Species

This episode opens with a crime in Australia, and then takes us to South America to learn about the amazing pygmy marmoset. We answer some cool questions today:  What is the difference between a monkey and a primate? What defines a species? Do pygmy marmosets always have twins? What is a fingerling? Do pygmy marmosets fart when you touch their heads, and do they lick pee? This episode also ends in Australia: Macken finally gets around to reading the Australian 5-star reviews. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10LdciSatuHi8izLGJIYEJLlArB3qmQ15fmwXrXSMQgQ/edit?usp=sharing

Can these turtles breathe through their butts? Do they shop at Hot Topic? How did people sell these turtles as pets before they were even discovered as a species? Why do these turtles wear mohawks? Is the New York Times fake news? Come find out about some punk-rock turtles on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qi1Nehny-XSRpj_y0hhLVaLs6gXVh8mAtyB10Lc7Kg4/edit?usp=sharing Help save this wonderful animal: http://maryriverturtle.tiarolandcare.org.au

You see this animal every day, but do you know anything about them? Today we will learn the different house sparrow calls and their meanings, reveal some wild places people have found this bird, and explain the history of their expansion from Israel to world domination. Impress your friends by translating house sparrow chirps and chatters into English! Join us, come listen! Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lWH_oF8e_smvG8JCko1oWMgBBhGpgLU_jXgvRcF6VYw/edit?usp=sharing  

Did President Woodrow Wilson declare war on sharks? How did an Australian golf course accidentally end up with a lake full of bull sharks? How do these animals survive in both freshwater and saltwater? What are my odds of getting attacked by a bull shark? Come enjoy a couple of crazy stories, and learn all about this incredible animal on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jI4syGbFaYQ4CIX7IROaAAaP4gvwq6iMd0WBr45Hz-E/edit?usp=sharing

Why do we find some animals so adorable? What is the science behind cuteness? Do pikas have accents? If the American pika dies at room temperature, how the heck are they adapting to global warming? Come learn all about the animal who is somehow simultaneously asocial and cooperative, the adorable American pika. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lXOq75u7BzmTd_NeQq2jK12QT0muYkCN_nkgX7PP9mY/edit?usp=sharing

The largest snake in Africa, a terrifying predator, an animal who swallows humans whole... The African rock python. Does this animal have heat vision? Who would win in a fight, an African rock python or a hyena? What about a crocodile? How about a lion? Find out on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VaYjbaX-qe7rADpu-cB2VkYwvoZkbufnWZ2fZFl8smI/edit?usp=sharing

The only flightless parrot, one of the only nocturnal parrots, the heaviest parrot we know and perhaps the longest-living bird on earth... the kakapo! Come learn all about this wonderful animal, and get all your questions answered: What is a lek? Why does each kakapo have a "boom-sac"? Who is Sirocco?  Find out on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F4Gf3cvnOvFkzFaz3WhwdCNOYOVFMscUO99SHR6WVNE/edit?usp=sharing Save the kakapo: http://kakaporecovery.org.nz

Who would win, a samurai, or a giant salamander? Is it true that they breathe through their skin? Can the Japanese giant salamander survive getting cut in half? Do they make good dads? Come learn everything about this massive creature on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Az3Ys_jZfCdobqKGuU5pU_4chiiw0Ufg_j4B5Oc_2a4/edit?usp=sharing

Why are they called devils? Do they have the strongest bite on earth? Can they eat people? Will the Tasmanian devil save humanity? Find out on this episode of Species.  Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/111ZryMeUPFqKUF9rSnq_fvUCE35e_bb7wPzdLkPRPsQ/edit?usp=sharing

Snakes live almost everywhere, so why aren't there any snakes in Ireland? Legend has it that St. Patrick got rid of them! Celebrate this St. Patrick's day with knowledge. Did this primate banish the snakes from Ireland? Find out on this bonus episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O8j3AgdyNs15uxqyfXRiYjV0tsF5TsSDqNq7HSewUHQ/edit?usp=sharing  

Why do dung beetles build dung balls? Do dung beetles dance? How do polarized sunglasses work? Why did entomologists dress up dung beetles in cardboard hats and tiny mittens? Learn all about the sacred scarab on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HpYHB54kDJ5yMm-ckecuX8Ei9BMQUSxnSPKfBYjvFc8/edit?usp=sharing

Who would win, a great blue heron or a golden eagle? Have chimpanzees invented spears? Are great blue herons mute? Learn the answers to all these questions and more! Learn everything about this fantastic bird on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17pbZ7hDSDIYLvgGNZFwK_b7avXCgaK0JxfvHmKdzd80/edit?usp=sharing

Why do sunfish sunbathe? Will a sunfish squash my child? Can I use a dead sunfish to pay my taxes? Is that a baby whale? Come learn about the egg-laying champion on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z5YnjyOkKs_kpttWcgSJkHKWKvNW56E9GSZFIxdzoRo/edit?usp=sharing Addendum: Some Japanese biologists believe that a new species of Mola should be acknowledged, named Mola alexandrini (bump-head sunfish). They have noticeable genetic and phenotypic differences from other Mola mola, with whom they are usually grouped. If Mola alexandrini is indeed a different species to Mola mola, then the bump-head sunfish (not the ocean sunfish) holds the title of largest sunfish specimen ever found.

Did silk hats save beavers from extinction? Which is longer, the Hoover Dam, or the biggest beaver dam ever? Are humans naturally monogamous? Learn all about the North American beaver on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uufPXkcVlmViyoOMwEQYXw5swayShvOeRh-b_TLL01E/edit?usp=sharing

How do snakes slither? How do they climb trees? Heck, how do they "fly"?! Become an expert on the paradise flying snake, and learn all about the physics of snake movement (on the ground, up trees, and through the air!) on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1knCP0V9El3I3CZuY1XmTuJgGAbbYtE9BOBtvpScvats/edit?usp=sharing

Why do we call them "cowbirds," and why are they nicknamed "mafia birds"? Does the mafia still exist? Are cowbirds running an extortion racket in my backyard? Macken answers all on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkTHau7VoFc5JrdXYl-kYuIwA1XlRATPBxL1djKyEKE/edit?usp=sharing

The Amazon molly is an entirely female species of fish. So how do they reproduce? Why haven't they gone extinct, like biologists once predicted? Is the Greek legend of the Amazons real? Macken answers all on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10sffWxg1rSj8i2XygMUYUrwxEhtfFffJl6_pjEbYCDU/edit?usp=sharing

How come giant pandas don't eat meat like other bears? Why are they black and white? Do pandas have 6 fingers? Macken answers all and more on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s23JwBXg2Zti-YoRTuCwhgjAAGjwSH6YgfHTCN8Ka74/edit?usp=sharing

Can coconut crabs swim? Is my cat safe from coconut crabs? What happened to Amelia Earhart?  Macken answers all and more on this episode of Species. He also spoils the ending of "King Kong," so watch out for that. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BrFIVGxUPKJ-TZmqVGohDgg1YRLkYRxrQhasCUaHnQw/edit?usp=sharing

Which animal is the pound for pound language champion? What is so special about bird brains? Can a budgie lead me to food? Macken answers all and more on this episode of Species. Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o85CPVShpLtfCFho6IT-JLwtBsODrK4sI1pCTfMjQgI/edit?usp=sharing