1 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Creature feature production of I Heart Radio. I'm 2 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: your host of Many Parasites, Katie Golden. I studied psychology 3 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: and evolutionary biology, and today on the show, we're talking 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: about Swiss cheese trees and the strange animals whose stories 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: are full of holes. Big triple phobia warning for this episode, 6 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: especially if your name is Pinocchio and you're made out 7 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: of wood. From hidden delicacies within rotting logs to nutty 8 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:38,160 Speaker 1: drama to the story of a parasites parasite, we're looking 9 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 1: at what happens when the giving tree gives you nausea. 10 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: Discover this more as we answer the age old question 11 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 1: would you eat living tree noodles? Joining me today on 12 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: this Woody Journey is co host of the Ethnically Ambiguous podcast, writer, 13 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: director and friend of the show, Sharene Lanny Yunas. Welcome 14 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: at me tree, Thanks for having me. Is that your 15 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: impression of a tree getting eaten alive? Yeah? That's that 16 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: you say that. Yeah, they imagine it kind of like 17 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: high pitched and kind of alarming, and oh it's like, oh, 18 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: it's like the voice in a Who Framed Roger Rabbit 19 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: when he gets like flattened or whatever. Oh yeah, we're 20 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: like they put the little shoe in the acid. That 21 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: was a children's movie. Yeah, that's we Obviously it scarred me. 22 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: I'm still thinking about it when I'm two. So yeah, yeah, 23 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: so we are talking about the the horrible desecration of wood. 24 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: To be fair, not all of these animals harm trees, 25 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: but they do very strange things to the trees. And 26 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: so I am serious when I say that if you 27 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: have triple phobia, this may not be the episode for you. 28 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: There are and certainly, like I, I do include some 29 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: images in the show notes, and I would definitely warn 30 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: you not to look at those. Um But yeah, I 31 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: I think that it is really interesting that you look 32 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: at a tree and you think of sort of the 33 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: normal way that it supports life, like maybe a bird's 34 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: nest and its branches, and like little caterpillars munching on 35 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: its leaves. But some really weird stuff can happen, like 36 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: inside of wood, which uh, you know is not a 37 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: phrase I would have thought I would say this morning, 38 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: but here I am saying it. Yeah. I love trees. 39 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: I love everything they do. Hot take hot take trees. 40 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: Go look at one. They are giving you life and 41 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: you should go hug it um. But yeah, I didn't 42 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: know what this show is going to be about this morning. Disclosure. 43 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: I just kind of woke up like maybe twenty minutes ago. 44 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,239 Speaker 1: But I'm really happy to be here today and I 45 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: love that I'm starting my day with this because definitely 46 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: woke me up. I don't think I have it's called tripophobia, 47 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: right the p I don't think I have it, but 48 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: I don't enjoy looking at stuff like that. So I'm 49 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: if you if you have it, or like, if you 50 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: don't like that stuff and you're still listening, this is 51 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: I'm for you, you know what I mean, Like, I 52 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: get you. I'll be here as your what's it called? 53 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: You know you're representative your holes? Good exactly because I 54 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: think it's gnarly and even now looking at some of 55 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: the photos, I my stomach is like nope, but uh 56 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: but yeah, I think trees are fascinating and I'm actually 57 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: kind of interested to know stuff that I don't know 58 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: about them, so I'm kind of excited. Yeah. I I 59 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: knocked on Cheren's window this morning, waking her up, and 60 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: it's like, you want to talk about tree holes with me? 61 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: And I was like, okay, why are you here? I 62 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: thought you were in Italy. I flew all the way 63 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: back to the US. Just awake Sharin up. So we 64 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: can talk about tree holes. And the first thing I 65 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: want to talk about is something that even like, when 66 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: I saw a photo of this, I did not believe 67 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: it at first. I thought it was some kind of photoshop, 68 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: you know, some kind of or manipulation, some kind of 69 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: internet um hoax. But no, this is very real. Imagine 70 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: being able to crack open an old rotting log and 71 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: inside are just these long, giant gray worms that look 72 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: like they're these organs inside the tree. One might find 73 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: it horrifying, but indeed these things are actually a delicacy, 74 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: as if you were cracking open a giant oyster. So 75 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: nothing to be afraid of. They are apparently actually delicious. 76 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: Where do they grow so? Or where are these things? So? 77 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 1: These are called the to maia look woodworms of the Philippines. 78 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: They really look bizarre, like this tree has been invaded 79 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: by wormy aliens or like started to grow veins or 80 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: something that it looked to me like yeah yeah, because 81 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,119 Speaker 1: when you split it open, it's like this big log 82 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: and you can see these holes kind of in it, 83 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: but also like in these holes like coming out like 84 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 1: these these sort of gray ropes, slimy ropes, so it 85 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: looks like it it has been invaded by some kind 86 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: of worm. Actually these are not worms at all. They're 87 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:47,679 Speaker 1: in fact a type of seafood, so which doesn't seem 88 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:52,799 Speaker 1: the most likely place to find seawood inside of rotting tree. Um. 89 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: But yeah, that's interesting. I mean, yeah, it looks pretty gnarly. 90 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 1: It's like definitely looks like it's been sewn together or something. 91 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: There's like these threads back and forth. But if if 92 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:07,679 Speaker 1: this happened to me, if I was cutting something open 93 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: and that I opened it up to see that I 94 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: would never recover. I traumatize. I would think that like 95 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: the tree was half it was like a dryad or 96 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: something halfway between sort of morphing from a human into 97 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: a tree. But it's like intestines are still there or something. 98 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: So yeah, oh god, yeah, I would also be horrified 99 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: if I did not know what I was dealing with. 100 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: But if you do know what you're dealing with, you 101 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: may feel excited because this is actually culinary delicacy in 102 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: the Philippines. And like I said, this is actually type 103 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: of seafood because the woodworm is not a worm. It 104 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,920 Speaker 1: actually belongs to a family of clams known as shipworms. 