The Animal Sensemaker

 In the Amazon and tropical places around the world, armies of stingless bees spend their days collecting nectar from plants and flowers across the forest.

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about the stingless bee here.

You can find out more:

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pygmy hippos are the most internet-famous species around, thanks to viral sensation Moo Deng – but in the wild these creatures are shy, elusive and incredibly rare.

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about the pygmy hippo here.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harlequin toads lit up the jungles of South and Central America with their dazzling colours, until they began to vanish – but some of these tough little toads are bouncing back…

You can find out more about the harlequin toad here.

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red pandas might be unbearably cute, but they were the original pandas - long before their black-and-white namesakes stole the spotlight…

You can find out more about the red panda here.

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Western Hoolock Gibbons sing soulful duets to bond, defend territory and find love in the dense jungles of Southeast Asia. But lately they’ve learnt to fall silent.

You can find out more about the Western Hoolock Gibbon here.

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Every year, Swifts make the long journey from the UK to Mozambique and back again. It's a long journey for a little bird. So, how have they perfected the ultimate commute?

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about swifts here.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Komodo is an island in Indonesia and a real life Jurassic Park. It’s been home to the world's largest lizard for more than a million years, So, what's life like for the Komodo Dragon?

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about komodo dragons here.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Found deep in Europe's caves, the Olm can go up to a decade without food. How does taking life slow help them live so long?

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about olms here.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wombats may look like chunky teddy bears, but when threatened, they unleash a surprising defense to fend off predators.

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about wombats here.

Jack Ashby's book "Platypus Matters: The Extraordinary Story of Australian Mammals" is out now.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do Taylor Swift and the dwarf sperm whale have in common? A talent for dodging unwanted attention. This pint-sized, introverted whale has a genius escape tactic.

The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can find out more about the dwarf sperm whale here.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.