1 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,719 Speaker 1: Welcome to Creature feature, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: I'm your host of Many Parasites, Katie Golden. I studied 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: psychology and evolutionary biology, and I've never been stung by 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: a bee. I guess that's why my blood type is 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: A being negative. Yep. Okay. Anyways, today on the show, 6 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: Invasion of the murder Hornets and More Invasive Species. That's right, 7 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: I've looked into this whole murder hornet business to see 8 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: if it's a big deal. You know, all the murders 9 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,959 Speaker 1: these hornets do. And I'll also be talking about two 10 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: of the world's other most notorious invasive species, a big 11 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: toad with a bad attitude and an adorable little fuzzy 12 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: noodle who just loves to kill things. Discover this and 13 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: more as we answer the age old question how many 14 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: decapitations a minute can the murder hornet? It do more 15 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: than is necessary? Probably, so, murder hornets are they bad? Well, 16 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: first of all, let's call them by their real name, 17 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: Vespa Mandarinia, their giant hornets, and when they're in their 18 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: natural range, I wouldn't say they're bad anymore than any 19 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: other insect or animal. They've simply carved out their evolutionary 20 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: niche by being the biggest, baddest, most murdery hornet out there. 21 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: But when a non native species invades a new region, 22 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: either by accidentally hitching a ride on some cargo or 23 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: because humans are a bunch of power craze primates who 24 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: like to pluck an animal from one side of the 25 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: globe and drop it down on the other, this can 26 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: spell trouble for the local ecology. So should you be 27 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: afraid of murder hornets, Well, let's go on a learning 28 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: journey to turn that fear into education. Joining me today 29 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: is my friend, host of the Cracked podcast and also 30 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: host of the new podcast mini series One Way to 31 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: Make an Emoji, Alec Schmidt. Katie, thank you so much 32 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: for having me. This is awesome. Yeah, welcome back to 33 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: the pod, Alex, and you you just described, you just 34 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: described two podcasts that you're excellent on, so people should 35 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: go here those. Yeah. I got to be a guest 36 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: on Well, I've been a guest on the crac podcast, 37 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: and I got to be a guest on One Way 38 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: to Make an Emoji, which was excellently talked about bison. Yeah, 39 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: if people want to check it out, it's it's a 40 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: very special mini series to me. There's a lot of 41 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: personal stuff to it and the last stuff I've never 42 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: really done before and as a podcast or anything, but 43 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: it's about creating the Bison emoji. Any any citizen. Any 44 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: person can propose I don't know why I said citizen. 45 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: You don't have to be from anywhere. Anyone can propose 46 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 1: a citizen of the planet Earth exactly. Anybody can propose 47 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: a new emoji. And I proposed to Bison emoji and 48 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: they said yes. So sometime let's fall your your device. 49 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: Everybody's device will have a Bison and the emoji keyboard. 50 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 1: I think that's wonderful. And I love the podcast. It's 51 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 1: emotional and sweet and full advice and what more could 52 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: you want from a podcast? Spice and soup for the soul. 53 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: You made it really special, so thanks again for doing it. 54 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: Of course, Well today we're gonna do something a little 55 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: less heartwarming or I don't know, we'll find the heartwarming 56 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: somewhere because we're talking about murder hornets. I'm sure you've 57 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: probably heard of murder hornets. Alex. I'm pretty I'm pretty 58 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: excited because I, like you know, found out a few 59 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: seconds ago that that's the topic, and I have like 60 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 1: seen the phrase in trending topics on Twitter and don't 61 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: really know anything else, So that was great. I'm gonna 62 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: like find out what's going on. Yeah. Yeah, I think 63 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: a lot of people are a little scared right now 64 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: because it's it sounds very apocalyptic. We've been hearing things 65 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: about murder hornets have invaded the US, and the question 66 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: is should we panic And the answer is maybe a little. Okay, Yeah, 67 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: So want to get down to the facts about murder hornets? 68 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: What are they? Why are they called murder hornets? Are 69 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: they deadly to humans? Are they deadly to native honeybee populations? 70 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: How do we find them off? And what are they? 71 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: What's their story? How did they become so murdering? Yeah, 72 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: when you say we should panic a little, I'm glad. 73 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: I have so little else that I'm panicking about right now, 74 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: you know, like everything else is super chill, so I 75 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: have the bandwidth to everything. I mean, we've got our 76 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: plates are clear, it's you know, blue skies, and then 77 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: it's like we could handle this one bad thing in 78 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: the world happening. Murder hornets. That's fine. Yeah, Yeah, tomorrow 79 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: in the news I'm just gonna wake up and it's 80 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: like fire rain rain made out of deadly fire. But yeah, okay, cool. 81 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: So what is a murder hornet? First? So, so this 82 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: is the Vespa Andarinia, which are Asian giant hornets. They 83 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: are native to East, South and Southeast Asia as well 84 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: as parts of Russia, and they are the largest hornet 85 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: in the world. Mandarinia sounds like an Italian motorcycle. Are 86 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: you sure this is the right That's that's my bad 87 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: Italian accent. I'm sorry. I apologize for that, um, but yeah, 88 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: it does. It does sound. It kind of looks like 89 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:35,919 Speaker 1: one too. They're very sleek, almost a motorcycle personified or 90 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: bugsonified into a horrible insane So what are hornets? So? 91 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: Hornets are a type of large youth social wasp, meaning 92 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: that they work together for a hive and a queen. 93 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: Because there are a lot of wasps that are actually 94 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: solitary they just kind of do their own thing murder 95 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: on their own time. But these are team murderers. So 96 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: that's neat. I mean, yeah, they're they're working together. At 97 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: least they're not having some kind of civil war or something. 98 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: That's good meant it it's a lot of team building 99 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: murders happening with with these hornets. And did you did 100 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 1: you say they're you social? Is that right? You social? 101 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: That's right, just like honey bees are you social? Oh yeah, sorry, yeah, 102 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: I was gonna say I've heard about that with ants 103 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: and humans. Yes, ants, humans arguably a little bit maybe ants, termites, 104 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: honey bees, other other bee species. And yeah, it basically 105 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 1: means you work for a colony and for a queen, 106 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: and it's this social structure where you are basically the work. 107 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: It's a it's a hierarchy where workers are all working 108 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 1: towards the common goal of the hive and the queen, 109 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: which is you know that cool? Because I I am 110 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: not an entomologist or an expert or anything, but I 111 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 1: read a book once by E. O. Wilson and and 112 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 1: the super short gist of it is basically that ants 113 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: and humans have spread across the earth because those two 114 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: species are very use social compared to other ones. Like 115 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: they work together and they see a greater purpose to 116 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: their group, whether it's instinctual or conscious or not. Yeah, 117 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: I mean that is true. I think that humans like 118 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: ants are and some bees. It's like our successfu lies 119 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: in our society and our ability to make a lot 120 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: of hexagons. So so these hornets, the murder hornets, they 121 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: apply those same ideas of teamwork, but towards murder, which 122 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: is neat. So they're about two inches long, about four centimeters. 123 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: They have a wingspan of three inches about seven and 124 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: a half centimeters, and they have a fourth inch long 125 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: stinger that can inject a large amount of venom. So 126 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: they're they're you know, they're they're big girls. These are 127 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 1: these are some some large ladies coming around to sting 128 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: you with a lot of vintage. Each one of them 129 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: is two inches long, Yeah, just a lot. Yeah, yeah, 130 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: it's a little bigger than can you'd imagine. Right, that's good. 131 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: It's cool. It's good. It's cool. So they have been 132 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: recently spotted in North America, which is you know cool 133 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:37,199 Speaker 1: and yeah, yeah, I'm in North America too. The first 134 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: sighting was in Washington State last December, so a fun 135 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: Christmas surprise. They are a big threat to the honeybee 136 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: population that lives in North America, the APIs mellifera, and 137 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: also you know, a threat to basically a lot of 138 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 1: different insects, a lot of different like the wild bee 139 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: ease and bumble bees, and you know, probably us to 140 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,360 Speaker 1: a little bit not not. I think the biggest concern 141 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: right now is the b population. Actually, so let's talk 142 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: a little bit about the honeybee in North America. The 143 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: APIs mellifera, so it's actually not native to North America. 