Best Beast

Have you ever given directions with a dance? Said hello with bumpy skin? How about packed a fully detailed human description into a single shriek?  These are the best animal languages!

Our guest host this episode is lawyer and linguist, John Stokes. 

Content warning: Mild language

Our animal candidates:
Nim Chimpsky (Great Apes)
Humpback Whale
African Gray Parrot
Gunnison's Prairie Dog
Cuttlefish
Honey Bee

Let’s learn more!

The Chimp That Learned Sign Language : NPR
Humpback Whale Song of the Summer (nationalgeographic.com)
'Alex & Me': The Hidden World Of Animal Minds : NPR
Catch the Wave: Decoding the Prairie Dog’s Contagious Jump-Yip - Scientific American Blog
Prairie Dog Chatter: The Science Behind a New Language
Cuttlefish wear their thoughts on their skin (nature.com)
The Waggle Dance of the Honeybee - YouTube

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

Migrating eyeballs, psychopath larvae, and mysteriously absent gonads- these are the best metamorphoses!

Our guest host this episode is professor, documentary filmmaker, and macro photographer Audrey Kali. Check out her instagram full of insect photos @audrey.kali

Check out her documentary trailer here:
www.farmandredmoon.com

Content warning: Mild language

Our Animal Candidates
Flounder
Immortal Jellyfish
Looper Twig Moth
European Eel
Green Lacewing
Periodical Cicadas

Let's Learn More!
Flatfish Pictures
Another fabulous flatfish picture
The Mysterious Origin of the Wandering Eye | ScienceBlogs
Science of the immortal jellyfish, Earth's longest living animal - BBC Science Focus Magazine
The Family Geometridae (Moths, Inchworms, and Loopers)
Audrey's image of Looper Twig Caterpillar
Where Do Eels Come From? | The New Yorker
Audrey's image of Green Lacewing
Audrey's image of Green Lacewing eggs
Audrey's image of Green Lacewing Larvae hatching
Brood X Periodical Cicadas Emerge In 15 States : NPR
Why do U.S. cicadas lie dormant for over a decade? Their life cycle, explained. (nationalgeographic.com)

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

Sexy manatees, friendly fat birds, and salamanders with boomerang faces- these are some of the beautiful animals that have gone extinct. Buckle up for the worst extinction stories!

Our guest host this episode is Creative Director of the Discovery Cube, Quincy Stokes. If you're in Sothern California, pay them a visit!
Homepage - Discovery Cube

Content warning: Descriptions of  violence/sex and mild language

Our animal candidates:
Stellar Sea Cow
Dire Wolf
Pyrenean Ibex
Diplocaulus
Dodo
Passenger Pigeons

Let’s learn more!

What Happened to Steller's Sea Cows? - The Atlantic
Dire wolves went extinct 13,000 years ago but thanks to new genetic analysis their true story can now be told (theconversation.com)
Fresh effort to clone extinct animal - BBC News
Diplocaulus - Facts and Pictures (newdinosaurs.com)
BBC - Earth - How humanity first killed the dodo, then lost it as well
Why the Passenger Pigeon Went Extinct | Audubon

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

Do we really need squish-faced dogs? Or fancy pigeons? And why are scientists mushing together spider and goat DNA? Get ready to vote for the worst manmade animal!

Our guest this week is actress and dog sitter Joan Kubicek. She once voiced a sassy horseshoe crab puppet for Nat Geo WILD.  Aminals: Horseshoe Crab on Vimeo

Content warning: Mild language

Our animal candidates:
Domesticated Silk Moth
Spider Goats
Elephants
Angora Rabbits
Fancy Pigeons
Bulldogs (and other BOAS dogs)

Let's Learn More!
Silk — Collective Fashion Justice
Rare Spider Silk on Exhibit at AMNH - YouTube
The goats with spider genes and silk in their milk - BBC News
Going Tuskless | African Wildlife Foundation (awf.org)
Series on Wool: Angora, Can It Ever Be Ethical? (the-sustainable-fashion-collective.com)
Record Breaking Rabbits: Angora Bunnies Get Blow-Dried - YouTube
Brave Military Pigeon's War Medal To Fetch Thousands At Auction (forces.net)
Meet the English Pouter Pigeon - Backyard Poultry (iamcountryside.com) (link provided for images, not for the sentiments of the article)
Grand National Pigeon Show champions (today.com) (link provided for images, not for the sentiments of the article)
What Unethical Breeding Has Done To Bulldogs - Puppy Leaks
X-ray of pug at the vet goes viral with internet divided over whether it's adorable or terrifying | London Evening Standard | Evening Standard

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

Noses that grip, noses that store, and noses that see! Reconsider everything you thought you knew about noses and help us decide whose nose is best!

Our guest host this episode is ecologist and nature storyteller Jaclyn Aliperti. Check out her recent 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

Content warning: Mild language

Our Animal Candidates:
Elephant Seal
Silk moth
Saiga
Star-nosed Mole
Sawfish
African Elephant

Let’s learn more!
Elephant Seals | Life in the Freezer | BBC Earth - YouTube
How silkmoths could defeat terrorism and drug smuggling - BBC Future
Saigas are Straight Out of Star Wars - YouTube
True Facts About The Star Nosed Mole (with Ze Frank) | Earth Unplugged - YouTube
Longcomb Sawfish - Georgia Aquarium
Secrets of an elephants's trunk and tusks - BBC - YouTube


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

Oh the things you can do with just your own poop! Feed yourself and your family, build your house, or maybe even balance an entire ecosystem.

Our guest host this episode is primatologist and educator Emily Patton. Check out  Orangutan Foundation International here! Official Orangutan Foundation International Site

Content warning: Mild language

Our Animal Candidates:
Black Lark
White Rhino
Parrotfish
Bess Beetle
Whales
Dung Beetle

Let’s learn more!

Why Black Larks Build Poop Fortresses | Audubon

Rhinos Use Poop Piles Like a Social Network (nationalgeographic.com)

Tough Teeth and Parrotfish Poop | Smithsonian Ocean (si.edu)

True Facts About The Dung Beetle - YouTube

Sciencespeak: Whale Pump (nationalgeographic.com)

How antibiotic-filled poop helps ‘bessbug’ beetles stay healthy | Berkeley News

The story of guano, the poop of sea birds and bats, and how it shaped human society
Guano Mania - 99% Invisible (99percentinvisible.org)


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

Farting Morse code? Security door rear ends? Bum breathing turtles? Surely, these are the best animal butts.

Our guest host this episode is filmmaker and voice actress Lauren Freedman.
http://thelaurenfreedman.com/about/

If you like her sense of humor you can check out the other episodes we have recorded with her here!
Best Friends (buzzsprout.com)
Least Deserved Positive Reputation (buzzsprout.com)

Content warning: Descriptions of animal sex and mild language

Our Animal Candidates:
Herring
Honeypot Ant
Chinese Hourglass Trapdoor Spider
Mandrill
Wombat
Fitzroy River Turtle

Let’s learn more!

By a wonderful coincidence, one of our favorite youtube channels "It's OK to be Smart" also discussed butts this week! A Brief (Scientific) History of Butts - YouTube

Rigby’s Encyclopaedia of the Herring FARTING - Rigby’s Encyclopaedia of the Herring (herripedia.com)

Honey Ant Adaptations | National Geographic Society

Empire of the Desert Ants – BBC (2011) | Natural History Nature Documentary (naturedocumentaries.org)

The Chinese Hourglass Spider (Cyclocosmia latusicosta) (amazinglife.bio)

TIL: Why Do These Monkeys Have Big, Colorful Butts? | Today I Learned - YouTube

Wombats' deadly bums: how they use their 'skull-crushing' rumps to fight, play and flirt | Animal behaviour | The Guardian

Orphan Wombat Preparing for the Wild | BBC Earth - YouTube

Protecting the “bum-breathing turtles” of the Fitzroy River - Greening Australia - Greening Australia

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

Brains wrapped in tongue helmets, self-cannibalizing nervous systems, and hive minds! These are the weirdest animal brains!

Our guest this episode is neuroscientist and science writer Alison Caldwell.
Check out her amazing youtube channel if you are excited about brains!
Neuro Transmissions - YouTube

Find her on Instagram @neurotransmissions

Her book, Brains Explained, is being released on June 22nd, 2021. Order it here!
Brains Explained | Book by Alison Caldwell, Micah Caldwell | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster (simonandschuster.com)

Content warning: Mild language

Our Animal Candidates:
Comb Jelly
Dolphins
Woodpecker
Sea Squirt
Octopus
Ants

Let's learn more!
Absurd Creatures | Comb Jellies Are Ready to Rave - YouTube
Why Don’t Woodpeckers Get Concussions? - YouTube
The Distributed Mind: Octopus Neurology - YouTube
In an ant's world, the smaller you are the harder it is to see obstacles (theconversation.com)

Want to see images of our animals or nominate your own candidate?  Find as at our Instagram or Facebook!
@bestbeast_podcast • Instagram photos and videos
Best Beast Podcast | Facebook

Rock-throwing monkeys, gift-giving spiders, and sexy gurgling camels- these are the best animal flirts!

Our guest host this episode is documentary producer Victoria Armayor @victoria_aj. You can see some of her work here:
Years of Living Dangerously
https://www.amazon.com/Years-Living-Dangerously-Season-2/dp/B01M311WUZ
Road to 9/11
https://tv.apple.com/us/show/road-to-911/umc.cmc.4iy7ixlkxol8phs1k2ejv1za7
Rewinding a River
Video spotlight: Rewinding a River | Trout Unlimited

Content warning: Descriptions of animal violence and mild language

Our animal candidates:
Paper Nautilus
Arabian Camel
Capuchin Monkeys
Nursery Web Spiders
Peacock Spider
Lyre Bird

Let’s learn more!
Get to Know the Paper Nautilus - Ocean Conservancy
Australian animal mating rituals - camel seduction in the outback - BBC wildlife - YouTube
CAPUCHIN MONKEYS FLIRT BY THROWING STONES - YouTube
Male nursery web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) offering prey to female - YouTube
Peacock Spider Mating Dance - YouTube
Peacock Spider "Stayin' Alive" - YouTube
A short film Damon and Cassandra made with a puppet peacock spider-
Aminals: Peacock Spider
Lyrebird: The Best Songbird Ever! - YouTube

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

Glamorous insect curls, noisy spines, and  deadly toupees- this is the best animal hair!

Our guest host this episode is Mollie Samocha, an educator at the Los Angeles Zoo and expert in animal reproduction. Follow her on Instagram @mollieswildlife

Content warning: Descriptions of animal sex and mild language

Our animal candidates:
Sloth
Planthopper Nymph
Bee
Sea Otter
Porcupine
Wooly Slug

Let’s learn more!
See some adorable Planthopper Nymphs
The Planthopper Nymph's Dazzling Style of Protection (treehugger.com)
Learn more about the Monterey Bay aquarium's surrogate Sea Otter program
Sea otter rescue and research | Stories | Monterey Bay Aquarium
A prehensile tailed porcupine- one of the cutest species for sure
Prehensile-tailed Porcupine Quilliam Enjoys a Snack - YouTube
The bird that imitates wooly slugs, the Cinerous Mourner
A Baby Bird Behaves Like a Caterpillar - YouTube
HAIRY BIRD OR CATERPILLAR? - YouTube

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