105 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: So these are clams. Can you believe it? No, I 106 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 1: really can't. I don't know how that do the trees 107 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: grow next to the should at least or not really 108 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: at all. Yeah, So these are mangroves and they actually 109 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: will grow in saltwater intertidal zones. So mangroves are one 110 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: of the only trees that can actually tolerate saltwater. And 111 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: since they grow submerged in the saltwater, a lot of 112 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: their branches and stuff gets soft or rotted, and it 113 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: is the perfect place for these woodworms or shipworms to 114 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: find a home. So these are sometimes called the termites 115 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 1: of the sea for their wood boring habits. They have long, 116 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: tubular worm like bodies and can grow up to a 117 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: meter or a little over three feet long. And yeah, 118 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: but despite looking like some kind of giant like spaghetti, 119 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: they are in fact a clam and do have all 120 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: the anatomical features of a bivalve mollusk, just sort of 121 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: great modified to this new purpose. So like all bivalves, 122 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: they have an input and an output siphon. They use 123 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: to basically filter the sea water and get their oxygen 124 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: supply with internal gills. And they have a shell, but 125 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: the shell, instead of nicely closing like a clam, is 126 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: actually broken apart on one end and the other, so 127 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: they have a little fragment of shell on sort of 128 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: the butt end and on the head end. So the 129 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:38,119 Speaker 1: on the butt end they have those siphons, and they 130 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: have a little shell fragment that can actually cover up 131 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: those siphons and close up the hole that they've board 132 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:48,079 Speaker 1: into the wood for protection from a predator that might 133 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: want to pull them out and eat them like a 134 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:55,079 Speaker 1: spaghetti as as do humans. So on the other end 135 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: is actually the part that bores through the wood. It 136 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 1: has the mouth, It has the foot of the clam, 137 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: which the all clams have a foot. It's this fleshy 138 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: part that it can use to dig in the sand, 139 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: but in this case it's digging in soft wood. And 140 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 1: it also has another piece of its shell up there 141 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: that is wrapped around this part of its head kind 142 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: of like a drill, and it can use this to 143 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 1: rasp at the wood and bore its way into the wood. Uh. 144 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: And so you have basically a long noodle with like 145 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: a drill on one end and breathing tubes on the other, 146 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: which is it's so bizarre to me that somehow a 147 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: clam has found itself in this situation. Yeah, that is 148 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 1: very fascinating. Yeah, because you're right, it has been greatly 149 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: modified in ways, like I wasn't even expecting it to 150 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: have a shell on either end or or all that stuff. 151 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: That's so fascinating to me. Have you ever read a 152 00:09:56,320 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: ginge too? The um it's like this horror manga artists, 153 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: there's this there's this famous one that is like a 154 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 1: sort of or I should say infamous on the internet 155 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,319 Speaker 1: where it's this thing where people find all of these 156 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: people shaped holes in a cliff side and then they're 157 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:20,959 Speaker 1: just like kind of drawn to going in the hole. 158 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: But for some reason, like on the other end of 159 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: the horror, on the other end of the whole miles away, 160 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 1: like the there was like an earthquake that caused the 161 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:32,559 Speaker 1: person shape of the hole to turn into like this 162 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: narrow things, so when they come out on the other side, 163 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: they're all warm ified and it's just a it's a 164 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: very I would only recommend this comic to people who 165 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:48,439 Speaker 1: have a high tolerance for sort of bizarre body horror stuff, 166 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: but it it is. It's definitely one of the most 167 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 1: infamous horror mangas out there because of that very weird visual. 168 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 1: But it does make me think of whatever solution has done, 169 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: if these clams, turning them from this nice little, you know, 170 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: like a little neat and tidy animal into this weird, 171 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: weird worm. But it really works for it. Yeah, I 172 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 1: mean that image just really kind of healthy. It makes 173 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: more sense when you put it that way, like evolutionarily, 174 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: like what must have happened. But now body horror stuff 175 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: is not for me, not your jam, not my jam. 176 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,679 Speaker 1: But but that does sound just like from my my 177 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: image of my head is very funny imagining that manga 178 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: just like it is. It is funny your bread looking 179 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: hoole bread man looking hole. Then it becomes it probably isn't, 180 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: but in my head it's like it is man bread, 181 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: Oh it is. It's it's funny. It's both funny and 182 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: it's funny horror like there's a certain humor to it, 183 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: and I think that's what makes it work so well, 184 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:54,079 Speaker 1: is that there's like it's a surrealism plus horror plus 185 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: a good amount of humor. Um so good. Yeah, but 186 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: it has some balance. It is balance stuff. I I 187 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,319 Speaker 1: personally do like it, but I'm also I look at 188 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: these kinds of things like these worms and stuff, it's like, hey, 189 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: that's neat instead of like, oh no, that's that's not good. 190 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: There's worms in that wood. Um, so like kind of 191 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: how like blue cheese is rotting? Like is this this 192 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: wood is rotting? Right? Yes, yes, it's because that it's 193 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 1: They like the rotting wood because it's soft and it 194 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: lets them eat the wood. And they actually have bacterious 195 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: symbiotic bacteria inside of the woodworm clam that helps them 196 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: digest that would and turn it into usable nutrients for 197 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 1: the clam. So it's similar to how termites work. Termites 198 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: also have a symbiotic bacteria gut bacteria that helps them 199 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: digest woods, so it's the same thing with this clam. 200 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: And yeah, rotting wood is the reason it's rotting is 201 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: because things like bacteria, area and microorganisms are eating it 202 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: breaking it down. So it makes a lot of sense 203 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: for these these clams to go into rotting wood. Not 204 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: only is it softer, easier for them to bore through, 205 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: it's also the preferred meal of something like a bacteria, 206 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 1: And the problem with trying to eat live wood, even 207 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: though there are animals that do eat living wood, is 208 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: that the plant will have defenses against it, maybe sap. 209 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: It will be more sort of a harder exterior, harder 210 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 1: to drill into. So rotting wood is often the meal 211 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: of choice for the lazy animal it doesn't want to 212 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: have to deal with the natural defenses that a living 213 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: tree will have. But it's so funny just think of 214 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 1: these animals. It's just like, I'm gonna phone it in today. 