It's finally here, the Halloween Episode for 2024. Victoria starts things of with, brace yourself, flying leeches. That's right, we finally have confirmation of a story that goes back almost 700 years. There really are flying leeches. Keeping with the unintentional blood-sucking flying creature theme, Kirk brings us the Vampire Finch, a bird that d…

What an appropriate subject for the week before Halloween! Rachel brings us the very creepy Crypt-keeper Wasp. This parasitic wasp eats you alive inside your home and then forces you to dig a tunnel so it can escape by bursting through your forehead. All completely normal yes? Kirk takes a turn to the humorous side by putting biologist's sense of h…

This week, Kirk brings us a mystery. Last September, the Earth rang like a bell for nine days and a team of 56 scientists from around the world spent a year investigating why. The story the uncovered involves the collapse of a mountain and a mind-boggling large tsunami. Our world is bizarre. Rachel was up next with a story of giant 440 lb jellyfish…

Rachel kicks things off this week with the amazing Wombat butt. Sure, Kirk talked about the strange square shaped poo of the Wombat many episodes ago but he didn't talk about their armored butt and how they use it for defense. Thanks for the update Rachel! Victoria is next and she once again treads familiar ground on the show by talking about extre…

So much to unpack here this week. Kirk starts us off with a story about bears in Yellowstone eating 40,000 moths to get ready for winter. Rachel then takes us into Piranha infested waters to separate myth from science. Victoria rounds out the week with surprising new research on extra nipples and breasts. What can we say, it was a weird week. Join …

Rachel starts us off with a mysterious river of blood in Antarctica. Okay, so not actually blood but what is causing this strange red river to flow out of a glacier on the bottom of the world? Kirk is up next and he talks us though the de-extinction of the Wooly Mammoth. What is the current state of research and what reasons are both to do it and t…

You may have seen this one in the headlines. Kirk does a deep dive on the science behind this fascinating phenomenon. Scientists have turned the skin of mice completely transparent in a simple reversible technique using the same dye that makes Doritos orange. This strange result could have huge impacts on science and medicine. Rachel also talks abo…

Victoria is with us this week and she brings us the tale of giant Coconut Crabs that just may have eaten Amelia Earhart. Not to be outdone, Kirk tells us about the mysterious disappearing Y chromosome. Will it eventually disappear all together? What does that have to do with the platypus? Rachel takes a look at the weird jobs ribs play in snakes fr…

Having survived wild thunderstorms, your intrepid hosts return with tales of the strange. Rachel brings us a story of the coolest (coldest) lava flowing on Earth. It still isn't cold enough to pick up with your hands but it's super strange. Victoria heads to the ocean to veer into Rachel's lane and shares with us the marvels of the Disco Clam, an a…

This week Kirk starts us off with a bizarre story about the weirdly human trait of blushing when we are embarrassed. He then tells us about a wild new study that had teenage girls blushing while in an MRI machine all though the magic of Karaoke. Rachel this week tackles pollination and flips the script on how and why we think it happens. It turns o…

I can't believe I am about to type this sentence but Rachel's topic this week is Foot-long Neurotoxic Invasive Terrestrial Flatworms. Yeah. That's...that's a lot. So as not to leave the neurotoxin train, Kirk follows that up with a discussion of Cobras, cobra venom, neurotoxins, and necrotic flesh. Good news though, there's a possible new cure to t…

This week, Kirk brings us a story about ants that perform surgery on injured colony members. Warning, the only surgery they know is amputation. Rachel, talks about a fish that was seen living inside of a jellyfish. Victoria caps it all off this week by getting extra weird talking about inter-species fornication. Why do they do it? It's quite a ride…

This week, Victoria talks about the bird pirates of the sea, the Great Skua. These birds have an incredible memory for people they don't like and they have also been known to steal other animals eyeballs. Woah. Kirk is up next with a story about the epic battles waged by Pavement Ants. These colonies go head to head battling colony vs colony but th…

This week it's back to the briny deep as Rachel talks about a program to train sharks to eat lion fish. It's the latest in a strange list of ways people have been trying to control this invasive fish species. Kirk brings us the strange tale of the 2000 foot tall WEAU TV tower in Wisconsin that was responsible for thousands of bird deaths every year…

On this week's show, Kirk talks about the uncomfortable middle path. How does ambiguity shape our choices? Why do things that are not quite one thing or the other make us uncomfortable. Up second, Rachel takes us to New Zealand to talk about the heaviest parrot in the world. the Kākāpō aka, the Moss Chicken. Enjoy these two very different and stran…

