1 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: Welcome to Creature feature production of I Heart Radio. I'm 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: your host of Many Parasites, Katie Golden. I studied psychology 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 1: and evolutionary biology, and I want to believe the truth 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: is out there people. That's right. Today, we're talking about 5 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: aliens noises right here on Earth. Does that sound paradoxical? Well, 6 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,639 Speaker 1: maybe you should think about whether we're the aliens all along? 7 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: Just kidding that stupid. We'll be looking for aliens on 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: Earth from the bottom up, Aliens under the sea, on land, 9 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: and in the skies. Discover this and more as we 10 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: answer the angel question, do animals really need to breathe spoilers, Yes, 11 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: for the love of God, don't hold your breath. But 12 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: we will find that this answer isn't as universal as 13 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: we thought. So when you think of an alien, what 14 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: comes to mind? Is it a gray humanoid shaped being 15 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: with a big egg head and giant black eyes. Is 16 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: it a little green martian with antenna? Is it a grotesque, 17 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: acid spit drooling, leathery monster. Our concepts of aliens very 18 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: widely and can range from being minimally imaginative, like aliens 19 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: being blue humans, for example, to being wildly and nightmarishly 20 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: fanciful like hr Geiger's concept art for Ridley Scott's Alien. 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: But you don't need to look to the stars for 22 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: alien life forms. Here on Earth, we're constantly discovering new 23 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,199 Speaker 1: life or discovering new startling truths about the creatures we've 24 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: previously dismissed as being boring. Many of the strangest animal 25 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: discoveries are found in our oceans. These extraterrestrials aren't very terrestrial, 26 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: but they certainly are extra. Take, for instance, an unassuming, 27 00:01:55,760 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: harmless little blobular fish eating parasite that has been found 28 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: to have a shocking trait that has left researchers reeling. 29 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: Joining me today to have some alien encounters is producer 30 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: at I Heart Media, Joel Monique. Hey, Katie, I'm super 31 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: excited to be here, especially after that intro. I'm especially 32 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: excited to have you because you are the new producer 33 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: on my podcast, Creature Feature, taking over for Ana Hosnia, 34 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: who has been amazing. I love her, Yes, but I 35 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: am really excited to have you on board, so it's 36 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: pretty fun. Yes, I love especially these sort of out 37 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: of the world. Uh I don't I forget the word 38 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: for like Bigfoot and the lockness. Mons. Cryptids are my favorite. 39 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: I have friends who play a D and D cryptid things. 40 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: All of the characters are like handcrafted and other stats 41 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: are kind of made with the group and some die 42 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: and just what fun. That's wonderful. I'm a fan of 43 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: cryptids and D and D. Yeah, you know the show. 44 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: We take sort of a scientific perspective, so I'm not 45 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: necessarily going to be speculating about X files aliens, but 46 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: looking at real life, documented alien like creatures that are 47 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: here on Earth, it is going to be so fun. 48 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: So first I want to talk about parasites. Are are 49 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:21,399 Speaker 1: you cool with parasites actually having one living? Are they 50 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: cool awesome beings that have made some great sci fi 51 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,959 Speaker 1: horror creatures. Absolutely? Yeah, I think I'm on the same 52 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: page as you. So there's a recent discovery of a 53 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: parasite that actually does not need to breathe, which, yeah, 54 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: here's the thing. Every other animal on the planet has 55 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: to breathe. As far as we know, there's no other 56 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: animal we've ever discovered that doesn't breathe. So this is 57 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: a parasite called H. Salm salmon nicola. Salmon nicola salmon nicola. 58 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: It sounds like salmon cola like salmon cola, and it 59 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: is actually I mean, it is kind of a gross animal. 60 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: So it parasitizes salmon and it doesn't necessarily hurt the salmon, 61 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: and it's not harmful if we eat it. It's just 62 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: kind of gross. It's also called tapioca disease because they 63 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:17,119 Speaker 1: form little tapioca like cysts in the salmon's flesh. Yeah, 64 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: kind of nasty, but not like when you think of 65 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: all the really devious parasites that mind control animals are 66 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 1: killed them from the inside out. It's really pretty benign, truly, truly, 67 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: other than being gross, just like the tapioca disease. I 68 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: just think about getting a salmon and they don't catch 69 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: that the parasite until it's too late. Yeah, oh my god, 70 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 1: what has happened refreshing salmon a coola. So it's a 71 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: multicellular animal that looks like a sperm with a classic 72 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: gray alien head. So let me show you a picture 73 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: of these guys. Okay, if I had to describe it, 74 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: it looks like the sperm trying to penetrate the egg 75 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: in biology, but one creature. Yeah, it's actually a bunch 76 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: of these. I think surrounding a salmon cell. And it 77 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: is they look they have little they look like they 78 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: have little alien eyes, like if a sperm had an 79 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: alien head, you know, the classic gray alien head with 80 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: the big black eyes. But it is they aren't exactly sperm. 81 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 1: They are an animal. It's actually a Niderian, which is 82 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: a phylum of aquatic animals which includes jellyfish and enemies 83 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: and coral. But this has kind of gone through a 84 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: process of d evolution where it has simplified its bodies significantly, 85 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: evolving into these little sperm like alien creatures that are 86 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: entirely dependent on salmon to survive. And those eyes are 87 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: not actually eyes. They are former stinger cells like that 88 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: jellyfish have, but they don't actually use them for stinging anymore. 89 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: They have been modified to be able to cling onto 90 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: the salmon's tissue, so they use those to kind of 91 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: grasp on to tissue, yeah, attached to it, and then 92 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: feed off of them. So another thing that is peculiar 93 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: about H. Salminicola is that it seems to have lost 94 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: its mitochondrial DNA, which is a big deal. So I 95 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: used to have like a full like body, like assume 96 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: closer to a jelly probably closer to a jellyfish. Uh, 97 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: And it certainly used to have mitochondrial DNA but now 98 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:38,559 Speaker 1: it's gone, which is hitherto unknown to happen in animals. Yeah, 99 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: so what that means? Okay, I think I need to 100 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: it's very sort of like shrouded in this jargon, but 101 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: like I need to emphasize how crazy it is because 102 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: like all other known living animals have mitochondrial DNA. It 103 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: is typically necessary for survival because the mitochondria is the 104 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 1: powerhouse of the cell, as we all learned in by aology, 105 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: And without that mitochondrial DNA, I means these the gush 106 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: darn things don't breathe. They don't have to breathe, so 107 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: not only like the basic cell of life, but also 108 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: they don't inhale anything. Yeah, how are they still classified 109 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 1: as animals? Like? What makes them still fit into that category? Well, 110 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: I mean that's an interesting question. Our classification of things 111 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: can get a little muddled. But I think in terms 112 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: of it being an animal, it definitely evolved from animals, 113 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: and it still I guess needs a TP to survive 114 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: and we'll discuss how it gets it later. But it 115 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: also reproduces and it has cellular structure that otherwise makes 116 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: it an animal, but except for this thing, which okay, wow, 117 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: let's talk about why the mitochondria is typically so important 118 00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: for animals to survive. So it is responsible for converting 119 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: food into energy using oxygen to turn a setal coenzyme 120 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: A into a dinna sine triphosphate or a t P, 121 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: which is the basic currency of energy for all living tissue. 122 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: Now that sounds like super complicated, but basically it's just you. 123 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: You eat food, it takes that food, it oxidizes these 124 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: acids from the food into a t P, and then 125 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: that a t P when it's broken apart in your body, 126 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: that produces energy. So like for your muscles to move 127 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: your breaking apart a t P nuts like releasing this 128 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: this energy out like they're like little little batteries essentially, 129 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: so oxygen. To to oxidize the the proteins from the 130 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: food into a t P, you need oxygen. So that's 131 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: why most animals need to breathe and so in that 132 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 1: chemical reaction that converts a TP or converts food into 133 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: a TP is also known as the crib cycle, which 134 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 1: everyone hates to learn about. Um, but no I don't 135 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: mean that, I do mean that actually, never mind. So, 136 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: so all animals go through this crub cycle except for 137 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: these little freaks. Do they have a cycle of their own? Well, 138 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: researchers are exactly sure what's going on in these guys. 139 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: So they sequenced the H. Salmon nicola DNA and found 140 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: absolutely no mitochondrial DNA. They were shocked and did it 141 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: again and still found none, and they were really confused. 