215 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: Just yeah, that's interesting. I mean, it kind of makes 216 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: me fascinated, like how these trees are still growing and 217 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: a lives because it's they're they're growing next to like 218 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,960 Speaker 1: the sea or like salt water. They're rotting. Things are 219 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: eating them. Well, what's like they I thought in my 220 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: head for for the treat to survive, there has to 221 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: be some kind of symbiotic relationship. But is there not 222 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: really at all? I mean, I think if you think 223 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: of it more like the treat to wore or something 224 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: that eats the carcass of something else. So like we 225 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 1: have a lot of scavengers that will eat the carcasses 226 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: of animals, like a vulture may eat the carcass of 227 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: an animal um, but that doesn't mean it's actually going 228 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: to hurt that animal's population, because it's only eating the 229 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: the dead animals. It's a scavenger um or like crabs 230 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: and um. You know, the these these things at the 231 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: bottom of the ocean that eat dead whales. They're not 232 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: actually killing off the whales. They're just eating the whales 233 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 1: that naturally die. And so things like things happen to 234 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: trees that causes them to fall over, branches to fall off, 235 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: and then when that happens, um, then you'll have these 236 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: these detritivores come and eat these the dead parts of 237 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: the tree. And it's actually a good process in general, 238 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: especially on the forest floor, because then you will take 239 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: something like a dead chunk of tree and turn like 240 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: these bacteria and microorganisms will actually turn it into a 241 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: fertile sort of soil with a lot of nutrients, and 242 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: then other animals can come in and eat those things. 243 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: So it's actually very good service that when animals eat 244 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: something that's dead and rotting, and really the main threat 245 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: to these mangroves are as usual humans, Like if we 246 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: go into these regions and like um for instance, typically 247 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 1: the eating of these woodworms is not an issue when 248 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: it's done sort of like occasionally with tourism and people 249 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: maybe seeking this out as like a tourist experience. That 250 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 1: does make it a little more iffy in terms of 251 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 1: whether that could remain sustainable. But yeah, they I do 252 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: not think that the woodworms really hurt the living trees. 253 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: They just feed off of the rotting wood. Now, if 254 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: you're a boat, maybe you would have to worry about 255 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: them because they might eat through your boat, or at 256 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: least that's sort of these these legends of these shipworms 257 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: um eating through these boats. I don't know how much 258 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: damaged they could actually have done to some of these 259 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: like big wooden boats in the past, but they were 260 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: definitely seen as a menace for for these boats. Yeah, 261 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: like the termites the yes, exactly, but you can you know, 262 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: I'm glad you clarified. Yeah, that's true. That's yeah. I 263 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: don't know. I don't think anyone needs termites um, but 264 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: I'm glad you clarified that because in my head, to 265 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: be honest, maybe this is silly, but I was imagining 266 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 1: that all the trees are rotten, right, Like I didn't 267 00:16:57,400 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: I didn't know there were like a live versions of 268 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: this true, which is my own ignorance. Uh, but I'm 269 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: glad you clarified. Does that just make yeah, okay, thank you? Yes, 270 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:11,400 Speaker 1: But uh so it is a sustainable system as long 271 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: as there's not too much interference that goes on. Um. 272 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's uh, as long as like people don't 273 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:25,719 Speaker 1: over overhunt these things or sort of tried to, you know, 274 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: basically create farms for it, which would be using up 275 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: sort of mangrove wood and generally disrupting the ecosystem. They are. 276 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: They are edible apparently. Um. They can be either eating 277 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: raw sort of like an oyster, or they can be cooked. 278 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: They are typically seasoned with coconut vinegar, lime juice, Chilian salt, 279 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 1: and it apparently has a sort of creamy, salty oystery 280 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,959 Speaker 1: taste to it. It doesn't. I'm not a musclely oyster 281 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: person neither am I Actually I'm not exactly sure why 282 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 1: this happens, But every time I've tried to eat like 283 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 1: muscles like, I've gotten a stomach ache. I threw up once, 284 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: So I don't know if that was just a coincidence 285 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: or if I should maybe avoid those. So personally, I 286 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: might avoid these just because I don't have a great 287 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: track record with shellfish. But it definitely sounds like it 288 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 1: sounds kind of good, like, it sounds like the sounds 289 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,199 Speaker 1: like if you like oysters, and yeah, you would like 290 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: it for sure. Yeah it's just I think so, but yeah, yeah, 291 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:36,120 Speaker 1: if you're a fan of shellfish, you would probably like this. 292 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: Um uh, because it isn't shellfish, right, shellfish noodles, shellfish noodles, 293 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 1: tree noodles. Yeah, so, Sharine, I'm sorry to subject you 294 00:18:54,520 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: to more tree horror of what happens to to tree. Um, 295 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: but this one might be my my least favorite photo 296 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: that I've seen some far. They're like in this document. Yeah, 297 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: I know, I do not like this one. I do 298 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: not like it. Would it be would you be okay 299 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: with describing what you're seeing or would you like me 300 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 1: to give Yeah? Sure, Katie, really just really asking a 301 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: lot right now? Okay, it's a tree. It's a big 302 00:19:28,119 --> 00:19:32,919 Speaker 1: part in the tree, and um, there are all these 303 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: circular orange looking balls embedded in the tree. But like 304 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 1: everywhere that the holes are everywhere, there's more whole balls 305 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 1: than there are tree bark that I can see. It's 306 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,479 Speaker 1: just like covered in these holes, and there's a bird 307 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 1: looking thing. It's a bird on the tree, on the tree, 308 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 1: and it's eating these balls out of the tree. Um. 309 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: And honestly, knowing that or balls is less nauseating than 310 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: like if they were worms coming out of it. It's 311 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: not like it's like a weird squeezy toy with like 312 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: stuff coming out, if that makes sense, right. Yeah, I 313 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 1: don't know if that was a good explanation, but there. 314 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: I've never seen anything like this, and I hope to 315 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 1: never see anything like this again. Um. Yeah, Well, because 316 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: you you do live in California, there is a chance 317 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,640 Speaker 1: you might see this. It also looks like I'm moving. Well, 318 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: don't move to Oregon, the southwestern United States or South America. 319 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:36,360 Speaker 1: Don't move near oak forests. This is where you would 320 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,120 Speaker 1: find it. Um. So what you know, I love forest, 321 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: I love Oregon. Also, do you know I'm allergic. I'm 322 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 1: allergic to oak. So well, this is a deadly tree 323 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: for me. Not deadly. I probably just get a rash. 324 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: But you'd get a rash on your body and on 325 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: your mind if you saw one of these, because this 326 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 1: is an oak tree and what you're seeing, those orange 327 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:01,680 Speaker 1: balls are actually acorns. Oh oh, they do look like that. 328 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: They have little acorn top, yes, and it's like a 329 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: tree that has been Swiss cheese ified, and in every 330 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: little hole is an individual acorn, which like when you 331 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:17,880 Speaker 1: see it's like, well, how does this happen? Like are 332 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: the acorns going rogue and attacking their own kind? Is 333 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: it like a squirrel mafia and they're getting into acorn gunfights? 334 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 1: The key is that bird you see perched on the tree. 335 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,639 Speaker 1: So humans aren't the only ones who can find a 336 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: nice meal stored in trees. Uh. Even though typically we 337 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: think of squirrels when we think of storing acorns, there 338 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: are other animals that enjoy a nice acorn uh. The 339 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: acorn woodpecker uh is a really interesting type of woodpeckers. 340 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: So woodpeckers of course peckwood. It's in in the day name. 341 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: And usually they will drill out holes in wood for 342 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,640 Speaker 1: things like finding larva inside the tree, so they'll find 343 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 1: a grub and pull it out. They can even drill 344 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: a hole for their nest inside a tree. Sometimes they'll 345 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: drink sap out of a tree. But the acorn woodpeckers 346 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: takes it to another level where they will drill out 347 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 1: holes as little cobby holes for acorns that they store 348 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: to eat later. So well, a quick physical description of 349 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 1: this acorn woodpecker. It looks like your standard woodpecker. It's 350 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: a medium, So I thought that was woodpecker, but I wasn't. 351 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 1: I didn't want to go on the record being like 352 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:48,359 Speaker 1: that's a woodpecker and you're like no, yeah, yeah. I 353 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: would have punished you for guessing. Yeah, you're not allowed, 354 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 1: because I feel pretty silly now because they're so obviously acorns, 355 00:22:57,600 --> 00:22:59,200 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, And I would just describe 356 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: it that was like orange. I don't think you should 357 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: feel silly because that's just not a place you expect 358 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,679 Speaker 1: acorns to be in, right, It's like like sure, if 359 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: they were on the ground, you'd be like, yeah, that's 360 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 1: an acorn. But they're embedded in a tree, so you're 361 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: not gonna necessarily first jump to acorn. Yeah no, thank 362 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: you for making me not feel less dumb. But but 363 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: it's so interesting like this the habit, or about the habit, 364 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 1: the fact that this bird is making these cobbies for 365 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: like the self control of this bird has not just 366 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: like gorge and all these savings, Like what how does 367 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: it guarantee that other birds like it won't. It's it's share. Yeah. 368 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 1: I just think it's very fascinating, fascinating. Their behavior is 369 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: so interesting. They're so meticulous and they take a lot 370 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: of steps to ensure that these acorns are safe. They'll 371 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: even so as the acorns dry out, because they save 372 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: these acorns for a while they're preparing for the winter 373 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: where there's less food sources available. It's very similar to 374 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 1: what squirrels do, and they know, well they don't maybe 375 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: consciously no, but as time goes on, acorns will actually 376 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: dry out and shrink. They'll constrict as the moisture leaves 377 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: the acorn. Even though there's the inside the shell and 378 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:23,159 Speaker 1: the acorn, there's still that meat of the acorn that 379 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:28,640 Speaker 1: is a great food source. But as the acorn gets smaller, uh, 380 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 1: it's in danger of falling out of these holes. So 381 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: the woodpecker actually takes it out of the larger hole 382 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: and puts it in a smaller hole so it's less 383 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: likely to followut. So it's constantly rearranging these acorns, making 384 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:44,919 Speaker 1: sure they're all snugly fit, and they're like they're like 385 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:52,440 Speaker 1: some kind of neurotic acorn librarian constantly reshuffling these acorns, 386 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: putting in new acorns. Uh. And and you're absolutely right that, 387 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 1: like it is tricky to make sure other birds don't 388 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: come in and steal their acorns. So some of these 389 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: woodpeckers in some regions have developed a strategy of teamwork, 390 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 1: making the dream work. Uh. So they will form um 391 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: what are called breeding collectives. So these are basically families 392 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: that are staying together protecting their what is called a 393 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: granary tree, so it's like where they're storing their acorns. 394 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: And these these breeding collectives typically are something where you 395 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: have um high related nous. So you'll have maybe three 396 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:42,240 Speaker 1: females who are all sisters, and then maybe they meet 397 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: a group of seven males who are brothers. They're not 398 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 1: related to the females, so you get that good genetic diversity. 399 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 1: And but then they're like, hey, look at look at 400 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: these hunky brothers. Come and mate with us, like this 401 00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 1: group of sisters. It's it's a it would definitely be 402 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: like a TLC show if if these birds got a 403 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:10,359 Speaker 1: TLC deal. Um, that is so fascinating. Honestly, I kind 404 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 1: of love these birds, like i I'm imagining them neurotically, 405 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: like just rearranging these acorns like a puzzle or something, 406 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:25,400 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, just like trying whatever. Um, 407 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 1: the idea of an erotic bird makes me feel at 408 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:30,680 Speaker 1: peace knowing that there are other animals that are neurotic 409 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: and not just um someone, So it's pretty we go ahead, 410 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: go ahead. As someone with O c D. I do 411 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: I do appreciate these birds? Yes, yes, I I too, 412 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 1: exactly in the same way. I'm like, wow, this is it. 413 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 1: I feel see thank you a corn Worth picker. But yeah, 414 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:54,880 Speaker 1: it's it's funny, like I don't feel it's grossed out 415 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: by this tree, knowing that it's just these cubbies for 416 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 1: this food. Um, it's pretty adorable, to be honest. Not 417 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 1: the tree itself, I will not say this adorable, but 418 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:07,880 Speaker 1: the act. Yeah, what what does what does wood picker 419 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,720 Speaker 1: is doing is pretty freaking cute. It's a it's a pantry, 420 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: not not some kind of tree that's grown with horrible 421 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:20,680 Speaker 1: acorn eyeballs. Exactly exactly. Also, I want to the more 422 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: we talked about acorns, like I want to try an acorn. 423 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 1: Are acorns edible too? They are? But it requires preparations. 424 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:34,880 Speaker 1: So this is something that was done actually by the 425 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: people who first lived here before Europeans came and colonized, 426 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 1: which basically you have to because two acorns have um, 427 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 1: they're toxic if you just eat the bra But you 428 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:50,720 Speaker 1: can make basically acorn meal and you can boil I 429 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: think you boil out the more um acidic toxins out 430 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,080 Speaker 1: of the acorn, and then you can grind them up 431 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 1: into an acorn meal. And this was actually used um 432 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,640 Speaker 1: as sort of a staple food often in a lot 433 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:12,640 Speaker 1: of civilizations in early America. M M, that sounds tasty. 434 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: I want to try some acorn meal. I mean completely serious. 