Best Beast

Flies that steal pre-wrapped gifts, ants that steal babies and make them into slaves, and octopus that could totally squeeze through that keyhole in a bank heist- these are the best animal burglars!

Our guest host this episode is biologist and science communicator Dillon Jones, also known as Dillon the Biologist! Follow his Instagram for fun videos and commentary  @dillonthebiologist

Content Warning- Some language and descriptions of animal violence

Our Animal Candidates:
Scorpion Fly
Octopus
Forktailed Drongo
Slave-making ant
Bolitoglossa Salamander
Skua

Let’s learn more!
Scorpionfly Natural History | BUG UNDER GLASS
Scorpionflies and Hangingflies:  Gift, Males, Steal, and Species - JRank Articles
For lack of good footage of an Octopus completing a bank heist, here is a video of an Octopus walking on land.
The Incredible octopus that can walk on dry land | The Hunt - BBC - YouTube
Drongo Bird Tricks Meerkats | Africa | BBC Earth - YouTube
New Slave-making Ant Discovered in North America (entomologytoday.org)
Is this the face of a criminal?
A giant palm salamander, Bolitoglossa dofleini, in Guatemala | Smithsonian Photo Contest | Smithsonian Magazine
South Polar Skua | Audubon Field Guide
Antarctica’s Milk-Stealing, Grudge-Holding Seabirds | WBUR's The Wild Life


Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Are fish good at pulling weeds? Can crabs grow their breakfast on their hairy arms? And just how good are ants at talking to fungus? The answers may surprise you. Here are animals with the best green thumbs!

Our guest host this episode is entomologist and researcher Emily Luna.

Our Animal Candidates:
Eastern Grey  Squirrel
Leafcutter Ant
Ambrosia Beetle
Damsel Fish
Yeti Crab
Leaf Sheep

Intrigued by ants and aphids? Learn more on our Best Friends episode!
Best Friends

Let’s learn more!
Millions Of Trees Are Planted Every Year By Squirrels Who Forgot Where They Buried Their Nuts
Leafcutter Ants are Farmers Who Grow Fungi | Office for Science and Society
Ambrosia beetles: the tiny farmers you’ve never heard of - Entomology Graduate Student Association at University of California, Riverside
Damselfish farmers domesticated mysid shrimp – oceanbites
Yeti Crabs grow bacteria on their hairy claws - Scientific American Blog Network
Adorable "Leaf Sheep" Sea Slugs Look like Cartoon Lambs
The 'sheep' that can photosynthesise - BBC Travel

Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Fancy feathers, pebble dresses, and coral sunhats- animals have found many ways to be fashionable. Here are nature's most impressive fashionistas!

Our guest host this episode is ecologist and nature storyteller Jaclyn Aliperti. Check out her work here!
https://www.instagram.com/jaclynaliperti/
https://www.jaclynaliperti.com/

What to hear more of Jaclyn's insights? Check out one of her previous episodes!
Least Deserved Negative Reputation
Best Architect
Best Nose

Content warning: Mild language

Our Animal Candidates:
Peacock
Orchid Mantis
Caddisfly
Decorator Crab
Penguins
Camouflaged Looper

Let’s learn more!
A peacock's tail: how Darwin arrived at his theory of sexual selection
Beautiful Huntresses: Scientists Explain Why Mantises Evolved To Resemble Orchids
Why Do These Deadly Insects Look Like Flowers? - YouTube
Caddisfly larvae (order Trichoptera) | LIFE IN FRESHWATER
Artist Hubert Duprat Collaborates with Caddisfly Larvae as They Build Aquatic Cocoons from Gold and Pearls
Decorator Crabs Make High Fashion at Low Tide | Deep Look - YouTube
Black and White, the Perfect Combination | Penguins International
The awkward state of penguin molting | Deep Sea News
Lady Gaga Wears Pink Feathered Valentino Couture Gown to Venice Film Festival
emperor penguin teenager - Google
Camouflaged Looper Caterpillar - YouTube
Crafty Caterpillar Puts Flowers on Back for Camouflage » TwistedSifter


Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Jumping- not reserved only for frogs and kangaroos! Many animals have impressive jumps, from spiders, to sharks, to . . . beans? Which beast is the best jumper?