144 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: It was introduced by European colonizers, and it is not 145 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: commonly called an invasive species because we don't consider it 146 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: to be harmful. But they kind of can be like 147 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 1: they can harm wild native bee species when they have 148 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,839 Speaker 1: to compete for food. But on the other hand, they 149 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: have become incredibly important pollinators and honey producers for our society, 150 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: so they are responsible for a lot of pollination that 151 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: happens in our agriculture. So yeah, it's kind of it's 152 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: one of the cases where this is actually an introduced species. 153 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 1: But we're okay with a although maybe some of our 154 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 1: wild bees aren't as cool with it. I mean, if 155 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: anybody's gonna come to me and say, hey, that honey 156 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: bee on the honey nut cheerios box is some form 157 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: of invader, I'm gonna push back on that way into 158 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: that be he's very friendly he provides a delicious serial 159 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: like that. What's his name? Is his name? What's his name? 160 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 1: So he probably has a name. I don't know, is 161 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 1: it buzz or something. It's probably buzz. It's probably buzz. 162 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: It's probably buzz. I'm gonna say it's buzz. I'm not 163 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: even gonna bother googling it because I'm certain it's got 164 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: to be that. Yeah, I remember I got a I 165 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:39,199 Speaker 1: got a buzz doll in a honey nut cheerio box 166 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: once and it was I thought it was going to 167 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: look a lot more like the thing on the box. 168 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 1: That's all I'm going to say about that. It was 169 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,719 Speaker 1: like clearly made for b movie or something. But they 170 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: just made an error. And Joel Joel just wrote to 171 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: us Joel as a producer of the show. She just 172 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: told us Buzzby is the name of the v Thank you. 173 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: What like Buzzby, like Buzzby, like Buzby Berkeley or something 174 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 1: like the US b y. Yeah, but but no, no, 175 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: be you z z buz Buzzby. Yeah, Buzzby co Coruel 176 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: trivia fact about about the b on the honeynut cheero box. 177 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining me on This Animal's podcast. So let's 178 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: go back to talking about murder hornets. Yeah, so murder 179 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: hornets are called murder hornets on account of all the 180 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:42,559 Speaker 1: murders they do. So the worker hornets are all female. 181 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 1: So Alex, I want you to imagine a gang of 182 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: bloodthirsty women on motorcycles raising the countryside, going around with 183 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: huge machetes and decapitating entire cities, because that's basically what 184 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: murder hornets do. I feel like, I feel like you 185 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: would see like a double feature of at a drive in, 186 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: and like it's both movies are about the gang of ladies. God, yes, 187 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: I'd love to see that. They all for some reason, 188 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,959 Speaker 1: they're all wearing impeccable makeup too, and perfect hair does 189 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,439 Speaker 1: but they're just going around on their motorcycle gangs and 190 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: like and it's like, and this is what cannabis does 191 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: to women. So the murder hornet has gigantic mandibles that 192 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 1: can easily decapitate a honeybee. They can kill forty honey 193 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 1: bees a minute, which is bad or honey bees. Because 194 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: I I am not a super expert on bees and 195 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: hornets and stuff, but I feel like people associate hornets 196 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: with honey just because bees do that. But it seems 197 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 1: like these hornets just murder and that's how they get food, 198 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:54,080 Speaker 1: Like they're just eating all these bees all this, yes, exactly, 199 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: so they are carnivorous and they feed these well, essentially, 200 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 1: they will take over these hives and then plunder it 201 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: for meat and then feed that to their young, whereas 202 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: honey bees will eat nectar and then you know the 203 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 1: whole process of making honey and royal jelly, and that's 204 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 1: how they feed their colony. So so these hornets are 205 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: like a tiny wolf for hyena or other pack animal 206 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: basically in terms of the exactly yeah, ok, yeah, no, 207 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: that's a very good way to think of it. Exactly. 208 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: So they work in groups to raid and destroy entire 209 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: honey bee hives. So what will happen is one of 210 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,679 Speaker 1: the hornets will place a pheromone marker on a honey 211 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: bee hive, which will invite her sisters to participate in 212 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: a gold old fashion pillage. In so they efficiently kill 213 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 1: all the worker bees and queen, ripping their heads off, 214 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: and then they use the hive as a buffet, eating 215 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: the honey bee larva and pup a right out of 216 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 1: their little honeycomb cribs. So you know, just killing all 217 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: the babies and eating them, even the pupe combined, even 218 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: the pupe. They don't even spare the pupe monsters. So 219 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: in Japan, where the murder hornet is actually this is 220 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: its native range, the Japanese honey bees. I didn't I 221 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: didn't realize that was gonna rhyme until I said. The 222 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: Japanese honey bee, which lives in the murder hornets native range, 223 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: has developed a unique strategy to defend themselves from these invaders. 224 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: So when a honeybee in Japan senses the hornet pheromones, 225 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: it goes first oh, and then it forms a b ball, 226 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: so it sends its own messaging to the rest of 227 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: the hive to create a giant ball of angry vibrating bees, 228 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: and they beat their wings and dogpile on the invading hornet. 229 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 1: So what they're doing is they're vibrating their wings and 230 00:14:55,520 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: flight muscles and generating body heat in this giant dog pile, 231 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: and combined, a bee ball can create a core temperature 232 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: of over a hundred and fifteen degrees fahrenheit, which is 233 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: forty six degrees celsius, and also creates a chamber of 234 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: increased carbon dioxide so this will actually cook and suffocate 235 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 1: the hornet that is trapped inside this giant bee mosh pit. 236 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 1: I love how like each time I learned about an 237 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: organized society of animals, it's because they're doing something like that, 238 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: you know, like doing a mosh pit essentially. I mean, 239 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: have you ever found a society that doesn't include involved 240 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: mosh pits? I don't think so. The dawn of time 241 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: that the enderthal mash is on cave walls, oh yes, 242 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: I've seen it. So you might think that this would 243 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: be a self sacrificial thing that the bees do, but 244 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: they're actually much more adept at surviving this giant mosh 245 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: pit because they can withstand higher temperatures and the higher 246 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: levels of c O two. Although you know, some of 247 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: them may die in the line of mosh pit duty, 248 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: but you know there that's it's an honor. It's an 249 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: honor to die in the bee mosh pit, I think. 250 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: And this this thing with Japan's bees knowing how to 251 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: mash the hornets, like, is this like a centuries and 252 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: centuries old war between bees and hornets in their country 253 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: and then just the hornets came here and RBS are 254 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: like we we don't know any mashing, what do we do? Yes, sadly, Alex, 255 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: You're exactly right about that. So this is when you 256 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 1: have a predator and a prey species, you often have 257 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:43,080 Speaker 1: these arms races where the predator evolves the strategy to 258 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: take advantage of the prey, and then the prey will 259 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: evolve the strategy to defend itself. And so you see 260 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: this like increasing complexity of attacks and defenses. Unfortunately, when 261 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: you have an invasive species, the native species have not 262 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: developed any of these strategy GE's, they are caught completely 263 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: off guard. So the honey bees who live in North 264 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: America have not developed this defense strategy, so they are 265 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,479 Speaker 1: vulnerable to the murder hornets, which is why a lot 266 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:16,479 Speaker 1: of conservationists are very very concerned. And if the murder 267 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: hornets are allowed to spread, they might decimate the already 268 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: struggling bee populations here in North America, which is not great. 