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Are fish good at pulling weeds? Can crabs grow their breakfast on their hairy arms? And just how good are ants at talking to fungus? The answers may surprise you. Here are animals with the best green thumbs! Our guest host this episode is entomologist and researcher Emily Luna. Our Animal Candidates: Eastern Grey  Squirrel Leafcutter Ant Ambrosia Beetle Damsel Fish Yeti Crab Leaf Sheep Intrigued by ants and aphids? Learn more on our Best Friends episode! Best Friends Let’s learn more! Millions Of Trees Are Planted Every Year By Squirrels Who Forgot Where They Buried Their Nuts Leafcutter Ants are Farmers Who Grow Fungi | Office for Science and Society Ambrosia beetles: the tiny farmers you’ve never heard of - Entomology Graduate Student Association at University of California, Riverside Damselfish farmers domesticated mysid shrimp – oceanbites Yeti Crabs grow bacteria on their hairy claws - Scientific American Blog Network Adorable "Leaf Sheep" Sea Slugs Look like Cartoon Lambs The 'sheep' that can photosynthesise - BBC Travel Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Fancy feathers, pebble dresses, and coral sunhats- animals have found many ways to be fashionable. Here are nature's most impressive fashionistas! Our guest host this episode is ecologist and nature storyteller Jaclyn Aliperti. Check out her work here! https://www.instagram.com/jaclynaliperti/ https://www.jaclynaliperti.com/ What to hear more of Jaclyn's insights? Check out one of her previous episodes! Least Deserved Negative Reputation Best Architect Best Nose Content warning: Mild language Our Animal Candidates: Peacock Orchid Mantis Caddisfly Decorator Crab Penguins Camouflaged Looper Let’s learn more! A peacock's tail: how Darwin arrived at his theory of sexual selection Beautiful Huntresses: Scientists Explain Why Mantises Evolved To Resemble Orchids Why Do These Deadly Insects Look Like Flowers? - YouTube Caddisfly larvae (order Trichoptera) | LIFE IN FRESHWATER Artist Hubert Duprat Collaborates with Caddisfly Larvae as They Build Aquatic Cocoons from Gold and Pearls Decorator Crabs Make High Fashion at Low Tide | Deep Look - YouTube Black and White, the Perfect Combination | Penguins International The awkward state of penguin molting | Deep Sea News Lady Gaga Wears Pink Feathered Valentino Couture Gown to Venice Film Festival emperor penguin teenager - Google Camouflaged Looper Caterpillar - YouTube Crafty Caterpillar Puts Flowers on Back for Camouflage » TwistedSifter Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Jumping- not reserved only for frogs and kangaroos! Many animals have impressive jumps, from spiders, to sharks, to . . . beans? Which beast is the best jumper? Our guest is Alex Mcinturf, Post-Doctoral researcher at the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University. Read about some of her amazing work with Basking Sharks here. https://alexandramcinturf.squarespace.com Check out Big Fish's work on their instagram Big Fish Lab (@big_fish_lab) • Instagram Content warning- Mild Language Our animal candidates- Mexican Jumping Bean Basking Shark Frog Hopper Flying Snake Mako Shark Jumping Spider Let's Learn More! Why Did the Mexican Jumping Bean Jump? | Deep Look - YouTube Peaceful basking sharks can leap just as powerfully as great whites | New Scientist Froghopper insects leap to new heights | Nature Jumping Hoppers in SLOW MOTION! - YouTube (Adrien at Ant Labs has been a guest on our podcast before and produces lots of amazing slow motion insect videos) The Amazing Paradise Flying Snake | Wildest Islands Of Indonesia - YouTube Spilling The Secret To A Mako Shark's Speed (forbes.com) 500-pound mako shark jumping toward boat prompts evasive maneuver | Men's Journal Spider With Three Super Powers | The Hunt | BBC Earth - YouTube Personalities of jumping spiders determine how they hunt | Daily Mail Online Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

In honor of April the 1st we are discussing cryptids! From Bigfoot, to Krakens, to deadly farting bison, these are some fake animals that have some real ridiculous history. Our guest host this episode is narrative director and lover of the weird,  Kyu Saiewitz. You can find Kyu's previous episode with us here! Most Terrifying Murderer Content warning- Mild Language Our animal candidates- Bigfoot Jersey Devil Dragon Loch Ness Monster Kraken Bonasus Let's Learn More! Bigfoot The Jersey Devil Pliny the Elder's Dragons Giant Squid equals Awesomesauce Giant Squid footage Pliny the Elder's Bonasus Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Penises that solve mazes, mimic flowers, and even sing?? These are some of the best penises in the animal kingdom. Our guest this episode is reproduction expert and science educator