Our guest is Alex Mcinturf, Post-Doctoral researcher at the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University. Read about some of her amazing work with Basking Sharks here.
https://alexandramcinturf.squarespace.com
Check out Big Fish's work on their instagram
Big Fish Lab (@big_fish_lab) • Instagram

Content warning- Mild Language

Our animal candidates-
Mexican Jumping Bean
Basking Shark
Frog Hopper
Flying Snake
Mako Shark
Jumping Spider

Let's Learn More!
Why Did the Mexican Jumping Bean Jump? | Deep Look - YouTube
Peaceful basking sharks can leap just as powerfully as great whites | New Scientist
Froghopper insects leap to new heights | Nature
Jumping Hoppers in SLOW MOTION! - YouTube (Adrien at Ant Labs has been a guest on our podcast before and produces lots of amazing slow motion insect videos)
The Amazing Paradise Flying Snake | Wildest Islands Of Indonesia - YouTube
Spilling The Secret To A Mako Shark's Speed (forbes.com)
500-pound mako shark jumping toward boat prompts evasive maneuver | Men's Journal
Spider With Three Super Powers | The Hunt | BBC Earth - YouTube
Personalities of jumping spiders determine how they hunt | Daily Mail Online


Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

In honor of April the 1st we are discussing cryptids! From Bigfoot, to Krakens, to deadly farting bison, these are some fake animals that have some real ridiculous history.

Our guest host this episode is narrative director and lover of the weird,  Kyu Saiewitz.
You can find Kyu's previous episode with us here!
Most Terrifying Murderer

Content warning- Mild Language

Our animal candidates-
Bigfoot
Jersey Devil
Dragon
Loch Ness Monster
Kraken
Bonasus

Let's Learn More!
Bigfoot
The Jersey Devil
Pliny the Elder's Dragons
Giant Squid equals Awesomesauce
Giant Squid footage
Pliny the Elder's Bonasus

Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Penises that solve mazes, mimic flowers, and even sing?? These are some of the best penises in the animal kingdom.

Our guest this episode is reproduction expert and science educator Mollie Samocha. You can check out her previous Best Beast episode here-
Best Hair (buzzsprout.com)

And if you're in LA, go check out the Natural History Museum!
Natural History Museum (nhm.org)

Content warning: Descriptions of penises, mild language, and innuendo.

Our animal candidates-
Flatworm
Tortoise
Echidna
Lesser Water Boatman
Leopard Slug
Argentine Lake Duck

Let's Learn More!
Meet the penis-fencing flatworm | The Mating Game – BBC - YouTube
The Terrifying Sex Organs of Male Turtles (gizmodo.com)
Scientists unravel mystery of echidnas' bizarre 4-headed penis | Live Science
Bug's Penis Makes Loudest Animal Sound | WIRED
How loud is YOUR penis?! The waterboatman and his mighty member! - YouTube
Mating Leopard Slugs - YouTube
Dance of the Mating Leopard Slugs - The Infinite Spider
Ballistic Penises and Corkscrew Vaginas: The Sexual Battles of Ducks | Discover Magazine
Sexual competition among ducks wreaks havoc on penis size | Nature

Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Body freezing temperatures, boiling lakes, and poop mountains- these animals live in the absolute worst neighborhoods!

Our guest host this episode is storyteller Lauren Freedman. Here are some other episodes she recorded with us!
Best Butt
Best Friends

Content warning: Descriptions of animal violence and mild language

Our animal candidates-
Scaly Foot Gastropod
Wood Frog
Antarctic Midge
Gomantong Cave
Jerboa
Lesser Flamingo

Let's Learn More!
Scaly-foot Snails ~ MarineBio Conservation Society
The Iron Snail – More Than A Dodo
Our Best Tongue episode where you can hear how snails use their tongues to throw deadly harpoons! For real! Best Tongue- Best Beast
Frogsicles: Frozen But Still Alive - YouTube
How Antarctica’s Only Native Insect Survives the Freezing Temperatures | Smithsonian Magazine
Filming Inside a Cave Full of Cockroaches | Eden: Untamed Planet | BBC Earth - YouTube
JERBOA - Hopping Desert Rodent, Cute But Deadly!! - YouTube
The Deadly Lake Where 75 Percent of the World's Lesser Flamingos Are Born
The Flamingo Factory at Lake Natron - YouTube
This Alkaline African Lake Turns Animals into Stone | Science | Smithsonian Magazine

Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

We are a little late for Veteran's Day, but we wanted to spread the love to the millions of animals that have sacrificed and worked alongside humans in our wars for thousands of years. From drunk horses to professional sea lions, these are the best war animals.