269 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,680 Speaker 1: I like I like bees. I like our honey bees. Yeah, 270 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: because I like all plants, and as I understand it, 271 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 1: they're important for that. I'm right. And and even if 272 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: you're like, oh, well, the honey bee itself is not 273 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,160 Speaker 1: is you know, not native, It's an introduced species and 274 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: somehow you don't care about that. I mean, they're also 275 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: these murder hornets are also going to be really bad 276 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: for the wild bee populations and for bumble bees. And basically, 277 00:17:55,600 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: you know, it's whenever you I've described the ecosystem like 278 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 1: a Jenga tower before, it's like whenever you fuss around 279 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,160 Speaker 1: with one piece, you're not going to know like at 280 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: what point, like everything's gonna crumble down. So, yeah, it's bad. 281 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: It's not great to have have this this murder hornet. Surprisingly, 282 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: I know it doesn't sound like a big deal to 283 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: have a murder hornet invade the US or not the US, 284 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 1: a murder hornet invade North America, but it is shockingly bad. Yeah, 285 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: because when I saw that name murder hornet coming up 286 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: on Twitter, for one thing, I thought, just like everybody 287 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 1: had seen the same Nature documentary. I was just laughing 288 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:36,160 Speaker 1: about it because you know, everybody, especially in quarantine, will 289 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: like I'll see tiger king at the same time, and 290 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 1: suddenly there's memes I don't know about. But oh god, 291 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: I wish there was a Netflix special called like murder 292 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: Hornet and it's just about beekeepers and all of their drama, 293 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 1: like like, I want to see in an apiary that's 294 00:18:52,240 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 1: actually a cult, Please Netflix deliver. Yeah, But and it 295 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: turns out with this one like, no, it's just a 296 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: news event going on. And I feel like everyone like 297 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: found the name murder Hornets so funny. They didn't talk about, Hey, 298 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 1: there's like a new invader that's a two inch long 299 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: sky wolf you know, sky Wolf. Yeah, Skywolf is cool. 300 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 1: I like that. It's just just a pilot about an 301 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:26,879 Speaker 1: airplane I'm working on. To worry about it. It's cool, Alex, 302 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,400 Speaker 1: I told you can't pitch your pilots on this episode. Okay, 303 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:32,880 Speaker 1: so it's like air Wolf, but I changed the name 304 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: forget it forget So yeah, I mean there's actually a 305 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 1: little bit of debate about naming the murder hornets. Some 306 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 1: biologists are saying like, ah, but you don't, you know, 307 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: this stigmatizes animals. You don't want it to be like, 308 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 1: you know, to dramatized. But other biologists are like, no, 309 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 1: this is a big deal, Like we it's good that 310 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,840 Speaker 1: people are scared of this, this terrible hornet. So it's 311 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: interesting to see that back and forth of now now 312 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: everybody calmed down and like some biologists are going like, no, 313 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:08,680 Speaker 1: they have to panic, Yeah, wow, because isn't that isn't 314 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: that a story with especially the movie Jaws, but kind 315 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: of the book to or suddenly people needed sharks, even 316 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: though sharks have like a positive role in the overall ecosystem. Like, 317 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 1: I guess they're worried about that with hornets, huh, right, exactly, 318 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,959 Speaker 1: because you know, hornets are not I don't want everyone 319 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:29,440 Speaker 1: to hate hornets or even hate murder hornets when they're 320 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 1: you know, not invading North America. That sounds weird, But 321 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,880 Speaker 1: let me be clear, I don't hate the murder hornets. 322 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:42,880 Speaker 1: I'm concerned because they have been introduced to a region 323 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: that they are not native to, which is really bad 324 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 1: for the populations of other insects in that region, so 325 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 1: that you know, it's they have their place, Yeah exactly. 326 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,360 Speaker 1: And like if it takes a sensationalist name to get 327 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: people interested, like maybe that's good. Maybe it's like I 328 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: don't know, maybe it's a bad strategy in the long run, 329 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 1: Like we need to be able to be interested in 330 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: stuff without having a super metal name applied to to 331 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: the insect. But I don't know, I mean, yeah, I 332 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: kind of I'm okay with the name murder hornets personally 333 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: because I think it does make people interested in what 334 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: what is happening and so that yeah, which is good. Yeah, 335 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,920 Speaker 1: I never would have heard about it otherwise. Right, And 336 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: they do murder, it's accurate. I mean they murder a 337 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 1: lot of bees. Yeah, I guess. I wonder if we're 338 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: going there. But have they ever murdered a person in 339 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:37,120 Speaker 1: the United States? Not? Not in North America as far 340 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 1: as I know. They have killed people in their native 341 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 1: range unfortunately, So they are actually pretty nasty to humans. 342 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:49,439 Speaker 1: I want to preface this with the main problem of 343 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: them being in the US is not that they're going 344 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: to kill us all, but it is they are actually 345 00:21:55,840 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: somewhat dangerous to people. So with these murder hornets, about 346 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: fifty stings can kill you due to kidney damage, even 347 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,359 Speaker 1: if you're not allergic. Fatal encounters are more likely to 348 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: happen if you stumble upon or disturb a hornet hive. 349 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:13,919 Speaker 1: So if one kind of flies on you and stings 350 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: you once, it's unlikely unless you have an allergy, that 351 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: it's going to really harm you. It'll it'll give you 352 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:22,199 Speaker 1: like I could give you a nasty well, but in 353 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: Japan about fifty people die a year from murder hornet stings, 354 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: which I don't want to realize that that's it's horrible, 355 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: but it's you know, it's not like five zero people 356 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,400 Speaker 1: die a year in Japan from murder hornet stings. Yeah, 357 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: I mean, like that's about the it's a little bit 358 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,959 Speaker 1: more than people die a year of just wasp and 359 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: be stings in the US per year. So but that 360 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: again it's like a it's I think there's about I 361 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: think about thirty to forty people die per year in 362 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:02,959 Speaker 1: the US from wasp and beastings, so it's about on 363 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: the same scale. But again it's just one species doing 364 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: all of that damage. So they are they are more 365 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:13,160 Speaker 1: dangerous than bees in and other wasps. So it's like 366 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: I would say, it's something where it's concerning and it'll 367 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: it's really sad that it hurts people. I don't want 368 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:24,640 Speaker 1: to trivialize that. But it's also not like it's not like, oh, 369 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:28,159 Speaker 1: we're all going this is going to kill us all like, 370 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: it's not. It's this is not the the final male 371 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 1: and humanity's coffin. Wow, that sounded grim, But because when 372 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:39,960 Speaker 1: because when they're scary things going on. You wanna as 373 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:43,120 Speaker 1: a person know which things are less scary like these 374 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,600 Speaker 1: these a problem, but not not something to panic about. It, right, 375 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: a problem, and I understand people's concern about it, and 376 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: I think it is worrisome, but I think like the 377 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: main worrisomething about it is the impact to the ecology 378 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: in North America, which is a it's a big deal. 379 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: And of course, I mean, I don't think it's silly 380 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: to be concerned about something that can hurt a person. 381 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: I think that's always concerning, Like it's concerning, But it's 382 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 1: not like these bees aren't going to like raid a 383 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: human town and decapitate everyone. That's just what they're going 384 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 1: to do to the honey bees. Yeah, just because you 385 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: saw ladies do that in the nineteen fifties Motorcycle Woman 386 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: movie franchise does not mean that these Japanese hornets will 387 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 1: do that. It's very different, Right, So you might be wondering, like, 388 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 1: how should we get rid of these murder hornets, Like 389 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: maybe we should introduce a species that murders the murder hornets. 390 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 1: But we are in the next section going to talk 391 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,640 Speaker 1: about why this logic is not great because when we 392 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: return after a break, we're actually going to talk about 393 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,680 Speaker 1: the cane toad story. That this is not a bug 394 00:24:55,680 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: at all, very exciting. I mentioned earlier that honeybee populations 395 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:05,920 Speaker 1: are already struggling. Over the past decade or so, beekeepers 396 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: have reported higher and higher loss of honey bees, either 397 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: due to colony collapse disorder where worker bees abandoned a colony, 398 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: or due to winter deaths. Currently, colony collapse disorder is 399 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: not as much of an issue, but increased bee deaths continue. 