Today we're finally talking about dreams! We dream, but do other critters dream? Does your cat dream? Do platypuses dream? What about octopuses? Perhaps spiders? We'll talk about all of these questions! Learn a little bit more about dreams, which other animals dream, and what animals don't dream!By Olivia Streit

We're back! Did you know about sea cucumbers? Did you know sea cucumbers sometimes have some fishy friends? Now you do! Tune on in to hear about sea cucumbers, some ramblings about their cousins, and the fishy friend that lives with them in one of the stranger of the symbiotic relationships in the ocean.…

We know why cats purr, but do we really know HOW cats purr? After a new paper was released in early November, now we do! Or at least we have some new insight into it. Tune in to learn more about cats, the aerodynamics behind your cat's purr, some new cat discoveries, and find out the nitty gritty behind how cats make their purring sounds. Sources: …

What happens when you introduce a species of butterfly to a new island, and not one, but two new wasps also show up? A parasitic wasp version of nesting dolls! For our Halloween episode, we're talking about some butterfly body snatchers who also have body snatchers; a butterfly's parasitic wasp also has a parasitic wasp! Tune in to learn how one ca…

Can jellyfish learn despite not having a brain? This week we're talking about a recently published paper providing evidence that box jellyfish are capable of types of learning previously thought to require, well, a brain! Tune in to learn more about box jellyfish, their nervous systems, and what sorts of things a jellyfish can learn! The paper: Bie…

It's a good time of year for newt finding! This week we're talking all about our little Eastern Newt and other salamander friends. Have you ever wondered what makes a newt different from a salamander? Tune in to find out!By Olivia Streit

Have you ever wondered what triggers the feeling of sleepiness at night? Or what about what happens while you're sleeping? This episode is all about the cycles of sleep: what the different stages of sleep there are, and how we cycle through them, and the circadian rhythms we have that cycle us through these sleep-wake patterns every day.…

Cuttlefish can change colors to instantly blend in, a lot of animals have color patterns to disappear into their typical surroundings, but did you know that some spiders can change color too? This week we talk about the goldenrod crab spider, whose camouflage abilities help them to disappear on meadow flowers so they can nab their prey and hide fro…

In July, Florida experienced record high water temperatures, causing mass coral bleaching and mass mortality events. But what happens when coral bleaches? Is a bleached coral a dead coral? What causes coral bleaching? We're going to cover all of it! Tune in to learn about corals, and how current events sure are stressing them out enough that they j…

This week, we have hermit crabs and the special relationship they have with sea anemones! Or, at least some sea anemone species. Tune in this week to learn about hermit crabs and the sea anemones that some of them like to carry on their shells, and why they carry around sea anemones in the first place! You'll also learn about sea anemones that can …

Welcome to shark month! This episode, we talk about the shark at the base of mysteries for centuries, the cookiecutter shark! We talk about how this shark is not only responsible for many bites on marine animals, but is also responsible for damaging nuclear submarines!By Olivia Streit

In a bit of a pride month themed episode, we're introducing you to some fish that can change between male and female! You may be aware of the ability of clownfish to change from male to female, but did you know other fish can do this as well? This week we talk about damselfish, their surprisingly complicated social lives, and how they benefit from …

It's good to be back getting into the swing of things again! We're coming back from our break with an episode diving into yet another thing that spiders eat: snakes. Tune in to learn a bit more about spiders, who is mostly responsible for eating snakes, and which snakes are getting eaten. The main spider culprits might not be who you think!…

This week we have the Mola mola, or Ocean Sunfish, one of the largest bony fishes! Tune in to learn about just how big these fish can be, how and maybe why they breach, and even how to tell an ocean sunfish fin apart from a basking shark fin at sea!By Olivia Streit

Earth Day is just around the corner, so for this episode I decided to mix things up a little and talk about the history of Earth Day and how it came to be one of the most celebrated and observed secular holidays! We'll go into the environmental disasters as well as work by conservationists like Rachel Carson that brought environmental issues into t…

It's a little late but finally here! This week we have a conservation tale of recovery, bringing the UK and Irish populations of the red kite back from extinction after centuries of being targeted by humans. Join me as we hear about what happened to these birds and how we were able to bring them back through one of the longest running conservation …

This week we are back to the ocean, talking about a polychaete worm, the bobbit worm! Unlike other worms we've talked about, this one is not a parasite, but they are still quite the predator, giving us one more reason living on land is pretty cool: You don't have to worry that a worm is going to jump out and pull you underground. What a time!…

The Steller's Sea Eagle has been seen in Maine again for the last month or so, so that's our topic for today! Hear about this bird's incredible journey, as it made it's way from Alaska, to Texas, then moved between Canada and New England, and we'll also talk about where the sea eagle is supposed to live, and all that good stuff! For more informatio…

We've had some episodes about crazy long bird migrations, but what about the birds that don't migrate and stay behind for winter? This episode talks about some of the ways birds survive the cold days of winter, including hoarding food, snuggling on up, and shivering. Birds have quite a few adaptations to survive winter, so tune on in to hear how th…

Today we have the part 2 of our journey down the rabbit hole that is the Flying Primate Hypothesis! Without giving spoilers, this episode talks about the evidence against the hypothesis, and talks about what science is currently saying about how closely related bats are to primates (and therefore us!) and other groups. Find out in this episode if b…