 Animals don't choose to go to war, but it's undeniable that their contributions have shaped the development of human society.

Our guest host this episode is vet tech and equine expert, Elizabeth Turner.

This is our LAST episode of 2021! Make sure you are subscribed to the podcast as well as our Instagram and Facebook so you don't miss the first episode of 2022!

Content warning: Descriptions of  violence and mild language


Our animal honorees-
Elephants
Dogs
Sea Lions
Horses
Homing Pigeons
Cats


Let's Learn More!
War elephants: The original heavy armor fought into the 1950s - Sandboxx
A Brief History of Dogs in Warfare | Military.com
US Navy sea lions show off their protection skills during maritime exercise - YouTube
Hvaldimir's story - YouTube
The Four-Legged Marine Who Became a Korean War Hero - HISTORY
The Incredible Carrier Pigeons of the First World War | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)
Why cats were the perfect companions in the trenches of WWI - We Are The Mighty
War Culture - Animals of war | Military History Matters (military-history.org)

Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Caterpillars who dress like snakes, snakes who dress like spiders, and spiders who dress like ants!  And what is this baby bird dressed as?? The animal world is full of mimicry, but these cosplayers are the best of the best!

Our guest host this episode is evolutionary biologist and herpetology enthusiast, JP Lawrence. Give him a follow on instagram to see some of his gorgeous wildlife photography!
JP Lawrence (@jplawrencephoto) • Instagram photos and videos

Find JP's previous episode here
Best Tongue

Content warning: Mild language

Our animal candidates:
Cinereous Mourner
Iranian Spider-tailed Viper
Red Weaver Ant Mimicking Jumper
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar
Wonderpus
Owl Butterfly

Let’s learn more!
Cinereous Mourner - YouTube
The attack of a spider tailed viper is filmed for the first time - YouTube
A Weaver Ant's Disguise | Wild Sri Lanka - YouTube
The Impostor - Kerengga Ant-Like Jumper | Myrmaplata plataleoides | Ant Mimics - YouTube
Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar Defense - YouTube
Tiger Swallowtail Junior (Family Papilionidae) - Field Station (uwm.edu)
Wonderpus- I admit I had trouble finding video of the wonderpus doing its impressions since it is not as well known as the mimic. So what follows is articles and videos that cover both!
Absurd Creature of the Week: The Octopus That Does Incredible Impressions of Fish and Snakes | WIRED
Wonderpus and Mimic Octopus Facts: Fascinating Mollusks - Owlcation
Horned Katydid vs Owl Butterfly Caterpillar | MONSTER BUG WARS - YouTube
Owl Butterfly chrysalis perfectly mimics snake head - YouTube
Eye knew it! Markings on butterfly wings really DO mimic a predator's gaze
It's ok to be Smart: Evolution- What is Impossible in Evolution? - YouTube

Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Cannibalism, impalement, dismemberment, and zombification. The animal kingdom is full of interesting ways to be murdered. 

Our guest host this episode is narrative director and horror aficionado, Kyu Saiewitz.

Content warning: Language and some pretty darn creepy animal behaviors

Our animal candidates:
Loggerhead Shrike
Viper Fish
Gustav the Crocodile
Meerkats
Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis petax)
Jewel Wasp

Let’s learn more!
Shrikes Have an Absolutely Brutal Way of Killing Large Prey | Audubon
Butchering Bird | World's Deadliest - YouTube
Weird and Wonderful: A big mouth is an advantage for the toothy viperfish - YouTube
Fact Check: This is not Gustave, the mammoth man-eating croc of Africa’s wetlands
Gustave: The Notorious Giant Crocodile Rumored To Have Killed Over 300 People
Baby-Murdering Meerkat Alpha Females Enslave Subordinates As Wet Nurses
Absurd Creature of the Week: The Ferocious Bug That Sucks Prey Dry and Wears Their Corpses | WIRED
The emergence of this jewel wasp at Chester Zoo is NOT for the faint-hearted - YouTube

Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast