Creature Feature

Creature Feature episodes:

• 04.24.2024

  Backyard Science

  You can be a citizen scientist in your own backyard! Broods! Birds! And mushroom butts! I'm joined by podcaster and voice actress Janet Varney. Guest: Janet Varney  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 04.17.2024

  Aeroplankton

  They're in the air! There's billions of them! And they're tiny! We're talking about aeroplankton, what they're doing up there, and what happens when they get in your nose.  Guest: Soren Bowie Last week's mystery animal sound source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8Phip5U-Wo See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

  
• 04.10.2024

  Rats In The Walls

  Today, we talk RATS! From plague to pets, rats have had a huge impact on humanity! What was the role of rats in the plague? What even is a rat?? Should you keep them as pets??? And are we so...

  
• 04.03.2024

  Biomimicry

  We talk about wild human inventions inspired by animal designs! Guest: Ellen Weatherford Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZEGyyeNn8trH-FmcchVthmmppq8-XiQlKILt-9fIISk/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 03.20.2024

  Creature Classic®: Firing the Easter Bunny

  Today on the show, we're doing a re-broadcast of an Easter classic! We're firing the Easter Bunny and looking for a replacement! That's right E.B., you're getting benched and we're sending another animal out there to make merry with the...

  
• 03.13.2024

  Listener Q's: Tarzan, Frog Skins, Bird Dinner

  I answer your questions, from the realism of Tarzan, to the details behind a frog Buffalo Bill, and how to best serve the birds of your community!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 03.05.2024

  Animal, Mineral, or Vegetable?

  On today's show I subject my guest to a gauntlet of strange oddities, and he (and you) must guess whether these are animals, minerals, vegetables, or something else entirely... Guest: DJ Danl Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rRUT2Ywx6B9XF-1SyNJ8lxVyLX94eY2n06FjiE4x-O8/edit?usp=sharing Mystery animal sound credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMwAgft_kZ8 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 02.28.2024

  Robobees (More Bees Please)

  Today: we're turning animals into robots! All the weirdest and wackiest ways that roboticists and researchers have played robo-god with animals. From robosaurus, to robot bees, and robo falcons, Adam and Katie discuss whether robots will inherit the earth.  Guest: Adam...

  
• 02.21.2024

  Lisa Frankimals

  Today we're talking about animals that look like they jumped off of a page from Lisa Frank's notebook! Pink dolphins, rainbow squirrels, surprisingly fabulous pigeons, and the most beautiful butts in the world.  Guest: Joelle Monique  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12uHLiRYjc0_-rKv_fCFSpkTMN8f4ysX9do1j_uLC0r4/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 02.14.2024

  A Valentine's Day Gift

  I dragged my husband on the show to talk about animals who give romantic gifts, like dead voles and nutritional secretions! Hope he takes the hint!  Guest: Brett McCully Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Kn459lVK4NKOeLYcUM47R-EWo4RX6tgwp0cTvQBPFs/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 01.31.2024

  Feed Drop: Let's Learn Everything, Birds in Space!

  Feed drop time! Check out this Let's Learn Everything episode I was a guest on! We talk about BIRDS. IN. SPAAAAAACE! Guests: Ella Huber, Tom Lum, Alex Schmidt, Caroline RoperFootnotes: Space quails video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7-hm3A7ayI See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 01.24.2024

  Listener Q's & Sloth Poos

  It's a listener questions episode which means I answer your questions about animal baldness, skin, and poop!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 01.17.2024

  Animals Are Sick!

  I'm joined by naturalist, educator and author Heather Montgomery as we talk about her book "Sick" and the fascinating world of animal immune systems (and poop). Guest: Heather Montgomery See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 01.03.2024

  Creature Classic© Festive Swole Deer

  Summary: Happy holidays! I'll see you soon in the new year, until then, enjoy some of my favorite classic holiday episodes! This one's about weird ungulates. Guest: Alex Schmidt Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ofN2BMRRxu3ITqZZZjcH7LSae9rq2umS0pJ39rHJlRU/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 12.27.2023

  Creature Classic© Cave Santa's Sleigh

  Happy holidays! I'll see you soon in the new year, but until then, enjoy a past episode... millions of years in the past. Who will pull Cave Santa's sleigh? Guest: Alex Schmidt  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-moJs64fD53QyE_xt77iNcMexcY-sP4Pis2g7KK5qmo/edit?usp=sharing Credit to Aaron Kenny for Creative Commons music  See omnystudio.com/listener for...