142 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: They looked at their closest relatives, and their closest relatives 143 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: did have mitochondrial DNA, and then they you know, studied 144 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: again and like it's they've concluded they just don't have it. 145 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: They don't have a mitochondria. They have a mitochondria like structure, 146 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: but it lacks the enzymes necessary for the crub cycle, 147 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: which means, again confirming that they don't breathe. So it's 148 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: thought that these like mitochondria like structures are this digital, 149 00:09:55,960 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: which means it's like a carryover from their previous evolutionary forms. 150 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:05,559 Speaker 1: So like an example would be in humans. Well, it 151 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: was once thought that the appendix was vestigial. Now it's 152 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 1: thought that it does kind of maybe have some function, 153 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: but yeah, like it's any kind of organ or something 154 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: that is not is no longer necessary. While researchers aren't 155 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: exactly sure how h salmon nicola gets its fuel, there 156 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: is a theory that they have a way of directly 157 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: stealing a TP from their host salmon. Oh that's really cool. Yeah, 158 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: so it's just absorbing, it's making the fish are doing 159 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 1: all the breathing for them. Essentially. It's interesting to think 160 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 1: of a parasite as leaching off of your mitochondrial like 161 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 1: basic cell structure and as opposed to just eating chunks 162 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: of flesh. Right, we're growing like giant stems out of brains. 163 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: Like whatever parasite that invades ants is uh it somehow 164 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 1: more creepy and horrifying. That is how it could do 165 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:00,559 Speaker 1: you possibly defend from that gets gets like into your 166 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: body in such an intimate way. Not super fun and 167 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: I think I mean other than these guys looking like 168 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: alien sperm, they are. It is an interesting thing discovery 169 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: because it shows that potentially aliens in a very different 170 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: environment from Earth, there are ways for them to survive 171 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,439 Speaker 1: and to convert energy in a different way than animals 172 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: on Earth. So obviously this guy isn't necessarily an example 173 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: of an alien, because it still needs an animal that 174 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: goes through respiration, that breathes to survive. But you know, 175 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: it's hard to say, like what the chemical structure of 176 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: another planet is totally. So you know, perhaps there's a 177 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: way of aliens on another planet to directly extract energy 178 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: from some source on that planet that is different from 179 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 1: how animals here extracted from their parasitic beings. Huge sperm 180 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: aliens is what I'm saying, flop it around second energy 181 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 1: from the Earth and they just all surround the planet 182 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: like they're a bunch of sperms surrounding an egg. That's 183 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: my vision of aliens. Horrifying, horrifying thought, and yet more 184 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 1: riginal than anything Hollywood has come up with in so long. 185 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: You think that, I mean, like there's all these sort 186 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: of like weird metaphors, Like I mentioned alien before, and 187 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: there's a lot of like phallic stuff and like weird 188 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: kind of I guess sexual metaphors with probing. I say, 189 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: skip all the all the middlemen there, all the metaphors 190 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:45,199 Speaker 1: for the sperm guys. Come on, there's no need to 191 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: there's no need to be subtle. So another animal I 192 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: want to talk about that it lives in the ocean. 193 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: That super looks like an alien is actually an animal 194 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:59,599 Speaker 1: that looks like a jellyfish, but is not related to 195 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: jelly fish at all. So I think it's funny because 196 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: like this h salmon coola is actually the parasite we're 197 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,680 Speaker 1: talking to related to jellyfish, looks nothing like a jellyfish. 198 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: This guy looks like a jellyfish, not related to jellyfish, 199 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: jelly nature. Could you just I don't know, Like, why 200 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: do you have to be so cooy about things? So here, 201 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm just gonna show you this picture 202 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: before introducing it to you. It looks like if rainbow 203 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 1: road where a jellyfish and slam, It's so beautiful. It's 204 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 1: a rain It's like one of those rainbow aliens and 205 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 1: star Trek the next generation or they're like, oh, we've 206 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:38,679 Speaker 1: got a it's like a spaceship. No wait, it's a 207 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:42,079 Speaker 1: living creature. It looks like a giant yeah. And so 208 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: basically it looks like a silky alien spaceship trailed by 209 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: a long flowing veil of rainbows. And it is called 210 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: the blanket octopus. And it is an octopus, a magical name. 211 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: So females grow up to be about six ft long, 212 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: but grow up to a little under an inch, so 213 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 1: they're about the size of a wall. Okay, first of all, 214 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 1: a majestic species. Yes, this is the truth. Long women 215 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: love it, Yes, exactly so, I mean, aside from them 216 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: looking incredible like a rainbow blanket following a spaceship, they're 217 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: mating process is crazy. So to mate, the male detaches 218 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: a special arm that holds his sperm packet. I'm sorry, 219 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: we're talking about sperm so much in this episode. What 220 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: am I gonna say? It's it's nature, guys. So it's 221 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: called a hecto caudalyss hecta caudalus. It presents this hecta 222 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: caudals to the female, and the female keeps it in 223 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: her mantle, which is like that sort of dome structure 224 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: of the octopus. But it just like has a empty 225 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 1: space in its mantle that it like keeps it these 226 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: hectic caudals sperm packets, and it's like a diamond, but 227 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: it's a bagful sperm right exactly like that, And she 228 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: will keep it there until she decides to make babies, 229 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: at which point the female will pull the sperm packet 230 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: out of her mantle and season her eggs with the 231 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: sperm like it's a gutting salt chairs let's look out. 232 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: I love it. So. Tom Traganza, who is a biologist 233 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: at the University of Exeter, describes it the sleek quote. 234 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: When she comes to need to fertilize her eggs, she 235 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: can pull that arm out and squirt the sperm over 236 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: her eggs, like squirting soy sauce onto a fried egg. Science. 237 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: Thanks scientists, you weird horny boys. So he has a 238 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: detachable arm, yes, and then at the end of it, 239 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: I just keep picturing it in him in terms, and 240 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: it's horrifying. It's like if a guy came up to 241 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: you gave you a little like ketchup packet of his sperm, 242 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: and then like when you needed to make a baby, 243 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: you just squirted on your egg. This seems less messy emotionally. Yeah, 244 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: it's a little bit. It is a little more just 245 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: like you know, like transactional. I guess, like here you go, 246 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: and she can actually keep several of these hectocotalist is 247 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: in her mantles. Yeah, it's like when when you keep 248 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: going out for fast food and you get like these 249 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: like packages of soy sauce or of ketchup, and you're like, well, 250 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 1: I don't want it now, I've got too many. You 251 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: start storing them in your snack drawer and then you're like, oh, 252 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 1: I need seasoning. And you open your snack drawer and 253 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: you've got like packages from McDonald's. You've got like all 254 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: these other you know, things from Chipotle, and you're like, oh, 255 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: I have all the packages I need except it sperm. 256 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: I pictured it like a hot sauce sample packet. It's 257 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: just like maybe Franks today. I guess that's the kids 258 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: are having this. Why not so that titular blanket of 259 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: the blanket octopus has a function other than looking absolutely gorgeous, 260 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: and it certainly does. It's iridescent. Here's another picture of it. Beautiful. 261 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. Literally from every angle, she's stunning. I 262 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:14,959 Speaker 1: want a dress made out of this, I mean not 263 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 1: literally made out of the octopus. I would feel really 264 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: guilty about that, but that would be sad. That's sad. Yeah, 265 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 1: but I want a dress that looks like this, you know, 266 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 1: Tessa Thompson, or something like this. Yes, I will show 267 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: you later for like a show. And it's like a 268 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 1: halter it's got like seventies sleeves, so they're cut from 269 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: the shoulder to the wrist and gather at the wrist. 270 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: You knowson secretly a blanket octopus, so that blanket is 271 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,959 Speaker 1: actually webbing between their tentacles, and this webbing can be 272 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 1: held out like a large veil, which makes them appear 273 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 1: larger and more imposing. Two would be predators. I see that. 274 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 1: I see that sometimes I address see more imposing when 275 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: I have to walk in scary parts of Los Angeles. Well, 276 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: like you know, like nobody messes with people who wear capes. 