The Natural History Cupboard Podcast

This week we take a dive in the ocean to come face-to-face with one of the most recognisable cetaceans in the world, the humpback whale! In the news, there's a new discovery that shows how Ichthyosaurs moved silently through the water. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!LINK TO FLY EPISODE

This week we check out for the vividly vibrant, and sometimes violent, lilac-breasted roller. It is the unofficial National Bird of Kenya, and is often referred to as the "most photographed bird in Africa" with its jaw-dropping multi-coloured plumage. Drew even embarrasses us all by doing a rap about it. In the news, we "roll" through some articles about bearded vultures; Galápagos iguanas; Aaron offends Manchester and Liverpool (again); and we discover that some fungi are able to digest plastic! All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week is National Moth Week, and - like our other specials - we have three moths for you: the vivacious hummingbird hawk-moth; the massive tropical swallowtail moth; and the even larger, yet short-lived, atlas moth. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!National Moth Week is held in the last week of July. It's a citizen science project to study and record populations of moths! Find out more and join in here: https://nationalmothweek.org/Check out our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheNaturalHistoryCupboardPodcast343And our Teemill store here: thenaturalhistorycupboard.teemill.com

This week Aaron closes out the Panthera genus with the leopard. It's the last of the "big cat" features (unless we delve into subspecies), but the adaptable, intelligent, and stealth-based leopard is by no means least. In the news, there's a big butterfly boom in the rewilded landscape at Knepp! All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we finally get around to tackling another Shark Week - the last time was 2021 (it took us a few years to get the timing right again... whoops). For 2025, we delve into the deep blue to meet the great white and the scalloped hammerhead, and Gareth returns temporarily to showcase the blue shark! All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we take a balanced look at the yellow-flowered common ragwort. Is it responsible for thousand of horse deaths a year, or are those numbers fabricated? Is it simply just misunderstood, to the detriment of the hundreds of species of invertebrates that rely on it? In the news, we discover the potential for a new plastic that dissolves! All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week, to celebrate Rainforest Day of 2025, we explore three different rainforest regions of the world - the Amazon of South America, Taman Negara of Malaysia and the Celtic Rainforests of our UK home. Come and discover what makes these biomes so unique - even from one another - and why protecting them is so vital. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we delve into the ocean, with the giant nomadic leatherback sea turtle, and ask how does such a large reptile live on jellyfish alone? In the news, it's all about the upcoming dino-park building sim, Jurassic World: Evolution 3, and whether it holds up to other prehistoric park builders. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we traverse a changed forest that should be home to one of the world's largest woodpeckers, the ivory-billed woodpecker, but only the echoes of its song and tapping remain. In the news, we celebrate the life of another recently passed bird, the UK's oldest wild white-tailed eagle, who produced a record number of chicks. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we meet the second dinosaur ever discovered, Iguanodon! Find out how its image has changed over the past 200 years to the dinosaur we know today. In the news, Aaron discusses the newest standards for UK zoos. All this and more. The cupboard is open come on in!

This week we look at one of the most effective predators in Eurasia and North America, the grey wolf! This species attracts lovers and haters, and both are often misguided. In the news, we hark back to our previous episode as choughs have returned to Kent! All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we head to the west coast of the UK to discover how our very own Celtic corvid, the red-billed chough, is woven into the culture and myths of these lands. In the news, we celebrate the amazing life and career of Sir David Attenborough as he enters his 99th year! All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we travel back to prehistoric Mongolia to meet the many-named, but hornless, rhino, the massive Paraceratherium. In the news, Aaron tells us how much of the UK population is concerned with the loss of wildlife - we look at what is being done, and what you can do too. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week it’s all gone to the dogs. Not just the creature feature, the dire wolf, but with our hosts. We explore what a dire wolf is and how it's similar or different from Colossal's wolf? In the news, we look at the Earth Day movement and the unity it can inspire. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week is a Spring Special, and we have a trio of super species for you to enjoy from the chicken to the bluebell and the Oviraptor! To help us go through our spring species, we're excited to bring back author, Lindsey Kinsella, to share in the fun! So hop to it and join us this week for our spring special! The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we head to the Canadian wilderness to meet the wolverine... no, not the X-man, but the equally tough, resilient and fierce member of the weasel family. In the news, you've likely already heard, the dire wolf is back... or is it? All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we meet one of most easily identified plant-eating dinosaurs, Parasaurolophus. Find out how it used its wonderful crest! In the news, we look at what is lurking around North Devon, and which one of us spotted something! All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we head to the highlands to meet the capercaillie, a glorious grouse in need of help. In the news, we look at how all areas of modern science are contributing to a wider understanding of how dinosaurs lived. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we meet the brown bear, the Swiss Army knife of mammals. We learn what the bear necessities really are, and what it takes to be smarter than the average bear. In the news, we look at the maddening story of an influencer who kidnapped a baby wombat, and what this says about how we interact with wildlife. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!

This week we travel back to the Jurassic to meet a pterosaur like no other: say hello to the Dimorphodon, a species that has proven you don’t need to be good at flying to be a pterosaur! In the news, we hear how plans to farm bison are restoring habitats and protecting local people, all while helping out an amazing species. All this and more. The cupboard is open, come on in!