Life, Death, and Taxonomy
“…and today we’re talking about the Listerine dad fish. But more on that later.”
The bright and colorful coral reefs are home to a wide variety of fish, but very few can be considered decent parents. The yellowhead jawfish is, however, an exception. Taking care of kids is never easy, but try doing it without a diaper genie and, you know, hands. But this finned father has figured out a way to keep the kiddos safe and sound here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
“…and today we’re talking about a bug-eyed pseudo bird. But more on that later.”
Arboreal creatures are built to get around in trees, and in the rainforest, that’s an extremely helpful adaptation. But what if your so great at getting around the branches that your no good on the ground. The Colugo is in such a predicament. When you can’t go down, you have to figure out a better way to stay up. Keeping your chin up and your eyes on the prize is a great way to make it in Life, Death and Taxonomy.
“..and today we are talking about an American mammal that you might not already know about.”
If you’re a denizen of North America, you probably think you know every furry critter in these parts. You’ve got your bears, cats, wolves, and even a muskrat or two. But there is a lesser known mammalian that may lurk in the dark of your backyard in the wee small hours of the morning, that you’ve never heard of at all. The ringtail is the essence of the word critter, and yet, it’s a lesser known member of the American Animal kingdom. But learning more about a place you thought you knew is the spice of Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
“…and today we’re talking about a rainforest weasel. But more on that later.”
It seems that, no matter where you live, you have to deal with mosquitoes. Whether you’re in the Alaskan mountains or the jungles of Panama, biting boys are everywhere. Long ago, the white nosed coati said “enough is enough” and found an ingenious way to keep those blood suckers at bay. It may not necessarily be life saving, but it is a great way to not let the bugs drive you crazy here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
“…and today we’re talking about an aquatic acrobat. But more on that later.”
When you’re tiny the God hands you a different set of rules than the laws of physics humans are used to. When you hear the name water springtail, you might think of a fish or maybe a deer, but it’s actually a tiny arthropod that lives on the surfaces of ponds. In this placid world, it takes some special skills to get around. But with tiny physics, you can do anything you set your little mind to, in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
“…and today we’re talking about an animal hacker of animals. But more on that later.”
They say the best defense is a good offense. But they rarely say the opposite. Crabs are little armored warriors scuttling around on the ocean floor, but even their rigid carapace isn’t immune to a little subterfuge. Enter the crab hacker barnacle. A sinister little worm that sets up shop and gets to work turning nature’s armored ocean bugs into their own personal breeding grounds. But when you’re a small barnacle in a big ocean, you have to use what you can to survive here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
“…and today we’re talking about a sucker who will latch onto anything and go with it. But more on that later.”
If you see a shark, whale, or large fish gliding through the open ocean, you may see some extra passengers stuck to its flanks. The live sharksucker is a remora, a fish that freeloads off of other, bigger animals. But why grab an oceanic uber when your fins work just fine? Well, grab your towel because you gotta abide by the hitchhiker’s guide to the ocean to survive here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
“…and today we’re talking about the Big Foot of the outback. But more on that later.”
When you think of bigfoot, you’re probably imagining a large hairy ape, but the big foot of the Australian billabongs is not swamp ape. Instead, it’s a small graceful bird bouncing along the lily pads with water skis for feet. Finding a great place to eat is important for survival, and the jacana has chosen outback ponds as their preferred brunch spot. Adapting to your chosen habitat is essential to fine dining in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
“…and today we’re talking about a percussive Pisces. But more on that later.”
If you live in the suburbs of Tampa Bay, Florida. You may have heard an eerie sound in the night. As you drift off to dreamland, you not only hear a strange low rumbling, you can feel it in your chest. As you sit up, you realize your windows are shaking. The dog across the street starts barking. You run to the window, but there’s nothing there, and you can’t tell where the sound is coming from, but it’s all around you. The black drumfish is the watcher in the water, the drums in the deep and they are coming, in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
Welcome to the beloved Measure Up segment. The official listener’s favorite part of the show! The part of the show when we present the animal’s size and dimension in relatable terms through a quiz that’s fun for the whole family. It’s also the part of the show that’s introduced by you when you send in audio of yourself saying, singing, or chittering the words Measure Up into ldtaxonomy at gmail dot com. We don’t have a new Measure Up intro!
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Last year, Tampa residents reported hearing a low humming bass noise vibrating throughout residential areas. The sound was so loud that it would shake windows and keep people up at night. One resident said, “I hope the cops catch whoever is making that sound before I do.” There were many theories offered, up to and including aliens, but the real answer is almost stranger.
Black drumfish are known for producing distinctive deep sounds, especially during their spawning season. These sounds are created by the contraction of muscles against their swim bladder, which acts like a drum, and the sonic muscle functions as the drumstick. This sound is often referred to as a “drumming” sound due to its similarity to the percussion instrument.
Drumming is used to communicate with black drumfish, establish territories, and attract potential mates. The low-frequency sounds they produce can be very loud and transmit a lot of energy over long distances, ranging from about 60 to 1100 Hz, with most of the acoustic energy concentrated below 400 Hz.
Why do they drum? They usually do it during specific behaviors, such as mating, courtship, or territorial disputes. During the breeding season, male black drumfish create humming sounds to attract females.
These underwater serenades serve as a signal of readiness to mate. The vibrations travel through the water, allowing potential mates to locate each other.
Black drumfish are known to be territorial. The humming sound may also function as a warning to other fish, asserting their presence and claiming a specific area.
Ending: Use your strong beard to eat a boatload of oysters, keep an eye out for sharks, and drop that bass when you’re sweet-talkin’ the ladies like the black drum fish here in LDT.
“…and today we’re talking about the smooth jazz of tree critters. But more on that later.”
Deep in the jungles of the Amazon, an adorable ball of fluff clings to a tree branch, lapping up delicious ants. The pygmy silky anteater clearly has sloths as a role model, and it shows in their… laid back nature. But moving slowly and eating sparingly take a toll, and this carefree lifestyle comes at a cost, particularly for an anteater. But keeping a cool head when the heat turns up is the way to sway here in Life, Death, and Taxonomy.