435 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,200 Speaker 1: Just make sure it's cooked. Don't go and eat raw acorns, 436 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:23,160 Speaker 1: because you'll get a stomach ache. You know. I'm glad 437 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 1: you said that, because you never know if I was 438 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 1: a hike one day and be like, oh, that was 439 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 1: the time to try this acorn um. No, I I've 440 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: enjoyed this segment. I thank you. I'm glad I know 441 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 1: about this now. Well, you know, you probably if you 442 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: did try to eat when you learn pretty quick that 443 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,360 Speaker 1: it's not something you can just eat raw like that. UM. 444 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: They actually have a very better taste. It's well when 445 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: you crack it. You can crack open. If you find 446 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 1: an acorn on the ground, you can definitely explore inside 447 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: the acorn. You can crack it open. You'll find the meat. 448 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: If you're lucky, you'll find a grub actually inside. Sometimes 449 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 1: an acorn will have a little hole and a grub 450 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: will come in and eat that meat. Um. Which for 451 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 1: a woodpecker, if some of their acorns get eaten by grubs, 452 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: that's fine, they just eat the grubs. Um. For a human, arguably, 453 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: it's still fine. You can just eat that grub. But uh, 454 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: the meat is actually very bit it's soft. And I 455 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: know this because my grandparents used to live in Ohi, California, 456 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: where there's a ton of oak trees in their backyard 457 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: which is covered absolutely covered in oak trees and um acorns, 458 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: and I would collect a bunch as a kid, and 459 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 1: of course I was curious, and of course I had 460 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 1: to try eating one. And I tried it. It was 461 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: terrible tasting. So you definitely need to prepare these the 462 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: acorn before you actually eat it. Okay, okay, I'll keep 463 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: that in mind. Also, glad you're not dead, you acorn. Yeah, 464 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 1: it's a surprise to me as well. There are so 465 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: many things that look back on and I'm just like, 466 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 1: how am I still here? But I'm glad that in 467 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: my opinion, as I was scrolling through this document in 468 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 1: the beginning, that what I thought was the worst image 469 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 1: is now not so bad because of this cubby woodpecker deal. 470 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 1: So I appreciate that. Thank you. I'm I'm glad. Sometimes 471 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 1: knowledge is all, It's all it takes to turn a 472 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: nightmare into an adorable woodland story. However, there is still 473 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 1: some some drama with these woodpeckers because they form these 474 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: like cohesive units, these family units. Off in the offspring 475 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: will stay and help with rear the chicks and stuff. 476 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: You have this group of woodpeckers and they're able to 477 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: defend that granary pretty well. But what happens when one 478 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: of the woodpeckers dies or this woodpecker group destabilizes is 479 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 1: you start to get a bunch of interlopers who rush in. 480 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: There can be something like other species of birds like 481 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 1: scrub jays come flock over to try to steal as 482 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: many acorns as they can while that group of woodpeckers 483 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:14,239 Speaker 1: is in disarray. But you also have uh members of 484 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: the same species, other acorn woodpeckers who come in either 485 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,960 Speaker 1: to spectate. So there are these woodpeckers who are not 486 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 1: necessarily ready to try to find a nest site, but 487 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 1: they still just come to kind of be looky lose, 488 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 1: which is really interesting. They will fly for many miles 489 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,360 Speaker 1: just to see, like, hey, is what's going on here? 490 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:39,320 Speaker 1: And they watch like they're watching a TV show, like 491 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: a drama. Um. But in addition to them, there are 492 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 1: these warrior warrior woodpeckers who have come to actually try 493 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: to fight for a vacant breeding spot in this group. 494 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:57,239 Speaker 1: So it is quite quite a drama, and it's just 495 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 1: so funny to imagine all these birds are you and 496 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: you have these thieves from another species trying to steal 497 00:32:04,240 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 1: the acorn, and then other acorn woodpeckers fighting and bickering 498 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: over who gets to take the empty nest spot, and 499 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: then these other woodpeckers just sitting on the sidelines eating 500 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: a little like tiny tub of popcorn or something going 501 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: like you know, like huh, I never knew ryl like 502 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: had quite the strong clause. Just that is so freaking fascinating. 503 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:36,000 Speaker 1: I that is just like the acorn wars or honestly, 504 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 1: don't tell anyone about this idea, but I think this 505 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 1: is a great Pixar movie. Right, Let's work on this 506 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: Pixar movie. Absolutely right. I've generated so much free content 507 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: for Pixar. I'm shocked I have not received a check 508 00:32:51,320 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: in the mail from them, honestly. But yeah, I mean 509 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:58,719 Speaker 1: it is begging to be a movie. Yeah, there's like 510 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 1: so many frack factions, fractions. There's so there's so many 511 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: factions of like these birds and these like motivations, and 512 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: like the fact that they all have their own personalities, 513 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 1: whether it's like the spectator or like with the people 514 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 1: that want to become the people the birds that want 515 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 1: to become warriors. I just think it's what an interesting 516 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 1: little species species. Yeah, it's I mean it makes me 517 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 1: feel like where when humans watch trash TV, because I 518 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 1: mean everybody loves a little bit of trash TV, myself included, 519 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: whether it's rubber necking that's what they call it when 520 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: you're like even on the freeway. Yeah, yeah, exactly, whether 521 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:43,479 Speaker 1: you love to watch a soap opera or reality TV. 522 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: At least it's not just us. It's also woodpeckers m 523 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: not so different. They're just like us, Like the Star magazine. 524 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:04,960 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna talk about I mean, we just talked 525 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: about woodpecker drama, but this is this is like some 526 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: drama layered upon drama, like some kind of drama sandwich 527 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:23,320 Speaker 1: or drama like parfait. It's it's layers and layers here, 528 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 1: and it is what happens when a parasite is itself 529 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: victimized by another parasite. So there is something called a 530 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: goal wasp, and these are wasps that they may not 531 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 1: actually look like a wasp to us, because when when 532 00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 1: we think of a wasp, we think of the black 533 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: and yellow sort of you know, menacing looking stinging things. 534 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 1: But these are actually kind of chunky. They're black with 535 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 1: these red legs, so they don't really look like a 536 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,720 Speaker 1: wasp um and they're not really threatening. They don't believe 537 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: they really sting um. And the only case in which 538 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:14,360 Speaker 1: you should be afraid of these wasps are if you 539 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,360 Speaker 1: are an oak tree, a maple tree, a rose bush, 540 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:21,799 Speaker 1: or basically any kind of plant unlucky enough to make 541 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,320 Speaker 1: this gall wasp uh look you up and down and 542 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:35,360 Speaker 1: decide to be an unwelcome guest. Nice I am looking 543 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,400 Speaker 1: at the It's like a little chunky guy. You're right, yeah, 544 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:48,439 Speaker 1: chunky chunkster. Yeah. Interesting, I didn't know that that thing existed, said, 545 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,840 Speaker 1: I don't believe it stings humans, but it does. It 546 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 1: is a menace to plants and trees. Have you ever 547 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 1: seen on an oak tree something that looks like this 548 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 1: year ball like a growth tree or yeah, it's like maybe, yeah, 549 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:07,760 Speaker 1: I can imagine that. Yeah, I mean there's a photo 550 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:11,160 Speaker 1: there for you. It just based. It just looks sort 551 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 1: of like a like a ball growing on branch and 552 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: like little yeah, and you were called galls. They're called galls, 553 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 1: and you only find them like occasionally, and they're sort 554 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,520 Speaker 1: of bizarre because I remember seeing these as a kid 555 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:31,040 Speaker 1: growing up, of course with my weird interactions with oak trees, 556 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:32,960 Speaker 1: and like picking one and being like thinking it was 557 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 1: like some kind of fruit, but when you open it up, 558 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:39,360 Speaker 1: what you're going to find it's actually some wasp larvae. 