Creature Feature

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Latest Episodes:

Creature Classic: Could There Be A Fungal Zombie Apocalypse? May 14, 2025

Show notes

Please enjoy one of my favorite episodes, especially with the new season of that fungus zombie show!
In this interview with infectious diseases expert Professor David Boulware, we discuss the real impact ophiocordyceps has on ants, and whether we humans should be concerned.

Guest: Professor David Boulware

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Upsetting Spaghetti May 07, 2025

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Nightmare noodles! Terror tubes! We talk about some of the strangest, creepiest, most ghoulish caterpillars and worms in the world! From the dreaded bone collector with a morbid fashion sense, to worms with a mouth full of copper. Discover this and more as we answer the age-old question: who is a squid's midwife? Joining me is friend of the show and comedy writer for American Dad, Soren Bowie!

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Killer Cuties Apr 30, 2025

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I'm joined by children's writer Brooke Hartman, author of the book Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead, to discuss the deadliest, most adorable animals out there! The ferocious feline deadlier than a lion and smaller than a house cat, toxic armpits, and more!

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Listener Q's: Talking Mice! Apr 23, 2025

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Today I answer your emails! News about mice genetically modified with a candidate for the "human speech gene!" Then we discover why baby penguins are so cute, and more!

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Octo-Cowboy! Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

An octopus riding a shark! I'm joined by comedian and writer Ella Yurman as we discuss the evolutionary biology concept of "phoresis," the symbiotic act of one organism riding another. Yeehaw!

Footnotes

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Secrets of the Museum Apr 09, 2025

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What happens in the mysterious, not-so-dusty behind-the-scenes of natural history museums? Today we're talking about how museum collections extend far beyond what's visible to the public, and how they are a repository of massive amounts of knowledge for amazing (and weird) research. I'm joined today by the assistant director of the Museum of Zoology at Cambridge University and author of the new book Nature's Memory: Behind the scenes of the world's natural history museums, Jack Ashby.

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Urine The News Apr 02, 2025

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All the pee-news that's fit to print! We're talking whale pee, soft-shelled turtles peeing (out of a place you wouldn't expect) and the animal whose pee smells like movie popcorn? I'm joined by Alex Schmidt of Secretly Incredibly Fascinating!

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Listener Q's: Potoos! Mar 26, 2025

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I answer your questions, from potoos (aka, GHOST BIRDS), to bees who like perfume! If you have an evolutionary biology question you'd like answered, write to me at creaturefeaturepod@gmail.com

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Owl Tinder Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

Owl the news that's fit to print! We've got bird news stories today, including an orange snowy owl, owl tinder, and a real life "Wild Robot" situation! I'm joined by friend of the show, Bridgett Greenberg!

Episode Images

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Creature Classic: Rock Animals! Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

From the shiny and splendiferous scale worms of the deep, to scuba diving lizards, these animals all have one thing in common: they are 100% glam. I'm joined by Danl Goodman to rock out!

Footnotes: Elvis worm! https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-elvis-worms-shimmer-and-sparkleand-fight-tough-180974989/
Elvis worms fighting, oh no!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgQvuYljX8g

Scale worm jaws, extra oh no! https://anatomytoyou.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/openmouthteeth_2144136i.jpg?w=640
Living beetle jewelry https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/meet-makech-bedazzled-beetles-worn-living-jewelry-180955081/
Shiny diving lizards, oh my!

https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/web/196097_web.jpg

Shiny diving lizards caught on video! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-03/bu-lc032019.php#:~:text=Lindsey%20Swierk%2C%20assistant%20research%20professor,time%20to%20escape%20from%20predators

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