Varmints!

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**Varmints!**

The Varmints! podcast is an education/comedy podcast that’s all about animals! Every week a bunch of nerds a do a whole bunch of reading to bring you a mix of science, education, pop culture and comedy about all things that creep, crawl, slither, fly, jump, hop and swim on this planet one animal at a time.

Latest Episodes:

Robins May 19, 2021

Show notes

Hop on down to Robin Town with Paul and Donna and hang out with us while we talk about Robins!

Why do Robins have Red Breasts?

The Beauty and Biology of Egg Color | All About Birds All About Birds

How Birds Get Berry, Berry Drunk | HowStuffWorks

Weatherwatch: how robins became a symbol of Christmas

With technical support by Matthew Csomo, bed music by Kevin MacLeod, our logo was created by Imran Javed. Our vocal talent by Kari McGinnis, Chris Braaten, Josh Hallmark, Chris “The Toph” Green, Jennifer Csomo, Stacey and Frosty, Justine and Santiago.

Featured Image:

"American robin (Turdus migratorius)" by Lip Kee is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

"European robin (Erithacus rubecula), Parc du Rouge-Cloître, Bruxelles" by Frank.Vassen is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Any other images on the page are featured on the linked websites. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. "Fair use" is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Cicadas May 05, 2021

Show notes

It's Brood X emergence time, everyone! Join Paul and Donna to chat about cicadas and their buggy, buggy ways.

US researchers seek citizen scientists as billions of Brood X cicadas set to emerge

https://cicadasafari.org/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/14-fun-facts-about-cicadas-180977361/

https://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/category/pop-culture/

https://youtu.be/0ThPKyYG4hQ

How to eat cicadas: Just in time for the swarm, tips on cooking the bug-eyed bugs

Featured Image:

"Periodical Cicada" by treegrow is licensed under CC BY 2.0

LEMMY Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Sources for this show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk886pOS4Mo&t=4074s

https://loudwire.com/lemmy-kilmister-facial-masks/

https://shop.imotorhead.com/products/faces-of-lemmy-mask-3-packhttps://shop.imotorhead.com/products/faces-of-lemmy-mask-3-pack https://youtu.be/skGEBgePHtk

https://youtu.be/RTvyZZsHOYI

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/12/lemmy-favourite-foods-interview#:~:text=I%20don't%20eat%20vegetables,brussels%20sprouts%2C%20foul

https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/08/11/542647145/motorheads-lemmy-gets-a-giant-prehistoric-crocodile-as-a-namesake

http://www.10tons.dk/kalloprion-kilmisteri

https://henryandheidi.libsyn.com/henry-heidi-lemmy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk886pOS4Mo&t=4074s

Featured image "Motörhead’s front-man Lemmy – Live at Red’s, Edmonton (Canada), 2005" by Mark Marek Photography (THIS LINK IS NSFW) and is shared with a CC BY-SA 3.0 license. Thanks, Mark!

Hippogryphs Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

Join us for a special episode with Roswell, New Mexico rancher, Cotton Shorts, as we take advantage of the short window of internet availability to chat about Hippogryphs!

Featured Image:

"Hippogriff" by Benimoto is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Cuttlefish Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Swim on down to Cuttlefish Town with Paul and Donna as they find out all sorts of interesting things about these adorable cephalopods!

But first, the news!

Cuttlefish show self-control, pass 'marshmallow test'

Tricky Cuttlefish Put on Gender-Bending Disguise

NOVA: Kings of Camouflage, Anatomy of a Cuttlefish

Animal Guide: Cuttlefish

Filipino Tales: Cuttlefish and Squid

ZeFrank: True Facts about the Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish learn from watching potential prey even before they are born

Yes, this Cuttlefish is Wearing 3-D Glasses

Featured Image:

"A winsome cuttlefish. P4181345" by wbaiv is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Crickets Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

Hop on over and join Paul and Donna for the bounciest, chirpiest conversation about the tiny insect musicians, crickets!

But first, the news!

RHOD Recap: Dr. Tiffany's Party Ends in Disaster as Brandi Falls Ill After Eating Tiffany's Crickets Pizza

How Do Crickets Talk?

Cricket acoustic communication

IUCN Crickets

The Crickets

Sonorous Science: Have a Cricket Tell You the Temperature!

Crickets are invading Texas with a fury, as weather conditions are ‘perfect,’ experts say

Technical support by Matthew Csomo, bed music by Kevin MacLeod, our logo was created by Imran Javed. Our vocal talent by Kari McGinnis, Josh Hallmark, Stacey and Frosty

Featured Image:

"File:Gryllus pennsylvanicus female 01.jpg" by Kevinjudge is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Aye-Ayes Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

Weird. Misunderstood. Funny looking. This is not an episode about Paul. This is a solo episode about aye-ayes.

Sources: https://theconversation.com/new-discovery-madagascars-bizarre-aye-aye-has-six-fingers-on-each-hand-126520

https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/ayeaye/taxonomy

https://youtu.be/3k2m2xIvSik

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

https://www.madamagazine.com/en/das-tier-das-den-tod-bringt/

With technical support by Matthew Csomo, bed music by Kevin MacLeod, our logo was created by Imran Javed. Our vocal talent was Stacey and Frosty and Justine and Santiago.

Featured images: "Aye-Aye 1" by Mark Dumont is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Porcupines Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

Join Paul and Donna for this pokey, thrilling and quilling episode where we talk about the many and varied porcupines of the world!

https://www.wibw.com/2020/12/23/topeka-zoo-responds-to-fake-news-their-porcupine-has-been-kidnapped/

https://cincinnatizoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Prehensile-Tailed-Porcupine-complete1.pdf

https://www.livescience.com/47169-animal-sex-porcupines.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znhf46fjQ00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wShTzKRNC-M

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/1/150130-porcupine-animal-behavior-mating-biology-plants/#:~:text=The%20quills%20of%20the%20North,%2Dquilling%2C%22%20Roze%20says.

Featured images:

"Porcupine" by GrandTetonNPS is marked with CC PDM 1.0 "File:Prehensile Tail Porcupine Curled and Relaxed (18144690005).jpg" by Eric Kilby from Somerville, MA, USA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 "North American tree porcupines" by Marie Hale is licensed under CC BY 2.0 "Porcupine" by USFWS Mountain Prairie is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Outtakes, Goofs and Blunders Jan 06, 2021

Show notes

Seems like a good day to put 15 minutes of complete nonsense out there. The funny kind of nonsense. Not the scary kind of nonsense. This is for you, April.

Tiny Wild Cats Jan 06, 2021

Show notes

Join Paul and Donna for the Tiny Wild Cats Variety Extravaganza on today's episode of Varmints! We'll be discussing four little wild kitties, and their adorable, but deadly ways.

https://www.tunisiesoir.com/science/biology-rare-species-of-small-cats-inadequately-protected-25828-2020/

https://people.com/pets/uk-wildlife-park-two-rusty-spotted-cats-born/

http://www.porfell.co.uk/2020/two-of-the-smallest-babies-born-just-before-lockdown/

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-porfell-wildlife-park-and-sanctuary?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Prionailurus_rubiginosus/

https://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/carnivores/cat_sand.html

https://allyouneedisbiology.wordpress.com/2015/11/01/felines/

https://bigcatrescue.org/margay-facts/

https://wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/south-america/margay/

https://bigcatrescue.org/jaguarundi-facts/

https://wildcatconservation.org/wild-cats/south-america/jaguarundi/

https://mashable.com/2014/10/25/living-with-an-ocelot-in-a-manhattan-apartment/