Mollie Samocha. You can check out her previous Best Beast episode here- Best Hair (buzzsprout.com) And if you're in LA, go check out the Natural History Museum! Natural History Museum (nhm.org) Content warning: Descriptions of penises, mild language, and innuendo. Our animal candidates- Flatworm Tortoise Echidna Lesser Water Boatman Leopard Slug Argentine Lake Duck Let's Learn More! Meet the penis-fencing flatworm | The Mating Game – BBC - YouTube The Terrifying Sex Organs of Male Turtles (gizmodo.com) Scientists unravel mystery of echidnas' bizarre 4-headed penis | Live Science Bug's Penis Makes Loudest Animal Sound | WIRED How loud is YOUR penis?! The waterboatman and his mighty member! - YouTube Mating Leopard Slugs - YouTube Dance of the Mating Leopard Slugs - The Infinite Spider Ballistic Penises and Corkscrew Vaginas: The Sexual Battles of Ducks | Discover Magazine Sexual competition among ducks wreaks havoc on penis size | Nature Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Body freezing temperatures, boiling lakes, and poop mountains- these animals live in the absolute worst neighborhoods! Our guest host this episode is storyteller Lauren Freedman. Here are some other episodes she recorded with us! Best Butt Best Friends Content warning: Descriptions of animal violence and mild language Our animal candidates- Scaly Foot Gastropod Wood Frog Antarctic Midge Gomantong Cave Jerboa Lesser Flamingo Let's Learn More! Scaly-foot Snails ~ MarineBio Conservation Society The Iron Snail – More Than A Dodo Our Best Tongue episode where you can hear how snails use their tongues to throw deadly harpoons! For real! Best Tongue- Best Beast Frogsicles: Frozen But Still Alive - YouTube How Antarctica’s Only Native Insect Survives the Freezing Temperatures | Smithsonian Magazine Filming Inside a Cave Full of Cockroaches | Eden: Untamed Planet | BBC Earth - YouTube JERBOA - Hopping Desert Rodent, Cute But Deadly!! - YouTube The Deadly Lake Where 75 Percent of the World's Lesser Flamingos Are Born The Flamingo Factory at Lake Natron - YouTube This Alkaline African Lake Turns Animals into Stone | Science | Smithsonian Magazine Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

We are a little late for Veteran's Day, but we wanted to spread the love to the millions of animals that have sacrificed and worked alongside humans in our wars for thousands of years. From drunk horses to professional sea lions, these are the best war animals.  Animals don't choose to go to war, but it's undeniable that their contributions have shaped the development of human society. Our guest host this episode is vet tech and equine expert, Elizabeth Turner. This is our LAST episode of 2021! Make sure you are subscribed to the podcast as well as our Instagram and Facebook so you don't miss the first episode of 2022! Content warning: Descriptions of  violence and mild language Our animal honorees- Elephants Dogs Sea Lions Horses Homing Pigeons Cats Let's Learn More! War elephants: The original heavy armor fought into the 1950s - Sandboxx A Brief History of Dogs in Warfare | Military.com US Navy sea lions show off their protection skills during maritime exercise - YouTube Hvaldimir's story - YouTube The Four-Legged Marine Who Became a Korean War Hero - HISTORY The Incredible Carrier Pigeons of the First World War | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk) Why cats were the perfect companions in the trenches of WWI - We Are The Mighty War Culture - Animals of war | Military History Matters (military-history.org) Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Caterpillars who dress like snakes, snakes who dress like spiders, and spiders who dress like ants!  And what is this baby bird dressed as?? The animal world is full of mimicry, but these cosplayers are the best of the best! Our guest host this episode is evolutionary biologist and herpetology enthusiast, JP Lawrence. Give him a follow on instagram to see some of his gorgeous wildlife photography! JP Lawrence (@jplawrencephoto) • Instagram photos and videos Find JP's previous episode here Best Tongue Content warning: Mild language Our animal candidates: Cinereous Mourner Iranian Spider-tailed Viper Red Weaver Ant Mimicking Jumper Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar Wonderpus Owl Butterfly Let’s learn more! Cinereous Mourner - YouTube The attack of a spider tailed viper is filmed for the first time - YouTube A Weaver Ant's Disguise | Wild Sri Lanka - YouTube The Impostor - Kerengga Ant-Like Jumper | Myrmaplata plataleoides | Ant Mimics - YouTube Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar Defense - YouTube Tiger Swallowtail Junior (Family Papilionidae) - Field Station (uwm.edu) Wonderpus- I admit I had trouble finding video of the wonderpus doing its impressions