Creature Feature

Happy holidays! While I'm frantically making gingerbread apes, enjoy this Kringletimes special from last year! From hibernations to teeny naps, these wintery animals know how to catch a few z's! I'm joined by guest Jeff May. 

Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dEiKigGPXidNf5Jaa_LQ8HvJkP0h-9Tz6KNzC-OkFds/edit?usp=sharing

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Today on the show: They're not dinosaurs, they're from BEFORE the dinosaurs, and they're very, very, very strange. Giant apex predator shrimp thingies, centipedes you could ride on, the tully monster, evolution's most amazing mistakes! I'm joined by paleontologist and science educator Dane Pavitt. Check him out at www.theaveragescientist.co.uk  and  www.youtube.com/danepavitt 

Footnotes:

Last week's mystery animal sound source

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A rerun classic about not freezing to death! Today we'll be talking about how animals prepare for winter! From hibernation, to magical wardrobe changes, to cryogenic freezing! Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: when, if ever, is the right time to breathe through your butt? With guest, Caitlin Durante! 
Ads: 19:42; 32:19

Footnotes:

My frozen bear heart: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110207142625.htm

Calendar cells: https://phys.org/news/2015-09-seasonal-body-clock-animals.html

Arctic fox faceplanting into snow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EiV-ERKRRs

Arctic fox's awkward wardrobe malfunctions: https://a-z-animals.com/media/animals/images/470x370/arctic_fox10.jpg

Arctic fox shedding its coat: https://external-preview.redd.it/yFIfslfvQOZezp2EoX48ZArPc1B48xAh6IfRcZpT3k0.jpg?auto=webp&s=abaec6cc70925d3441a05b55f238ab6f5f114523

Ancient snow goggles: http://www.beyondbuckskin.com/2012/04/some-history-slick-inuit-shades.html

Frozen wood frog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLPeehsXAr4

Siberian salamander: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Salamandrella&where-species=keyserlingii

Painted turtles breathe through their butts: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/03/animals-winter-hibernation-turtles/

Wild Yakut horses: https://eaq.org.au//wp-content/uploads/2017/05/yacut-horses.jpg

MORE. FLUFFY. HORSES: https://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/OTHERS/Tipsy-deer-and-horses/2.jpg

Kulning video by Jonna Jinton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc7F_qv3eI8&t=0m40s

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It's a poopisode! I've got a serious case of poop brain, so let's learn about some fascinating evolutionary biology facts vis a vis poop! Penguin defensive poop turrets, snake poop acting, and the medicinal pooping of bees. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: why hasn't there been a movie about vampires getting pooped on? I'm joined by comedian & actress Kimia Behpoornia! 

Footnotes: 

Penguin defensive poop

Penguin poop diagram

Snake poop paper

Bee poop

Last week's mystery animal sound source

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Today on the show, interspecific animal friendship! These are special friends who don't care about their species! Can lions, tigers, and bears be buds? What of the shrimp?! Who will be friends with shrimp!??

My guest is standup comedian Pallavi Gunalan!

Footnotes:

Animal friendship PBS

Animal friendship KBPS

Pistol shrimps and gobies

Mongooses and warthogs

Sea robin sound

Sea robin walking

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Regular programming will return shortly, but in the meantime enjoy this classic episode!  I'm joined by Tiktok's favorite zoologist Mamadou to talk about animals who seem cute... right up until they absolutely wreck you. 

Footnotes

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Moo Deng! Pesto! What do they have in common? They're big babies!! We talk about these giant babies, and also, the tiniest babies who grow to enormous sizes. I'm joined by comedy writer Lydia Bugg! 

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Happy Creatureween! We're getting scary and spooky (but not really) with a special bat episode! Bats may not be the horrible halloween monster that they're made out to be, but they're still one of my favorite orders of animals in the world! Then, just for more fun, we'll talk about a who's who list of halloweeny critters and why they're so special! Joining me to talk about the most incredible, unusual bat species, as well as separating bat fact from bat libel, is science journalist and co-author of the new book, Atlas Obscura Wild Life, Cara Giaimo! 

Footnotes: 

Bats & Pesticides study

Last week's mystery animal sound

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We're talking about animals who belong on stage at Eurovision! Or not, I suppose, I'm being told that's against the rules! I'm very excited to be joined by the hosts of Eurovangelists, Jeremy Bent, and Dimitry Pompee!  

Footnotes

1. Frigatebirds

2. Red howler monkey

3. Fruit flies 

4. Ducks eating peas

5. Animals on the Eurovision stage!

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It's another 'ween classic! This one comes from 2023, and has a story in it that'll really make your skin crawl! I'm joined by Seanbaby & Robert Brockway to discuss factual Halloweeny tales of animal biology! Undead fish skin, vampire mice, and flying zombies!

Stay tuned for new episodes this month, including our 2024 Creatureween spooktacular! 

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