The Wild Life
Episodes
Poop Cubed with Patricia Yang
17 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we finally learn the answer to why wombats have cubed poop, learn how all of us mammals are bonded by our bowels, find out about some...
Behind the 𝗦𝗖i𝗘𝗡c𝗘𝗦 with Patricia Yang, PostDoc at Stanford and Ig Nobel Winner
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Stay tuned for her full episode, Poo Cubed, out this Friday!Patricia Yang is a postdoc in Civil and Environmental Engineering, where she is studying t...
SHORT: What's the Purpose of Ticks?
09 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The truth is, the concept of a plant or animals purpose isn’t as cut and dry as many would like. This makes sense. People are always trying to deter...
Us: The Dangerous Myth of Overpopulation
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 1 of Us, an ongoing series examining our connections and impact on the environment, sustainability, and our changing climate. Part 1 t...
How to Save a Wild Life with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of MN
19 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever seen an injured animal and wished you knew what to do or who to call? Have you ever seen an animal acting strangely but were unsure of w...
Saving Quokkas Now, Using the Past with Dr Larisa DeSantis
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode has it all: Quokkas, trivia, selfies, Australia, the La Brea Tar Pits, Conservation Paleobiology, and somehow manages to tie it all toget...
NEWS: Joe the Pigeon is on Death Row
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A fascinating journey that sounds the stuff of an animated movie or a children’s book is about to come to a rather different sort of end.On December...
Spittlebugs & Froghoppers with Dr Jason Cryan
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been outside during the spring and you see what looks like spit clinging to the sides of plant stems? Well, it's not spit, but it is a b...
SHORT: The Wild Life of the Nicobar Pigeon
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's kind of hard to believe at first glance, but yes, they're actually pigeons.https://thewildlife.blog/2020/05/12/the-wild-life-of-the-nicobar-pigeo...
SHORT: The Always Adorable, Sometimes Vicious, Shrew
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shrew are many things. Sometimes venomous, sometimes able to walk on water, sometimes snake-killers, but always adoreable.https://thewildlife.blog/201...
New Year, New You? + Revisiting the Metamorphosis Metaphor
01 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hey Wildlings! First off, Happy New Year. This episode is about 15 minutes of something a little different from what we normally do + a revisit to an ...
Science, Academia, and Podcasting: 2020 Wrap-Up LIVE (recording)
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Follow all of the podcasts featured in this episode!The Root of the ScienceTwitter: https://twitter.com/RootofSciPodWebsite/Podcast: https://rootofthe...
Jack's Favorite Animals
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
My 4 year old brought me my mic and asked if we could make a podcast episode. This is that episode!
SHORT: The Cookiecutter Shark
22 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Also know as the cigar shark for that one time a sailor mistook it for a cigar and only realized their mistake after trying to light it up—kidding o...
SHORT: Clever Fox
12 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NOT A LEMUR, NOR A CAT. THIS RACCOON-LIKE CRITTER IS A “CLEVER FOX”.
SHORT: Blood Root
11 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
THIS TOXIC, NECTARLESS FLOWER IS SPREAD BY ANTSSupport our work at patreon.com/thewildlife
SHORT: Is it a Worm? A Wasp? No, it's the Elm Sawfly!
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This past August as I sat below an old oak tree while drinking my morning cup of coffee and looking out on a glassy Lake Darling in Alexandria, Minnes...
SHORT: The Dragonhunter
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the skies across Minnesota (and much of the eastern US and southeastern Canada, for that matter), roams a fierce and agile predator, capable of tak...
SHORT: Carrion My Wayward Beetle
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This is circle of life—or at least an ugly, albeit necessary, curve of it. This is the life of the American Carrion Beetle.Support our show at patre...
REVISIT 2019| How to Make a Snowflake
04 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Devon and Richard talk snow, Frozen 2, whether or not water has memory (and if it's good or bad), the Big Bang, the formation of plan...
SHORT: Snakes in the Basement?
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all heard of snakes on a plane, but this time of year, snakes are slipping their way into all sorts of unexpected places—like basements of t...
Even the Least Weasel can be a bit Extra
29 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t let their cute little face fool you. The carnivorous Least Weasel is fierce, eating up to 60% of its body weight in food per day.Weasel vs Sea...
Class | Polyplacophora (CHITONS)
07 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In our first episode back in over a month, we are revamping our Phylum series by focusing in on another tier of classification: Class.Welcome to our n...
2019 Revisit| A Tell Tale Beetle Romance Halloween Special
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Halloween! In this super special, unexpected, and therefore super last minute holiday treat (and trick), Devon reads a retelling of Edgar Allen ...