277 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: That's it's like, if you wear a cape, who's gonna 278 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: like a cost you? Because they're like, you're either really 279 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: wealthy or you're a vampire. Either way, you know, if 280 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 1: your countess or a vampire, you can royally screw someone 281 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: if they mess with you. I like to picture a 282 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: very wealthy lady who would just stab you, but she 283 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: got a cap, like you just gotta under a stiletto 284 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: holding up her bun love. Yeah, it's kind of like 285 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: you know, when you hold up that, they're like when 286 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: you want to scare off a bear, you're supposed to 287 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: like hold up your jacket like a bear. Yeah, you 288 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: make lots of noise. This blanket can also be detached 289 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,679 Speaker 1: as a last resort to distract a predator, sort of 290 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: like how lizards detached their tails. But it's sort of 291 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: it's like if finally you know, the cape isn't working, 292 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: so you like throw your cape off and you're like, 293 00:18:53,880 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: what exactly? And yes, and I'm not done yet. They 294 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:06,199 Speaker 1: also have another defensive technique, so they are immune to 295 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 1: the venomous man of War, which is a jellyfish like 296 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: hydrozone with potent venom that can cause severe pain and 297 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: human and paralysis and fish. And the blanket octopus, because 298 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: it's immune, can rip these tentacles off the man o 299 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: War and uses them as defensive weapons. So they just 300 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: that's so cool. Yes, they you love a bio weapon, 301 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:34,120 Speaker 1: especially now if you think about like the hooded Rainbow 302 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:35,680 Speaker 1: and the waves were like flows in the water, and 303 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: then the side there's like all of these tentacles and 304 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 1: it's now dangerous. We're also gorgeous a symbol for all women. Yeah, 305 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: I want I want blank like a blanket. I know 306 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: that we have superheroes that are based on animals. I 307 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: got spider Man, Wolverine, hawkman, haart man, you got you 308 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: got the cat laid catwoman. I want blank blanket octopus woman. Yeah, 309 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: blanket octopus lady, I think totally her name and she 310 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: has her cape is this iridescent rainbowy thing that makes 311 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: her look enormous and she can use to throw in 312 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: people like it wraps around enemies faces. And she has 313 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:17,880 Speaker 1: a giant octopus in her layer. Yes, and she's she's 314 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,440 Speaker 1: best friends with a giant blanket octopus. And she has 315 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: like a big i want to say, like a big 316 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: flail that's made out of stinging jellyfish tentacles. She dates 317 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:32,400 Speaker 1: a giant squid and together they have the ocean. Yes, 318 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 1: and she lays a bunch of eggs and sprinkles it 319 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 1: with sperm packets. So my last underwater alien is the 320 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: it's got the best name of the bunch. It's called 321 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: the sarcastic fringe head, which looks like a predator mouth, 322 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:59,639 Speaker 1: you know, like from the movie Predator. So the sarcastic 323 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,120 Speaker 1: french head is a small fish found in the Pacific Ocean. 324 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: They they're sort of god. These guys have the weirdest names. 325 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: So they are um a tube blinny, which stay with me. 326 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: It is part of the Blenniform order of fish who 327 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: live in tube structures made by other organisms. So this 328 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: order of fish are this group of fish are called 329 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 1: two Blinny's, and the sarcastic fringe head is a species 330 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 1: of too blinny. Does that make sense? It just I'm 331 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: trying to think of organic tubes made by other species. 332 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:41,159 Speaker 1: So I think about a say, like an animal it 333 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: has a big twirly shell, like a nautilus or something. 334 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: They'll live like in the nautilus shell, or like a 335 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:49,560 Speaker 1: like a worm that that a tube worm that makes 336 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: a big tube. They'll live in that other structure. So 337 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: they just borrow other structures from from other organisms that 338 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: make these tubes. So normally the star sarcastic french head 339 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 1: looks pretty doofy. They've got these big bubble eyes and 340 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: weird just really weird cartoonish mounds. Oh wow, Okay, So 341 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: he's like your jaw connects like right under your cheek, 342 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: but his extents past his cheek. It's weird. Mostly his 343 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 1: cheek is on top of his jaw. The whole lower 344 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: part hinges open. That's really cool. Yeah, it's cute, like 345 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 1: being a fish he's cute. He is cute at this 346 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:34,800 Speaker 1: moment when they're territorial. Oh my god, I'm seeing the 347 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: predator now. It looks like a predator mouth. That frick 348 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: that's scary. So the reason their lips look so doofy 349 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: and so long, like they look like a big like 350 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: cartoon fish with this like a big smile, almost like 351 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: a big clown smile, with these like big like cartoonish lips. 352 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: But that's because those actually unfold into this terrifying predator 353 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: mouth looking thing that it's almost like a mouth umbrella. 354 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: I guess that's a good descriptions for it. But they 355 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: distend their mouth, which unfurls these two flaps, and they 356 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:13,399 Speaker 1: actually use these uh in territorial competition with other males. 357 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: So they deploy, they deploy the mouth umbrella, and then 358 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 1: they like kiss each other violently, like they push each 359 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 1: other's mouth flaps, so it looks like they're kissing, but 360 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: they're actually like competing, and then it's a territorial display 361 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: to determine who has the bigger mouth and the one 362 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 1: that is bigger. It's like, okay, this is how big 363 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,439 Speaker 1: you are, and that actually helps them resolve territory issues 364 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:40,440 Speaker 1: without resorting to actual violence. That is very creative of them. 365 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: I love a non violent approach. I'm shocked that with 366 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,720 Speaker 1: all of the with scary, terrifying nous of the mouth, 367 00:23:47,800 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: but it isn't enacted for more violence. It seems like 368 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: it just seems like that. And then I swallowed half 369 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: that guy. Yeah, yeah, you would think so, but no, 370 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,159 Speaker 1: it's just it's like it's basically just sort of, uh, 371 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 1: I guess a sport thing where you know, whoever's got 372 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: the biggest flappiest mouth wins. I know a lot of winners. 373 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: Oh good, good, that's good. Do you want to see 374 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 1: a video of this guy? Oh god, oh my god. Okay, 375 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: so he's here, he's eating. He doesn't actually deploy his 376 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: predator flaps when he's eating. He just kind of, you know, 377 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: he's got his big dufy mouth. He looks like a muppet. 378 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 1: He does look like that's maybe the best way. Yeah, yeah, 379 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:35,239 Speaker 1: he does look like a muppet. And he's not the 380 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 1: first he's not going to be the first one. Today 381 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 1: he looks like a muppet. But then when when sharp 382 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:44,640 Speaker 1: little teeth like here he is with his rival, deploys 383 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: the mouth flap, it opens into a full triangle, a 384 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: big triangular. He's got you beat, bro, you gotta back down. Yeah, 385 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,639 Speaker 1: you've done, sir, and they got It's like kind of 386 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: pink and yellow too. It's actually, if you ignore the 387 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: fact that it's a horrible mouth, it's kind of pretty. 388 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: I gues like a like a venomous vagina and yeah, yeah, 389 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: a little bit. God, this is Freudian males competing by 390 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: with their weird venomous mouth vagina's Yeah, oh my gosh. 391 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,439 Speaker 1: It's disgusting and it's beautiful, like life. That is That 392 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: is life, isn't it. That's that's a good summary of life. 393 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: Disgusting and beautiful. So how would a planet host life? 394 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: How likely are aliens and what would they look like? 395 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: It's hard to fathom what alien life would look like 396 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: on another planet without knowing that planet's environment. Earth is 397 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: considered a Goldilocks planet. It's not too far from the 398 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: Sun to be an ice planet, not too close to 399 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: be a barren husk, and just the right size to 400 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: have a solid, stable land and water mass. Were incredibly 401 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:04,360 Speaker 1: lucky to exist. But where else could life exist? Our 402 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,720 Speaker 1: Solar system doesn't seem to hold much hope for another planet. 403 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: With alien life, But the moons of Jupiter are another matter. 404 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: Europa is thought to have a subsurface ocean with oxygen 405 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: and water, necessary ingredients for life. In Cleatus, one of 406 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: Saturn's moons, may also have liquid water and molecular hydrogen, 407 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,719 Speaker 1: which could be an alternative source of energy for life. 408 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 1: If life exists on these planets, they may need to 409 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 1: be extremophiles, organisms like bacteria that can survive in nutrient 410 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: sparse environments by clinging to thermal vents at the bottom 411 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 1: of the ocean, or perhaps like the h Salmonicola, they've 412 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: developed an alternative way of procuring energy that is unlike 413 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 1: anything seen on Earth. When we return, we're going to 414 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: emerge from the ocean and look at some aliens living 415 00:26:55,359 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: ride here on our very earthen terrain. It's easy enough 416 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,640 Speaker 1: to find aliens living under the sea, as it's such 417 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: a different environment. What about extraterrestrials. While all us animals 418 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 1: living on Earth may share our gravitationally bound earthly nature, 419 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:26,200 Speaker 1: our environments differ so much that it's easy to find 420 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:30,879 Speaker 1: completely alien looking creatures right here on land. Consider the 421 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 1: diverse biomes of the planet. The frigid tundra, the scorching desert, 422 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:39,919 Speaker 1: the grasslands full of dastardly carnivores, the forests full of 423 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 1: devious parasites and hungry birds. It's hard to be an 424 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: animal in any of these extreme environments, and the pressure 425 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 1: to survive can create some truly unique looks. The ability 426 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 1: to find a highly specialized evolutionary path is called an 427 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 1: evolutionary Niche You have found a very specific environment and 428 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: you've adapted to it. You have a very particular set 429 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:05,920 Speaker 1: of skills, skills you have acquired over millions of years 430 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: of evolution. So, Joel, I want to talk to you 431 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 1: about a little critter called the pink fairy armadillo. Sounds 432 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: horrified the pink do not take his child because because yes, 433 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: well that's true. But these are actually now, I find 434 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 1: them cute. Okay, I'm that sounds like a caveat well, 435 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,360 Speaker 1: I find a lot of things cute. Uh. It does 436 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:37,160 Speaker 1: look a little bit like an armadillo that has been 437 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: turned inside out. Oh my god, So here's a picture 438 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: of it. Oh, but it is cute. It is cute, okay. 439 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: It's color scheme is like a light pink sunset with 440 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: like furry white and it kind of looks like a gopher. 