdest creatures alive, even for deep-sea animals—and that’s saying something! But looking strange is just a fortunate side effect of being an empty-headed harbinger of jellyfish death from below here in LDT.

Tags barreleye, fish, ocean

Episode 142 – Vinegaroon: A Real Whippersnapper

Post author By admin
Post date October 6, 2020

“…And today we’re talking about an arthropod that might be right at home on English dining table next to a bottle of brown sauce. But more on that later…”

The desert is home to some strange creatures with some even stranger adaptation. Few phyla find as much success in arid climates like arthropods, which develop an arsenal of deadly defense mechanisms. But one armored titan is unique even among his bug and spider kin. While they may choose the paths of speed and venom, our hero chooses to ooze to gain an edge. But sometimes a strange liquid is the perfect way to safeguard Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Episode 141 – Woodlouse: The Pill Bug is No Bug

Post author By admin
Post date September 29, 2020

“…and today we’re talking about a bug of very many names. But more on that right now.”

You might think that gills are just for ocean dwellers, and you’d be wrong. For the terrestrial woodlouse or roly-poly, using gills is as easy as breathing. But how and why does it have gills? It’s all a part of its unique classification as a crustacean rather than an insect–and it involves staying as damp as possible. But keeping it moist is how this isopod of many names survives here in LDT.

Tags crustacean, isopod, pill bug, woodlouse

Episode 140 – Mako Shark: Hot-Blooded Hotrod

Post author By admin
Post date September 22, 2020

Sharks are a primordial design. A torpedo built to catch and shred prey. These cold black eyes, like a doll’s eyes, are nothing but dark pools of basic, rudimentary instinct, right? Well some sharks are built differently than their kin. The mako shark is one of a few fish with an interesting adaptation that is foreign among fish. These hot-blooded predators of the temperate ocean have an ability that gives them an edge against their most elusive food sources. Sometimes the only way to survive is chase down and catch Life, Death, and Taxonomy…

Tags lamnid, mako, ocean, sea life, shark

Episode 139 – Giant Manta Ray: A Focused Fish

Post author By admin
Post date September 15, 2020

“…and today we’re talking about a buccal pumping pup sucking histotroph in huge chunks. That sentence will only get grosser when you know what those words mean. But more on that later…”

Sometimes the biggest giants are the gentlest giants. But this gentle giant is also a genius giant. While the oceanic manta ray might not be smarter than a fifth-grader, it does use its brain in ways that would make other fish extremely sad and jealous if they had any feelings. In fact, it’s those feelings that make the manta ray a prime candidate for smartest swimming blanket. But when you’re the biggest fish in the pond, you can afford a little self-awareness here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Tags fish, manta ray, ocean, sea life

Episode 138 – Crab Spider: A Fantastic Floral Friend

Post author By admin
Post date September 8, 2020

“And today we’re talking about a spider that sat down beside a pretty flower, expertly showcasing a poetic light and dark juxtaposition. But more on that later.”

When your relatives have found a tried and true method of success, it may be hard to strike out on your own path in order to innovate. But innovation may lead to new interesting ways to achieve your goals. The crab spider does just that. They put on a colorful coat and venture off the beaten web. But this little arachnid faces challenges and vulnerabilities that her spider kin never encountered. Such is the nature of Life, Death, and Taxonomy.

Tags arachnid, arthropod, crab spider, spider