400 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: This is estimated to be due to the combined factors 401 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: of agricultural growth reducing the amount of diversity of flowering 402 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: plants for bees to eat, pesticides killing the bees, and 403 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 1: parasites such as veroa destructor a tiny mite that wedges 404 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,880 Speaker 1: itself into a bees exoskeleton, spits out digestive juices into 405 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 1: the bee and drinks up the bee smoothie yum. So, 406 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 1: as you can see, there are a lot of things 407 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 1: that bees are struggling with, not to mention the possible 408 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:54,400 Speaker 1: introduction of a giant murder hornet. But as humans were 409 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 1: not helpless when it comes to helping the bees, we 410 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 1: could reduce agricultural growths much that there are more areas 411 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,399 Speaker 1: of diverse wildflowers and vegetation to feed the bees. We 412 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: could reduce pesticide usage and use less dangerous pesticides, which 413 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: will allow bees to be healthier and more able to 414 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 1: fight off things like parasites and disease. As for the 415 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 1: murder hornets, beekeepers can set traps for the hornets to 416 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 1: hopefully slow their spread. So we can't just give up 417 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 1: every time a new murder hornet comes to town. We 418 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,240 Speaker 1: gotta fight, fight for the bees. Be a hero like 419 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: buzz All drin. I'm sorry, Okay, no more bee puns. 420 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: I'll behaved. Sorry, okay, just that one, No more, no 421 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:41,120 Speaker 1: more starting now, will be right back. I'm sorry, I 422 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:53,120 Speaker 1: have to. I'm sorry. Imagine you're minding your own business, 423 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 1: eating bugs or whatever you like to do on a Wednesday. 424 00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: I don't judge oft In the distance, you hear a 425 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 1: strange sound. You've never heard such a sound before. Often 426 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 1: the horizon, you see a large group of strange, huge, 427 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: bumpy skinned aliens approach. They crawled towards you on stubby legs. 428 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 1: They lose poison out of their shoulder blades, and they 429 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:25,639 Speaker 1: are opening their huge hungry mounths and shooting out their long, 430 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:34,119 Speaker 1: disgusting tongues to eat you. So, Alex, have you heard 431 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: of the Kane toad in Australia story? I think it 432 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: rings a bell and the only thing I thought of 433 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,160 Speaker 1: beyond when you said Kane toad, that rang a bell 434 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 1: and I thought of Australia maybe, And that's that's about 435 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 1: all I know. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Well this will 436 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: be a refresher course for you, and I think this 437 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,480 Speaker 1: is one of my well, I don't want to say 438 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 1: favorite stories of invasive species because it sounds like I'm 439 00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:02,479 Speaker 1: happy about it, but it is a really interesting story 440 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 1: about an invasive species. So little background on the cane 441 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: toad first, So it is a big, old terrestrial toad 442 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: that uses toxins from a gland on its shoulders. So 443 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: it is from South and Central America. These are beefy 444 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: toads that can grow around five to six inches long, 445 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 1: which is about ten to fifteen centimeters. But they've been 446 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,000 Speaker 1: known to be able to reach a length of nine 447 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: inches centimeters, which is I don't know, too big. Maybe 448 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 1: I don't want to I don't want to judge. But 449 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: when you gave those inches honestly, I thought of it 450 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: in hornets. It was like, oh, three to four and 451 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: a half hornets of measurement. The murder hornet m H 452 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 1: is Yeah, so, like I mentioned earlier, it excretes toxins 453 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,480 Speaker 1: from the glands near its shoulders, so its skin is 454 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: highly toxic and will kill animals that try to eat it, 455 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: which you know, I mean, that's that's a good idea. 456 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: I guess if you're a cane toade and you don't 457 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: want to be eaten, to just make yourself deadly. I 458 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: feel like what I learned about poison dart frogs as 459 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: a kid, I was like, oh, any colorful amphibian is 460 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 1: probably full of murder. That's probably what's going on. It 461 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: seems like this is kind of one of those Yeah, 462 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:23,680 Speaker 1: it's not even colorful. It's like it barely even warns you. 463 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: It's just kind of a sandy color, brownish, yellowish, all 464 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: of sandy color. It seems pretty innocuous. But nope, it 465 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: is full of ooz eating poison. It's more of more 466 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 1: of a low key hit man kind of guy. I 467 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: get it. Cool. Yeah, yeah, it's it's less of a 468 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: less of a man. It's less of a mad Max 469 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: and more of a Liam Neeson. Are those two murder 470 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: people in the media. I'm trying to think of different 471 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,040 Speaker 1: styles of murder people in movies, and I feel like 472 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: Mad Max versus Liam Neeson makes sense to me in 473 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 1: this moment. Yeah, that works. Like, isn't John Wick generally 474 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 1: dressed pretty conservatively? You know, like maybe it's a John Wick. Yeah, 475 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: I guess I think of John Wick as being flamboyant 476 00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: just because the movies are kind of in your face. 477 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah, like I'm thinking of like a really 478 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: drab murderer, like I'm here to kill you. Don't mind me, 479 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: I'm here to kill you. So they have a lifespan 480 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: of about ten to fifteen years, but one individual was 481 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: recorded as having lived to thirty five years, which is 482 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 1: older than Jesus. Not to brag, not to brag. Listen, 483 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: we measure lengths in hornets that we measure ages in Jesus. 484 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 1: And that's how we do it. Okay, Like like, hop 485 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 1: off if it's not for you. Yeah, this is like 486 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: one point zero zero five Jesus about Yeah, please don't 487 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: check my math on that, because I can assure you 488 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:03,360 Speaker 1: it's wrong. So they have warty all of brownish skin, 489 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: and they are great at reproducing, which is fun to know. 490 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 1: So females lay thousands of eggs at once which come 491 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:15,720 Speaker 1: out in jelly like strings, kind of like remember nerds ropes, nerds, 492 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 1: nerds ropes, whereas like those like uh, ropes of candy 493 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: covered in nerds in this case, unfortunately I do remember, yes, yeah, 494 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: but imagine that except toad eggs. So it is an 495 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 1: absolutely unstoppable monster that can replicate itself almost infinitely. So 496 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: of course Australia decided they had to have it. Australia, 497 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: don't you have enough crazy animals, you scamps over there. 498 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: So in ninety five Australian farmers were having a problem 499 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: with cane beetles which were destroying their sugarcane crops in Queensland, 500 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:02,280 Speaker 1: and they saw that prayer to Rico introduced the cane 501 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 1: toad to their sugarcane crops and had some success in 502 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 1: finding back the sugarcane beetles there. And the cane toad 503 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 1: was known to have a voracious appetite and eat basically 504 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 1: anything alive or dead. So what could possibly go wrong? 505 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 1: I don't, I don't know if anyone knows this, but 506 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 1: like the toad is called the cane toad because it 507 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: likes hanging out in sugarcane and generally being around that 508 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: crop or something that's fun. Yeah, because the other thing 509 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 1: I think that is the frog and toad books where 510 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:34,080 Speaker 1: they're both dressed pretty fancy and maybe they would have 511 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: a cane like a gentleman. You know. That's the only 512 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: other reason I could pick or that or that Looney 513 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: Tunes the Looney Tunes puts on the little top hat. Yeah. 514 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: Oh it's a frog. Yeah yeah, hello by hello Ma Darland, 515 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: gonna poison all your native species. So yeah, like let's 516 00:32:55,400 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 1: just introduce this unstoppable like insatiable poi is in this toad. 517 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: What could go wrong? Well a lot. So the toad 518 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 1: was introduced, and first of all, it didn't actually help 519 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,280 Speaker 1: at all with the cane beetle problem. So the cane 520 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 1: beetles in Australia, as opposed to elsewhere, like to live 521 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 1: at the top of the cane plant. So the toad, 522 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: which is not a good climber or a good jumper, 523 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: could not reach its prey, so it can't actually eat 524 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 1: the beetles it was supposed to eat, and the cane 525 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: fields in Australia did not provide enough cover for the 526 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:34,400 Speaker 1: toads to hunt undetected. But the toads are like, yeah, 527 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:39,239 Speaker 1: but I'm voracious. I'll eat basically anything, So yeah, I'm 528 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 1: gonna go do that somewhere else. And they turned their 529 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 1: attention to the rest of northern Australia. So when they 530 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: were introduced, they were about I've seen different numbers. I've 531 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 1: also read that they were like contained within two suitcases 532 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 1: or something. I think there was like under a thousand possibly, 533 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: And now there are over two hundred million Kane toads 534 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: in Australia, two million, two hundred million, over two hundred million. 