441 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: But then it has like, Okay, is that a hard 442 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 1: shell or is it fleshy? What's going on with that 443 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,720 Speaker 1: between it's leathery, but it's not. It's not like bone hard. 444 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: It's just kind of leathery. And then also has these 445 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: like duck cloth like sort of like probably would have 446 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:09,000 Speaker 1: been between a dinosaur and a chicken. Yes, yes, like 447 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: big shovel feet, wild, big shovel chicken. I've never seen 448 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 1: anything like a creature. So they are the smallest species 449 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: of armadillo, only about three to four inches long. Yeah, 450 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 1: very cute. They live in Argentina. They're nocturnal. They live 451 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 1: in burrows and they eat insects, worms, snails, and plants. 452 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: They like you said, I love your description. That's going 453 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 1: to be very useful for our listeners to get it. 454 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: It's hard, it's it's so hard to describe these animals 455 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: because you look at it, it's like it's just like, 456 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: got a pink cape made out of flesh. Yeah, it 457 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 1: looks soft and kind of squishy, soft and squishy. So 458 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: they have white furry bellies, huge shovel like claws on 459 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: the front for burrowing and on top they have pink 460 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: plate mail that runs from the top of their nose 461 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: down their back, covering their butt, back, head insides, so 462 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: similar to other armadillo species, this hardened, leathery carapace is 463 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 1: actually made out of bands that allow the armadillo to 464 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 1: curl up in a ball, and it's actually more flexible 465 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: and softer than other armadillo species. So unlike other armadillos, 466 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: the pink fairy armadillo, their armor is not completely attached 467 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:24,480 Speaker 1: to its body, but by a membrane that runs along 468 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: its spine. So armadillos that that body covering they actually 469 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: have actual bone under that that plate mail like you know. 470 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,480 Speaker 1: But with the fair armadillo, while they do have a 471 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: reinforced bony butt, the rest of that armor is actually 472 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: not uh, sort of covering bone. So uh. It's also 473 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:47,720 Speaker 1: sort of flatter than your typical armadillo, Like your typical 474 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: armadillo has that sort of I guess, dome like armor. 475 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 1: This kind of runs just along the back. It looks 476 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: like a heavily starched cape, I guess. And uh, this 477 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: shell is made out of dermal scale. It is. It's 478 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: a nice light pink. It's very pretty. Yeah, yeah, it's 479 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: like it's like these bands, these bands of of this armor, 480 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: and it's pink, and it because it's less tough than 481 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 1: their other relatives. Researchers think it has a purpose beyond protection, 482 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: so it may be less about armor and more about 483 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 1: thermal regulation, which sounds not since making. I mean, so 484 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 1: that would just mean like it's helping protective from being 485 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: too cold or helps insulate the heat. I could see it. 486 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 1: It does seem drink to me, that it is like 487 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: adjacent to an armory a little bit, sort of seems 488 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: that none of the same basic functions, just as the 489 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: curvy crazy path of evolution. But yeah, it actually so 490 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: it can both help keep it cool and keep it 491 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: warm in a way that is not very intuitive but 492 00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: really cool. So it lives in the death asert shrub 493 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 1: land that can get very hot during the day and 494 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:06,880 Speaker 1: very cold at night, especially under those burrows. So the 495 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 1: pink fairy armadillo's armor is pink because it's full of 496 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: blood vessels, of course, which sounds weird, but like when 497 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: you blush, like that's your blood, you know, like it's 498 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 1: it's there's nothing gross about it. It's a cute blush. 499 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 1: So and it can actually pump blood in and out 500 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: of that carapace, which lowers or raises its core temperature 501 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,560 Speaker 1: to achieve thermoregulation, meaning like a temperature that is healthy 502 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 1: for the animal. So yeah, So by filling its armor 503 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: with blood, it exposes the blood to greater surface area 504 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,760 Speaker 1: and air, cooling it down before it recirculates. And by 505 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,720 Speaker 1: restricting the flow of blood through the carapace, the blood 506 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:53,160 Speaker 1: remains in the armadillo's core, staying warm and concentrated. So 507 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: we kind of do something similar as humans. Um like 508 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 1: when you're cold, your nose and your fingers, getting them 509 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 1: the quickest because you are actually vasal constriction that your 510 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: blood vessels are constricting and keeping all that blood in 511 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: your center, which is the most important place for it 512 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: to be, because like you can lose a finger, but 513 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:18,560 Speaker 1: you know your heart needs that blood. YEA. Luckily for 514 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: the pink fairy armadillo, that carapist seems to do just 515 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 1: fine with both increased or decreased blood flow, acting as 516 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: an a c heating unit for this little guy. It 517 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 1: sounds uh convenient, and I wish I could do it 518 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 1: with my hair and or neck. In the summer, it's 519 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: super hot out here. In l a. Yeah, and it 520 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 1: would be great if I could just be like, which 521 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:42,040 Speaker 1: is with all the blood vessels to my hair, just 522 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: cool at the top of my head down. If I 523 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 1: had like a pink a cool pink jacket that like 524 00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 1: was an a c unit and like could keep me warm, 525 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:58,479 Speaker 1: that would be incredible. Well okay, yes. It also has 526 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: a kind of weird s own shaped tail that helps 527 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 1: them balance as they dig, and they have that like 528 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 1: armored butt plate, like this bony butt and that helps 529 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:14,919 Speaker 1: them burrow as by acting as a dirt compactor. So 530 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:17,840 Speaker 1: as they dig, they tossed the dirt under their bellies 531 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,319 Speaker 1: and then they kind of push their butt against it 532 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: and it compacts the dirt behind them with their butt plate, 533 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 1: so it helps get the dirt out of the way 534 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: so they can like have an area to breathe in 535 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 1: front of them, and it also helps stabilize the burrow. 536 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 1: The sites in industry, they have um basically like a 537 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 1: lab where a bunch of like subterranean creatures and or 538 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 1: like there's a section for ducks because the ducks can 539 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:43,880 Speaker 1: see like how do they develop from like egged chicks 540 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 1: and they're all like underglass and is really cute and 541 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: for like some of the subterrent creatures, there's just whole 542 00:34:48,680 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: carved out for where they like burrowed. I want to 543 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: see this thing like dig and burrow. It's so tiny 544 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:56,759 Speaker 1: and small and cute. Let me get you. I think 545 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: I actually have him, Franklin. They are not good. I 546 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: know you're not suggesting this, but they are not. But 547 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,320 Speaker 1: they I do want to make the point. Not I 548 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,840 Speaker 1: I'm not. I'm not putting you on blastom, you understand. 549 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 1: But I do think that it is an interesting thing 550 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: because they are sometimes like people attempt to keep them 551 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 1: as pets and the space Yeah, exactly, it seems like it. 552 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:24,320 Speaker 1: They'd be a cute fun pet. They have a abysmal 553 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 1: survival rate in captivity. They're very delicate creatures and like 554 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 1: they have like I talked about that evolutionary niche. They 555 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:36,960 Speaker 1: have evolved so specifically for this very highly specialized environment. 556 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 1: Taking them out of that environment and like touching them, 557 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 1: it's like it stresses them out. They can die of 558 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:46,759 Speaker 1: stress essentially. And it also they're they're not made for 559 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: any other environment essentially. They're so specialized. So like like 560 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,000 Speaker 1: when people try to keep them as pets, they typically die. 561 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 1: And in fact, they're actually really hard to observe by 562 00:35:55,960 --> 00:36:00,399 Speaker 1: researchers because you can't like keep them in captivity and 563 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,399 Speaker 1: they're hard to spot. They're very elusive, so they are 564 00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,279 Speaker 1: not great pets. And you really, if you ever, I mean, 565 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:08,359 Speaker 1: I don't think any of our listeners are probably gonna 566 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: happen upon one, but if you do, you should not 567 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:13,400 Speaker 1: pick it up. Even though there is this picture of 568 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:17,760 Speaker 1: someone holding it that is a researcher. Um, it's so cute. 569 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:20,360 Speaker 1: It just fits in the palm of your hand. It 570 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 1: looks like a real life Pokemon. It does. It does. 571 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: I need to do a whole episode on real life Pokemon. Please, 572 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:29,759 Speaker 1: But let me show you this. Here's a here's a 573 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 1: little It's kind of hard to see because it's night 574 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,799 Speaker 1: vision camera, but here it is digging and you see 575 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:38,439 Speaker 1: the butt plate kind of like poking pushing the dirt back. 576 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 1: You guys, you would think that, but like, oh, it's 577 00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 1: literally the tiniest little pet and then it goes on 578 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:50,280 Speaker 1: to the next thing. It's so dang cute, adorable. Little Franklin. 