  
• 12.20.2023

  Creature Kringletimes Special: Teeny Penguin Naps

  From hibernations to teeny naps, these wintery animals know how to catch a few z's!  Guest: Jeff May  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dEiKigGPXidNf5Jaa_LQ8HvJkP0h-9Tz6KNzC-OkFds/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 12.14.2023

  Odd Eggs

  The weirdest, most expertly engineered eggs in the world! Not all eggs are, well, egg-shaped with Alex Schmidt!    Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16kSwzHPVP2CaYDiXf0jYvP1pBw140Ep8rjv77hOjAno/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 12.06.2023

  Listener Q's: Shrinking Ant Brains

  I answer your questions, like why are there so many parasites? Do frogs really not have teeth? And what's going on with these ants?!? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 11.30.2023

  Creature Classic®: Please Scream With Your Butt

  Katie got the stomach flu, so here's one of her favorite old episodes! We promise the title is merely a coincidence.  Guest: Will Poole  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uJ2hX52ElPgYMGS8nVpxjDX1ioBmv5lIc1V_zDG9QII/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 11.22.2023

  Fact Checking The Garfield Trailer

  A deep dive into the factual accuracies and inaccuracies of the Garfield Movie trailer! Beat by beat we will examine the trailer, and talk about whether there are real life examples in evolutionary biology that can lend credence to the...

  
• 11.15.2023

  Javelina vs. Golf

  Joined by pro-Javelina guest Kylie Brakeman, we discuss the righteous fight of the Javelina against the golf courses of Arizona! And other animals who are bravely waging war against golf!  Guest: Kylie Brakeman  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uPIGPktJnmyjdY3xgSLjICSxXW-ZpnY7BP2QxPcGG6A/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 11.08.2023

  Listener Q's: Mouse VR

  I answer your questions, from how an elephant gets so big on grass alone, to animal schedules, witchy familars and suspiciously crab-like aliens!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 11.01.2023

  Who's A Good Fallout Boy?

  From dog-fox hybrids, to radioactive doggies of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, we're talking about all the best boys and girls in the world! Also: dogs whose job is to save the turtles! Guest: Andrew Ti See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 10.25.2023

  Creatureween: Undead Fish Skin

  Real Halloweeny tales of animal biology! Undead fish skin, vampire mice, and flying zombies! Guests: Seanbaby & Robert Brockway Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1njNgJ35GLVLDYnPbfKM2hRFPOvxyj6K2wjOkEX17rus/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 10.18.2023

  Witch's Brew

  Eye of newt, tongue of toad, well, more like excretion of toad, we're talking about the poisonous witch's brews of the animal kingdom! From trippy toads, to petrifying platypuses. Guest: Jason Pargin See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 10.11.2023

  Interview: Forrest Galante!

  An interview with naturalist/adventurer Forrest Galante! Guest: Forrest Galante   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 10.04.2023

  Big Mouths

  From the stretchiest mouthed reptiles, to sea creatures that are mostly mouths, we're talking about the most ghoulish gluttons on the globe! Guest: Katherine Spiers  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TolY6_BOV5SNiN08aMnXTjeUi2Vq5CBwYWpHWwK34iE/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 09.27.2023

  Leg Day

  These animals did NOT forget leg day! From leg battles, to deadly runway assassins, to miraculous thighs.  Guest: Joey Clift  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uMXBcVWbP2SsR00Gh4NUuXFZbPKlRpSFo2GOtjznN7k/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 09.13.2023

  Feed Drop! Secretly Incredibly Fascinating: Octopuses

  Did you know Katie is the co-host on another show called Secretly Incredibly Fascinating? This week we're dropping an episode into the Creature Feature feed, because it's all about octopuses!!  Guest: Alex Schmidt See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 09.06.2023

  Listener Q's: Upside down sharks and chimpanzee butts

   I answer your questions about backstroking sharks, chimpanzee bottoms, and giant wasp stingers! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 08.30.2023

  Spittin' Facts

  Separating the facts from fiction about amazing animal spit!  Guest: Will Poole  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 08.23.2023

  Fashion Beak

  We're slithering down the runway to talk about high animal fashion, from hats to outerwear to shabby chic, these animals are not born with it, they have meticulously crafted their fashionable attire from elements in their environment! Guest: Maggie Mae Fish Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aH39L-0GNVWx8hf7uR9HOYI0LEXat0Z9K1-NcbSfsy4/edit?usp=sharing...

  
• 08.16.2023

  Listener Q's: Dead Wasps, Cannibals, Cute Bunnies!