535 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,919 Speaker 1: How do they How does that island fit people? Now? 536 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:17,879 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't. I want to know, Like it's 537 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 1: more toads than island now, yeah, I mean like there 538 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: are a lot of them and they will sometimes just 539 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:28,319 Speaker 1: like be out on these roads and a bunch of 540 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,600 Speaker 1: them get flattened by traffic. There there are these like 541 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: huge groups of them. Yeah, it's it's, you know, kind 542 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:36,759 Speaker 1: of horror. I'm imagining that, like if I watched the 543 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:39,960 Speaker 1: making of about Crocodiles and just out of frame they're 544 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:42,400 Speaker 1: stepping on toads everywhere they go, every scene, you know, 545 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:45,319 Speaker 1: like that's that's obviously what's happening. The gaffer is a 546 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: toad toad get dangling off the microphone. Yeah, it's full. 547 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,879 Speaker 1: It's full of toads, apparently in northern Australia. So they 548 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:59,000 Speaker 1: are slowly taking over Australia, killing native animals and plant 549 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:04,600 Speaker 1: species as they go, threatening their native populations of biodiversity. 550 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:09,480 Speaker 1: So they are advancing towards the west at to thirty 551 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:13,279 Speaker 1: seven miles per year, which is forty to sixty kilometers 552 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,560 Speaker 1: per year, which may not seem very fast, but it 553 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: means that in like sixty to seventy years they could 554 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:24,120 Speaker 1: go from one coast and expand all the way to 555 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 1: the other coast. And they've already started so unless that 556 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:32,279 Speaker 1: time they could reach the western coast of Australia. So 557 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: they are voracious omnivores. Basically they'll eat anything they can 558 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: work their mouth around. According to the Australian Museum website, 559 00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: they will eat beetles, honey bees, ants, wing termites, crickets, 560 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: marine snails, smaller toads and native frogs, small snakes, small mammals, 561 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 1: carrion and pet food that's been left outside. Hey, leave 562 00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: some of that for me. Toads, So the pet food 563 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 1: or the carrion, all of it, you know, oh, Alex. 564 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:09,719 Speaker 1: So they have no predators or diseases specialized to take 565 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:13,080 Speaker 1: them out in Australia, given that they are and introduced 566 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:18,239 Speaker 1: species and they are highly poisonous and Australian predators have 567 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: had little success with them. In fact, they are very 568 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: dangerous to domesticated dogs, which is probably not news to 569 00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 1: people who live in Northern Australia who have dogs like 570 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:30,920 Speaker 1: that is a big concern often because if a dog 571 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 1: eats cane toad, that's a trip to the vet for sure. Yeah. So, 572 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,359 Speaker 1: not only do they kill off price species, but they 573 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,880 Speaker 1: actually kill off other predators, either by poisoning them or 574 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:47,400 Speaker 1: out competing with them or destroying their nests. So here's 575 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 1: an example. There's the Northern qual, which is a cute 576 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:55,240 Speaker 1: little marsupial who looks a bit like a giant mouse 577 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,960 Speaker 1: with brown fur and white spots. Oh hey, hey, buddy, 578 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:01,319 Speaker 1: I wish I'd didn't see you in the context of 579 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 1: this story. You look so cute. It's a quality qual 580 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:10,319 Speaker 1: quality quals. Yeah, so they are very very cute. It 581 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 1: is a carnivore who eats small mammals, reptiles, insects, and birds, 582 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:19,400 Speaker 1: and they they are populations have been completely decimated in 583 00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:23,399 Speaker 1: cane toad controlled regions because when it tries to eat 584 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,359 Speaker 1: the cane toad, it is poison and killed. And it 585 00:37:26,440 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 1: doesn't it hasn't evolved with the cane toad, so it 586 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: doesn't really you know, it has no idea. It's like 587 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:39,400 Speaker 1: I'll put this tode in my mouth. Whoops. Oh problem. Yeah, 588 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: I think I think the main upshot of this is 589 00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:44,239 Speaker 1: to not be a small mammal, reptile, insect or bird 590 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 1: in Australia. There are way too many species coming, don't 591 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:52,359 Speaker 1: do it. Yeah, generally, most of the times I talk 592 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: about animals on this podcast, it's going to be bad 593 00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:59,920 Speaker 1: news for small mammals, reptiles, insects and birds in Australia. 594 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,319 Speaker 1: It's always bad news for those guys. I'm sorry if 595 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:04,880 Speaker 1: you're if you're a mouse, build a disneys the rescuers 596 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:07,400 Speaker 1: playing and get out of there. Just just don't be 597 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: there anymore. But yeah, it is. It is actually very 598 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:18,840 Speaker 1: very concerning because it is threatening the northern qual populations 599 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:22,760 Speaker 1: and that's you know, and it's these these poor quals. 600 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: You know, they're just trying to do their jobs as 601 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:29,319 Speaker 1: a small predator, but they either get out competed or 602 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:34,279 Speaker 1: poisoned by this insane toad. So it sounds like this 603 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:36,440 Speaker 1: has been building for a while, right, because the toads 604 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 1: showed up in the nineteen thirties and now into the 605 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:42,120 Speaker 1: modern day they are bothering species. Yeah, yeah, it's still 606 00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:45,920 Speaker 1: a big problem. We have not solved the cane toad problem, 607 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:49,560 Speaker 1: although there have been attempts. In two thousand and four 608 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:54,839 Speaker 1: there was the Great Cane Toad Trap Competition that was 609 00:38:55,320 --> 00:39:00,840 Speaker 1: run by Australia's Northern Territory local government, so just trying 610 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:04,799 Speaker 1: to like award money to people who could come up 611 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:07,880 Speaker 1: with the best cane toad trap because it's a big problem. 612 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:13,320 Speaker 1: Researchers are also trying to control the cane toad population 613 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:17,000 Speaker 1: because yeah, they're not They're not just threatening the qual, 614 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 1: although I think the qual is cute enough for that 615 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:22,560 Speaker 1: to be the main reason to be concerned. But yeah, 616 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:28,320 Speaker 1: there are They are also threatening crocodiles, freshwater turtles, tortoises, lizards, birds, 617 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:31,720 Speaker 1: and anyone who wants to walk barefoot in a field. 618 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 1: At night because you will just probably step on one 619 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:37,920 Speaker 1: of these toads. And that's an icky experience. I mean, 620 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:40,600 Speaker 1: because these these toads sound like just a bag of 621 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:44,120 Speaker 1: poison walking around, right Like, that's basically the situation. Yeah, 622 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 1: they're big, hungry bags of poison pretty much. That's yeah. 623 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:53,200 Speaker 1: But there may be some hope and it comes in 624 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 1: the form of the Australian water rat. Da da da. Yeah, 625 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 1: it looks like it looks to me like a woodchuck, 626 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:06,279 Speaker 1: but with like some kind of duck boots on, like 627 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:08,399 Speaker 1: if you could get duck feet. It's a boot from 628 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:10,839 Speaker 1: a store and then put that on so you can 629 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 1: fight toads. That's what this looks like. Yeah, exactly, that's 630 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:17,920 Speaker 1: exactly what it is. I and I subtitled this this 631 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:24,120 Speaker 1: picture featured hero because these are these are little heroes. 