559 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:44,160 Speaker 1: So the wasp, the gall wasp will lay their eggs 560 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:47,840 Speaker 1: inside the flesh of the plant and induce the plant 561 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: to form a gall, which is usually it's kind of 562 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:55,359 Speaker 1: like a hollow plant pearl. You know how oysters will 563 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,800 Speaker 1: form a pearl from an irritation, like a little piece 564 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 1: of sand or maybe a pair or a site and 565 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 1: form this protective coating around it. Plants seem to do 566 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,800 Speaker 1: the same thing, so it is a spherical growth that 567 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: can happen on the branches, on the leaves, on the roots, 568 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: even flower buds, and it's this like round kind of 569 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 1: growth thing, or sometimes like if it's on a leaf, 570 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: it's a little flatter, so it looks more like a 571 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:26,720 Speaker 1: like a doughnut or something, or a cheerio um. But uh, 572 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:31,960 Speaker 1: it's growing around this implanted egg or these implanted eggs 573 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:36,720 Speaker 1: that the wasps leave. And how the wasp actually makes 574 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:41,480 Speaker 1: the plant create this growth is not entirely well understood. 575 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 1: There's some theories that's maybe either a chemical or physical 576 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:51,480 Speaker 1: trigger that like makes the plant react defensively. But this 577 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:55,840 Speaker 1: defense is actually working in the favor of the wasp 578 00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:00,120 Speaker 1: larva because as this thing grows around little larva, it 579 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 1: not only provides protection to the larva, but inside that 580 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 1: ball is going to be some fleshy meat of the 581 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: plant that the larva can feed on as it develops. 582 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,880 Speaker 1: So it basically tricks the plant or the tree to 583 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: grow a crib for the larva, and the cribs walls 584 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,720 Speaker 1: are just lined with food and so it can happily 585 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,840 Speaker 1: eat inside the skull be really safe and cozy. Uh 586 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: inside this ball that you'll find on something like an 587 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:34,680 Speaker 1: oak tree. That is so fascinating. That is so fascinating. 588 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: I mean for my first instinct, I'm sorry, but I 589 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:39,400 Speaker 1: was like, this is like the balls of the tree. 590 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:43,319 Speaker 1: But it's so much more than that. Yeah, what a 591 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:48,800 Speaker 1: what a weird I mean yeah, used the things trees 592 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,840 Speaker 1: do never see. Like, there's just so many things that 593 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:55,520 Speaker 1: people probably are not aware of. And honestly, the little 594 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:58,400 Speaker 1: gall wasp, it's a pretty cute guy. If they're just 595 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:05,719 Speaker 1: trying to start a family. They are, they are. I 596 00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 1: find them cute. I think they're kind of like chunky 597 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 1: and bumbly looking. Yeah, they're like fuzzy little guy. There's 598 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:15,440 Speaker 1: this little guys. Unfortunately, even though this plan is pretty 599 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:19,400 Speaker 1: good in terms of protecting the gall wasp larva, and 600 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 1: then like once they metamorphosized into adults, they will bore 601 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:28,080 Speaker 1: a whole out of the gall and emerge well nourished 602 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:31,759 Speaker 1: and safe. Sometimes the best plans go awry, and that 603 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 1: is when your your parasitic Uh, your parasitic plans are 604 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:41,839 Speaker 1: interrupted by another parasite. So there is something called the 605 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:46,400 Speaker 1: crypt keeper wasp which has a creepy name. Uh, it 606 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 1: doesn't look that creepy, but its behavior is definitely definitely 607 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:55,880 Speaker 1: sus Uh. So the crypt keeper wasp is found in 608 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 1: the US, and it is an iridescent green and blue 609 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:02,680 Speaker 1: wasp that it doesn't look that menacing, and it's really 610 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:06,080 Speaker 1: not if you're a human. It's got these fuffy antenna 611 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:10,120 Speaker 1: and they don't really typically sting people. Um, I mean, 612 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:13,480 Speaker 1: it's beautiful. It is genuinely maybe the prettiest insect I've 613 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 1: seen in my life. It's so like, yeah, you're indescent 614 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:21,920 Speaker 1: and the color is just straight out of euphor you. Yeah, 615 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:26,879 Speaker 1: it's it's got it's definitely an aesthetic and it look 616 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:29,560 Speaker 1: it looks like a little insect fairy. It looks kind 617 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:34,520 Speaker 1: of dainty with these little funny antenna. It is not 618 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:38,920 Speaker 1: it is not by any means menacing, menacing or grotesque looking. 619 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:43,120 Speaker 1: Their behavior though, it's not about what you look like 620 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:46,520 Speaker 1: on the outside, it's what's on the inside and inside 621 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:53,160 Speaker 1: these are creepy little fiends. So, uh, the crypt keeper 622 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:57,080 Speaker 1: wasp will find the galls of the gall wasp. Those 623 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,080 Speaker 1: those little cribs. Basically that the gall lops have tricked 624 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 1: the plant into forming these cocoons made out of plant material, 625 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:07,400 Speaker 1: and they will bore a little hole in them and 626 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:12,120 Speaker 1: lay it's larva inside. So now you've got two larva 627 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:16,799 Speaker 1: inside this gall. You have the gall lost larva and 628 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:21,480 Speaker 1: the crypt keeper wasp larva. And that's just the beginning 629 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:26,000 Speaker 1: of it, because it gets seriously weird. The crypt keeper 630 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 1: larva bites down onto the gal lop larva and somehow 631 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:37,520 Speaker 1: mind controls it to start metamorphosizing into an adult ahead 632 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 1: of schedule and start burrowing out of the gall early. 633 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:45,840 Speaker 1: But what happens is, because it has hijacked at the 634 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: gal wasps normal metamorphosis, it actually turns into this weird 635 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:55,320 Speaker 1: thing where it's like burrows a hole that's too small 636 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,800 Speaker 1: for it, so it can only squeeze its head out, 637 00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:03,240 Speaker 1: and then it gets duck. And then what the crypt 638 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:08,319 Speaker 1: keeper lava does is starts eating the goal wasp from 639 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:12,520 Speaker 1: the butt up to the head. So the head is 640 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: protecting the crypt keeper larva by blocking this entrance that 641 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,120 Speaker 1: the crypt keeper has forced this goal wasp to make, 642 00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 1: and so it gets to eat the rest of its 643 00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:28,120 Speaker 1: body it's like, you know the thing where like remember 644 00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:32,080 Speaker 1: when Pooh Bear gets stuck in in that hole. It's 645 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:37,160 Speaker 1: like it's like if piglets started eating Pooh Bear from 646 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:39,799 Speaker 1: the butt up and just leaving his head as like 647 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 1: a door. That is so unsettling. I take back everything 648 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:52,360 Speaker 1: I said about this beautiful insect. That is so unsettling, 649 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:57,080 Speaker 1: that is so just left up. I cannot get over that. 650 00:42:57,080 --> 00:43:00,279 Speaker 1: That's I mean, I know animals and insects do crazy things. 