And we're back! You, the listeners picked the episode today, and we have quite the episode! In what will be a 2 part series, we will be exploring the flying primate hypothesis, the idea that the large bats, flying foxes and fruit bats, were descended from primates! In this episode, we introduce the flying primate hypothesis, and introduce some of t…

Happy Halloween everyone! This week, we'll be exploring some of the history of superstitions surrounding black cats. Did you know that a black cat showing up in your door step could bring your prosperity? Or that black cats could actually be shape-shifting witches? Join us this week to learn all about your favorite kitties.…

For episode 40 we are once again talking about fantastic feats of migration! Today, we talk about transoceanic migration paths of three small songbirds, the blackpoll warbler, Connecticut warbler, and the Bobolink, and how every fall they fly thousands of miles over the open ocean. A couple notes on mis-speaks: The Connecticut warbler flies to the …

Fall is here, leaves are changing colors, so it's time to talk about pollinators! This is an important time of year to be thinking about supporting our native pollinators and native bees over winter, so tune in to learn about how you can use your fallen leaves to help the bees! For more information on how you can support your local pollinators, che…

In Episode 38, we have our third episode on sharks and the end of our shark unofficial miniseries! This episode we talk about blue sharks, and their migration patterns, their litters with all of the pups, and then we decide which sharks are the top five fastest sharks in the world. Tune in to find out where the blue shark fits in that list! Patreon…

This next shark themed episode talks about the porbeagle shark! Come learn about this warm-blooded shark and its more famous cousins, the Great White, and find out how this shark's name may have been inspired by beagles. Patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

Join us this episode as we start a few episode long series on different shark species! We start of with basking sharks, the second largest fish, and the second largest shark, and just how small you would feel sitting next to one. Of course we use bananas for scale, so if you've ever wanted to know how long a basking shark is in bananas, be sure to …

Have you ever been curious about the use of leeches in medicine? Then this is the episode for you! We talk about the history behind medicinal leeches, what makes them useful, and some of the things we still use leeches for in medicine today. Patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

On our last critter in our series of bloodsucking summertime ectoparasites, we have a part 1 episode talking about leeches! Many bloodsucking parasites have a risk of transmitting a long list of diseases, but leeches are an exception. Listen on in to learn more about leeches and their lack of disease transmission. Patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyf…

In episode 3 of our 4 week ectoparasite series, we are talking about Black flies, how black fly season in Maine has lengthened over the years, and some tips for keeping black flies out of your nose! patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

This week in our series of parasites, we have a small tick that lives in grassy, wooded areas that likes to bit moose! Learn more about ticks and moose, and how you can prevent tick bites Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

Join me this week as we start a new 4 episode series on some warm weather ectoparasites with an episode about the world's deadliest animal, which is a critter you may not expect! Mosquitoes, while just annoying in many places, can spread some pretty nasty diseases in other places, so learn some things about mosquito diseases, some other things mosq…

And we're back! Did you know there are animals in the ocean that can change what their entire body looks like in just a couple of seconds? Listen to this week's episode to learn more! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

Join in this week's episode as we talk about one of the longest bird migrations! We'll also be taking a bit of a break after this episode, but we'll be back with new episodes in a few weeks!By Olivia Streit

Glowing platypus?? Learn about this other quirky trait of the already wonky platypus in this week's episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

In this episode, we hear about a spider going up against a bat in what turned out to be a first for a few different things! How will it end? Find out who prevails! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

In episode 26, we travel on back to North America to talk about a bird...that's a parasite? Come join me and learn about brood parasitism! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

Join me in this week's episode as we talk about a fish that can almost instantly cover a highway in slime! Slime photos and article: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2017/07/truck_full_of_eels_overturns_o.html Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

This week's episode features a great group of snakes: sea snakes. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

For this week's episode, we're looking at more gliding animals! This time, the unexpected gliding ant! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

In Episode 22, we talk about a marine parasite that lives in the hollowed out shell of its host! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

In episode 21, we're talking about a group of snakes that can jump from tree to tree without falling to the ground! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

To ring in the new year, I'm bringing you an episode talking about some giant lizards that like to have their friends for dinner! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

Merry Christmas everyone! With Christmas coming up, here's an episode about some festive, colorful bugs that emerge just in time for Christmas! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

This week, we're going on a trip to Australia to talk about the only animals that make cube shaped poo! patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

In this week's episode, as we get into the holiday season, we're going to talk about some animals that flicker through the night like Christmas lights in July! For the extra organic chemistry details: Marques, S.M., Esteves da Silva, J.C.G. 2009. Firefly bioluminescence: A mechanistic approach of luciferase catalyzed reactions. Life, 61(1): 6-17 Pa…

Now we're visiting some boneless marine life, and looking at an octopus hitching a ride!By Olivia Streit

We're back in the ocean for this week's episode with a trip to the Arctic to talk about an animal that has a tusk coming out of its face! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

For this episode, we talk about a chemical defense spray of some beetles! Patreon: www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypodBy Olivia Streit

This week, we will explore the source of your cats constant purrs!By Olivia Streit