BewilderBeasts!

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Ep 91: The Well Diggers of Death Valley Apr 02, 2023

Show notes

When we discuss an invasive species on this show, the discussion turns to the distruction by that species on the environment. But, here is an animal that has become part of the food web,is saving other species from a warming climate by digging 5' water wells, and is now part of the very fabric of America's desert. Federal biologists are faced with some inconvenient data thanks to an out of the box scientist, and now they have to answer an ethical question as to what to do next with the Death Valley Donkeys.
I got todays information from:
https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/eight-warmest-years-record-witness-upsurge-climate-change-impacts

https://phys.org/news/2021-04-donkeys-wells-life.html

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wild-donkeys-and-horses-dig-wells-provide-water-host-desert-species-180977627/

https://www.google.com/search?q=donkeys+digging+wells&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS773US773&oq=donkeys+digging+wells&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l2j69i61.2900j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_H8cgZMn4E9Hl5NoP46Ko0AM_29

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/science/donkeys-mountain-lions-death-valley.html

https://www.salon.com/2012/04/02/hollywoods_long_history_of_animal_cruelty/

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Intro/Outtro music: Tiptoe Out The Back - Dan Liebowicz
Interstitial Music: MK2
Additional music: Freesound.com, Pixabay.org
Instagram: @EggAndNugget (chicken stan account) or @MelissaMcCueMcGrath
Website: BewilderBeastsPod.com
Support the Show and get stuff! Patreon.com/BewilderbeastsPod
Your host, Melissa McCue-McGrath is an author, dog trainer, and behavior consultant in Southern Maine. She'll talk about dogs all day if you let her. You've been warned :)

Ep 90: Key Largo Zombie Possums Mar 26, 2023

Show notes

An unusual team of bounty hunters, biologists, possums, mosquitos, and trash pandas are finally making a dent in the Florida Everglades Python Problem. But, can they save the Everglades before the snakes find refuge in Key Largo?
*****
University of Florida blog: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2018/01/30/uf-study-mosquitoes-can-lead-researchers-elusive-burmese-python/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-strange-way-a-12-foot-long-invasive-python-was-caught/

https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/environment/2023-02-20/researchers-turn-to-possums-with-gps-collars-to-track-invasive-pythons

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-the-unique-animal-that-can-survive-80-rattlesnake-bites/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20opossums%20kill%20venomous%20snakes,they%20use%20to%20kill%20prey.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/150323-opossums-snakes-snakebites-venom-health-world-science?loggedin=true&rnd=1679421276815

https://www.livescience.com/gps-tagged-mammals-used-to-catch-pythons

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-09-12/two-women-are-top-burmese-python-hunters-in-the-everglades

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/18/1118094365/encore-floridas-python-challenge-does-little-to-reduce-the-invasive-species-impa

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wetland-and-aquatic-research-center/science/science-topics/pythons#:~:text=Native%20to%20Africa%2C%20Asia%2C%20and,was%20introduced%20in%20South%20Florida.

https://abc7ny.com/python-longest-nat-geo-florida/11984390/

https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/florida/2020/07/14/everglades-burmese-python-radiotelemetry-tracking-reducing-numbers/5424561002

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Ep 89: Cat Turned Brew Mar 19, 2023

Show notes

What does the Black Death, scotch whiskey, cats, the worst laws in Tennesee, and bad taxidermy have to do with each other? Oh, buckle in - we're going for a ride!
I got today’s information from A LOT OF PLACES:!
https://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/towser.html
https://www.thegreatcat.org/towser/

https://iheartcats.com/protecting-breweries-ne-of-cats-many-noble-endeavors-throughout-history/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/bristol-cat-pub

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-humane-brewery-working-cat-1.4998719

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/the-real-reason-breweries-keep-cats-around/ar-AA125kNn

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/07/21/Feral-cats-defend-Chicago-brewery-from-rats/1661469111930/

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/3616831/fife-cats-netflix-lindores-abbey/