since it is not as well known as the mimic. So what follows is articles and videos that cover both! Absurd Creature of the Week: The Octopus That Does Incredible Impressions of Fish and Snakes | WIRED Wonderpus and Mimic Octopus Facts: Fascinating Mollusks - Owlcation Horned Katydid vs Owl Butterfly Caterpillar | MONSTER BUG WARS - YouTube Owl Butterfly chrysalis perfectly mimics snake head - YouTube Eye knew it! Markings on butterfly wings really DO mimic a predator's gaze It's ok to be Smart: Evolution- What is Impossible in Evolution? - YouTube Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Cannibalism, impalement, dismemberment, and zombification. The animal kingdom is full of interesting ways to be murdered.  Our guest host this episode is narrative director and horror aficionado, Kyu Saiewitz. Content warning: Language and some pretty darn creepy animal behaviors Our animal candidates: Loggerhead Shrike Viper Fish Gustav the Crocodile Meerkats Assassin Bug (Acanthaspis petax) Jewel Wasp Let’s learn more! Shrikes Have an Absolutely Brutal Way of Killing Large Prey | Audubon Butchering Bird | World's Deadliest - YouTube Weird and Wonderful: A big mouth is an advantage for the toothy viperfish - YouTube Fact Check: This is not Gustave, the mammoth man-eating croc of Africa’s wetlands Gustave: The Notorious Giant Crocodile Rumored To Have Killed Over 300 People Baby-Murdering Meerkat Alpha Females Enslave Subordinates As Wet Nurses Absurd Creature of the Week: The Ferocious Bug That Sucks Prey Dry and Wears Their Corpses | WIRED The emergence of this jewel wasp at Chester Zoo is NOT for the faint-hearted - YouTube Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Have you ever given directions with a dance? Said hello with bumpy skin? How about packed a fully detailed human description into a single shriek?  These are the best animal languages! Our guest host this episode is lawyer and linguist, John Stokes.  Content warning: Mild language Our animal candidates: Nim Chimpsky (Great Apes) Humpback Whale African Gray Parrot Gunnison's Prairie Dog Cuttlefish Honey Bee Let’s learn more! The Chimp That Learned Sign Language : NPR Humpback Whale Song of the Summer (nationalgeographic.com) 'Alex & Me': The Hidden World Of Animal Minds : NPR Catch the Wave: Decoding the Prairie Dog’s Contagious Jump-Yip - Scientific American Blog Prairie Dog Chatter: The Science Behind a New Language Cuttlefish wear their thoughts on their skin (nature.com) The Waggle Dance of the Honeybee - YouTube Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Migrating eyeballs, psychopath larvae, and mysteriously absent gonads- these are the best metamorphoses! Our guest host this episode is professor, documentary filmmaker, and macro photographer Audrey Kali. Check out her instagram full of insect photos @audrey.kali Check out her documentary trailer here: www.farmandredmoon.com Content warning: Mild language Our Animal Candidates Flounder Immortal Jellyfish Looper Twig Moth European Eel Green Lacewing Periodical Cicadas Let's Learn More! Flatfish Pictures Another fabulous flatfish picture The Mysterious Origin of the Wandering Eye | ScienceBlogs Science of the immortal jellyfish, Earth's longest living animal - BBC Science Focus Magazine The Family Geometridae (Moths, Inchworms, and Loopers) Audrey's image of Looper Twig Caterpillar Where Do Eels Come From? | The New Yorker Audrey's image of Green Lacewing Audrey's image of Green Lacewing eggs Audrey's image of Green Lacewing Larvae hatching Brood X Periodical Cicadas Emerge In 15 States : NPR Why do U.S. cicadas lie dormant for over a decade? Their life cycle, explained. (nationalgeographic.com) Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast

Sexy manatees, friendly fat birds, and salamanders with boomerang faces- these are some of the beautiful animals that have gone extinct. Buckle up for the worst extinction stories! Our guest host this episode is Creative Director of the Discovery Cube, Quincy Stokes. If you're in Sothern California, pay them a visit! Homepage - Discovery Cube Content warning: Descriptions of  violence/sex and mild language Our animal candidates: Stellar Sea Cow Dire Wolf Pyrenean Ibex Diplocaulus Dodo Passenger Pigeons Let’s learn more! What Happened to Steller's Sea Cows? - The Atlantic Dire wolves went extinct 13,000 years ago but thanks to new genetic analysis their true story can now be told (theconversation.com) Fresh effort to clone extinct animal - BBC News Diplocaulus - Facts and Pictures (newdinosaurs.com) BBC - Earth - How humanity first killed the dodo, then lost it as well Why the Passenger Pigeon Went Extinct | Audubon Want to vote for your favorite? Or nominate another animal entirely? Subscribe to our instagram @bestbeast_podcast or facebook @bestbeastpodcast