2019 REVISIT| IS Anybody Out There?
10 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While we're on a brief hiatus, we wanted to take a trip back in time to revisit our Season 2 premier from February 2019.In this episode, Devon and Ric...
Nudies! with The Nagging Naturalist, Kristen Mankowski
03 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Swishy dainty areas, droppable penises (well, just the tip), butt-breathing, smelling things with horns, the tenacity of nudi niche filling, over-gene...
Behind the 𝗦𝗖i𝗘𝗡c𝗘𝗦 with The Nagging Naturalist, Kristen Mankowski
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tomorrow, we have an episode coming out in which The Nagging Naturalist herself, Kristen Mankowski, drops some major Nudibranch Knowledge on us.BUT as...
2018 REVISIT| Scattered
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode from 2018, Devon and Richard look into the void to unveil the cause of the once mysterious Deep Scattering Layer, taking you on a jour...
Behind the 𝗦𝗖i𝗘𝗡c𝗘𝗦 with Dr Diva Amon
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Behind the SCiENcES with Dr Diva AmonLet's get to know deep sea biologist, Dr Diva AmonHow long has she been interested in science?What was her first ...
SHORT: Brine Lakes, Hydrothermal Vents, and Life in the Dark with Dr Diva Amon
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're back with another carefully, specially curated segment from our last full episode with Dr Diva Amon. In this SHORT, you'll get to here about und...
SHORT: The Stages of Life on a Dead Whale with Dr Diva Amon
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In need of some science in your soul but a full episode is too long at the moment? We're selecting specially curated segments just for you! No intros,...
Whale Falls and the Deep Sea with Dr Diva Amon
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am to share this episode with you. By far one of my favorite interviews I’ve done!It’s sea-ptember,...
REVISIT| The Air We Breathe with Dr Julie Koester and Dr Orly Levithan
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's Sea-ptember, and it's about time we revisit this old favorite of ours in which we explore the true source of the Air We Breathe. In this episode ...
Phylum: Ctenophora & Cnidaria (JELLIES+) with special guest Lucas Brotz
04 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of our Phylum miniseries, we're talking Ctenophores (box jellies) and Cnidaria (jellyfish, anemones, hydra, and coral!)Unlike our e...
The Birds, the Bees, and the Trees with Vikram Baliga of Planthropology
29 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do plants make more plants? Better yet, how can one plant reproduce with itself? That was the question Devon's wife asked when an accidental pumpk...
Who's Laughing Now? Hyenas with Dr Kay Holekamp
22 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everybody knows their sound. It's haunting, but it also holds fascinating secrets.Hyena’s have been painted as villains, demons ridden by witches, g...
A Better Way to Talk About Sharks with Dr Catherine MacDonald
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's #SharkWeek2020...and it is easily one of the best examples of a massive divide in how the general public sees an animal compared to how experts s...
Answering Y'alls Random Questions While Playing Halo
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When we hit 800 twitter followers, we said we'd do a bonus episode and an AMA. So, we did them both together! This is 40 solid minutes of us eating ca...
Phylum: Porifera (SPONGES)
08 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The first installment of our first ever miniseries is here--Phylum: Porifera!Sponges are often overlooked aside from Spongebob Squarepants and cleanin...
#WormGate2020: An unimaginable can of worms with Ellen Weatherford!
25 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On July 18th, Just the Zoo of Us posted a harmless tweet asking "what is the most overhyped animal?"It started an all out war: #WormGate2020This is ou...
A Conversation with Chelsea Connor: Part 2
24 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey everyone, a bit of a different approach with this episode. Last week, we left off talking SciComm and just about to talk about @BlackAFinStem and ...
Did You Anole? with Chelsea Connor Part 1
19 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Color changing, mini lassos, islands, superpowers, vivid blues, falling of limbs, and so much more!This first half is largely focused on the anoles, b...
Islands, Snails, & other Tales with Dr Andrew Kraemer
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest for the day has one of the coolest jobs on earth, studying in what is perhaps the coolest place on earth. He is full of stories, and knowled...
The Man with the Planarian with Dr. Oné R. Pagán
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode starts with a major announcement, but then...Tattoos, superheroes, opportunities, regeneration, Men in Black, phallic fencing, 1st brains...
Snow Leopards with Dr Koustubh Sharma
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dog person? Cat person? No, no, no. We’re all Snow Leopard people.AI, the difficulty of finding snow leopards, a strange form of social networking, ...
BONUS: Mary Anning, The Greatest Fossil Hunter You Never Knew
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today, May 21, is the 221st anniversary of Mary Anning’s birth. She is not a household name, by any means—though she is believed to be the inspira...