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2017/06/lindores-abbey-distillery-seeks-names-for-new-kittens/

https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1715640115

https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/drink/whisky/lindores-abbey-distillery-cats-revel-in-their-netflix-fame/

https://lindoresabbeydistillery.com/test-5/

my favorite article title: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-bright-side-of-the-black-death -

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/09/09/347093135/behind-every-good-whisky-is-a-trusty-distillery-cat

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/the-plague

Stupid laws: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-laws/

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Ep 88: Goodbye, Earl! Mar 12, 2023

Show notes

This week, an unusual employee shows up to work at the R & R Garage and ended up changing their logo. Meanwhile, Melissa has the early 2000s country/pop hit, "Goodbye, Earl" stuck in her head FOR NO REASON!
Resources for this episode:
The best artwork around: https://www.kharrisbcreative.com/ Kharris B
https://www.pilotonline.com/news/article_8b541d6e-611b-11e9-adcd-6b2b8cf4fb21.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpJ3EdRAbfc

https://www.thedodo.com/on-the-farm/rooster-works-at-autoshop
The Chicks "Goodbye Earl" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7gNf_9njs

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Ep 87: Polly Wanna Murder? Mar 05, 2023

Show notes

New season & BIG news, plus a quartet of parrots at criminality! Let's DO this thing!
Thank you PodFix Network :)
*******
I got information for today's episode from the following sources:
Mugshot: https://time.com/5689057/bird-arrest/
Twitter of the bird in jail: https://twitter.com/CampbellxEmma/status/1178400639208116224
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40665520
https://www.thedodo.com/victims-pet-parrot-helps-solve-445024746.html
https://www.inverse.com/article/34434-bud-parrot-don-t-shoot-murder
https://www.geo.tv/latest/452825-sindh-cop-who-solved-double-murder-by-probing-a-parrot-retires

Hennady the policeman left for work, the bird surprisingly stopped a burglary.

http://www.authorstevewillard.com/Green-Parrot.html (1940s, green parrot)
The New Yorker’s Magazine New York Annals of Manhattan Crime published in 1988

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38859910/parrot-leads-law-to-killing-suspect/

https://thecinemaholic.com/max-geller-murder-where-is-robert-butler-now/

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Ep 86: Unicorns, Rainbows and Funeral Turkey Feathers Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Episode updates; turkey feathers were a huge part of your childhood; unicorns are real in LA; a revisit of the nightMARE before Christmas.

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Ep 85: Because, Alaska. Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

In 75 miles of winding roads in Alaska, Trooper Shanigan's GPS froze up, leaving him lost en route to a fire in his own neighborhood. He'd have to settle for GS to get him there - a German Shepherd named Buddy, who was looking for help and found it.
Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53sAVRZUE4 - the raw footage is in the notes and on BewilderedPod on Twitter. Also, search “Dog leads police to fire Alaska”. You’ll find it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna36754385

https://alaskapublic.org/2016/02/11/hero-dog-dies-after-battle-with-cancer/

https://ktna.org/2010/05/buddy-the-hero-dog-turns-into-poster-child-for-fire-prevention/

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Ep 84: SQUAWK! We'll Do It LIVE! Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

This week's episode is a dry run of the live show that will take place at the Kennebunk Free Library on Dec. 6th at 6:30 pm. As this is an audio format, wild gesticulations, slides, and bad haircuts are all absent from this media - you need to come in person to get the full experience :)
https://kennebunklibrary.org/
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Ep 83: Five Deer (DeerDucken remix) Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

A relisten to everything we got wrong about the first Thanksgiving celebration, including the animals on the table. Deerducken, anyone?
Resources for today's episode can be found on the show notes for episode 52:"5 Deer"

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Ep 82: Going To The Dogs Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

The National Dog Show is a staple in many homes for the pre-Thanksgiving event - so Melissa (and special guest Paul Csomo from Avast) discuss all the terrible things we've done to purebred dogs in the name of beauty.
I'm so sorry :)
Happy Thanksgiving!

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