651 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:05,960 Speaker 1: I totally understand, but like that is demented. Mm hmm. 652 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:14,319 Speaker 1: It's like it's insidious. Yeah, it's mean. I just like 653 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 1: to imagine you scolding this little wasp out now, just 654 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:20,640 Speaker 1: like like shaking your finger and it's like, stop being mean. 655 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:25,600 Speaker 1: You're being mean. Yeah it is, but it is objectively 656 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:28,759 Speaker 1: just a little bit mean and really really left up. 657 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:33,440 Speaker 1: It's rude. It's rude. It's it's a very uh, it's 658 00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:38,239 Speaker 1: a party foul, it's a it's an evil little guys. 659 00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:43,839 Speaker 1: It's just brewing. It's like it's it's it's seed where 660 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:47,960 Speaker 1: it's not welcome, eating what's already there, and then just 661 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:51,280 Speaker 1: like making like I don't know, it's just it's all 662 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 1: very strategic, manipulative, and like, I guess, is there another 663 00:43:58,120 --> 00:44:03,480 Speaker 1: way for this creep crypt keeper wasp to spawn or 664 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:06,759 Speaker 1: is this like, like, is there a motivation for doing 665 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:10,760 Speaker 1: it this way versus another way? Yeah, so the motivation 666 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:14,920 Speaker 1: is I mean, it's very machiavellian. It's it not only 667 00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:20,799 Speaker 1: gets to have a free home, right, it deposits as 668 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:25,080 Speaker 1: larva somewhere where it's safe. The larva also gets extra nutrition. 669 00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:29,520 Speaker 1: And by making the goal wasp chew its way out 670 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:34,040 Speaker 1: of the goal, uh, it increases the chance of the 671 00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:38,920 Speaker 1: crypt keeper's survival because that it takes effort to board 672 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:41,760 Speaker 1: its way out of this this goal. So crypt keepers 673 00:44:41,760 --> 00:44:46,320 Speaker 1: who don't uh somehow they don't do that mind control 674 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:49,840 Speaker 1: and don't make the gal wasp drill its own drill 675 00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:53,120 Speaker 1: the exit for it actually have a lower chance of survival. 676 00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:56,080 Speaker 1: And when they are when they do metamorphosize and they 677 00:44:56,080 --> 00:44:58,600 Speaker 1: are ready to to emerge, they just chew through the 678 00:44:58,640 --> 00:45:03,640 Speaker 1: head and pop about the Yeah it's not it's snarly. 679 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:08,759 Speaker 1: It's snarly. The mind control thing is is wild to me. Wait, so, 680 00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:12,440 Speaker 1: like so in most cases they just leave the head there, Well, 681 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:15,160 Speaker 1: they leave the head there while they're still chilling out 682 00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:19,160 Speaker 1: inside of the gall, like eating the eating the flesh 683 00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:23,080 Speaker 1: of both the both the gall wasp and also the 684 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:25,680 Speaker 1: probably I think they also eat the inside of the 685 00:45:25,719 --> 00:45:30,160 Speaker 1: gall so they're um, just just hanging having a good time, 686 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:33,520 Speaker 1: being a weird little freak. And then they they leave 687 00:45:33,560 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 1: the head there while they're still inside, because that is 688 00:45:36,560 --> 00:45:39,839 Speaker 1: protect that's basically acting as a door. It's protecting them 689 00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:46,080 Speaker 1: from other intruders. So yes, it's pretty you know, it's 690 00:45:46,080 --> 00:45:52,000 Speaker 1: pretty insidious. That is mean and evil, and the gall 691 00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:54,719 Speaker 1: laws was so cute and these be sad that it 692 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:58,680 Speaker 1: has these like predators that are technically part of the 693 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:02,719 Speaker 1: same little family but are mind controlling and eating them 694 00:46:02,719 --> 00:46:05,520 Speaker 1: from them. But up they're just trying to do their thing. 695 00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:12,799 Speaker 1: Like is really being that uh offensive or like in 696 00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:18,160 Speaker 1: this crypt keeper wasps way. Yeah, I mean I'm always 697 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:21,879 Speaker 1: with the underdog, yeah, even if the upper dog, upper dog, 698 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:25,600 Speaker 1: even if the other side is so beautiful, yeah, the 699 00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:29,640 Speaker 1: upper dog. Yeah. I do think this would also make 700 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:32,920 Speaker 1: a good like kind of like a high school movie, 701 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:36,399 Speaker 1: you know, where you have the pretty popular upper dog 702 00:46:36,640 --> 00:46:40,960 Speaker 1: wasp and then maybe the sort of maybe not as 703 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:44,640 Speaker 1: glitzy and shiny, but adorable in her own way wasp 704 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:48,080 Speaker 1: and then she just gets eaten by the uh by 705 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:51,399 Speaker 1: the popular Tina Wasp. It's like our tim Burton. It's 706 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:53,799 Speaker 1: like our Timberton version of a Pixar movie. Like, yeah, 707 00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:56,960 Speaker 1: to be kind of dark and weird. Um, but I 708 00:46:56,960 --> 00:46:58,880 Speaker 1: think we can make it happen. Yeah. I would like 709 00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:02,279 Speaker 1: to see like a high school team musical but they 710 00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:06,200 Speaker 1: eat each other like like sort of cannibalize. You know, 711 00:47:07,600 --> 00:47:10,239 Speaker 1: I wouldn't I that was I don't actually want to 712 00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:13,960 Speaker 1: see that now that I'm thinking about it. I mean, 713 00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:16,920 Speaker 1: but it is really fascinating. I had no idea that 714 00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:19,719 Speaker 1: animals or not. I guess they're insects, but like they 715 00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:22,759 Speaker 1: mind controlling thing is still kind of tripping me out. 716 00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:26,799 Speaker 1: It's yeah, yeah know, it's really bizarre, and I don't 717 00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:30,640 Speaker 1: think they know exactly what they're how they're doing it. 718 00:47:30,960 --> 00:47:35,000 Speaker 1: My guests, my my guests. That will probably have to 719 00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:38,200 Speaker 1: put my foot in my mouth for later, but it 720 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:42,960 Speaker 1: I think it's probably some kind of chemical that the 721 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:47,600 Speaker 1: the crypt keeper parasite. It's actually technically a parasitoid, not 722 00:47:47,680 --> 00:47:50,399 Speaker 1: a parasite, because like a parasite will live off its 723 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:53,600 Speaker 1: host over long periods of time, whereas a parasitoid actually 724 00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:59,080 Speaker 1: will devour its host eventually like kill it. So the 725 00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:01,480 Speaker 1: but anyways, back to what I was saying is I 726 00:48:01,520 --> 00:48:05,880 Speaker 1: bet what it's doing is like excreting some chemical that 727 00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:10,600 Speaker 1: stimulates some kind of like hormone production inside the gall wasp, 728 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:17,319 Speaker 1: causing that premature development, which also causes it to prematurely 729 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:20,319 Speaker 1: try to bore out of the gall. But because it's premature, 730 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:24,640 Speaker 1: it's unable to get all the way out. The whole 731 00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:27,240 Speaker 1: size isn't quite right, and so it's like it sounds 732 00:48:27,360 --> 00:48:31,560 Speaker 1: like there's it's it's just it's just so weird. Though 733 00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:33,800 Speaker 1: to me, it blows my mind as well that something 734 00:48:33,840 --> 00:48:38,560 Speaker 1: can like I mean, obviously each individual crypt keeper is 735 00:48:38,600 --> 00:48:41,239 Speaker 1: not figuring this out on its own, but that evolution 736 00:48:41,400 --> 00:48:45,719 Speaker 1: can have such a twisted, twisted pathway to create such 737 00:48:45,760 --> 00:48:48,600 Speaker 1: a devious parasite. But we we see it happen over 738 00:48:48,640 --> 00:48:54,640 Speaker 1: and over again. Yeah, like to hijack another intersects like 739 00:48:55,560 --> 00:48:58,360 Speaker 1: growth cycle or you know what I mean that is 740 00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:03,520 Speaker 1: that is yeah, can't get over that as baffled, Well, 741 00:49:04,160 --> 00:49:08,280 Speaker 1: I think, uh, I think we have thoroughly freaked out Sharine. 