NEWS: A Rare Blue Bee and the So-Called Murder Hornet
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A rare blue bee has been spotted in Florida for the first time in 4 years according to a news release from the Florida Museum of Natural History!This ...
Orangutan Conservation with Leif Cocks
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everybody loves Orangutans, but how much do we really know about them? We are currently living in a world where we may lose all wild orangutans within...
BONUS: This one's for you, Mom
10 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's Mother's Day, and we kind of owe her a major Thank You for (along with Dad) shaping the people we became and The Wild Life as a whole.
Big Life with Just The Zoo Of US
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Life is a lot of things, but one thing it can be is unexpectedly big. Like, really, really big. What started as a random question from a high schooler...
True Nature #1: Conversation with Maria Hancox
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When we started The Wild Life, the original idea was to answer listener submitted questions and have every day people on the show to interview guests ...
Revisit: Frogcicles
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you live in the north, you almost definitely know we have frogs, but how do they survive the winter? That's what we explore today as we revisit one...
Conversation with Corina Newsome, aka The Hood Naturalist
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this time of self-isolation and social-distancing, this time where we are inundated with numbers and figures every waking hour of the day, we wante...
They Made Me Call This "Hooters" with special hosts, Chelsea and Chrissy Bowker
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hey! Devon, here. March, as you may know, is International Women’s Month, and in honor of that (and the most important women in our lives), my wife ...
The Waddle Life with The Penguin Lady, Dyan deNapoli
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone loves penguins, but how much do we really know about them as living beings?This week, The Wild Life is taking a waddle on the wild side, and ...
#CitSciFri with Katie-Lyn Bunney of the Monarch Joint Venture
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It's #CitizenScienceFriday! This week, we sit down to chat with Katie-Lyn Bunney, Education Coordinator at the Monarch Joint Venture, a partnership of...
Revisiting the Metamorphosis Metaphor with Dr Martha Weiss
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of next weeks #CitizenScienceFriday where we talk to Katie-Lyn Bunney of the Monarch Joint Venture, we wanted to revisit an old favorite as a co...
Tainted Love Part 3: Garter Snakes with Dr Robert T Mason
29 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In part 3, we talk to Dr Robert T Mason about the absolute chaos that is the sex life of a garter snake. We talk snake pits, mating balls, cloacal flu...
Tainted Love Part 2: Spider Sex and Freaky Facts with Shakira Quiñones and Sebastian Echeverri
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're flipping the script this Valentine's Day with a three part series where we show some love to nature's unloved: spiders and snakes!In part 2, we ...
Tainted Love Part 1: Spider Speed Dating with Sebastian Echeverri and Shakira Quiñones
14 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're flipping the script this Valentine's Day with a three part series where we show some love to nature's unloved: spiders and snakes! In part 1, we...
How to Make a Snowflake
14 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Devon and Richard talk snow, Frozen 2, whether or not water has memory (and if it's good or bad), the Big Bang, the formation of plan...
Fireflies with Lynn Frierson Faust
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Discover why we are seeing less fireflies, the secrets behind their natural glow, how to find yourself a lady firefly, and so much more in this jam-pa...
The Smell of Rain
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's summer and a storm has just passed through. You step outside and are instantly greeted with that good ole' familiar smell---the smell of rain. Bu...
A Tell Tale Beetle Romance Story
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Halloween! In this super special, unexpected, and therefore super last minute holiday treat (and trick), Devon reads a retelling of Edgar Allen ...
Stardust: Time, Tides, and Theia
27 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Wild Life presents, Stardust---a show that explores all of the other science-y things that don’t quite fit under the umbrella of The Wild Life.T...
Myth-understood + Nature's Vampires
13 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In honor of Spooktober, we are doing the time warp to revisit two fan-favorites on one of nature's most needlessly feared and misunderstood critters:...
Mr Smarty Plants with Dr Liz Van Volkenburgh
06 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Fungus Among Us| Part 2 with Dr Kabir Peay
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with Stanford's Dr Kabir Peay, self described mykophile and fungi expert who recently helped to maap out the Wood Wide We...
#CitizenScienceFriday with Carrie Seltzer of iNaturalist
28 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's our very first #CitizenScienceFriday! We sit down to chat with Carrie Seltzer, Stakeholder Engagement Strategist at iNaturalist to discuss their ...
The Fungus Among Us| Part I with Dr Tom Volk
22 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down and chat with a really fun guy (get it? like fungi? aha..ha...), Dr Tom Volk of UW-Lacrosse, and holy cow, pun intended (...
The Mystery of Zebra Stripes with Dr Tim Caro
19 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Interview with Dr. Tim Caro, professor of Wildife Biology at UC Davis, on his research which may have revealed the truth behind the mystery of zebra s...