632 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 1: So the Australian water rat is also known as the racali, 633 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,799 Speaker 1: is a large aquatic rodent who looks a bit like 634 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:35,960 Speaker 1: a mix between an otter and a rat with duck feet, 635 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 1: and they have learned how to slice open cane toads 636 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:44,520 Speaker 1: with surgical precision and eat their hearts out and other 637 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:49,200 Speaker 1: internal organs, avoiding the poison skin and glands, which is 638 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:54,239 Speaker 1: a little serial killery. But I guess like when it 639 00:40:54,320 --> 00:40:57,520 Speaker 1: comes to the cane toad, that's what you have to do. Yeah. 640 00:40:57,680 --> 00:40:59,359 Speaker 1: If the cane toes didn't want that to happen, they 641 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 1: should have been made of less poison. I think I 642 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 1: think it's their fall. Ultimately. I feel like this is 643 00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:08,520 Speaker 1: very silence of the lambs, where you you can't like 644 00:41:08,560 --> 00:41:11,439 Speaker 1: you're like, oh, we gotta take down this kane tone. 645 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:17,160 Speaker 1: It's like, well, hello, Clarice, I know how to vivisector 646 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:22,840 Speaker 1: toad if you'll just please letally out of my confinement 647 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:29,479 Speaker 1: I'm around. And then because it's captors are Australians, they're 648 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:32,360 Speaker 1: just like all right and just like immediately, no worried, no, 649 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:41,280 Speaker 1: nothing wrong. Yeah. So but these are these are actually 650 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:44,480 Speaker 1: native species. So it's it's good that they're murdering the toads, 651 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:48,280 Speaker 1: is what I'm saying. And so these smart little murderous 652 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: water rats will even remove the gall bladder which contains toxins, 653 00:41:52,239 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 1: and they just eat the good stuff inside the toad 654 00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:59,959 Speaker 1: that isn't covered in poison. So Dr Morrissa Parrot, reproductive 655 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:04,240 Speaker 1: biologist and conservationist, said this of the water rats habits 656 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:07,719 Speaker 1: quote the rats appeared to hold the toad on its 657 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:12,960 Speaker 1: back and then inside the thoracic cavity to consume organs 658 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:17,960 Speaker 1: while the toad was still alive. And he does that. 659 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:20,879 Speaker 1: If I'm looking at the thumbnail of that article, right, 660 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:25,240 Speaker 1: it has like a picture of the toad after that happened. Wow. Yeah, 661 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:28,920 Speaker 1: I put that in there just for for you to 662 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:32,160 Speaker 1: look at. This is just a fun little image of 663 00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:35,719 Speaker 1: a toad that's been dissected, probably while still alive, so 664 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,920 Speaker 1: it's organs could be eaten by a giant water roadent 665 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:43,239 Speaker 1: I mean this, this arms race has to stop at 666 00:42:43,280 --> 00:42:45,760 Speaker 1: some point, right, like like the road and gets hunted 667 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:47,680 Speaker 1: by an eagle with a gun or something like it. 668 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:52,000 Speaker 1: Where where does it go? Where does it end? A 669 00:42:52,080 --> 00:43:01,200 Speaker 1: bunch of murder hornets riding vespas holding machete. Oh and 670 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:04,200 Speaker 1: just just um, I know I've been really mean to 671 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 1: these toads. So just a fun fact I want to 672 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:10,120 Speaker 1: just toss out like a fun fact about toads in general, 673 00:43:10,280 --> 00:43:13,799 Speaker 1: just because like it's true that there are an invasive 674 00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:17,080 Speaker 1: species and that's not great in Australia. But I don't 675 00:43:17,080 --> 00:43:21,080 Speaker 1: want people to hate toads. I think they're cool and 676 00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:24,720 Speaker 1: I here's a here's a fun fact about toads. In general, 677 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:29,040 Speaker 1: males have something that is called a bitters organ, which 678 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:33,040 Speaker 1: regulates sex hormones, and if the male toads testes are 679 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:37,680 Speaker 1: injured or removed, the bitters organ will develop ovaries. So 680 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:41,640 Speaker 1: that's pretty cool, right, So so male toads, if their 681 00:43:41,640 --> 00:43:47,239 Speaker 1: genitals are injured, can generate female sex organs. Yes, yes, 682 00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:53,359 Speaker 1: guess how we know that, alex Uh, we asked them, Oh, 683 00:43:53,640 --> 00:44:01,000 Speaker 1: it's only no. We researchers cut off their dusties. See 684 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:07,760 Speaker 1: what would happen. I'm I'm very much for research and science. 685 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 1: Sometimes once in a while I'm like, how did why 686 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:15,200 Speaker 1: did okay? But why did you think? How did you 687 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:17,719 Speaker 1: think of this idea? Though? Like were you just like 688 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:19,840 Speaker 1: sitting there and me like, I want to see what 689 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:24,560 Speaker 1: happens if we cut off some tote testicles, like you know, 690 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:30,200 Speaker 1: I'm just I'm just a little concerned. Yeah, I assume 691 00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:32,920 Speaker 1: when the scientists had their press conference, at least one 692 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:34,920 Speaker 1: of them was in the middle of drinking a Foster's 693 00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:37,480 Speaker 1: as they shared this information, Like this is crazy. Why 694 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:42,560 Speaker 1: are you doing this? Think that to be wild? Listen, 695 00:44:42,719 --> 00:44:46,360 Speaker 1: we're gonna cut off now listen, cut off its bowls 696 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:50,000 Speaker 1: and see what hapens. That's not that's not an Australian 697 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:52,759 Speaker 1: next at all. No, that didn't do it. That wasn't good. 698 00:44:53,480 --> 00:44:56,680 Speaker 1: Just decided to drinking a fosters and smoking like science 699 00:44:56,719 --> 00:45:03,840 Speaker 1: science science? Like why science? Science don't seem professional if 700 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:08,600 Speaker 1: it's bulls all. I don't know if these were Australian 701 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:12,640 Speaker 1: researchers either, so, but I imagine they must be. They 702 00:45:12,719 --> 00:45:16,279 Speaker 1: must be. Sorry, sorry my Australian listeners, but you gotta 703 00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:19,279 Speaker 1: admit they have to be right. Yeah, I mean it 704 00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:23,640 Speaker 1: could be them, but it's them. Yeah it is. I 705 00:45:23,719 --> 00:45:29,640 Speaker 1: love you Australia, I truly do. Cane toads aren't the 706 00:45:29,719 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 1: only type of frog wreaking havoc on the world. And 707 00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:36,320 Speaker 1: by the way, toads are a subset of frogs. Sorry, kermit, 708 00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:40,880 Speaker 1: your cousins are monsters. The North American bullfrog is fine 709 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:43,759 Speaker 1: and dandy when it's hopping and swimming around east of 710 00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:47,000 Speaker 1: the Rocky Mountains in North America, but it's decided to 711 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:49,839 Speaker 1: invade the rest of the world as well. It's been 712 00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:54,800 Speaker 1: found further south in America, decimating the chericho, who leopard 713 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:59,560 Speaker 1: frog and Mexican garter snake populations in Arizona. They've invaded 714 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:03,680 Speaker 1: west in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. And 715 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:07,120 Speaker 1: let's not be too hard on these little guys. Humans 716 00:46:07,120 --> 00:46:09,840 Speaker 1: imported the frogs to California and other parts of the 717 00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:14,000 Speaker 1: world for frog leg culinary purposes. And oops, now they've 718 00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:17,840 Speaker 1: escaped and are unstoppable. And wait, did I say little guys? 719 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:20,520 Speaker 1: They can actually grow to be around eight inches long, 720 00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:23,319 Speaker 1: the size of a dessert plate, and way up to 721 00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:28,000 Speaker 1: one and a half pounds. Normally, in their natural habitat, alligators, 722 00:46:28,120 --> 00:46:31,960 Speaker 1: snapping turtles, and other predators prevent their populations from exploding, 723 00:46:32,280 --> 00:46:36,040 Speaker 1: but when introduced to a new environment, they can propagate 724 00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:39,400 Speaker 1: without natural predators, devouring all sorts of little animals in 725 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:43,680 Speaker 1: their path, including other frogs and smaller bull frogs. They 726 00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:47,640 Speaker 1: also may be immune carriers of the katrid fungus that 727 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:51,480 Speaker 1: is deadly to other frog populations. So when you introduce 728 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:54,439 Speaker 1: a non native species to a new area, there are 729 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:58,239 Speaker 1: all sorts of deadly surprises, the worst kind of surprise. 730 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:01,600 Speaker 1: When we return, we'll talk out an adorable animal with 731 00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:13,480 Speaker 1: a not so adorable ambition of global domination. Remember riky 732 00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:17,840 Speaker 1: Tiki Tavi, the adorable mongoose sidekick that protected people from snakes. 733 00:47:18,239 --> 00:47:22,920 Speaker 1: Mongooses are a family of carnivorous, weasel shaped mammals. Mere Cats, 734 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:26,640 Speaker 1: by the way, are a species of mongoose. While mongooses 735 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:30,280 Speaker 1: look similar to a weasel, they're actually more closely related 736 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:34,440 Speaker 1: to cats and hyenas. Many mongoose species are prose at 737 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:38,480 Speaker 1: eating venomous critters like scorpions and snakes. They can tear 738 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:41,760 Speaker 1: off the poisonous stinger of a scorpion, and they're thick 739 00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:45,120 Speaker 1: fur protects them from stings and bites. They even have 740 00:47:45,239 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 1: specialized neurotransmitter receptors that don't bind to snake venom, providing 741 00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:55,759 Speaker 1: resistance to neurotoxins. So these are some incredible little fur noodles, 742 00:47:55,800 --> 00:48:02,600 Speaker 1: but sometimes they have a dastardly side on a global scale. So, Alex, 743 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:06,920 Speaker 1: I think that often we judge animals based on their looks. 744 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:10,040 Speaker 1: So I've talked about a murder hornet and a poison 745 00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:13,239 Speaker 1: cain toad, and they're both a little scary looking, and 746 00:48:13,280 --> 00:48:17,080 Speaker 1: so I think it's easy for us to naturally think like, oh, 747 00:48:17,160 --> 00:48:22,480 Speaker 1: look at these scary, murderous, decapitating poisoning animals. How awful. 748 00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:27,520 Speaker 1: But I want people to understand that it's not just 749 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:34,560 Speaker 1: the ugly ones that are people in nature. So sometimes 750 00:48:34,600 --> 00:48:39,080 Speaker 1: a little animal that is super cute and very gregarious 751 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:44,680 Speaker 1: looking is actually a horrible murderer who is destroying the plant. 752 00:48:46,120 --> 00:48:50,279 Speaker 1: So the small Indian mongoose, also known as the job 753 00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:54,440 Speaker 1: in mongoose, is a cute little fella who doesn't seem 754 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:56,680 Speaker 1: like it would be a big deal if it invaded. 755 00:48:57,000 --> 00:48:58,640 Speaker 1: I have a picture of that for you. I mean, 756 00:48:59,040 --> 00:49:03,680 Speaker 1: look at his little fingkule faith it's like almost I'm 757 00:49:03,719 --> 00:49:06,239 Speaker 1: thinking of that c g I Stuart Little movie where 758 00:49:06,239 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 1: Stuart Little is very cute in it, like it kind 759 00:49:08,080 --> 00:49:10,200 Speaker 1: of it kind of has that facial expression. It's like 760 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:12,840 Speaker 1: I'm a rodent and sentient and I just want to 761 00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:16,600 Speaker 1: love you. I just want to love you. It is 762 00:49:16,640 --> 00:49:21,480 Speaker 1: a brown long mammal with nubby little ears, a pink nose, 763 00:49:21,640 --> 00:49:23,960 Speaker 1: and a long furry tail. So you know he's all 764 00:49:24,200 --> 00:49:29,319 Speaker 1: he's kill at noodle boy. It's cute, ki little furry noodle. Well, 765 00:49:29,360 --> 00:49:31,160 Speaker 1: I'm sure that's all I need to know about it. Anyway, 766 00:49:31,239 --> 00:49:35,320 Speaker 1: go on. It's also one of the worst invasive species 767 00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:41,719 Speaker 1: in the world. Oh what a scamper noodles. So it 768 00:49:41,880 --> 00:49:45,920 Speaker 1: is native to the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, 769 00:49:46,520 --> 00:49:50,359 Speaker 1: and it's you know, I love I love mongooses. They 770 00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:55,720 Speaker 1: are champions, they love to kill venomous snakes and scorpions, 771 00:49:55,840 --> 00:50:01,040 Speaker 1: and love love a ricky tiki tavi. They're they're awesome animals. 