579 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:55,520 Speaker 1: As sponsor one at a Zoo, we have adopted a koala. 580 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 1: I wanted to adopt oh, I'm sorry. The Coola's name 581 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:03,680 Speaker 1: is Oxley Twinkles, and she's my best daughter. And I 582 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 1: actually have a dog too, so I can't say she's 583 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: my best daughter. I love both of my animal daughters exactly, 584 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: my best daughter abroad. And I'm trying to adopt a 585 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:19,960 Speaker 1: velvet worm. Those are adorable little worm like creatures, but 586 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:23,879 Speaker 1: they are hard to find an adoption agency that has 587 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: velvet worms. Actually, I'm just if anyone knows about a 588 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:32,919 Speaker 1: research group or something that that handles specifically insect stuff. 589 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 1: Yeah he does support, Yeah, exactly, And I guess I 590 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 1: want to adopt a pink fairy armadillo to also, again, 591 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:44,680 Speaker 1: not to have as a pet, but just to you know, 592 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:47,720 Speaker 1: sponsor also the magic like just I love a tiny 593 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 1: I will send it little drawings of itself a little 594 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:58,759 Speaker 1: tiny tiny look. Yeah. Yeah, there we go. So now 595 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:02,880 Speaker 1: I want to talk about another terrestrial, alien looking animal. 596 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 1: And I'm moving from the mammals onto the insects. Okay, 597 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,320 Speaker 1: this is where we're getting from, getting the little nervous. 598 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,520 Speaker 1: I would say, don't be too nervous of the insects 599 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:19,040 Speaker 1: this They look completely wild and crazy. I don't think 600 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 1: they look creepy especially, so I want to talk about 601 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:27,880 Speaker 1: tree hoppers. Treehoppers are a family of insects related to 602 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 1: cicadas and leafhoppers, and they are found all over the 603 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: world except except Antarctica too cold, and they eat plant 604 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:41,279 Speaker 1: sap so their mouth is basically two straws, one that 605 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:43,839 Speaker 1: pumps saliva into the plant, the other that sucks up 606 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:48,799 Speaker 1: the plant saliva smoothie. And so they're pretty harmless. Other 607 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,640 Speaker 1: I mean, they are actually kind of pests for farmers 608 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,759 Speaker 1: and for for plant populations, and they can be bad 609 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,960 Speaker 1: if they're an invasive species, but in terms of like 610 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,960 Speaker 1: flesh creatures, we don't need to worry about so all 611 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:05,040 Speaker 1: the terms that doesn't affect up plant growth, we're good. Yeah, exactly, 612 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 1: And they're also here's I want to talk about some 613 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:10,600 Speaker 1: of their behavior first before I show you what they 614 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:12,480 Speaker 1: look like, because I want you to see them for 615 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:17,520 Speaker 1: who they truly are. So they're really good moms. They 616 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:22,160 Speaker 1: sit on their eggs, unlike many many insects species drop 617 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:24,960 Speaker 1: A lot of insects just drop them and go. But yeah, 618 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,520 Speaker 1: these these ones sit on their eggs and they defend 619 00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 1: them from predators. And when the eggs are hatching, into 620 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:34,480 Speaker 1: these nymphs. The moms will punch a bunch of holes 621 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:38,240 Speaker 1: into the plant stem so that the little baby tree 622 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:41,600 Speaker 1: hoppers have a little little places to suck out. It's 623 00:39:41,640 --> 00:39:44,040 Speaker 1: like it's like your mom punching a straw into capris 624 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:47,239 Speaker 1: son and handing it to you. Mom. I was getting frustrated. 625 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: But in addition to being good parents, these are some 626 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:58,439 Speaker 1: of the weirdest salvador dally looking things on planet. Okay, 627 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:01,680 Speaker 1: so I'm just gonna show you some of these guys. 628 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,560 Speaker 1: It's so funky. Is that a tail? What is the 629 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:10,839 Speaker 1: curved top? I will explain all, but just describe what 630 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:16,799 Speaker 1: you're saying. Okay, imagine like a backwards C, but like 631 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:20,399 Speaker 1: the letter C. And then it's like a gunnametal gray, 632 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:25,640 Speaker 1: but there's some shiny like silver scales. Maybe um, there 633 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 1: is no face. It's got like a rhino horn that 634 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,000 Speaker 1: sort of looks like a jack knife on top of 635 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:34,240 Speaker 1: what I assume is the head, and like two little 636 00:40:34,239 --> 00:40:36,440 Speaker 1: feet and some things that could be wings but are 637 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:39,800 Speaker 1: definitely not going to give him any elevation or lift. 638 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:43,480 Speaker 1: It is so weird. So that's just one species. Let's 639 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:46,359 Speaker 1: move on to another one. What Okay, So This one 640 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:49,399 Speaker 1: has like yellow kind of guys, which I means about 641 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:52,359 Speaker 1: you expect that, But then like a split Pope's hat, 642 00:40:52,560 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 1: like Pope's hat, and then it looks like just like 643 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:57,720 Speaker 1: a little bit looks kind of like a batman hat 644 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:00,840 Speaker 1: to except with really long air. I also see a 645 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 1: gesture in there at the end. It would definitely be 646 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:09,000 Speaker 1: just dress. And here's what do you think you're looking at? Here? 647 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 1: That looks like a picture of a weird dragon with 648 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:19,000 Speaker 1: no wings. So this is actually a bunch of them 649 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,080 Speaker 1: and they are covering a tree branch and they see 650 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:27,239 Speaker 1: it now it gives me like weird They look like 651 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,320 Speaker 1: thorns coming out of the branch. They're like these green 652 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:36,040 Speaker 1: thorny things with like and then here's one of them individually. 653 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:39,000 Speaker 1: This is They're less scary as one, but still not 654 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:43,880 Speaker 1: something I told me you have like a thing about swarm, 655 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,600 Speaker 1: so I try to keep the swarminess of this down. 656 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:48,840 Speaker 1: Um So yeah, yeah, it's just like a it's like 657 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:54,680 Speaker 1: a green triangle. And then this one, okay, it's like 658 00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:58,399 Speaker 1: a real black slug like it's to me it looks 659 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:01,799 Speaker 1: like a bird duty. It can also look like a 660 00:42:01,800 --> 00:42:06,359 Speaker 1: bird duty. I'm seeing a weird penguin. Here's why. It's 661 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:08,680 Speaker 1: that a white belly, but it's like all black back 662 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:12,040 Speaker 1: but also like humping is back. It's confusing. It looks 663 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: like it looks like a poopy penguin. Penguin, so uh. 664 00:42:18,239 --> 00:42:20,759 Speaker 1: They come in a wide variety of shapes, as you 665 00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 1: can see, which is due to their huge fancy pronotum, 666 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:29,680 Speaker 1: which is the top part of their exoskeletal thorax. So 667 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,239 Speaker 1: if you think of it in human terms, it's like 668 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:34,759 Speaker 1: a hard shell right at the back of your neck 669 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:38,560 Speaker 1: that grows out really big. That would be so helpful. Yeah, 670 00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: except it's insects and they don't really have next like 671 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:45,000 Speaker 1: vertebrates do. Uh, So I don't know how useful that 672 00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:48,960 Speaker 1: comparison is it then does it rest just behind their head? Yeah, yeah, 673 00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:51,280 Speaker 1: it's like their head and then it rests right behind 674 00:42:51,280 --> 00:42:53,839 Speaker 1: its head. And then it's like but it can grow 675 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:57,400 Speaker 1: like over and around there. It's just it goes wherever 676 00:42:57,600 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: it wants to go, it seems. And these shells grow there. Sorry, 677 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:07,399 Speaker 1: these exo skeletons grow in completely out of control ornate architectures, 678 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:10,400 Speaker 1: often to help camouflage the tree hopper as a thorn 679 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:14,240 Speaker 1: or part of a plant or bird duty or whatever 680 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:17,080 Speaker 1: for the triangular part that's its head. Yeah, well it's 681 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:20,160 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say it's head again, it's like it's like, so, 682 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,360 Speaker 1: so they have an exo skeleton right that that outer carapists. 683 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:26,719 Speaker 1: It's that exo skeleton, like right at the back of 684 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:31,880 Speaker 1: its head, just like growing way far out. Okay, I see. 685 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:37,400 Speaker 1: And so there is an incredible diversity of tree hoppers. 686 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:41,560 Speaker 1: They all look absolutely bonkers. And one of my favorites 687 00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:45,120 Speaker 1: I haven't shown you yet it is the Brazilian tree 688 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:48,040 Speaker 1: hopper or sorry, did I call them grasshoppers? Their tree hoppers, 689 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:52,160 Speaker 1: and I think, and so the Brazilian tree hopper has 690 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:57,720 Speaker 1: a head full of orbs, and here it is, my god, 691 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,040 Speaker 1: it's like staring into the face of death. It's got 692 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:03,640 Speaker 1: four eyes but they're black, and they sit on top 693 00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:05,960 Speaker 1: of its head. And then it heads very narrow like 694 00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:07,879 Speaker 1: that guy on Beetle Juice when you shrunk his head, 695 00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:12,000 Speaker 1: and then like some white like graffiti over its mouth. 