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Krister Smith is Head of Division Messel Research and Mammalogy. In this episode of “Weird Species“, he talks about the UNESCO World Heritage Site just south of Frankfurt and its many well-preserved fossils. His favorite species lives quite far away, though: The Gila monster, a venomous lizard native to the Southwestern US and the Mexican State of Sonora. They are remarkably relaxed creatures, only active for 20 hours per month – but with a bite that has been described as excruciatingly painful. Learn more about our section Messel Research.  Follow Senckenberg onFacebookInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTube

Enric Sala used to be a professor of marine biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California. Then he realized that he was "writing the obituary of the ocean", quit academia and started putting all of his efforts into conservation. In this episode of "Weird Species", he tells us all about it: partnering with National Geographic to tell captivating stories about ocean life and helping governments and communities all over the world to set up marine protected areas. But of course he also talks about his favorite animal, the sperm whale, and what it's like to see them up close.  Enric Sala was awarded the Senckenberg Prize for Commitment to Nature 2024.  Watch Enric Sala's TED talk about "turning the high seas into the world's largest nature reserve". Check out Enric Sala's book "The Nature of Nature".Follow Senckenberg onFacebookInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTube

In this episode of „Weird Species“, our guest is Dr. Janet Voight, renowned marine biologist and curator emerita of the Field Museum in Chicago. Earlier this year, she visited Frankfurt to assist with our new project „Secret Service“, which aims to highlight the often-forgotten contributions of women in science throughout Senckenberg’s history. But then of course we also talk species - in Janet’s case, the newly discovered so-called „dorado octopus“, a truly fascinating creature.Follow Senckenberg onFacebookInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTube

They kind of look like brains and live on the floor of our oceans in depths up to 10,000 meters: xenophyophores. Here to talk about them in this episode of "Weird Species" is world-renowned deep sea biologist Dr. Lisa Levin, this year's recipient of the Senckenberg Prize for Nature Research. She not only shares facinating insights about  xenophyophores, but also about her long and distinguished career that took her all over the globe. Follow Senckenberg onFacebookInstagramTikTokLinkedInYouTube

For this episode of "Weird Species", we slow things down a bit: Dr. Irina Ruf, head of the mammalogy section at Senckenberg, talks about her favorite species, the two-toed sloth. A creature as laid-back as it is fascinating, it spends its days hanging from trees in the rainforests of South America and clambers down once per week to relieve itself. So what does researching an animal that barely does anything look like? And what can we perhaps learn from these very relaxed animals? Follow Senckenberg onFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Plants might not run around, bark at us or seem very active in general, but they are complex organisms with needs, goals, and ways to achieve them. In this episode of "Weird Species", Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart talks to Dr. Liam Langan about the fascinating strategies that plants use, especially his favorite species Populus tremula, or quaking aspen. How do plants develop over time to adapt to their environment? And what kinds of models do scientists like Liam use to better understand these changes in ecosystems?Follow Senckenberg onFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Almost 40 % of insects and about 25 % of all known animal species worldwide are beetles – the fact left british-indian biologist J. B. S. Haldane to remark that "God has an inordinate fondness for beetles." In this episode of "Weird Species", Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart talks to Dr. Marianna Simões about what makes these tiny creatures so special. Marianna also introduces us to her favorite species, Dorynota pugionata: a member of the subfamily Cassidinae that over time has come up with ingenious adaptations, the most spectacular among them a fecal shield built with their telescopic anus.Follow Senckenberg onFacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

In the first episode of the new Senckenberg podcast "Weird Species", our host Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart talks to Dr. Brendon Boudinot, head of Entomology II at Senckenberg, about all things ants. Brendon shares insights from his research all over the globe and explains what makes our tiny friends such amazing creatures. The two scientists also tackle some other essential questions: Which 1998 animated kids movie is better: "A Bug's Life" or "Antz"? Can you make a delicious steak out of leafcutter ants? And how does an insect expert deal with an ant infestation in his house? Follow Senckenberg on FacebookInstagramTikTokYouTube

Welcome to "Weird Species," an original podcast by the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research. Join Prof. Dr. Julia Sigwart as she guides you through the fascinating world of the species on our planet. Whether you prefer them super cute or pretty icky, whether you can find them in your neighborhood or on a remote island, we've got you covered. Each episode features conversations with scientists from various fields, where Julia quizzes them on their favorite species.