Episode 188 – Giant Panda: The Bamboo Bandit
“…and today we’re talking about a great big plant-based carnivore, but more on that later.” When you have a particular problem you call in a specialist. In nature, specialists give up traditional paths to get very good at one thing. It usually refers to the place they live and the food they eat. In China’s […]
Episode 187 – Quokka: Pragmatist Parents
“…and today we’re talking about what the internet has dubbed the world’s happiest animal.” You know that old joke where there are two guys hiking in the woods who see a bear and one of them says “How are we gonna outrun it” and the other says “I just need to outrun you”? Well, the […]
Episode 186 – Komodo Dragon: A Toxic Debate
“…and today we’re talking about the closest thing to a traditional fire breathing dragon we’re going to get.” Reptilians once dominated the food chain as the largest animals in their ecosystems until some natural checks and balances relegated them to smaller bodies that were better at sneaking under rocks and bushes. But nature’s memo failed […]
Episode 185 – Surinam Toad: Back’s Got Baby
“And today we’re talking about a horror pancake. But more on that later.” The northern region of South America is home to the Amazon Basin, which in turn hosts a wide variety of fascinating rainforest dwellers. With one of the most odd-looking being the surinam toad. What looks at first like a dead frog that’s […]
Episode 184 – White-Throated Dipper: Milk’s Favorite Bird
“…and today we’re talking about a bird that loves chocolate chip cookies. But more on that later.”
Episode 183 – Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko: The Devil’s Disguises
“…and today we’re talking about a gecko that just does what it wilsts. But more on that later.” The 80s spawned a lot of things: Reaganomics, Terminator, Steve Perry. But it also gave rise to the Satanic Panic. And one of the most prominent kinds of Satanists that the decade produced was an evil race […]
Episode 182 – Toucan: A Cool Snoot for Fruit
“…we’re talking about a colorful jungle bird that follows his nose for froot… I mean fruit. But more on that later.” The jungle is a paradise of delectable nectar and fantastic fruit. For those that can reach these delights, the jungle provides everything you need. But it takes some special equipment to take advantage of […]
Episode 181 – Saiga Antelope: The Nose Knows
“…and today we’re talking about the tibetan fox of antelopes. By that I mean it looks like a child’s drawing of the antelope that isn’t quite right. But more on that later.” On the steppes of the stans in Central Asia, a goofy-looking antelope grazes around the countryside, using its odd snout to sniff the […]
Episode 180 – Eastern Screech Owl: Snakes in the Nest
“…and today we’re talking about an owl with an eye for allies. But more on that later.” Small things slithering across the woodlands know to watch the skies. A killer approaches silently as it glides from high perches. For most small mammals and invertebrates that meet this aerial doom, it’s time to say goodbye to […]
Episode 179 – Brown-Throated Sloth: The Slowest Mammal
“…and today we’re talking about the sloooowest mammal in the world. But more on that later.” The Amazon jungle is home to a wide variety of animals both fast and slow, with one of the slowest being the brown-throated sloth. But with so many fierce predators on the jungle floor, it helps to spend all […]