696 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:17,000 Speaker 1: It's literally horrifying. I could see animorphizing that I'm making 697 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:20,680 Speaker 1: an alien for a movie. It looks like so it's 698 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:23,840 Speaker 1: like there's this stem that comes off of its head 699 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:28,160 Speaker 1: and then like almost like a helicopter, but on the 700 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:31,520 Speaker 1: end of each blade is like a bulb. So there's 701 00:44:31,520 --> 00:44:36,200 Speaker 1: like these four black bulbs and those are actually not eyeballs, No, No, 702 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,520 Speaker 1: those are just like that offshoot of it's carapace that's 703 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:42,560 Speaker 1: growing in this weird shape. It's covered in hair and 704 00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:48,439 Speaker 1: um Researchers aren't precisely sure why it looks like this. 705 00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:52,000 Speaker 1: One theory is that since the orbs are covered in hairs, 706 00:44:52,040 --> 00:44:55,080 Speaker 1: it's some sort of sensory apparatus. But then why it's 707 00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:57,799 Speaker 1: shaped like one of those clacker ball toys like it 708 00:44:57,880 --> 00:45:01,080 Speaker 1: doesn't really make sense. But I like this theory, which 709 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:03,719 Speaker 1: is it looks like opio cort aceps, which is that 710 00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:07,080 Speaker 1: parasitic fungus that you actually mentioned earlier. So there's a 711 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:11,560 Speaker 1: parasitic fungus that will infect ants and other insects and 712 00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:15,920 Speaker 1: it'll just sprout out of their head uh and produce 713 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:19,600 Speaker 1: like this fruiting body that then produces spores, and it 714 00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:22,520 Speaker 1: kills the insect. It's no good for the insect, so 715 00:45:22,560 --> 00:45:27,319 Speaker 1: insects generally want to avoid that. And so if you 716 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:31,759 Speaker 1: have a fake sport growing out of your head like 717 00:45:31,840 --> 00:45:35,440 Speaker 1: this Brazilian tree hopper seems to maybe have the idea 718 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:39,000 Speaker 1: is that insect predators are going to avoid it because 719 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:41,920 Speaker 1: they don't want to deal with that parasitic fungus. And 720 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:45,680 Speaker 1: eventually in the in the documentaries I can remember watching 721 00:45:45,840 --> 00:45:48,480 Speaker 1: with these ants and these parasites don't think kind of 722 00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:51,279 Speaker 1: get left behind. They're like, colony is like, oh no, 723 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:54,239 Speaker 1: you need to stay way outside here by yourself. And 724 00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:56,480 Speaker 1: then it's awful because they're alive, Like as it's growing, 725 00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 1: it like literally spits their brain and chew from the 726 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:01,279 Speaker 1: inside out. Then it's just just long and then it 727 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:05,719 Speaker 1: looks horrified. Yeah, it's terrible, and it makes them go 728 00:46:06,040 --> 00:46:09,680 Speaker 1: crazy because so what happens is in an ant colony, 729 00:46:09,719 --> 00:46:12,600 Speaker 1: they will when they detect a sign of this fungus, 730 00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:15,040 Speaker 1: they will send out a party of ants on a 731 00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:18,400 Speaker 1: suicide mission where they just walk the ant who is 732 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:21,520 Speaker 1: infected with this fungus far far away so that it 733 00:46:21,560 --> 00:46:24,640 Speaker 1: doesn't affect the rest of the colony, and that that 734 00:46:24,719 --> 00:46:27,920 Speaker 1: insect with the fungus infection. Usually the ones that carry 735 00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:30,000 Speaker 1: it far away, they'll get infected too, but by that 736 00:46:30,040 --> 00:46:35,359 Speaker 1: pot point they're far enough away, uh, And so they 737 00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:40,120 Speaker 1: will It drives them to climb up plants as high 738 00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:42,720 Speaker 1: as they can go, which is not typically their behavior 739 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:45,720 Speaker 1: because you don't want to be necessarily visible to birds 740 00:46:45,760 --> 00:46:48,560 Speaker 1: and other predators. But it drives them up and up, 741 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:51,480 Speaker 1: and that helps the spores because then the spores want 742 00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:54,800 Speaker 1: to uh well, they don't want anything because they're a fungus, 743 00:46:54,840 --> 00:46:59,120 Speaker 1: but you know, evolutionarily speaking, it helps them disperse because 744 00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:02,640 Speaker 1: they get up hyponic plant and they actually the ants 745 00:47:02,719 --> 00:47:06,000 Speaker 1: that are infected with this, it makes them uh go 746 00:47:06,640 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 1: like grip onto the plant in this like death grip 747 00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:12,560 Speaker 1: with their mandibles is like sort of the last phase 748 00:47:12,640 --> 00:47:16,680 Speaker 1: of this weird fungus zombie infection. So it's super bad 749 00:47:16,760 --> 00:47:20,200 Speaker 1: news for insects. And so if they see something that 750 00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:22,400 Speaker 1: looks like it's infected with it, I'd imagine that they 751 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:25,399 Speaker 1: would probably avoid it. I like that they have um 752 00:47:25,880 --> 00:47:31,120 Speaker 1: police slash healthcare procedures. We don't have medicaid for medicare 753 00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:33,319 Speaker 1: or nothing. You need to solve this on your own. 754 00:47:34,120 --> 00:47:37,760 Speaker 1: Get out so you don't be patients. Zero pow yourself 755 00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:42,400 Speaker 1: up by your antstraps. I'm imagining little boots on an 756 00:47:42,400 --> 00:47:49,080 Speaker 1: ant caldute. I'm trying to think of a pun with 757 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:54,920 Speaker 1: medicare for all, and it's just not coming medic carapist 758 00:47:55,040 --> 00:48:02,960 Speaker 1: for all. There it is. In science fiction there are 759 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:08,200 Speaker 1: often insect oid aliens. But why didn't insects develop intelligence 760 00:48:08,239 --> 00:48:12,720 Speaker 1: like mammals. One problem is that insects are restricted in size. 761 00:48:13,120 --> 00:48:17,319 Speaker 1: While brain size isn't always directly correlated with intelligence, you 762 00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:20,719 Speaker 1: do need at least some material to work with, and 763 00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:23,320 Speaker 1: if you're an insect with only a few hundred thousand 764 00:48:23,320 --> 00:48:26,680 Speaker 1: brain cells compared to a human brain that has almost 765 00:48:26,840 --> 00:48:32,320 Speaker 1: hundred billion brain cells, you're at a distinct disadvantage. Unfortunately, 766 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:35,920 Speaker 1: the growth of insects became stunted hundreds of millions of 767 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:39,560 Speaker 1: years ago. Insects used to be huge. Around three hundred 768 00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:43,080 Speaker 1: million years ago, dragonflies could grow up to two feet 769 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:47,560 Speaker 1: long in wingspan. The high oxygen levels in the atmosphere 770 00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:50,800 Speaker 1: allowed the insects to get enough oxygen in their large 771 00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:55,400 Speaker 1: bodies through their tiny breathing tubes. However, their stunted size 772 00:48:55,480 --> 00:48:58,239 Speaker 1: wasn't only due to the drop in oxygen levels. It 773 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:01,720 Speaker 1: was also due to the experience of words. When birds 774 00:49:01,800 --> 00:49:05,600 Speaker 1: came on the scene, Fossil records of large insects suddenly plummeted. 775 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:09,959 Speaker 1: Despite the fact that researchers estimate oxygen levels increased during 776 00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:14,319 Speaker 1: this time. It's thought that these predatory flying beaked harbingers 777 00:49:14,360 --> 00:49:19,360 Speaker 1: of death birds forced insects to value maneuverability over size, 778 00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:22,759 Speaker 1: the predation by birds driving them to become smaller and 779 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:27,360 Speaker 1: more discreet, adopting crypsis and camouflage like our tree hopper friends. 780 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:31,120 Speaker 1: Maybe on an alien planet rich with oxygen and lacking 781 00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:34,560 Speaker 1: the menace of birds, insects could have grown larger and 782 00:49:34,640 --> 00:49:38,719 Speaker 1: perhaps more intelligent. Now, the best strategy that insects have 783 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:42,680 Speaker 1: for intelligence is in numbers. Be in ant colonies with 784 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:47,320 Speaker 1: small individual sizes but large numbers of members may form 785 00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:51,480 Speaker 1: a high intelligence that helps their survival while not sacrificing 786 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:54,600 Speaker 1: their ability to dodge a predator and of course their 787 00:49:54,680 --> 00:49:58,480 Speaker 1: strength in numbers. Birds, meanwhile, are masters of the skies, 788 00:49:58,640 --> 00:50:01,080 Speaker 1: and though they would come to have their fair share 789 00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:04,640 Speaker 1: of predators, they were luckier than insects, and we're able 790 00:50:04,680 --> 00:50:10,320 Speaker 1: to develop greater size, intelligence and sometimes completely bonkers ornamentation, 791 00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:36,840 Speaker 1: which we'll discuss right after this break. In science fiction, 792 00:50:36,920 --> 00:50:40,360 Speaker 1: we aren't always creative enough with aliens. There aren't that 793 00:50:40,480 --> 00:50:44,160 Speaker 1: many flying aliens flying saucers, sure, but the idea of 794 00:50:44,200 --> 00:50:46,879 Speaker 1: an alien with wings is perhaps a step too far 795 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:48,879 Speaker 1: for it to be the main trope when it comes 796 00:50:48,920 --> 00:50:52,720 Speaker 1: to aliens, But I don't see why aliens wouldn't have wings. 797 00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:56,080 Speaker 1: After all, it's a trait that evolved independently in many 798 00:50:56,160 --> 00:51:01,240 Speaker 1: different animals on Earth. Insects, birds, bats, and even gliding lizards, 799 00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:05,200 Speaker 1: squirrels and fish have wings. But birds have the biggest 800 00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:08,399 Speaker 1: monopoly on the skies, and some of these aviens are 801 00:51:08,480 --> 00:51:12,520 Speaker 1: truly alien looking, giving us a perspective on what flying 802 00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:16,839 Speaker 1: extraterrestrials might look like. I always thought birds would make 803 00:51:16,880 --> 00:51:19,840 Speaker 1: the best alien inspiration for movies, because the thing is, 804 00:51:19,840 --> 00:51:21,440 Speaker 1: if you look at like the aliens that have made 805 00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:25,040 Speaker 1: it two movies, rafa hanging out like either reptilian or humanoid, 806 00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:28,920 Speaker 1: which is fair. Reptiles have like crazy jaws and like 807 00:51:29,000 --> 00:51:31,479 Speaker 1: the claws and everything these that we actually fear. I'm 808 00:51:31,640 --> 00:51:33,799 Speaker 1: terrified of birds, and I have this conversation with you 809 00:51:33,880 --> 00:51:38,080 Speaker 1: last weeks. They really truly scare me. I only like 810 00:51:38,160 --> 00:51:41,400 Speaker 1: ravens because I respect them and I understand like they're like, listen, 811 00:51:41,440 --> 00:51:45,279 Speaker 1: we can hold a grudge. Um we are called a murder. Uh. 812 00:51:45,320 --> 00:51:47,600 Speaker 1: They're just like they like They're very upfront about how 813 00:51:47,680 --> 00:51:50,400 Speaker 1: horrifying they are. They're like, they know they came from dinosaurs, 814 00:51:50,440 --> 00:51:52,880 Speaker 1: and they're not gonna let you forget either. Other birds 815 00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:54,640 Speaker 1: are like, look at I'm adorable. I'm like, no, like 816 00:51:54,719 --> 00:51:56,920 Speaker 1: when do you? Guys will just die bomb from the 817 00:51:56,960 --> 00:51:59,759 Speaker 1: sky and destroy. And then if you look at like 818 00:51:59,840 --> 00:52:02,520 Speaker 1: some of the patterns of colors on their wings or 819 00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:05,200 Speaker 1: designs and stuff, some of the way their heads turn 820 00:52:05,280 --> 00:52:09,920 Speaker 1: owls truly alien like, very creepy. I'm nervous about what 821 00:52:09,960 --> 00:52:12,400 Speaker 1: you have from You're also kind of excited. I do 822 00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:16,120 Speaker 1: agree that birds are very alien looking. It is going 823 00:52:16,160 --> 00:52:18,480 Speaker 1: to be my mission, while you are the producer of 824 00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:21,360 Speaker 1: this podcast, to convert you into a bird lover. Oh 825 00:52:21,360 --> 00:52:23,880 Speaker 1: my god, at task. My brother will be very happy 826 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:26,880 Speaker 1: if you can do. I am a huge, huge bird 827 00:52:26,920 --> 00:52:31,200 Speaker 1: lover hashtag proverb rites, but it is yeah. I I 828 00:52:31,239 --> 00:52:35,359 Speaker 1: do agree though they are they are horrifying personally. I 829 00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:39,160 Speaker 1: just love that I reflected you. You you respect all 830 00:52:39,200 --> 00:52:42,120 Speaker 1: the creepy things. So first I want to talk to 831 00:52:42,160 --> 00:52:46,560 Speaker 1: you about the king vulture. Oh my god, have you 832 00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:48,640 Speaker 1: ever seen a vulture like up close and in person 833 00:52:48,719 --> 00:52:51,359 Speaker 1: in your life? I have seen them at zoos. I've 834 00:52:51,400 --> 00:52:55,120 Speaker 1: never seen one just out and about, so I've been 835 00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:58,320 Speaker 1: to the zoo again. I'm from Chicago's zoos in Chicago 836 00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:01,080 Speaker 1: will sometimes just let their birds own kind of free 837 00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:03,400 Speaker 1: or they have in like in Park Zoo there's a 838 00:53:03,480 --> 00:53:07,480 Speaker 1: giant bird cage that's a dome, so they have a 839 00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:09,480 Speaker 1: aviary you can walk through and the birds are kind 840 00:53:09,480 --> 00:53:11,839 Speaker 1: of free and throwing around there. Or they've got these 841 00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:14,680 Speaker 1: very like low swooping nets so they can travel um. 842 00:53:14,719 --> 00:53:18,720 Speaker 1: But when you get outside, then you're like, there's a giant, 843 00:53:18,760 --> 00:53:22,080 Speaker 1: like I want to say, twelve foot tall bird cage 844 00:53:22,120 --> 00:53:25,200 Speaker 1: with a bunch of predatory birds and it just looking down. 845 00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:27,120 Speaker 1: So as a child, I was afraid of birds. But 846 00:53:27,160 --> 00:53:28,799 Speaker 1: we're gonna hit every spot in the zoo because we 847 00:53:28,800 --> 00:53:30,720 Speaker 1: were with a lot of kids. I'll close my eyes. 848 00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:33,759 Speaker 1: Well here is like the flapping of me screeching, and 849 00:53:33,800 --> 00:53:35,200 Speaker 1: I was like, it's gonna be fine. We just have 850 00:53:35,239 --> 00:53:37,439 Speaker 1: to get outside there, Like Joel, you've made it through 851 00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:40,319 Speaker 1: the House of Terror and now you're just amongst the birds. 