742 00:49:09,640 --> 00:49:13,839 Speaker 1: But before we go, I do need to answer an 743 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:17,880 Speaker 1: important question, and that's guests Who's squawking? Every week we 744 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:22,000 Speaker 1: play the guests who squawking Mystery Animal sound game. I 745 00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:27,160 Speaker 1: will play an animal sound and you guys out there, uh, 746 00:49:27,200 --> 00:49:31,840 Speaker 1: we'll try to guess who is making that sound last 747 00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:38,120 Speaker 1: week's mystery animal sound. Uh. So, first let's find out 748 00:49:38,120 --> 00:49:41,759 Speaker 1: the answer to last week's mysteries sound. The hint was 749 00:49:42,440 --> 00:49:44,600 Speaker 1: this is what happens when you get a little too 750 00:49:44,719 --> 00:50:08,080 Speaker 1: nosy with this group. Yeah, so sharene, do you have 751 00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:12,319 Speaker 1: any guesses for who's squawking? That's there's a lot going 752 00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:16,920 Speaker 1: on in that soundclip. I I don't even know. It 753 00:50:17,040 --> 00:50:19,600 Speaker 1: sounded a little bit like a donkey. At times, it 754 00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:26,399 Speaker 1: sounded a little bit like a bird that was getting squished. Yeah. 755 00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:28,360 Speaker 1: I I have a feeling it's going to not be 756 00:50:28,400 --> 00:50:33,080 Speaker 1: as simple as as a donkey or as a a bird. Um. 757 00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:35,120 Speaker 1: But squawking does make me feel like it has to 758 00:50:35,160 --> 00:50:36,919 Speaker 1: be a bird. But it doesn't have to be a bird. 759 00:50:37,080 --> 00:50:40,400 Speaker 1: That's why the game is called right. Yeah, no, it 760 00:50:40,480 --> 00:50:42,120 Speaker 1: does not have to be a bird. It can be 761 00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:49,520 Speaker 1: basically any any living animal on the planet, any living organism. Um. Yeah, 762 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:52,160 Speaker 1: so the donkey guest is very good you actually share 763 00:50:52,200 --> 00:50:55,440 Speaker 1: that guest with my guest on the podcast last week. 764 00:50:55,600 --> 00:50:58,800 Speaker 1: I think it's a really good guess. I will be honest, 765 00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:01,439 Speaker 1: if I had to try to guess this, I don't 766 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:05,920 Speaker 1: think I would get it. So um, but uh, this 767 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:11,879 Speaker 1: is actually a troop of proboscis monkeys. So oh, that's 768 00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:15,319 Speaker 1: what it is. And I was a second guess. You 769 00:51:15,360 --> 00:51:17,360 Speaker 1: should have You should have gone with that. You should 770 00:51:17,360 --> 00:51:18,880 Speaker 1: have gone with that one. I know I was on 771 00:51:18,880 --> 00:51:23,040 Speaker 1: the tip of your tongue. Congratulations to everyone who gets 772 00:51:23,120 --> 00:51:26,640 Speaker 1: correctly in the through fastest were of course our resident 773 00:51:26,760 --> 00:51:34,440 Speaker 1: champion antib and Saga E and China s. Good job, 774 00:51:34,520 --> 00:51:39,960 Speaker 1: you guys, really impressive. So Proboscis monkeys are old world 775 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:44,280 Speaker 1: monkeys found in Borneo. They have a really distinctive look. 776 00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:47,080 Speaker 1: They have these pot bellies is sort of like flat, 777 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:51,760 Speaker 1: almost comb overlooking hairstyle of orange fur. They have these 778 00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:56,600 Speaker 1: pink faces and for the males they have this really long, 779 00:51:57,000 --> 00:52:00,480 Speaker 1: floppy nose. It do you know, like I think I've 780 00:52:00,480 --> 00:52:04,239 Speaker 1: seen you were Like the image that you're conjuring up 781 00:52:04,320 --> 00:52:07,880 Speaker 1: is bringing up an image that you remember, like Ziggy, 782 00:52:07,920 --> 00:52:12,920 Speaker 1: that old newspaper comic. Uh. Like there's also like the 783 00:52:13,160 --> 00:52:16,200 Speaker 1: kilroy was here thing with that little character with the 784 00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:20,200 Speaker 1: big like um big nose or like in Popeye cartoons. 785 00:52:20,239 --> 00:52:22,359 Speaker 1: I think there's like another one. It looks like that 786 00:52:22,440 --> 00:52:27,440 Speaker 1: like Carton. Yeah, like that cartoon, um big nose. Like 787 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:31,160 Speaker 1: that's like looks like if you kind of like had 788 00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:34,960 Speaker 1: sort of a half half filled water balloon and like 789 00:52:35,280 --> 00:52:37,560 Speaker 1: it's like squid words nose. I'm sorry I didn't reach 790 00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:41,760 Speaker 1: for the obvious thing. It's a squid word nose. So, um, 791 00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:46,440 Speaker 1: this is the proboscis. Uh. It's called a proboscis. You 792 00:52:46,480 --> 00:52:49,680 Speaker 1: can call it a nose. Um. So it's only in 793 00:52:49,719 --> 00:52:52,359 Speaker 1: the males that they have the squid word nose. And 794 00:52:52,400 --> 00:52:54,759 Speaker 1: it's because the females find it hot. They think it's 795 00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:59,520 Speaker 1: really attractive. They're able to produce louder calls with this 796 00:52:59,600 --> 00:53:05,160 Speaker 1: bigger roboscis uh, and so females really enjoy that. And yeah, 797 00:53:05,200 --> 00:53:09,000 Speaker 1: they're they're highly vocal. They will make numerous vocalizations communicating 798 00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:10,680 Speaker 1: with each other. So what you heard in this clip 799 00:53:10,760 --> 00:53:13,120 Speaker 1: was like a whole bunch of them. And so those 800 00:53:13,200 --> 00:53:17,480 Speaker 1: weird like honking, grunting noises were probably coming from the 801 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:23,640 Speaker 1: males with their big floppy squidward noises. Interesting, that is 802 00:53:23,760 --> 00:53:32,280 Speaker 1: very fascinating. Uh wow, another Pixar movie. I think, yeah, 803 00:53:32,440 --> 00:53:36,719 Speaker 1: everything is a Pixtar movie. Um, then you forget that 804 00:53:36,800 --> 00:53:38,640 Speaker 1: like movies are based on real life and not that 805 00:53:38,719 --> 00:53:43,200 Speaker 1: like real life is her mind. I'm getting to two 806 00:53:43,280 --> 00:53:46,320 Speaker 1: in my head here. I think maybe these these monkeys 807 00:53:46,360 --> 00:53:53,480 Speaker 1: were designed by someone out of cal arts. That makes sense. Yeah, 808 00:53:53,680 --> 00:53:59,000 Speaker 1: So onto this week's mystery animal. Sound. Here is the hint. 809 00:53:59,680 --> 00:54:03,520 Speaker 1: It's sounds like an adorable squeaking mouse, except it has 810 00:54:03,719 --> 00:54:21,520 Speaker 1: way too many legs to be a mouse. Sharene who 811 00:54:21,560 --> 00:54:27,799 Speaker 1: do you think it's squawking? Here? I do not know. 812 00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:31,240 Speaker 1: It has to be has to have more than four legs. 813 00:54:31,920 --> 00:54:38,239 Speaker 1: So I was thinking it's an insect potentially, or I mean, 814 00:54:38,239 --> 00:54:41,840 Speaker 1: I can't be an octopus. I imagine octopus and everything 815 00:54:41,880 --> 00:54:45,320 Speaker 1: else that have legs under the ocean maybe aren't audible. 816 00:54:45,600 --> 00:54:53,160 Speaker 1: Um maybe I'm wrong? Who knows? Um wow? I yeah, 817 00:54:53,160 --> 00:54:54,800 Speaker 1: I kind of want to say it's like a cicada. 818 00:54:54,960 --> 00:54:57,239 Speaker 1: Looking it's not a cicada. It's not that noise, but 819 00:54:57,239 --> 00:54:59,360 Speaker 1: I kind of think it's like this, like a cricket, 820 00:54:59,440 --> 00:55:03,279 Speaker 1: like and act or something. And if not, what kind 821 00:55:03,280 --> 00:55:05,360 Speaker 1: of animal has more than four legs. I feel dumb. 822 00:55:06,120 --> 00:55:08,279 Speaker 1: I feel like it's going to be so obvious. Well, 823 00:55:08,320 --> 00:55:12,480 Speaker 1: these are very good guesses. I'll give you that, So 824 00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:16,440 Speaker 1: don't feel dumb. Yeah, and it's either like an insect 825 00:55:16,600 --> 00:55:19,759 Speaker 1: or like a starfish or but it's not a starfish. 826 00:55:19,800 --> 00:55:21,920 Speaker 1: I know it's not a starfish. But yeah, I'm gonna 827 00:55:21,920 --> 00:55:25,960 Speaker 1: say it's like a weird insect thing that pops up 828 00:55:25,960 --> 00:55:28,880 Speaker 1: in the springtime or something. You know. Well, that is 829 00:55:28,880 --> 00:55:32,440 Speaker 1: a very good guess. Uh. I will reveal the answer 830 00:55:32,600 --> 00:55:36,680 Speaker 1: to this week's gives hoo squawking on next creature feature 831 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:41,320 Speaker 1: next Wednesday. So sharing, thank you so much for joining 832 00:55:41,320 --> 00:55:47,960 Speaker 1: me today and for enduring the weird, grizzly things that 833 00:55:48,040 --> 00:55:54,400 Speaker 1: happened to these trees. Yeah, I I feel better than 834 00:55:54,440 --> 00:55:58,439 Speaker 1: I did an hour ago. Um, I'm glad we got 835 00:55:58,440 --> 00:56:01,920 Speaker 1: through it. I feel like I learned a lot. You know, 836 00:56:02,080 --> 00:56:04,000 Speaker 1: there's a lot of fascinating stuff that trees do that 837 00:56:04,040 --> 00:56:06,960 Speaker 1: I had no idea about. So I appreciate you talking 838 00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:09,239 Speaker 1: to me through them. Yeah, you learned a lot. You 839 00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:14,120 Speaker 1: made some some new friends with these gossipy woodpeckers. Um, 840 00:56:14,760 --> 00:56:18,759 Speaker 1: where can people find you? You can find me on 841 00:56:18,800 --> 00:56:21,720 Speaker 1: the internet if you wish, I'm on Twitter at shiro 842 00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:25,399 Speaker 1: hero six six six and on Instagram at shiro hero um. 843 00:56:25,440 --> 00:56:28,400 Speaker 1: I just released another poetry book. If you guys want that, 844 00:56:28,560 --> 00:56:31,759 Speaker 1: just d n me. I'm doing bundles of both of them. 845 00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:35,080 Speaker 1: I think I don't know if I'm still going on anyway, 846 00:56:34,600 --> 00:56:37,439 Speaker 1: I'm i'm a I'm around just if you just look 847 00:56:37,520 --> 00:56:40,719 Speaker 1: me up. You don't have to like it, but you 848 00:56:41,600 --> 00:56:44,839 Speaker 1: do have to. Actually, I'm I'm laying down the law. 849 00:56:44,880 --> 00:56:48,279 Speaker 1: You must lick her up. There will be consequences if 850 00:56:48,280 --> 00:56:51,880 Speaker 1: you don't. Of course, if you think you know who's 851 00:56:51,880 --> 00:56:54,440 Speaker 1: squawkings this week, or if you want to write to 852 00:56:54,480 --> 00:56:58,120 Speaker 1: me a question, a comment, picture of your pet, you 853 00:56:58,120 --> 00:57:01,200 Speaker 1: can write a Creature feature pot at gmail dot com. 854 00:57:01,320 --> 00:57:03,640 Speaker 1: I'm also on the internet at Creature Feature Pod on 855 00:57:03,719 --> 00:57:07,240 Speaker 1: Instagram and Creature feed Pod on Twitter. That's f e 856 00:57:07,160 --> 00:57:10,280 Speaker 1: A T, not f e ET. That is something very different. 857 00:57:10,800 --> 00:57:13,960 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. If you're enjoying the 858 00:57:14,080 --> 00:57:17,760 Speaker 1: show and you leave a rating or review, I read 859 00:57:17,800 --> 00:57:21,680 Speaker 1: all the reviews. I tape them up all over my walls, 860 00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:26,240 Speaker 1: like I think from that movie The Shining or something. Anyways, 861 00:57:26,440 --> 00:57:29,040 Speaker 1: I I do love reading the reviews, so I really 862 00:57:29,040 --> 00:57:32,080 Speaker 1: appreciate it whenever someone takes the time to leave one. 863 00:57:32,960 --> 00:57:35,640 Speaker 1: And thanks to the Space Classics for their super awesome 864 00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:40,360 Speaker 1: song excel Alumina. Creature features a production of I Heart Radio. 865 00:57:40,520 --> 00:57:43,640 Speaker 1: For more podcasts like the one you just heard, visit 866 00:57:43,680 --> 00:57:46,520 Speaker 1: the I heart Radio app Apple Podcasts, or Hey, guess 867 00:57:46,520 --> 00:57:49,200 Speaker 1: what where have you listened to your favorite podcast, even 868 00:57:49,240 --> 00:57:52,760 Speaker 1: if it's like inside a rotting log I don't judge you. 869 00:57:53,240 --> 00:57:54,480 Speaker 1: See you next Wednesday.