772 00:50:01,680 --> 00:50:07,200 Speaker 1: So unfortunately though, it has traveled extensively, including to Hawaii, 773 00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:12,280 Speaker 1: the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Croatia, Puerto Rica, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, 774 00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:15,200 Speaker 1: Venezuela and more places. But I ran out of breath, 775 00:50:15,320 --> 00:50:18,879 Speaker 1: so yeah, a lot. It's it's in a lot of places. Now, 776 00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:22,400 Speaker 1: So did mongooses just like hop on a boat to 777 00:50:22,600 --> 00:50:25,400 Speaker 1: explore the rest of the world after college, you know, 778 00:50:25,600 --> 00:50:29,839 Speaker 1: just of their own volition. Why no Royal Caribbean had 779 00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:34,360 Speaker 1: a deal. So there you go. Yeah, I mean, you know, 780 00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:36,600 Speaker 1: I think one important thing to point out is a 781 00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:41,040 Speaker 1: lot of invasive species is actually anthropogenic, so meaning like humans, 782 00:50:41,080 --> 00:50:45,400 Speaker 1: we did it because we introduced them willfully. The murder hornets, 783 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:49,120 Speaker 1: I think that was I think they were unwitting hitchhikers, 784 00:50:49,160 --> 00:50:52,440 Speaker 1: probably did some hitchhiking on some cargo or something, and 785 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:56,080 Speaker 1: that's how it got to North America. But the mongooses 786 00:50:56,120 --> 00:50:59,359 Speaker 1: are a different story, because apparently we've been trying this 787 00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:03,080 Speaker 1: whole You know, the little lady who swallowed a fly, 788 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:07,120 Speaker 1: swallowed a frog, who swalled a cat, and then then 789 00:51:07,160 --> 00:51:09,600 Speaker 1: a dog, and then eventually a horse, because a horse 790 00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:12,799 Speaker 1: somehow helps I don't know. She ate a mongoose and 791 00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:17,880 Speaker 1: brought it here, that lady a little exactly little ladies 792 00:51:17,880 --> 00:51:21,120 Speaker 1: swallow the snake and ate a mongoose and just basically 793 00:51:21,160 --> 00:51:23,400 Speaker 1: she was dead as soon as she ate the snake, 794 00:51:23,520 --> 00:51:26,640 Speaker 1: but we kept trying to shove more mongooses in her. 795 00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:30,359 Speaker 1: That's the situation, is what I'm saying. So the mongooses 796 00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:35,200 Speaker 1: were introduced to these new regions by humans, and Alex, 797 00:51:35,239 --> 00:51:37,600 Speaker 1: can you guess why we would do something like that? 798 00:51:37,760 --> 00:51:40,120 Speaker 1: Probably a really well thought out plan about some some 799 00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:44,640 Speaker 1: past we're trying to deal with. Yeah, and is it what? 800 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:48,879 Speaker 1: Trying to think? What could it be? What could have? All? Right, 801 00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:55,840 Speaker 1: it's sugar cane again. So apparently we tried the old 802 00:51:55,920 --> 00:51:59,239 Speaker 1: introduced a new species to protect our precious sugarcane from 803 00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:03,520 Speaker 1: pest trek back in the late eighteen hundreds. But with mongooses, 804 00:52:03,920 --> 00:52:07,880 Speaker 1: that's right, Australia. We already tried it. It was bad then, 805 00:52:08,080 --> 00:52:11,120 Speaker 1: and then you tried it again with toads. Why do 806 00:52:11,239 --> 00:52:16,920 Speaker 1: we keep doing I guess everyone wants to eat sugarcane, 807 00:52:17,120 --> 00:52:21,000 Speaker 1: like everyone is me looking at a package of cookies. 808 00:52:22,160 --> 00:52:26,120 Speaker 1: It is true, sugar is the best tasting thing in 809 00:52:26,160 --> 00:52:29,840 Speaker 1: the world. So it kind of makes sense that we 810 00:52:29,920 --> 00:52:35,040 Speaker 1: are willing to introduce murder beasts to our various countries 811 00:52:35,160 --> 00:52:40,680 Speaker 1: to protect our sugar cane. So in this case, the mongoose, 812 00:52:40,880 --> 00:52:48,120 Speaker 1: who is a voracious predator who eats small mammals, reptiles, insects, crabs, frog, spiders, scorpions, snakes, birds, 813 00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:52,920 Speaker 1: and eggs, was introduced to help kill off pests in 814 00:52:53,120 --> 00:52:59,080 Speaker 1: sugarcane plantations in Hawaii and other regions. So while it 815 00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:02,000 Speaker 1: did help kill off some of the rats, mice, and 816 00:53:02,040 --> 00:53:05,760 Speaker 1: insects around the sugarcane plantation, so you know, at least 817 00:53:05,840 --> 00:53:08,520 Speaker 1: fulfilled some of its purpose more than the cane toad. 818 00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:11,560 Speaker 1: It's not like it dusted off. It's a little positives 819 00:53:11,640 --> 00:53:13,799 Speaker 1: like job well done, Time to go home. I did 820 00:53:13,880 --> 00:53:15,919 Speaker 1: did what I came here to do. They just kept 821 00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:18,560 Speaker 1: killing things, you know, because that's what they do. They're like, 822 00:53:18,640 --> 00:53:22,160 Speaker 1: all right, I murdered. I murdered these things around these 823 00:53:22,200 --> 00:53:26,080 Speaker 1: sugarcane crops. Now I'm gonna go murder other things because 824 00:53:26,120 --> 00:53:28,799 Speaker 1: that's what I do. I told you, I told you 825 00:53:28,880 --> 00:53:31,799 Speaker 1: I'm a murder noodle, and you invited me here, and 826 00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:37,280 Speaker 1: I'm murdering things now right. The police can't let Dexter 827 00:53:37,400 --> 00:53:39,480 Speaker 1: get one guy, He's gonna get more guys. That's the 828 00:53:39,520 --> 00:53:42,080 Speaker 1: way it is, like Texter anymore. I thought it was 829 00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:46,360 Speaker 1: apted anyway. Yeah, I think I'd like Dexter if it 830 00:53:46,440 --> 00:53:53,880 Speaker 1: was a like played by a mongoose though, like Ricky Ticky, Yeah, exactly, 831 00:53:54,000 --> 00:53:57,200 Speaker 1: And the mongoose is like, I have a code and 832 00:53:57,239 --> 00:53:59,879 Speaker 1: then it just like devours an endangered bird and it's 833 00:53:59,880 --> 00:54:06,960 Speaker 1: like that wasn't part of my code. So these mongooses 834 00:54:07,200 --> 00:54:10,799 Speaker 1: have threatened bird species and sea turtles by eating their 835 00:54:10,840 --> 00:54:14,640 Speaker 1: eggs in Hawaii. They've harmed the green iguana population. In 836 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:19,000 Speaker 1: the Caribbean. They have wiped out the St. Quaix St. Quax. 837 00:54:20,560 --> 00:54:22,680 Speaker 1: I always stumble over that because now I think of 838 00:54:22,800 --> 00:54:27,080 Speaker 1: laqua the drink, but the St. St. Quaix ground lizard 839 00:54:27,120 --> 00:54:30,200 Speaker 1: from the island of Saint Quix. So like the lizard 840 00:54:30,239 --> 00:54:33,040 Speaker 1: has its own Ding Island, and the mongoosees took it 841 00:54:33,120 --> 00:54:35,839 Speaker 1: from him. It's not called Mongoose Island. It's called Saint 842 00:54:35,920 --> 00:54:40,320 Speaker 1: Quis Island, but still now it's mongoose Island, I guess. 843 00:54:40,360 --> 00:54:44,680 Speaker 1: So it was introduced to Okinawa Island in Japan in 844 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:49,400 Speaker 1: nineteen ten and two amani Oshima Island in nineteen seventy 845 00:54:49,480 --> 00:54:52,919 Speaker 1: nine to try to control the venomous snake populations there. 846 00:54:53,600 --> 00:54:56,200 Speaker 1: Guess what they were trying to protect on those islands, 847 00:54:56,239 --> 00:55:03,319 Speaker 1: alex sugar cane. Well, I what is it with us 848 00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:06,879 Speaker 1: in sugarcane? Guys? You know, fool me four times about 849 00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:10,600 Speaker 1: sugar cane chain on you, But we have to calm 850 00:55:10,680 --> 00:55:16,120 Speaker 1: down about this sugar not so yeah, So we introduced 851 00:55:16,120 --> 00:55:19,280 Speaker 1: the mongooses to these islands to try to protect people 852 00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:23,080 Speaker 1: who worked around the sugarcane crops and other residents on 853 00:55:23,160 --> 00:55:28,000 Speaker 1: the island from these venomous snakes. Unfortunately, the venomous snakes 854 00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:32,240 Speaker 1: were nocturnal and the mongooses are diurnal, so it didn't 855 00:55:32,280 --> 00:55:36,080 Speaker 1: actually work to control the snake population, and now they 856 00:55:36,120 --> 00:55:40,720 Speaker 1: are threatening endangered species on Okinawa Island and the locals 857 00:55:40,760 --> 00:55:44,560 Speaker 1: have been trying to stop them with traps and fences, 858 00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:49,279 Speaker 1: which is like when is awake during the day and 859 00:55:49,280 --> 00:55:51,359 Speaker 1: then the others awake at night, and they just are 860 00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:56,760 Speaker 1: on like a shift schedule for terrorizing everyone, right, exactly exactly, yes, 861 00:55:56,840 --> 00:56:00,799 Speaker 1: exactly exactly. So diurnal means they at night and are 862 00:56:00,840 --> 00:56:04,239 Speaker 1: awake during the day, so as humans were diurnal, Nocturnal 863 00:56:04,280 --> 00:56:06,719 Speaker 1: means you sleep during the day and are awake at night. 864 00:56:07,120 --> 00:56:09,720 Speaker 1: And so the snakes like clock in for their night shift. 865 00:56:09,760 --> 00:56:12,680 Speaker 1: It's like another day of terrorizing the population. And then 866 00:56:12,680 --> 00:56:15,320 Speaker 1: the mongooses clocking in the morning, they're like, hey, Jeff, 867 00:56:15,320 --> 00:56:21,000 Speaker 1: I'm just coming in to terrorize the human population and animals, sorry, 868 00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:24,920 Speaker 1: human and animal populations. And then and then they don't 869 00:56:24,960 --> 00:56:27,880 Speaker 1: like catch each other sleeping because that would be like uncool, 870 00:56:28,239 --> 00:56:30,239 Speaker 1: Like there's your code, right, like you don't you don't 871 00:56:30,239 --> 00:56:32,080 Speaker 1: get them sleeping and then you get them awake otherwise 872 00:56:32,120 --> 00:56:36,120 Speaker 1: forget it, right, well, right, I mean they do. They 873 00:56:36,200 --> 00:56:42,759 Speaker 1: sleep in burrows, which protects them, so everything. So I 874 00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:46,080 Speaker 1: want to veer into the part of the show where 875 00:56:46,120 --> 00:56:51,520 Speaker 1: I talk about military propaganda on an animals show. So 876 00:56:52,080 --> 00:56:55,399 Speaker 1: there was an article on Stars and Stripes dot com, 877 00:56:55,440 --> 00:56:59,200 Speaker 1: which is a military publication that was titled quote Marines 878 00:56:59,320 --> 00:57:03,319 Speaker 1: helping Oka Nolan's fight the mongoose, And I just like 879 00:57:03,400 --> 00:57:06,799 Speaker 1: imagined all these like military guys, all heavily armed, like 880 00:57:06,840 --> 00:57:10,799 Speaker 1: trying to shoot down mongooses. Now it actually looks like 881 00:57:10,960 --> 00:57:14,759 Speaker 1: it's just that the military is allowing Okanawans to put 882 00:57:14,800 --> 00:57:18,480 Speaker 1: traps around their military base, which seems like saying like 883 00:57:18,520 --> 00:57:22,520 Speaker 1: we're helping them fight the mongooses, like overstating slightly what 884 00:57:22,640 --> 00:57:25,720 Speaker 1: they're doing. It's not quite like Heart of Darkness but 885 00:57:25,840 --> 00:57:29,240 Speaker 1: with mongooses. But you know, what do I know? I 886 00:57:29,240 --> 00:57:34,000 Speaker 1: don't know anything about military tactics. It's not the it's 887 00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:36,320 Speaker 1: not the like third act of an Avengers movie where 888 00:57:36,320 --> 00:57:39,400 Speaker 1: everybody finally teams up and gets down to business. They're 889 00:57:39,440 --> 00:57:43,520 Speaker 1: just letting up set up traps. Man. That would that 890 00:57:43,560 --> 00:57:46,120 Speaker 1: movie would have ended differently if it was the Avengers 891 00:57:46,240 --> 00:57:49,080 Speaker 1: versus a bunch of angry mongooses, like that would be 892 00:57:49,320 --> 00:57:53,800 Speaker 1: immediate defeat, just like they like done Da Da Da 893 00:57:53,880 --> 00:57:55,800 Speaker 1: Dune and they stepped through portals like oh they're in 894 00:57:55,800 --> 00:58:05,120 Speaker 1: my life. Oh God. Sadly, the mongooses are suspected of 895 00:58:05,160 --> 00:58:09,560 Speaker 1: being responsible for the extinction of four species of Haitians. 896 00:58:09,600 --> 00:58:13,720 Speaker 1: Shrews endangering the Cuban souland on which is a long 897 00:58:13,800 --> 00:58:18,160 Speaker 1: nose true like mammal, the extinction of the dwarf Kutia 898 00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:21,680 Speaker 1: in Cuba, which is a guinea pig like rodent, or 899 00:58:21,840 --> 00:58:24,640 Speaker 1: was a guinea pig like rodent. They are also threatening 900 00:58:24,720 --> 00:58:29,440 Speaker 1: the endangered Ammani rabbit population on amani Oshima Island, and 901 00:58:29,520 --> 00:58:33,400 Speaker 1: Amani rabbits are these really cool black, stubby eared wild 902 00:58:33,440 --> 00:58:36,600 Speaker 1: bunnies there. I think they're really neat looking very cute 903 00:58:36,600 --> 00:58:39,520 Speaker 1: as well. Oh I'm sorry, I just saw it. It 904 00:58:39,520 --> 00:58:43,360 Speaker 1: looks so cute. It is very cute. It's got like 905 00:58:43,680 --> 00:58:46,360 Speaker 1: it looks like you were creating a rabbit and then 906 00:58:46,400 --> 00:58:48,480 Speaker 1: you ran out of material, so you just kind of 907 00:58:48,520 --> 00:58:53,520 Speaker 1: like made the ears real short, yeah, and left it 908 00:58:53,560 --> 00:58:56,120 Speaker 1: black for like, you know, like like the reason the 909 00:58:56,160 --> 00:58:58,800 Speaker 1: model t was black. Like it's just basic. It's good. 910 00:58:58,960 --> 00:59:02,880 Speaker 1: Leave it black. It's it's a it's a sleek redesign 911 00:59:02,920 --> 00:59:11,160 Speaker 1: of the rabbit. So the mongooses can also carry leptospirosis, rabies, 912 00:59:11,280 --> 00:59:17,840 Speaker 1: and antibiotic resistance strains of eat Coli neat. So we've 913 00:59:17,960 --> 00:59:22,480 Speaker 1: really been hoisted by our own mongooses here by trying 914 00:59:22,520 --> 00:59:26,960 Speaker 1: to bus around with nature and introduce them to regions 915 00:59:26,960 --> 00:59:30,000 Speaker 1: where they are not from and off of that ecol 916 00:59:30,080 --> 00:59:32,120 Speaker 1: I think, folks, this is why I do not let 917 00:59:32,160 --> 00:59:34,280 Speaker 1: mongooses work at my restaurant. I've taken a lot of 918 00:59:34,280 --> 00:59:38,160 Speaker 1: flak for this, taking a lot of negative comments about it, 919 00:59:38,360 --> 00:59:42,520 Speaker 1: but that's how we're keeping it. It's people only and 920 00:59:42,600 --> 00:59:47,880 Speaker 1: certain other species. No mongooses. No more letters. Please again, 921 00:59:47,920 --> 00:59:51,080 Speaker 1: I don't want to come off as an anti mongoose podcast. 