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I just had a baby! We're all doing well, and because he's a big boy, here's a rerun of one of my favorite episodes about big babies. Moo Deng! Pesto! What do they have in common? They're big babies!! We talk about these giant babies, and also, the tiniest babies who grow to enormous sizes. I'm joined by comedy writer Lydia Bugg!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Note from Katie: As I question nature's wisdom with regards to the third trimester of pregnancy, I thought I'd offer you one of my favorite past episodes about how doofy and convoluted evolution can get. Today on the show: They're not dinosaurs, they're from BEFORE the dinosaurs, and they're very, very, very strange. Giant apex predator shrimp thingies, centipedes you could ride on, the tully monster, evolution's most amazing mistakes! I'm joined by paleontologist and science educator Dane Pavitt. Check him out at www.theaveragescientist.co.uk  and  www.youtube.com/danepavitt  Footnotes: Last week's mystery animal sound source See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Creaturekringletimes everyone! Today on the show I'm joined by Just the Zoo of Us host Ellen Weatherford, and we talk about animals who manage to keep their babies cold despite freezing temperature! Bears, walruses, snowy owls, and penguins, all who make great sacrifices to ensure their babies survive cold weather and don't become pup-sicles. And a personal announcement from me!  Festive intro/outro music by Aaron Kenny.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this listener questions episode, I talk about how fish smell smells, whether hyenas grow winter coats, and animals who don't mind spending a lot of time to get the job done, even thousands of years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a buggy listener questions episode as I answer your queries about insect vision, ants outsmarting our poisons, and the impacts of insect farming!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm having some minor medical shenanigans, I should return shortly! In the meantime, to stick with the theme of medicine, here's one of my favorite episodes on how animals deal with illness. I'm joined by naturalist, educator and author Heather Montgomery as we talk about her book "Sick" and the fascinating world of animal immune systems (and poop). Guest: Heather Montgomery See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm getting excited for the new season of Fallout, so here's one of my favorite episodes where we look at the mutated creatures of the Fallout franchise and discussing whether they could actually exist in a nuclear wasteland! It's a real optimistic episode and we discuss BIG BUGS! How can we bring back big bugs?!  Guest: Will Poole  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halloween early release special! Today on the show: KILLER BATS! Bats with very spooky dietary habits. From vicious carnivores that have a soft side, to the strangest sight you'll sea on the seashore. I'm joined by Kimia Behpoornia to discuss these adorable, murderous bats.  Footnotes/images   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, ALIENS! I'm joined by particle physicist Daniel Whiteson to discuss whether it would be possible to talk to aliens, the difficulties of alien communication, using real examples of animal communication and sensory differences right here on planet earth. Why do hermit crabs have a death cult? Do dogs think in smells? Are pigeons actually physics geniuses? All this and more as we use real earth biology to discuss how an alien encounter might go down.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's show I subject my guest to a gauntlet of strange oddities, and he (and you) must guess whether these are animals, minerals, vegetables, or something else entirely... Guest: DJ Danl Footnotes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rRUT2Ywx6B9XF-1SyNJ8lxVyLX94eY2n06FjiE4x-O8/edit?usp=sharing Mystery animal sound credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMwAgft_kZ8 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All the weirdest ways in which humans rescue animals! From throwing babies off cliffs, to saving hitchhikers, sometimes you gotta act a little freaky for the sake of the animals. Discover this and more as we answer the age old question: why is there a man in a dirty panda suit? I'm joined by Robert Brockway and Seanbaby of 1-900 Hotdog!  Footnotes See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we talk about what a cool lady and incredible scientist Jane Goodall was. A innovative primatologist with a great sense of humor, who started out only with a fierce love for animals, and ended up shaping what we know about chimps! Also, chimps can be jerks! I'm joined by Chris Crofton to spread a little love about Jane.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I answer your questions: animals who switch sexes, the world's smallest sharks, and marmots, as in, what's their deal?!  If you have a question you'd like me to answer, you can write to me at [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm joined by Lauren Augustine, the curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Philadelphia Zoo, for an exciting Galapagos tortoise announcement, cool facts, and the wild (and sometimes glittery-poop filled) details behind-the-scenes at zoos.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm joined by science journalist and author Cara Giaimo, to meet some of the real-life sea monsters from her book, Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake. From tent-mouthed fish who kiss each other competitively, to ping-pong ball sponges that fooled the navy, these animals from every layer in the ocean have both cool life advice and freaky adaptations. Discover all this and more as we answer the age-old question: how do you enforce your boundaries when you're spineless?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.