How many geese?

Today we're looking into one of the greatest competitions in the sporting calendar - the annual Man vs Horse marathon in Wales. We explore the story, the history and just how it's possible for humans to compete with horses over long distance. Then we get back to our own human vs animal trial by combat segment as Roddy does battle with the Southern Elephant Seal before answering the question of - which animal would make the best lawyer? 

Today we're putting 3 of your favourite animals on trial as we uncover their darker sides. For too long has the world been fooled by the cute and cuddly personas of Sea Otters, Ducks and Dolphins and we're about to open your ears to some of their brutal behaviours that Disney conveniently leaves out...

Nature brings all its animals rolled into one for our fight segment as Roddy does battle with the Platypus before we stay on the fighting theme by answering which animals would make the best Pokémon... 

We're stepping into our hazmat suits and picking up our Geiger counter as we take a step into the world of nuclear seagulls and toxic ducks. If that isn't enough avian danger for you, Roddy comes face to beak with the mighty Goliath Heron in today's animal rumble before we lay down our swords with the animal kingdom to work out which species would make the best wingman...

Today's episode is walking with giants as we enter the realm of the biggest organisms on earth. From colossal snakes to humungous fungus, join us as we dive into a world that'll leave you feeling pretty small by the end of it. Roddy takes on the Leopard Gecko in today's animal fight before we answer once and for all - which is better, penguins or monkeys? 

Find us on Instagram at @howmanygeese and support the show with a donation at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/howmanygeese

Ever wondered what the Victorian Pre-Raphaelite art movement had in common with a marsupial from the other side of the world? Well thank God we're here to answer all your burning questions as we look into one of the most peculiar animal obsessions on record. Once we've recovered from that bout of marsupial madness, Roddy does battle with the formidable Portuguese Man o' War before pondering which animal seems like it's been home schooled... 

Find us on Instagram at @howmanygeese and support the show with a donation at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/howmanygeese

It's part two of our special collaboration with the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour and we're exploring those organisms that give each other a helping hand to get through the trials of life. Whether it's help finding food or looking for a place to live, these symbiotic species are going to make you re-evaluate your own friendships.

We continue the affectionate vibes by answering which animal would make the best spooning partner but only after we've worked out how many Capybara really are too many Capybara. 

 For more about the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour who we partnered with to make this episode, visit their website at: https://www.asab.org/

Hold tight listeners because it's a DOUBLE GOOSE WEEK as we inject an extra dose of How many geese? into your ears as part of RSB's Biology Week.

For part two of our of our special collaboration with the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour - we're putting 3 of your favourite animals on trial as we uncover their darker sides. For too long has the world been fooled by the cute and cuddly personas of Sea Otters, Ducks and Dolphins and we're about to open your ears to some of their brutal behaviours that Disney conveniently leaves out...

We then switch gears hard to answer which animal would make the best spooning partner but only after we've worked out how many Capybara really is too many Capybara. 

To see what else the Royal Society of Biology has in store this biology week, then head over to: https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/biologyweek. For more about the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour who we partnered with to make this episode, visit their website at: https://www.asab.org/

How does a Cuckoo know it's a Cuckoo? What's the easiest way to get a Nobel Prize? And just how inanimate is a tortoise?

It's Biology Week everyone and school is in session as we team up with the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour to talk all about the science of animals doing what animals do.

Come for the ethology chat, stay for the parts where we work out which animal would make the best chef & how many Arctic Terns we'd take in a fight...

For more about the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour who we partnered with to make this episode, visit their website at: https://www.asab.org/

Note on Konrad Lorenz: 

Konrad Lorenz was one of the major founders of ethology and is famous for his work on imprinting geese, as mentioned in this podcast. However, there are also elements of Lorenz’s work that have been called into question in recent years, mainly in relation to his use of Nazi-type terminology and potential ideologies in relation to some of his work and extrapolation to human behaviour. We wanted to bring this to the attention of our listeners, as it raises important questions around the influence of society and individual bias on the development of scientific understanding. If you would like to read more about this you can read an article in Animal Behaviour about Lorenz here.

We're venturing into the great outdoors for this episode as we take the podcast into the field for the first time EVER. And what better place to do it then the home of the goose - the headquarters of the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust at Slimbridge. Reserve warden Scott Petrek is on the show to tell us all about Slimbridge's gambling swans, Hawaiian geese and spill the deets on the biggest soap opera in bird land... 

All aboard the Beetle Bus everybody, as we're packing our bags and migrating north for our first ever episode recorded on location. For this special Insect Week episode, we've been summoned to the National Museum of Scotland collection centre by curator of entomology Ash Whiffin to atone for our crimes against the insects. To repent our sins for overlooking them in previous episodes, we asked Ash if she'd help us explore their world. From working out which insect would be the best lover to visualising Roddy in skin tight lycra, you won't wanna miss this..