  I answer your questions, from dead wasp vengeance, cannibal babies, and adorable pets!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 08.09.2023

  Crustacean News Station

  Crustacean news station! All the crabby stories fit to print… or pinch. Lobsters not saying no to drugs, and crabs implicated in a famous disappearance. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: can lobsters feel pain?  Guest: Ellen...

  
• 08.02.2023

  Creatureheimer

  In honor of the Oppenheimer movie, we're talking about explosive animals! From tiny explosions to a real WWII story involving animal bombs? I promise it's at least a little funny!  Guest: Adam Ganser See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 07.26.2023

  Naturally Barbie!

  In honor of the Barbie movie, today's theme is: PIIIINK! All the fabulous fuchsias, the prettiest pinks, found in nature! Pink is sometimes maligned as an "frivolous" color, but as we'll find out, nature takes its pink VERY seriously.  From...

  
• 07.19.2023

  Top Ways To Stay Cool (The Bird Pee Technique)

  Top ways animals stay cool in the heat, your results may vary! From gular fluttering to a stinky cool down method, bee fans and mucus cocoons, there are all sorts of ways to stay chill in the summer heat!  Guests: Ella Hubber,...

  
• 07.12.2023

  Listener Q's: Otter Armpit Pockets

  I answer your questions, from otter armpit pockets to bugs that come back from the dead! Footnotes: Listener puppet maker bat video: https://vimeo.com/778536169 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 07.05.2023

  Creature Classic®: Will It Cuddle or Kill You?

  Today, we’re going to be playing a little game: see if you can guess which one of these animals we’re about to discuss is more likely to kill you than to cuddle you? Discover this and more as we answer...

  
• 06.28.2023

  Listener Q's: Third Eyes & Swole Gorillas

  I answer your questions about speciation, weird eye situations, and swole gorillas!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 06.21.2023

  Creature Classic®: Animals vs. Video Game Bosses

  Katie has returned to her home nesting ground for a quick break, so enjoy one of her favorite episodes from the past! I'm joined by Patch, the creator of the amazing biology YouTube channel TierZoo, to discuss how animals might beat...

  
• 06.14.2023

  Missing Parts

  Don't worry, these critters haven't been mutilated, but rather through evolution, they've ditch certain appendages. Legs? Don't need 'em. Wings? Forget about it. Tails? Lose 'em. Sometimes efficiency requires sacrifice, and body parts have go to go! Apologies for an...

  
• 06.07.2023

  Listener Q's: Butterfly Goo

  I answer your questions, from what happens in a cocoon to the evolutionary history of bird bones!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 05.31.2023

  Leeches Are Okay!

  Leeches leeches leeches leeches! How big can they get? Can we really use them in medicine? And are they secretly... cuuuute?  Guest: Joey Clift Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15XDOP0Auky-Ot2LdYBj0T6td_xGXm7wmyDrQy21nQWg/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 05.24.2023

  Plants vs. Animals

  Plants are just the hapless victims of herbivores, right? Wrong! Listen to how plants fight back in sometimes delicious fashion.  Guest: Dr. Vikram Baliga See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  
• 05.17.2023

  Animal Lecter

  These critters have a taste for the weird, the morbid, and the wildly unethical. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: what do you do with a cannibal boss baby? Guests: Michael Swaim & Abe Epperson  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/111Bvmkr8zACAH3thS90DmvDLI0YqKQvunMMT_8Tzpv4/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener...

  
• 05.10.2023

  Why The Long Face

  Snouts, jaws, and eyeballs that look like they're about to break the graphics engine on the planet earth video game. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: what's an echidna's deal? Guest: Chris Crofton  Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RM6R3-Di9qnzxORJcPI6u83J75SnRdHBI3FWlBq4Feo/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for...

  
• 05.03.2023

  Auks!

  AUKS! You heard me right. From puffins, to razorbills, to crested auklets, these seafaring birds may be a little AUK-ward on land, but they can cut through the skies and the seas like acrobats. Discover this and more as we...

  
• 04.26.2023

  Kissable T-Rex & Talking Belugas

  LIPS! The lovely luscious lips of living and extinct animals. Who has the best pout? Plus, a talking beluga! Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: if you have a real long tongue, where do you keep...

  
• 04.19.2023

  A Delicious Plate Of Hot Worms

  Some worms like it cold, some like it hot, but what they all have in common is living life as a basic tube. That's right we're talking about worms who live in the most extreme places on earth, able to...