922 00:59:51,080 --> 00:59:55,200 Speaker 1: Despite Alex just saying he would discriminate against mongooses is great, 923 00:59:55,480 --> 00:59:59,600 Speaker 1: but yeah, it's not. I think mongooses are even this 924 00:59:59,640 --> 01:00:04,280 Speaker 1: spe she's the small Indian mongoose. They're wonderful animals and 925 01:00:04,520 --> 01:00:09,520 Speaker 1: they are an important part of their habitat where they're indigenous. 926 01:00:09,520 --> 01:00:12,040 Speaker 1: But the problem is when humans are like, oh, we 927 01:00:12,120 --> 01:00:14,120 Speaker 1: got a problem with snakes, Well, let's just throw some 928 01:00:14,200 --> 01:00:17,640 Speaker 1: mongooses on the snake fire. That'll be fine. You gotta 929 01:00:17,680 --> 01:00:20,960 Speaker 1: fight snake fire with mongoose fire, and then that's that's 930 01:00:20,960 --> 01:00:24,400 Speaker 1: where the problem happens. And so I would say, when 931 01:00:24,440 --> 01:00:28,200 Speaker 1: we are looking at all of these extinctions and endangerments 932 01:00:28,200 --> 01:00:32,080 Speaker 1: of other species, this is not really the mongoose is fault. 933 01:00:32,120 --> 01:00:36,400 Speaker 1: The mongoose is just gonna mongoose. You can't like say, hey, mongoose, 934 01:00:36,520 --> 01:00:38,920 Speaker 1: stop doing mongoose things. It's like, but I'm a mongoose. 935 01:00:38,920 --> 01:00:42,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna keep doing mongoose stuff. So yeah, it's like 936 01:00:42,440 --> 01:00:45,120 Speaker 1: again it's this is this is our fault as people 937 01:00:45,520 --> 01:00:51,040 Speaker 1: not understanding the consequences of introducing this animal to an area. 938 01:00:51,320 --> 01:00:55,160 Speaker 1: It's also why things like the exotic pet trade isn't 939 01:00:55,200 --> 01:00:58,320 Speaker 1: great because like if you take a species of animal 940 01:00:58,520 --> 01:01:01,640 Speaker 1: that is not native to a region and then you 941 01:01:01,680 --> 01:01:04,480 Speaker 1: accidentally release it, the same thing with plants as well, 942 01:01:04,800 --> 01:01:08,240 Speaker 1: it can cause all of these problems. So yeah, again, 943 01:01:08,280 --> 01:01:10,600 Speaker 1: like I don't want this to come off as like, ah, 944 01:01:10,760 --> 01:01:13,680 Speaker 1: let's hate these animals. It's like, yeah, you know, the 945 01:01:13,680 --> 01:01:17,000 Speaker 1: the ecosystem is very delicate thing, and then when we 946 01:01:17,120 --> 01:01:20,760 Speaker 1: just try to like shove a mongoose shaped peg in 947 01:01:20,800 --> 01:01:25,800 Speaker 1: a snake shaped hole, it's not gonna necessarily be good. Yeah, 948 01:01:25,800 --> 01:01:27,760 Speaker 1: when you when you said the name mongoose, I thought 949 01:01:27,760 --> 01:01:30,919 Speaker 1: of going to our local library where my grandma worked 950 01:01:30,920 --> 01:01:33,840 Speaker 1: in the VHS section and getting that animated movie about 951 01:01:33,920 --> 01:01:36,560 Speaker 1: Ricky Tiki Tavy and watching it a whole bunch and 952 01:01:36,640 --> 01:01:40,120 Speaker 1: like that's basically all I know the Chuck Jones animated. 953 01:01:40,200 --> 01:01:42,959 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, and like that's pretty much all I really 954 01:01:42,960 --> 01:01:45,640 Speaker 1: know about mongoose is. But I think a lot of 955 01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:48,000 Speaker 1: community leaders maybe know about that much too, and just 956 01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:50,400 Speaker 1: brought a bunch of mongooses in any way, Like that's bad. 957 01:01:50,560 --> 01:01:52,720 Speaker 1: Don't do that, Like no more than I did, you 958 01:01:52,760 --> 01:01:57,600 Speaker 1: know going in? Yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, mongooses are 959 01:01:57,800 --> 01:02:00,360 Speaker 1: I love them. When I was a kid, I loved 960 01:02:00,440 --> 01:02:04,040 Speaker 1: Ricky Tiki Tavi. I absolutely love mongooses. It's just like 961 01:02:04,080 --> 01:02:07,280 Speaker 1: it's like a cute little animal that like is able 962 01:02:07,360 --> 01:02:11,880 Speaker 1: to spar with scorpions and snakes. That's super awesome, and 963 01:02:11,920 --> 01:02:15,080 Speaker 1: they are really awesome animals. Yeah, it's just again, like 964 01:02:15,320 --> 01:02:18,120 Speaker 1: we can't just like throw a mongoose on every problem 965 01:02:18,120 --> 01:02:21,480 Speaker 1: and expect that to work out. Yeah yeah, be more 966 01:02:21,600 --> 01:02:25,520 Speaker 1: judicious in your moose. So I'm saying, right, if if 967 01:02:25,520 --> 01:02:27,280 Speaker 1: you think that we should bring in a bunch of 968 01:02:27,320 --> 01:02:32,440 Speaker 1: mongooses to fight the murder hornets, you are misguided. Although 969 01:02:32,440 --> 01:02:35,760 Speaker 1: I would I would definitely pay per view to see 970 01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:40,440 Speaker 1: that like this Sunday Sunday Sunday Murder Hornets versus murder mongoose. 971 01:02:42,000 --> 01:02:44,120 Speaker 1: Just a very confusing way in trying to trying to 972 01:02:44,120 --> 01:02:50,240 Speaker 1: get him on the scale. Well what do we do? Yeah, yeah, 973 01:02:50,280 --> 01:02:53,760 Speaker 1: but but but don't but don't do that, guys, learn 974 01:02:53,960 --> 01:03:02,479 Speaker 1: learn from the mistakes that we repeatedly made without learning from. Yeah, 975 01:03:02,560 --> 01:03:04,440 Speaker 1: any any of us, at any time can be the 976 01:03:04,480 --> 01:03:10,160 Speaker 1: time humanity finally wises up. You know, it's great. Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. 977 01:03:10,320 --> 01:03:14,360 Speaker 1: Maybe we'll we'll just stop, We'll stop trying the like. Yeah, 978 01:03:14,560 --> 01:03:17,520 Speaker 1: you know it is. It is funny that we like 979 01:03:17,640 --> 01:03:21,000 Speaker 1: have not learned from the wisdom of the little lady 980 01:03:21,040 --> 01:03:24,760 Speaker 1: who swallowed a fly, because like, remember, she dies in 981 01:03:24,800 --> 01:03:26,880 Speaker 1: the end because she eats a horse and that's bad 982 01:03:26,960 --> 01:03:30,320 Speaker 1: and that's basically our planet. It's a metaphor for our planet. Yeah, 983 01:03:30,600 --> 01:03:32,960 Speaker 1: she ate a horse, So you don't have to exactly 984 01:03:33,040 --> 01:03:36,240 Speaker 1: exactly learn from learn from the old old ladies are 985 01:03:36,280 --> 01:03:38,600 Speaker 1: eating horses, so we can learn how to take care 986 01:03:38,640 --> 01:03:42,320 Speaker 1: of our environment. Is that the lesson? Did you learn 987 01:03:42,360 --> 01:03:48,920 Speaker 1: that lesson today? Alex? I learned that precise lesson? Yes, great, good, 988 01:03:49,040 --> 01:03:52,440 Speaker 1: so I've done my job as a science educator. All right, Well, 989 01:03:53,240 --> 01:03:56,240 Speaker 1: thank you so much for joining me today. Alex. Did 990 01:03:56,280 --> 01:04:01,840 Speaker 1: you learn? Did you laugh? Did you you know, hopefully 991 01:04:01,840 --> 01:04:05,280 Speaker 1: not murder. Hopefully I was about to say yes to everything, 992 01:04:05,840 --> 01:04:08,440 Speaker 1: no murder, but yes, right, no, that's amazing. Now I 993 01:04:08,520 --> 01:04:10,880 Speaker 1: now I know what's going on, especially with with these 994 01:04:10,920 --> 01:04:13,680 Speaker 1: murder hornets that are like an emergence than going on, 995 01:04:13,840 --> 01:04:17,280 Speaker 1: because there's there's like past invaders kind of all the time, 996 01:04:17,320 --> 01:04:19,120 Speaker 1: and a lot of ecosystems. Like when I was growing 997 01:04:19,160 --> 01:04:22,520 Speaker 1: up around Chicago, there were Asian kerp in the like 998 01:04:22,600 --> 01:04:24,520 Speaker 1: Great Lakes and in the water system, and we would 999 01:04:24,560 --> 01:04:26,360 Speaker 1: just hear the name and be told to be worried. 1000 01:04:26,400 --> 01:04:29,120 Speaker 1: But you have to like actually find out stuff to 1001 01:04:29,120 --> 01:04:30,760 Speaker 1: know what's going on. And now I now I know 1002 01:04:30,840 --> 01:04:35,640 Speaker 1: exactly how to feel about the murder hornets exactly. I mean, like, 1003 01:04:35,800 --> 01:04:38,960 Speaker 1: you know, to feel a little wary, but also to 1004 01:04:39,000 --> 01:04:42,320 Speaker 1: realize that they're not it's not they're not bad because 1005 01:04:42,360 --> 01:04:46,760 Speaker 1: they're scary looking and an insect that we typically aren't 1006 01:04:46,800 --> 01:04:51,840 Speaker 1: fond of. Their they're bad for native populations in the 1007 01:04:52,160 --> 01:04:55,520 Speaker 1: North America because of the way that it messes up 1008 01:04:55,560 --> 01:05:00,480 Speaker 1: with the indigenous ecosystem in the same way that the adorable, 1009 01:05:00,480 --> 01:05:05,440 Speaker 1: lovable little noodlely mongoose is bad. Like it's cute, it's lovable, 1010 01:05:05,480 --> 01:05:08,360 Speaker 1: but it's still killing off a lot of species of animals, 1011 01:05:08,400 --> 01:05:11,640 Speaker 1: which is really bad. Yeah, so you know, don't judge. 1012 01:05:12,520 --> 01:05:16,280 Speaker 1: Don't judge an invasive species by its covered. Judged invasive 1013 01:05:16,320 --> 01:05:25,240 Speaker 1: species by how many creatures it murders. That's lesson number two. Well, Alex, 1014 01:05:25,280 --> 01:05:28,000 Speaker 1: do you wanna plug anything? And I know you want to, 1015 01:05:28,240 --> 01:05:34,720 Speaker 1: so you gotta do it. Caught me a good Uh, 1016 01:05:34,760 --> 01:05:37,200 Speaker 1: there's a wonderful and uh, if folks want to hear 1017 01:05:37,240 --> 01:05:39,560 Speaker 1: the Cracks podcast, Katie Golden is on a recent episode 1018 01:05:39,560 --> 01:05:42,040 Speaker 1: and as amazing. Uh And and then I'm also I'm 1019 01:05:42,040 --> 01:05:43,680 Speaker 1: proud of that. And I'm also very very proud of 1020 01:05:43,680 --> 01:05:45,400 Speaker 1: this new mini series it's called One Way to Make 1021 01:05:45,440 --> 01:05:48,919 Speaker 1: an Emoji, which also features Katie Golden an episode three 1022 01:05:48,960 --> 01:05:51,200 Speaker 1: out of four, just four episodes, so you can get 1023 01:05:51,200 --> 01:05:52,800 Speaker 1: them all at once and do the whole story. And 1024 01:05:53,000 --> 01:05:58,000 Speaker 1: I think it's great. Us we talked about bison. Yeah, 1025 01:05:58,040 --> 01:05:59,960 Speaker 1: we talked about bison, and I learned you are as 1026 01:06:00,040 --> 01:06:02,960 Speaker 1: zoo tour guided. My mind was blown. Yeah. I I 1027 01:06:03,000 --> 01:06:04,760 Speaker 1: am finding more and more that I need to tell 1028 01:06:04,800 --> 01:06:07,960 Speaker 1: people that early on, but especially someone like you should 1029 01:06:07,960 --> 01:06:12,360 Speaker 1: have known immediately, like I should have sent you a letter. Yeah, 1030 01:06:12,400 --> 01:06:14,120 Speaker 1: when we met, you should have should you know, shook 1031 01:06:14,160 --> 01:06:17,200 Speaker 1: my hand and said, Alex former Zoo tour guys, you 1032 01:06:17,240 --> 01:06:19,000 Speaker 1: know that should should just be you should have hand 1033 01:06:19,040 --> 01:06:23,360 Speaker 1: out a little car basically. Yeah. And where can people 1034 01:06:23,400 --> 01:06:26,360 Speaker 1: find you online? I'm at Alex Smitty on Twitter and 1035 01:06:26,400 --> 01:06:30,960 Speaker 1: then Alex meitty dot com is my website wonderful and 1036 01:06:31,000 --> 01:06:34,360 Speaker 1: you can find us online at Creature Future Pod on Instagram, 1037 01:06:34,560 --> 01:06:37,520 Speaker 1: at Creature Feet Pod on Twitter. That's f e a T. 1038 01:06:37,720 --> 01:06:41,280 Speaker 1: That not feet, that's one point, very different. You can 1039 01:06:41,320 --> 01:06:43,920 Speaker 1: find me on Twitter at Katie Golden if you want 1040 01:06:43,920 --> 01:06:46,400 Speaker 1: to see my Katie thoughts, not necessarily related to the show, 1041 01:06:46,520 --> 01:06:49,560 Speaker 1: just random Katie thoughts. Uh. And as always, I am 1042 01:06:49,560 --> 01:06:54,880 Speaker 1: also at pro bird Writes, where I am taking none 1043 01:06:54,920 --> 01:06:57,360 Speaker 1: of the lessons that I we should have learned from 1044 01:06:57,400 --> 01:07:00,280 Speaker 1: this podcast in saying that birds should take over the world, 1045 01:07:00,320 --> 01:07:05,000 Speaker 1: just because that is a simple fact. And um yeah, 1046 01:07:05,040 --> 01:07:08,040 Speaker 1: thank you guys so much for listening. If you guys 1047 01:07:08,080 --> 01:07:12,120 Speaker 1: want to leave a rating or review or download, subscribe, 1048 01:07:12,520 --> 01:07:15,160 Speaker 1: those things actually really help. I know you're like, oh, 1049 01:07:15,240 --> 01:07:18,720 Speaker 1: what could pressing buttons from thousands of miles away do 1050 01:07:18,880 --> 01:07:22,560 Speaker 1: for Katie? Not true? In fact, I I can sense it. 1051 01:07:22,760 --> 01:07:25,360 Speaker 1: I have the sense like you pressed five stars and 1052 01:07:25,440 --> 01:07:27,880 Speaker 1: like I'm like, oh my god, someone just pressed five 1053 01:07:27,920 --> 01:07:32,560 Speaker 1: stars on my podcast. That's amazing, and it teaches the 1054 01:07:32,640 --> 01:07:36,520 Speaker 1: podcast robots that the show is good. So teach those 1055 01:07:36,640 --> 01:07:39,720 Speaker 1: robots about our show is good by pressing those buttons. 1056 01:07:39,840 --> 01:07:43,600 Speaker 1: That really does help out a lot. Thanks to the 1057 01:07:43,640 --> 01:07:47,440 Speaker 1: Space Classics for their super awesome song. X Alumina. Creature 1058 01:07:47,480 --> 01:07:50,560 Speaker 1: features a production of I Heart Radio or more podcast 1059 01:07:50,640 --> 01:07:53,200 Speaker 1: like the one you just heard. Visit the I heart 1060 01:07:53,280 --> 01:07:56,600 Speaker 1: Radio website, the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 1061 01:07:56,640 --> 01:07:59,640 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows. See you next Wednesday, 1062 01:08:00,080 --> 01:08:00,800 Speaker 1: Tete