A Parasitic Ghost of a Plant
14 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An unexpected turn of events, a last-minute decision, and here we are! This week, we revisit an oldie but a goodie as we preview what is to come. Next...
Velvet (Worm) Revolver with Tia Freeman
06 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This creature is one of the oldest living animals in existence, it shoots a death slime out of its face, and drinks it’s prey up like a smoothie. Th...
When a Spider isn't a Spider
03 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nothing is ever as it seems. Get ready for a tangled web of semantics and systematics! To read the blog version and see the video mentioned, visit ht...
Frogcicles
27 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you live in the north, you almost definitely know we have frogs, but how do they survive the winter? If you are interested in learning more about ...
Like, Pelican Fly
19 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do Pelican beaks work? How much can they fit in their pouch? How do Pelicans hunt? I've got the answers to those and more! To read the blog versi...
The Electric Light Loving, Scuba Diving, Toe Biting, Giant Water Bug
12 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Toe-Biter, Electric-Light Bug, Alligator-Tick; people have come up with many names for the fascinating critter. It’s actual name is perhaps the most...
Head in the Sand? All About Ostriches
05 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s time to bust some myths, bow down in awe, and learn something new about the biggest birds outside of Sesame Street. To read the blo...
Turtle Trekkers
29 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This time of year, a spin on a classic joke about a chicken comes to life as thousands of turtles are seen crossing roadways and trails, leading many ...
Gulls and the Concrete Sea: Why do Seagulls Love Parking Lots?
22 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why do seagulls hang out in parking lots? Do seagulls even exist? Why are they always after my fries?!?!?! Find out in this short episode of #TheWild...
SHORT: The Dirty Truth About Butterflies
15 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Grace is basically synonymous with butterflies. The truth, however, is far...dirtier. Like poop, pee, blood, sweat, and tears dirty. After this, you'l...
SHORT: The Trouble with Trilobites
07 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s #FossilFriday, and you know what that means—fossils. Big surprise, right? This week, with an unoriginal but begging to be used titular parody...
No Brainer
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the mid-season finale, Devon and Richard talk to Lucas Brotz, research associate at the Marine Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the Univer...
Scattered
24 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Devon and Richard look into the void to unveil the cause of the once mysterious Deep Scattering Layer, taking you on a journey involv...
Animal Magnetism
09 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Devon and Richard explore the animal magnetism. No, not the kind you might be thinking. Instead, we're talking about the surprisingly...
Ant Farm with Dr Cameron Currie
28 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We as humans often think of ourselves as unique. In this episode, we discover that we may not be as unique, or advanced, as we thought as we learn abo...
Is Anybody Out There?
12 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the Season 2 premier of The Wild Life, Devon attempts to settle an age old argument between him and his co-host by enlisting the help of renowned b...
SHORT: Plant or Fungi?
21 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A random find while hiking that lead to a life history story that was unexpectedly fascinating. Read more and see images of the find here: https://th...
SHORT: Hoarfrost
11 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this short, Devon shares a story from thewildlife.blog of a hoarfrost christened hike he had last spring and explains how this magical rock candy f...
SHORT: ATTACK OF THE BYROZOANS
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
While we work on Season 2, I decided to begin a sub-series of shorts in which we take some of our most popular blog post and create audio versions. No...
The Metamorphosis Metaphor
27 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Starting at a young age, we are all introduced to this idea, an idea that we carry with us and adapt, and reapply as a metaphor for our own lives---th...
Leave it to Beavers
01 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Devon and Richard go on a totally real, not-recorded-indoors, time travel adventure to explore the life history of the busiest mammal...
The Air We Breathe
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Devon and Richard talk to Dr Julie Koester of UNC-Wilmington and Dr Orly Levithan of Rutgers about the truth behind where our oxygen ...
Life in the Twilight (Crepuscular) Zone
11 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Devon and Richard venture into the Twilight Zone, by going on a walk at Twilight, the time between light and dark, to explore what life is like and wh...
It's Not Easy Being Green: Canary in the Coal Mine
23 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we tell the story of two Harvard professors with a bucket of frogs and a rooftop, solve the decade old mystery of exploding toads in ...
Taste For Blood: Nature's Vampires
24 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, we have a story that takes us all the way from Copenhagen, to the rain forest of South America--- from the belly of the beast, to it’s...
Myth-Understood: Busting Bat Myths
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Belief…belief is an interesting thing. Some of our beliefs are very close to our hearts, untouchable, unchangeable. Some of our beliefs are more fle...
Love and Loneliness
10 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In S1E1, Devon and Richard tell the story of Nigel "No Mates" the lonely Gannet, explore the reason behind a massive crab migration, and share this we...