852 00:53:40,360 --> 00:53:44,319 Speaker 1: And I looked up an huge vulture like you know, 853 00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:47,800 Speaker 1: getting wings air in its wings, like flapping and looking 854 00:53:47,840 --> 00:53:50,239 Speaker 1: down at me, and I was like, I can't like 855 00:53:50,280 --> 00:53:52,840 Speaker 1: it was really that and a peacock. It cemented my 856 00:53:52,920 --> 00:53:55,560 Speaker 1: fear of birds for life. Okay, a giant peacock chasing 857 00:53:55,600 --> 00:53:58,600 Speaker 1: you down when you're fied. So you would say if 858 00:53:58,640 --> 00:54:06,800 Speaker 1: peacock combined with a vulture would not be your favorite animal? No, no, no. 859 00:54:07,440 --> 00:54:11,000 Speaker 1: The King vulture has a face like a star trek alien. 860 00:54:11,520 --> 00:54:14,920 Speaker 1: It's a New World vulture found in Central and South America, 861 00:54:15,680 --> 00:54:19,319 Speaker 1: excluding condors. It's the largest New World vulture, with a 862 00:54:19,360 --> 00:54:23,520 Speaker 1: wingspan of seven feet. And while their bodies are pretty 863 00:54:23,520 --> 00:54:30,120 Speaker 1: plain white, black and gray, their heads are sort of incredible. 864 00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:38,040 Speaker 1: They So I'm gonna show you some pictures. Hold. Oh no, okay, 865 00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:41,840 Speaker 1: imagine the beatiest turkey eye you've ever seen, just staring 866 00:54:41,920 --> 00:54:44,279 Speaker 1: at you, and then it's like a gnarled thing on 867 00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:49,640 Speaker 1: its beak. Oh my freaking god. No, this is like 868 00:54:49,680 --> 00:54:52,120 Speaker 1: the King of Evil. But it's a it's like a 869 00:54:52,320 --> 00:54:55,000 Speaker 1: it's like a sunset, though its head looks like a 870 00:54:55,200 --> 00:54:59,120 Speaker 1: rainbow sun. No with it's like, oh, white body and 871 00:54:59,160 --> 00:55:04,799 Speaker 1: black tipped. We I hate looking at it. I love it. 872 00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:09,280 Speaker 1: This is my nightmare. Fuel. Well, we have very different 873 00:55:09,320 --> 00:55:12,960 Speaker 1: opinions on this bird, and that's okay, agree to disagree. 874 00:55:13,560 --> 00:55:17,520 Speaker 1: So their heads, like other vultures, are mostly bald, but 875 00:55:17,719 --> 00:55:21,280 Speaker 1: in their case their heads are vibrantly colorful and covered 876 00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:24,279 Speaker 1: in weird dude ads. So they have an orange and 877 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:27,239 Speaker 1: black beak and a bright orange wattle on the top 878 00:55:27,280 --> 00:55:31,080 Speaker 1: of their beak that kind of looks like a shriveled brain. Yeah, 879 00:55:31,120 --> 00:55:32,880 Speaker 1: and then they it's not a brain, it's just a 880 00:55:32,920 --> 00:55:37,120 Speaker 1: fleshy growth. They have bright blue, wrinkly, bulbous cheeks with 881 00:55:37,160 --> 00:55:40,000 Speaker 1: a wrinkled tube of flesh that goes from the cheekbone 882 00:55:40,320 --> 00:55:43,080 Speaker 1: down the neck and turns from blue to orange and 883 00:55:43,120 --> 00:55:47,920 Speaker 1: then yellow. Their eyes are bright turquoise, almost white, and 884 00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:51,680 Speaker 1: their eyelids are reddish pink. Their necks are like a 885 00:55:51,800 --> 00:55:55,759 Speaker 1: sunset purple melts into pink, which turns into orange and 886 00:55:55,800 --> 00:56:02,120 Speaker 1: finally gradiates into yellow. It's beautiful in my opinion. Their 887 00:56:02,160 --> 00:56:05,359 Speaker 1: face is covered in thin black bristles, but under that, 888 00:56:05,440 --> 00:56:08,879 Speaker 1: peeking through is their skin, which is bright purple, and 889 00:56:09,120 --> 00:56:11,200 Speaker 1: on the very top of their heads they have a 890 00:56:11,239 --> 00:56:14,839 Speaker 1: bald spot which is bright pink. The base of its 891 00:56:14,880 --> 00:56:18,360 Speaker 1: neck is also bare a pinkish purple which often shows 892 00:56:18,400 --> 00:56:20,719 Speaker 1: through its chest feathers, so it looks like it has 893 00:56:20,800 --> 00:56:24,279 Speaker 1: this weird bulbous growth coming out, but that's just its neck, 894 00:56:25,200 --> 00:56:32,640 Speaker 1: so it is. Yeah, it's an incredible animal. Of course, 895 00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:37,279 Speaker 1: I understand why people fear vultures because they are associated 896 00:56:37,320 --> 00:56:40,560 Speaker 1: with death and decay, but they actually serve a very 897 00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:45,239 Speaker 1: important service to nature. They take care of dead bodies 898 00:56:45,320 --> 00:56:48,200 Speaker 1: and they prevent the spread of disease, and they're they're 899 00:56:48,280 --> 00:56:50,120 Speaker 1: kind of like a dead end for a lot of 900 00:56:50,200 --> 00:56:54,080 Speaker 1: diseases which they are able to fight off or are 901 00:56:54,120 --> 00:56:57,160 Speaker 1: immune to, and so when they're basically eating up a 902 00:56:57,160 --> 00:57:00,520 Speaker 1: dead body, that prevents that body from being a petri 903 00:57:00,600 --> 00:57:04,240 Speaker 1: dish full of nasty bacteria and disease. A circle of life. 904 00:57:05,640 --> 00:57:08,960 Speaker 1: But these are such like they're so flamboyant. Like usually 905 00:57:09,000 --> 00:57:12,040 Speaker 1: like undertakers, you know, and vultures they have that sort 906 00:57:12,040 --> 00:57:15,319 Speaker 1: of grim look. They're they're they're you know, they have 907 00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:22,280 Speaker 1: like their brown and black and over searching out. But 908 00:57:22,360 --> 00:57:25,560 Speaker 1: these guys are festive. They're like the fun mortician, you know, 909 00:57:25,960 --> 00:57:30,160 Speaker 1: they have a smartoes of death holidays exactly. Yeah, they're 910 00:57:30,200 --> 00:57:33,360 Speaker 1: like they're they're like a Pastel goff, but they're not. Actually, 911 00:57:33,360 --> 00:57:37,480 Speaker 1: they're like more of a I guess bright my Thaie Goff. 912 00:57:38,360 --> 00:57:42,640 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, Lolita go I think, yeah, totally yeah. But 913 00:57:42,680 --> 00:57:45,840 Speaker 1: like with these bright, like really brilliant colors, like they 914 00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:49,240 Speaker 1: look like a tropical sunset with bright blues and reds 915 00:57:49,280 --> 00:57:51,480 Speaker 1: and purples, the fact that their body is white is 916 00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:55,880 Speaker 1: really the anti vulture. Yeah yeah, they're like yeah, I'm 917 00:57:55,880 --> 00:57:59,480 Speaker 1: still not messing with them. In terms of why they 918 00:57:59,560 --> 00:58:02,800 Speaker 1: look this way, I'm actually not sure and I couldn't 919 00:58:02,800 --> 00:58:05,680 Speaker 1: find any great research on it. If it does exist 920 00:58:05,760 --> 00:58:07,680 Speaker 1: out there, like hit me up, I'd love to hear 921 00:58:07,720 --> 00:58:10,440 Speaker 1: about it. Um. My first thought is that maybe it's 922 00:58:10,480 --> 00:58:14,240 Speaker 1: sexual selection, but the females are very similar looking. There's 923 00:58:14,280 --> 00:58:17,160 Speaker 1: not a lot of sexual dimorphism, meaning like where a 924 00:58:17,200 --> 00:58:21,080 Speaker 1: lot of bird species the male is like flamboyant and colorful, jazzy, 925 00:58:21,080 --> 00:58:25,360 Speaker 1: and the female is just brown and sort of like okay, yeah, 926 00:58:26,480 --> 00:58:30,360 Speaker 1: yeah exactly, like like you impress me, not the other 927 00:58:30,400 --> 00:58:33,640 Speaker 1: way around it, which I love. I love. In this case, 928 00:58:33,640 --> 00:58:36,680 Speaker 1: it's sort of like gender parody. They're both It could 929 00:58:36,680 --> 00:58:39,439 Speaker 1: still be sexual selection, but like in puffins, where they're 930 00:58:39,480 --> 00:58:41,680 Speaker 1: both trying to impress each other, which I kind of 931 00:58:41,720 --> 00:58:44,200 Speaker 1: I like that a puffin is another bird I can 932 00:58:44,240 --> 00:58:48,160 Speaker 1: chive with puffins are cool. Yes, so you're cool with puffins. 933 00:58:48,240 --> 00:58:52,240 Speaker 1: They're just called puffins, like they're puffy muffins, and they're 934 00:58:52,280 --> 00:58:57,400 Speaker 1: so cute and sweetly see you know, kind tempered. Yes, well, yeah, 935 00:58:57,480 --> 00:59:00,640 Speaker 1: they they are. They're they're pretty cool. Not fish. They 936 00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:05,320 Speaker 1: kill a lot of fish. But I'll also they're delicious. 937 00:59:05,520 --> 00:59:08,600 Speaker 1: You could blame them. I The next bird I want 938 00:59:08,600 --> 00:59:10,560 Speaker 1: to talk to you about is I hope you like 939 00:59:10,680 --> 00:59:13,040 Speaker 1: this one a little better. It is the cock of 940 00:59:13,080 --> 00:59:16,640 Speaker 1: the rock. Okay, first of all, a name A plus 941 00:59:16,680 --> 00:59:19,200 Speaker 1: a plus name. So the cock of the rock is 942 00:59:19,240 --> 00:59:22,120 Speaker 1: another South American bird, but this one lives in the 943 00:59:22,160 --> 00:59:26,200 Speaker 1: cloud forests of the Andies. So they're a medium sized 944 00:59:26,240 --> 00:59:29,720 Speaker 1: tropical bird. And the male this is the one where 945 00:59:29,720 --> 00:59:32,160 Speaker 1: the males are super fancy and the females are kind 946 00:59:32,200 --> 00:59:36,320 Speaker 1: of a like, I don't know, normal looking, and so 947 00:59:36,600 --> 00:59:41,320 Speaker 1: they the males are bright orange and they look like 948 00:59:41,400 --> 00:59:44,680 Speaker 1: some kind of weird disc headed alien. So they have 949 00:59:44,880 --> 00:59:47,840 Speaker 1: this orange crust of feathers covering the beacon top of 950 00:59:47,840 --> 00:59:50,840 Speaker 1: its head that makes them look like their head is 951 00:59:50,880 --> 00:59:53,160 Speaker 1: a disk or a frisbee. So here is what this 952 00:59:53,200 --> 00:59:56,160 Speaker 1: guy looks like. Oh oh oh, you would not know 953 00:59:56,200 --> 00:59:58,960 Speaker 1: you were looking at a bird like, is it an 954 00:59:58,960 --> 01:00:02,120 Speaker 1: octopus under water? Is it a squid? Is it a 955 01:00:02,160 --> 01:00:06,440 Speaker 1: one eyed orange people eater? Yeah, it looks like it 956 01:00:07,280 --> 01:00:09,880 Speaker 1: looks super muppet like, because like sort of one of 957 01:00:09,920 --> 01:00:12,760 Speaker 1: those Jim Hintson muppets where they don't even have like 958 01:00:13,480 --> 01:00:16,680 Speaker 1: real faces. I guess where she's like. You think he 959 01:00:16,760 --> 01:00:21,360 Speaker 1: talks like biger like. And then also I forget what 960 01:00:21,440 --> 01:00:25,480 Speaker 1: they're called, but they're like all one fuzzy colored things 961 01:00:25,520 --> 01:00:28,640 Speaker 1: and they shake and it's from another children's program. If 962 01:00:28,680 --> 01:00:35,840 Speaker 1: you saw it, guys wiggles totally Yeah, perfect this It 963 01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:38,320 Speaker 1: doesn't even look like a bird. I love it a 964 01:00:38,320 --> 01:00:40,640 Speaker 1: little Oh no, close your mouth. I hate it now. 965 01:00:41,320 --> 01:00:43,880 Speaker 1: I saw the whole thing, and you see it when 966 01:00:43,880 --> 01:00:45,640 Speaker 1: it without the mouth is kind of cute. It looks 967 01:00:45,640 --> 01:00:50,240 Speaker 1: like a weird little little tube with the beat of predator. 968 01:00:50,280 --> 01:00:53,120 Speaker 1: There's another another picture of it. Yeah, if it keeps 969 01:00:53,120 --> 01:00:56,120 Speaker 1: his mouth closed, we're okay. But even that pictures given 970 01:00:56,120 --> 01:00:58,040 Speaker 1: me a lot of side at and I don't appreciate 971 01:00:58,040 --> 01:01:01,360 Speaker 1: a bird judging me like that. So the males use 972 01:01:01,440 --> 01:01:05,840 Speaker 1: this incredible look to attract females in fancy courtship displays, 973 01:01:05,920 --> 01:01:09,520 Speaker 1: and the males will bob do like push up motions. 974 01:01:09,800 --> 01:01:12,800 Speaker 1: They'll jerk their weird disc heads around and if the 975 01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:15,440 Speaker 1: female likes it, she'll peck his neck in they'll go 976 01:01:15,520 --> 01:01:20,840 Speaker 1: off in mate, also fitting in well. At Venice Beach, 977 01:01:20,880 --> 01:01:24,200 Speaker 1: they the males form these clicks and then their territory 978 01:01:24,280 --> 01:01:27,840 Speaker 1: from outsider males or predators. Together skateboard or waits to 979 01:01:27,960 --> 01:01:31,560 Speaker 1: live and they are done. Brow up. Check out my 980 01:01:31,640 --> 01:01:38,800 Speaker 1: frisbee head bro Oh my god. So I want to 981 01:01:38,840 --> 01:01:41,400 Speaker 1: cap off the show with one of the most absurd 982 01:01:41,960 --> 01:01:45,600 Speaker 1: muppet alien looking birds on the planet. I don't know 983 01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:47,760 Speaker 1: if you'll be a fan of this one, because they are. 984 01:01:48,400 --> 01:01:53,040 Speaker 1: They go from being cute muppets to looking like horrifying aliens, 985 01:01:53,320 --> 01:01:55,400 Speaker 1: and that can be like the same bird can go 986 01:01:55,480 --> 01:01:57,960 Speaker 1: from looking like I'm a cute dirty muppet to being 987 01:01:58,000 --> 01:02:00,760 Speaker 1: like I am a horrible alien. Maybe i'll name my patronis. 988 01:02:02,160 --> 01:02:05,880 Speaker 1: So first let's just hear what it sounds like. Oh goodness, 989 01:02:07,440 --> 01:02:10,800 Speaker 1: So this is the PO two. It looks and sounds 990 01:02:10,840 --> 01:02:14,640 Speaker 1: like a haunted alien ghost. So PO two's are a 991 01:02:14,720 --> 01:02:17,080 Speaker 1: group of birds, and there are multiple species, so we're 992 01:02:17,080 --> 01:02:19,600 Speaker 1: gonna listen to a couple of different species. So this 993 01:02:19,720 --> 01:02:28,640 Speaker 1: is the great potwo call. Oh yeah, yeah, it sounds 994 01:02:28,640 --> 01:02:33,040 Speaker 1: like it's screaming mom, but it's been a deformed vocal 995 01:02:33,080 --> 01:02:42,480 Speaker 1: cords or something like they maybe I don't know, oh no, yeah, 996 01:02:42,920 --> 01:02:47,840 Speaker 1: oh my goodness, here's a nightmares. Here's another great potwo call. 997 01:02:48,960 --> 01:02:57,600 Speaker 1: Oh oh, who can do that too? Well? Too well, yes, 998 01:02:57,760 --> 01:03:02,160 Speaker 1: I'm a human. And it's like the it's like the 999 01:03:02,200 --> 01:03:06,440 Speaker 1: body snatcher sounds like at the end of Body Snatchers. 