Tag: animals

43: Grasshoppers & Locusts

43: Grasshoppers & Locusts

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We’re back with a full-length episode on some incredibly fascinating (and also super confusing) critters! We’re sure most of you have seen at least one in your life, but how much do you actually know about grasshoppers? Or locusts? Or are they actually the same thing? We break down these seemingly simple questions only to find that we’re opening a can of worms relating to species breakdown and such. This episode is for the science nerd in all of you!

Featuring a promo from the Rebel Girls Book Club podcast (https://anchor.fm/RGBC). Check them out!

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Reptile Show FAQs

Reptile Show FAQs

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Hello lovelies! We just finished a super busy weekend at the Sacramento Reptile Show and instead of giving you a rushed episode, we chose to sit down and have a chat about Reptile Shows/Expos. What can you expect? If you are going to buy a new pet, what should you prepare? What are some Dos and Don’ts? We talk about it all! And stay tuned because you’ll get a full episode in normal CritterCast fashion NEXT week!

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42: Raccoons

42: Raccoons

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CritterCast fans, we were super excited to bring this episode to you. Raccoons might just be the very definition of the word “critter” so they obviously have a very special place in our hearts. Everyone has an opinion of raccoons: major pest or adorable potential pet. BUT how much do you actually know about these mammals? In this hour long extravaganza we’re going to attempt to get through at least the basics of what raccoons are, why they have a complicated relationship with people, and why you should love and respect them. Plus we give a special shout out to the Cult of Domesticity podcast and make announcements about the Sacramento Reptile Show!

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41: Blue Tongue Skinks (Tiliqua Scincoides Intermedia)

41: Blue Tongue Skinks (Tiliqua Scincoides Intermedia)

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So we went to the San Jose Reptile Show and Cassie realized we had NEVER done an episode on Blue Tongue Skinks? How? How did we get 41 episodes into this podcast and never touch on one of our FAVORITE reptiles? This episode we remedy that and give you a quick peak into the world of the chillest, chonkiest of lizards. Though they may seem snake-like to the average onlooker, Blue Tongue Skinks are definitely lizards. Take that taxonomy!

Sources:

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40: Hagfish

40: Hagfish

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Episode 40! Can you believe it? We sure can’t! This episode we’re discussing a….fish???? Maybe, maybe not. You’ll have to listen to find out. We picked this critter thanks to a suggestion from our friends at the Fish Nerds Podcast. And boy are we so glad that they suggested it! This weird and wacky critter is right in the wheelhouse of things we like to talk about. We battle with our old nemesis taxonomy as we try to figure out if hagfish (with their lack of vertebral columns) are actually fish at all.

We also feature a promo from our friends at the STEM Fatale Podcast, so be sure to check them out if you love science and especially ladies in science!

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39: Guinea Pigs (Cavies)

39: Guinea Pigs (Cavies)

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Episode 39 is live! Sorry for the short delay in getting this episode out, but we promise it’s worth it!! This episode we’re talking about adorable little rodents known as Guinea Pigs. Their name is a complete and total misnomer, since they’re not from Guinea and they’re definitely not related to pigs at all. But they ARE absolutely adorable little superheroes, in many ways. Some of our facts are gross, some a little sad, but all of them are wacky, weird, and wonderful!

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38: Horseshoe Crabs

38: Horseshoe Crabs

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It’s Episode 38! It’s here! We made a mistake in recording and mistakenly thought we were at Episode 39 already…but this episode is actually Episode 38. Now that we’ve got THAT figured out, it’s time to talk about horseshoe crabs! You may find it fascinating to know that these strange and pre-historic critters are not actually crabs at all. To find out what they’re more closely related to, and even more interesting facts tune in to this episode!

Sources:

  • http://www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/html/gallery/invert/shoe.htm
  • https://www.stlzoo.org/visit/thingstoseeanddo/stingraysatcaribbeancove/horseshoecrabfacts
  • https://www.britannica.com/animal/horseshoe-crab
  • https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Horseshoe-Crab
  • https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/crustaceans/horseshoe-crabs/facts/
  • https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/horseshoe-crab-blue-blood
  • https://marinebio.org/species/horseshoe-crabs/limulus-polyphemus/
  • https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red_Knot/lifehistory
  • https://www.fws.gov/news/blog/index.cfm/2016/11/30/Modeling-a-Future-for-Horseshoe-Crabs-and-Red-Knots

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37: Meerkats

37: Meerkats

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In this episode of CritterCast, we’re dishing the scoop on the cutest and most murderous (?!?!) of small mammals…the meerkat! Though these furry friends are not part of the feline family, they’re as cute as kittens. Of course we discuss the ever-popular Animal Planet TV Show “Meerkat Manor” as well as all the facts (fun or otherwise) that make meerkats so freaking cool. Excuse our technical difficulties as we figure out how to conduct phone interviews in order to be able to record when we’re not in the same place as someone else. We think it went pretty well!

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36: Arapaimas

36: Arapaimas

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Welcome back to CritterCast for Episode 36. If you’ve never heard of an Arapaima chances are you don’t watch Animal Planet or Discovery Channel because this mysterious fish is the only fish to ever elude host Jeremy Wade on River Monsters. Cassie was inspired to teach us all about this massively large and massively impressive fish because she thinks that giant fish are ultra cool, and after listening to Episode 36 we think you might agree! Give it a chance and let us know what you find most fascinating about Arapaimas!

Sources:

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35: Turkey Vultures

35: Turkey Vultures

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We’re back for episode 35 and it’s time to take it back to the skies! What critter spends most of their life putting in minimum effort? Turkey Vultures, that’s who. In this episode we discuss why Turkey Vultures are the laziest, most relatable birds. Did you know they have the most disgusting but surprisingly effective defense mechanism? You will after you listen to this 1 hour long fact-stravaganza!

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