Species

Latest Episodes:

Bonus: Did St. Patrick banish the snakes from Ireland? Mar 17, 2018

Show notes

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

Dung Beetle Mar 11, 2018

Show notes

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

Great Blue Heron Mar 04, 2018

Show notes

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

Sunfish Feb 25, 2018

Show notes

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.

Beaver Feb 18, 2018

Show notes

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

Flying Snake Feb 11, 2018

Show notes

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

Cowbird Feb 04, 2018

Show notes

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

Amazon Molly Jan 28, 2018

Show notes

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

Giant Panda Jan 21, 2018

Show notes

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

Coconut Crab Jan 12, 2018

Show notes

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