1000 01:03:06,760 --> 01:03:09,720 Speaker 1: And then here's its song. That's just it's called its 1001 01:03:09,800 --> 01:03:14,480 Speaker 1: song is a little less body snatcher, but it's very haunting. Okay, 1002 01:03:14,520 --> 01:03:18,320 Speaker 1: this is the this is the common Poe two catalog number. 1003 01:03:18,440 --> 01:03:20,960 Speaker 1: That's not the common now, that's some guy from the 1004 01:03:21,000 --> 01:03:39,000 Speaker 1: Cornell Lab Science. It sounds sad, Okay, maybe it's misunderstood. 1005 01:03:39,080 --> 01:03:41,080 Speaker 1: It's like I'm trying to say, hey, people are like 1006 01:03:41,120 --> 01:03:44,560 Speaker 1: you sound horrify and sing with friends, and they're like, 1007 01:03:44,600 --> 01:03:45,800 Speaker 1: we still don't like you. I don't know what it 1008 01:03:45,800 --> 01:03:50,960 Speaker 1: looks like vermo. Yeah. So the Poe two's, like I said, 1009 01:03:51,000 --> 01:03:54,360 Speaker 1: are a group of birds who have a very distinctive look. 1010 01:03:54,720 --> 01:03:59,240 Speaker 1: And this time it's actually for survival and not sexual selection. 1011 01:03:59,280 --> 01:04:02,680 Speaker 1: So surviving preditors and being able to hunt. So they 1012 01:04:02,680 --> 01:04:06,080 Speaker 1: are also found in Central and South America. They're related 1013 01:04:06,120 --> 01:04:10,520 Speaker 1: to night jars and frog mouths, and they are nocturnal insectivores. 1014 01:04:11,040 --> 01:04:13,720 Speaker 1: And I'm just gonna before I describe them, I'm just 1015 01:04:13,760 --> 01:04:20,400 Speaker 1: gonna show you some pictures. Okay, okay, okay, oh okay. 1016 01:04:20,440 --> 01:04:25,360 Speaker 1: So imagine a soulless owl with a neck, and this 1017 01:04:25,440 --> 01:04:28,240 Speaker 1: is what you get. You guys. There's don't have the 1018 01:04:29,840 --> 01:04:35,160 Speaker 1: beaks are open and their eyes are entirely black. There's 1019 01:04:35,200 --> 01:04:42,440 Speaker 1: another one. Oh my god, this is lit. Oh no, no, no, 1020 01:04:46,040 --> 01:04:50,600 Speaker 1: I can look at his face. Okay, it does kind 1021 01:04:50,680 --> 01:04:53,720 Speaker 1: of look like one of the puppies here because it's 1022 01:04:53,720 --> 01:04:56,479 Speaker 1: got really round eyes and so you know, our human 1023 01:04:56,480 --> 01:04:59,400 Speaker 1: brains are like that means cute and innocent. But I'm 1024 01:04:59,400 --> 01:05:02,720 Speaker 1: also seeing death in those eyes and don't trust it. 1025 01:05:03,640 --> 01:05:07,520 Speaker 1: So what Joel is seeing is the po two who 1026 01:05:07,640 --> 01:05:11,240 Speaker 1: has huge wal eyed, bulging eyes. They kind of look 1027 01:05:11,320 --> 01:05:14,760 Speaker 1: like goldfish eyes. Those pupils can go from being small 1028 01:05:15,080 --> 01:05:18,400 Speaker 1: points to expanding to cover the entire iris. That's what 1029 01:05:18,440 --> 01:05:21,000 Speaker 1: I saw. A black eyes. Okay, that explains it. They 1030 01:05:21,040 --> 01:05:24,400 Speaker 1: have huge, wide mouths and they are a tawny brown 1031 01:05:24,600 --> 01:05:28,439 Speaker 1: with modeled coloring a bit like owl's feathers, and they 1032 01:05:28,520 --> 01:05:31,560 Speaker 1: are one of the dirtiest looking birds on the planet. 1033 01:05:31,680 --> 01:05:35,080 Speaker 1: In my opinion, they can be. They range from being 1034 01:05:35,200 --> 01:05:38,840 Speaker 1: to me terrifying to being adorably stupid cute sort of 1035 01:05:38,880 --> 01:05:41,200 Speaker 1: like you know how like pugs or like or oh 1036 01:05:41,280 --> 01:05:45,479 Speaker 1: you know, like um, like a bulldog. Bulldog has that range, 1037 01:05:45,520 --> 01:05:48,400 Speaker 1: like the porks in Star Wars where they have those 1038 01:05:48,400 --> 01:05:51,520 Speaker 1: like little wal eyed looks. Yeah, they do have. Okay, 1039 01:05:51,560 --> 01:05:54,320 Speaker 1: you know what, that's probably the best sci fi interpretation 1040 01:05:54,360 --> 01:05:57,000 Speaker 1: of it. Yeah, totally. So. The reason their eyes are 1041 01:05:57,040 --> 01:06:00,400 Speaker 1: so huge is that helps them see at night, and 1042 01:06:00,440 --> 01:06:03,960 Speaker 1: they actually also have eyelids that are slitted, so they 1043 01:06:03,960 --> 01:06:06,400 Speaker 1: have slits in that allows some light in, so they 1044 01:06:06,400 --> 01:06:08,840 Speaker 1: can see predators even when their eyes are closed, so 1045 01:06:08,880 --> 01:06:13,760 Speaker 1: they are always watching you. Their mouth is large enough 1046 01:06:13,800 --> 01:06:16,600 Speaker 1: for them to swallow prey hole without bothering to chew 1047 01:06:16,640 --> 01:06:19,760 Speaker 1: it up that I definitely even being able to do 1048 01:06:19,800 --> 01:06:22,360 Speaker 1: that in fact, and I know I'm trying to be 1049 01:06:22,560 --> 01:06:25,720 Speaker 1: like the advocate for the PO twos, but one PO 1050 01:06:25,840 --> 01:06:28,200 Speaker 1: two was found with a small bird in its stomach, 1051 01:06:28,360 --> 01:06:31,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, that big mouth can get a lot done. 1052 01:06:32,600 --> 01:06:35,320 Speaker 1: I think they most commonly eat insects, though I think 1053 01:06:35,320 --> 01:06:38,240 Speaker 1: it's unusual for them. Could have even been an accident, 1054 01:06:38,280 --> 01:06:40,280 Speaker 1: you know, just he was yawning and a bird flew in, 1055 01:06:40,600 --> 01:06:42,320 Speaker 1: Like we don't know. I'm saying he has a right 1056 01:06:42,360 --> 01:06:47,480 Speaker 1: to an attorney, proven guilty. So they have an unusual 1057 01:06:47,560 --> 01:06:51,120 Speaker 1: Cripsis tactic, which is to do a little acting, a 1058 01:06:51,120 --> 01:06:54,120 Speaker 1: little method acting, or they pretend to be a tree stump, 1059 01:06:54,760 --> 01:06:59,080 Speaker 1: and they will stand rigid still and and just very 1060 01:06:59,200 --> 01:07:02,520 Speaker 1: very stationary, stretched their heads out and the tops of 1061 01:07:02,560 --> 01:07:05,160 Speaker 1: their heads are kind of flat, so it actually gives 1062 01:07:05,200 --> 01:07:10,280 Speaker 1: this very realistic impression of a tree stump and like 1063 01:07:10,520 --> 01:07:13,960 Speaker 1: a branch that's been broken off, because that that feathering 1064 01:07:14,040 --> 01:07:17,720 Speaker 1: color that's sort of pretty like modeled brown and white 1065 01:07:17,960 --> 01:07:20,360 Speaker 1: is like is actually meant to look like tree bark 1066 01:07:20,800 --> 01:07:24,960 Speaker 1: and that. So here's a here's a picture of one 1067 01:07:25,000 --> 01:07:30,040 Speaker 1: of these guys in action. Okay, oh wow, the way 1068 01:07:30,080 --> 01:07:32,919 Speaker 1: that his back sort of looks hollowed out even yeah, 1069 01:07:32,960 --> 01:07:35,880 Speaker 1: like the black on a really good camouflage. You probably 1070 01:07:35,960 --> 01:07:38,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't know this was a bird except that his eyes open. 1071 01:07:39,400 --> 01:07:42,880 Speaker 1: And then here's another instance of it. Kind of just 1072 01:07:44,320 --> 01:07:47,120 Speaker 1: they they flatten their feathers and stretch out so they 1073 01:07:47,200 --> 01:07:51,080 Speaker 1: look thin and branch like. He definitely mold to the 1074 01:07:51,120 --> 01:07:53,280 Speaker 1: tree that they're on, And it makes sense to me 1075 01:07:53,320 --> 01:07:56,040 Speaker 1: the animals with just cozy up to it's kind of 1076 01:07:56,040 --> 01:07:58,600 Speaker 1: warm for some reason, I'm an animal too dumb to 1077 01:07:58,640 --> 01:08:02,160 Speaker 1: think that through God, it would suck if a woodpecker 1078 01:08:02,280 --> 01:08:04,720 Speaker 1: like was like came up to them like, oh, this 1079 01:08:04,840 --> 01:08:09,720 Speaker 1: looks like a branch. Yeah. So they'll only lay one 1080 01:08:09,880 --> 01:08:13,680 Speaker 1: egg at a time, and they they are a method 1081 01:08:13,720 --> 01:08:17,680 Speaker 1: of laying eggs seems completely stupid, but they will lay 1082 01:08:17,720 --> 01:08:20,240 Speaker 1: a single egg on top of a tree stump, just 1083 01:08:20,320 --> 01:08:24,679 Speaker 1: kind of balanced up there, um, and it looks very precarious, 1084 01:08:24,720 --> 01:08:31,679 Speaker 1: just like boop, there it goes. Where's the nest So 1085 01:08:31,760 --> 01:08:35,400 Speaker 1: it actually looks is meant to kind of look like 1086 01:08:35,600 --> 01:08:38,720 Speaker 1: a fungal bulb. So sometimes trees will sort of grow 1087 01:08:38,800 --> 01:08:40,840 Speaker 1: like a fungus on it that looks like a bit 1088 01:08:40,920 --> 01:08:46,200 Speaker 1: like a bulb and it just kind of precariously, uh, 1089 01:08:46,320 --> 01:08:50,840 Speaker 1: sits on this tree stump. And the nestlings once they hatch, 1090 01:08:51,280 --> 01:08:53,800 Speaker 1: are too small to look like tree stumps, but their 1091 01:08:53,840 --> 01:08:57,360 Speaker 1: coloration makes them look like tree fungus a little bit. 1092 01:08:57,400 --> 01:08:59,920 Speaker 1: So let me show you when I think the bag 1093 01:09:00,080 --> 01:09:02,559 Speaker 1: these are cute, but you might think they're a little horrible. 1094 01:09:02,960 --> 01:09:10,200 Speaker 1: So here's a little baby, he's not horrible. There's another one. 1095 01:09:11,320 --> 01:09:14,760 Speaker 1: Uh and then oh, here's another adult looking very much 1096 01:09:14,880 --> 01:09:19,800 Speaker 1: like a tree. That's a master camouflage exactly he's doing. 1097 01:09:19,880 --> 01:09:23,439 Speaker 1: He's like, it's incredible because he's flattened the feathers like 1098 01:09:23,479 --> 01:09:27,799 Speaker 1: against the tree. The coloring of the feathers perfectly blends 1099 01:09:27,840 --> 01:09:31,200 Speaker 1: in with that modeled tree. I literally can barely tell 1100 01:09:31,280 --> 01:09:37,280 Speaker 1: where the tree ends and starts. It's it's incredible, but yeah, 1101 01:09:37,360 --> 01:09:41,080 Speaker 1: that is. That is the story of the Poe two, 1102 01:09:41,240 --> 01:09:43,880 Speaker 1: who has one of the most haunting calls and to me, 1103 01:09:44,439 --> 01:09:49,320 Speaker 1: ranging from adorable to completely insane possessed alien looks. If 1104 01:09:49,360 --> 01:09:52,519 Speaker 1: that fish from segment one with the big mouth means 1105 01:09:52,600 --> 01:09:58,920 Speaker 1: this Poe too, it's on mouth contest. I can yawn 1106 01:09:59,040 --> 01:10:02,360 Speaker 1: really so dirty. I can like yawn really wide, like 1107 01:10:02,439 --> 01:10:05,040 Speaker 1: my I have like bad jaw problems because I get 1108 01:10:05,080 --> 01:10:06,759 Speaker 1: like team j and stuff in. One of the problems 1109 01:10:06,800 --> 01:10:09,479 Speaker 1: I think is a yawned too wide and look like Jessie, 1110 01:10:09,479 --> 01:10:16,880 Speaker 1: how do you want how maybe? Oh my god, I thought, 1111 01:10:16,920 --> 01:10:19,040 Speaker 1: I was like yeah, I opened my mouth and she 1112 01:10:19,120 --> 01:10:22,240 Speaker 1: was like, no, I can extend this. Wow, I could 1113 01:10:22,280 --> 01:10:28,960 Speaker 1: swallow one of these birds. Well before we go, I 1114 01:10:29,000 --> 01:10:33,800 Speaker 1: do want to do a bit of self promotion. Uh, well, 1115 01:10:34,040 --> 01:10:40,120 Speaker 1: show promotion shirts. We have shirt, beautiful, beautiful shirt. So 1116 01:10:40,520 --> 01:10:43,360 Speaker 1: I we have actually had a few shirts. Um, but 1117 01:10:43,439 --> 01:10:46,400 Speaker 1: I wanted to wait to promote shirts until I got 1118 01:10:46,680 --> 01:10:50,000 Speaker 1: the Creature Feature logo shirt where I wanted it to be. 1119 01:10:50,040 --> 01:10:53,080 Speaker 1: And uh it is a shirt with the Creature Feature 1120 01:10:53,120 --> 01:10:56,840 Speaker 1: logo that has been hand drawn by yours truly. Wa 1121 01:10:57,360 --> 01:11:00,479 Speaker 1: she did a fabulous not just saying that as the 1122 01:11:00,479 --> 01:11:03,960 Speaker 1: producer of Vision real good, She's just saying it because 1123 01:11:05,120 --> 01:11:08,800 Speaker 1: I know they are up in the store. I will 1124 01:11:08,800 --> 01:11:11,200 Speaker 1: include a link to it in the show notes, but 1125 01:11:12,040 --> 01:11:14,800 Speaker 1: if you want to just tap it in with your 1126 01:11:14,800 --> 01:11:19,519 Speaker 1: finger things, it is www dot t public dot com, 1127 01:11:19,560 --> 01:11:24,799 Speaker 1: slash stores, slash Creature Feature and uh, I am wearing 1128 01:11:24,800 --> 01:11:28,160 Speaker 1: the shirt right now. It is it's got Creature Feature 1129 01:11:28,200 --> 01:11:31,000 Speaker 1: on it, and it's got our lizard man and our 1130 01:11:31,120 --> 01:11:35,920 Speaker 1: cat Lady on it. And um, I do believe the 1131 01:11:35,960 --> 01:11:38,960 Speaker 1: shirts will be on sale for only fourteen bucks if 1132 01:11:39,000 --> 01:11:44,680 Speaker 1: you heard deal ideal right yea, So those will be 1133 01:11:44,720 --> 01:11:46,800 Speaker 1: online and there's a few other designs there, so please 1134 01:11:46,880 --> 01:11:52,760 Speaker 1: do check those out, Joel, do you good anything to plug? Uh? No, 1135 01:11:53,640 --> 01:11:57,200 Speaker 1: I'm a writer, a p club would quarter and other pleases. 1136 01:11:57,240 --> 01:12:00,799 Speaker 1: So if you're interested in culture entertainments, you can always 1137 01:12:00,800 --> 01:12:03,920 Speaker 1: come check me out over at Joel Monique. That's j 1138 01:12:04,080 --> 01:12:07,160 Speaker 1: O E l l E M O n I q 1139 01:12:07,360 --> 01:12:10,000 Speaker 1: u E at Twitter, Juel more week all one more 1140 01:12:10,400 --> 01:12:13,040 Speaker 1: on the tweeters, and you can find us on the 1141 01:12:13,040 --> 01:12:16,120 Speaker 1: twitters at Creature feet Pod that's f e A T 1142 01:12:16,320 --> 01:12:21,880 Speaker 1: not f et totally. Uh. You can also find us 1143 01:12:21,920 --> 01:12:25,080 Speaker 1: on Instagram at Creature Feature Pod, Facebook at Creature Feature 1144 01:12:25,120 --> 01:12:28,880 Speaker 1: Pod on line on the I Heart Radio website I 1145 01:12:29,000 --> 01:12:31,160 Speaker 1: Heard Radio dot com and just search for a Creature 1146 01:12:31,240 --> 01:12:35,439 Speaker 1: feature and you can find me personally just Katie and 1147 01:12:35,479 --> 01:12:39,280 Speaker 1: her Katie thoughts at Katie Golden on Twitter. And you 1148 01:12:39,360 --> 01:12:42,640 Speaker 1: can find you know the bird version of me, my 1149 01:12:42,760 --> 01:12:45,680 Speaker 1: bird Sona at pro bird Rites, where I fight for 1150 01:12:45,760 --> 01:12:48,120 Speaker 1: the rights of birds and Joel, I hope that I 1151 01:12:48,200 --> 01:12:51,160 Speaker 1: can convert you. It's gonna be an interesting journey and 1152 01:12:51,320 --> 01:12:54,960 Speaker 1: I look forward uh to getting to know more bird. Yeah, 1153 01:12:55,439 --> 01:13:00,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna bird vangelized bird evangelized bird vangelize. Yeah, I 1154 01:13:00,120 --> 01:13:04,200 Speaker 1: don't see my deep seated irrational fear change. I don't know, 1155 01:13:04,720 --> 01:13:08,880 Speaker 1: but I wish you love well. Thank you so much 1156 01:13:08,920 --> 01:13:10,760 Speaker 1: for joining you today. This has been a last Thanks 1157 01:13:10,760 --> 01:13:13,400 Speaker 1: for having this is awesome. If you're enjoying the show, 1158 01:13:13,560 --> 01:13:17,160 Speaker 1: please rate, subscribe, like it. The stars put all the 1159 01:13:17,240 --> 01:13:20,800 Speaker 1: stars on and I really appreciate it. Thank you so 1160 01:13:21,040 --> 01:13:24,240 Speaker 1: so much for listening. Thanks to the Space Cossics for 1161 01:13:24,360 --> 01:13:28,759 Speaker 1: their super alien song. X Alumina. Creature features a production 1162 01:13:28,800 --> 01:13:31,120 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. Listen to more podcasts like the 1163 01:13:31,200 --> 01:13:33,639 Speaker 1: one you just heard. Visit I hurt radio dot com, 1164 01:13:33,840 --> 01:13:35,559 Speaker 1: I Hurt Radio Apple, where I really listen to your 1165 01:13:35,640 --> 01:13:41,040 Speaker 1: favorite shows. See you next Wednesday. I keep thaking them, 1166 01:13:44,640 --> 01:13:56,320 Speaker 1: don't That's not that I'm not great.