Creature Feature

 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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.jpgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm answering your listener questions! Do owl eyes change colors? Would aliens be hot? What would a kraken look like?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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=sharingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.