The gang's all together this week. Victoria kicks things off with a story about a bizarre fern that displayed a totally new concept in plants. Ladies and Gentlemen, we present, the Zombie Fern. This bizarre plant can convert dead fronds into roots. It's something we've never seen before and completely strange. Rachel is up next to tell us the tale …

Hello Everyone, ready for another fun episode? Rachel kicks us off this week by talking about Alpha Gal. No, she's not a superhero. Alpha Gal is an allergy to mammal meat you can get from being bitten by a tick. Absolutely terrible. Victoria delves into the strange phenomenon of animals playing dead and what it may have to do with something called …

Kirk once again takes us back to space this week to talk about Schloz's Star. Incredibly, scientists discovered that 70,000 years ago, this star actually passed THROUGH our solar system. Rachel's tale this week is almost as big and mind boggling but it takes place right here on Earth. She tells us why we are spending millions of dollars to drop 14.…

Rachel goes back to the ocean to talk about bizarre, small, upside-down, solar powered jellyfish. Kirk goes the exact opposite direction and takes us to space with a primer on the Heliosphere. It's all just so he can tell us about some strange research that came out that suggests the sun's heliosphere collapsing 2 million years ago may have caused …

Kirk tells us all about the amazing but extinct Elephant Bird, an incredible bird that could grow to a massive 2000 pounds. Rachel next brings us an absolutely astounding story of a researcher who wanted to answer the question of why snakes strike and bite and that research involved stepping on snakes 40,000 times. Victoria rounds out this week by …

We're all over the place this week. Victoria is back and she brings a mind blower talking about how the length of the day and the number of days in a year have changed dramatically over time. Kirk then brings things back to birds (of course) with a talk about the amazing Ostrich. Rachel rounds out this week's show talking about the tiny but mighty …

This week Kirk starts us off with a fascinating story of PMO or Prosopometamorphopsia, a condition where people strangely see distortions to other people's faces that can make them look like demons, elves or dragons. Rachel wants to tell us all about ticks this week and it turns into a bit of a PSA on tick safety before going into some interesting …

This week Rachel and Kirk share some incredible stories. Rachel starts us of with some amazing facts about the Albatross. They are truly giant and amazing birds that spend much of their life at sea. I know, you thought Rachel had turned a page and wasn't going to do a story about the ocean but alas, even when she talks about birds she finds a way t…

On this week's show, Kirk tells us about a fascinating discovery that may mean feathers are older than dinosaurs. Rachel is up next with the story about a rare Tiger Quoll that suddenly showed up in an unexpected spot. Victoria rounds out this week's show with an amazing tale of a man who narrowly escaped death after eating the poisonous Spotted Wa…

Victoria kicks things off this week with a bizarre question, is there anything we have three of in our body? This interesting question lead her on a deep dive looking at the strange diversity of body plans on Earth. Kirk pours on the nightmare fuel with the story of a patient who's headaches ended up being...wait for it...tapeworms in his brain. Ra…

This week Rachel brings nightmares to life with a land shark. That's right, a shark that walks on land. Listen to this week's show to learn more about epaulette sharks! Not to be outdone, Kirk tells us about the new discovery of a beetle that can be eaten by a frog and survive a trip through the digestive tract and crawl out the other end. Truly a …

This week we ended up with the accidental theme of things being bigger than we expected. Kirk tells us the tale of coming face to face with enormous coastal manta rays while swimming in the ocean at night and Rachel blows Kirk's mind with the world's tallest sunflower. Everything's huge. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Pat…

This week Victoria tells us all about the strange bird, the Pelican. Did you know they can fit 5 gallons of water in their mouth? Kirk is up next and blows our minds when it comes to a new find that teaches us about the very last minute dinosaurs spent on Earth. Rachel is up last and tells us about one of her favorite flowers, the very useful Jewel…

This week Rachel brings the amazing story of the relationship between humans and birds called Honeyguides. Victoria looks into the strange story of bird respiration and Kirk discusses the process of how volcanic islands become lush and green. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free! Support us: pa…

This week, Kirk talks about how scientists found a way to double or even triple your lifespan. The catch? You have to be an ant and you have to be infected with tapeworms. Keeping with the gross topics. Rachel serves up a disgusting bouquet of Ambergris. One of the most valuable substances on earth that smells both wonderful and awful. Join us week…

Rachel's up first this week with a deep dive on the largest toothed whale in the world, the Sperm whale. How did they get that weird name? You'll have to listen to find out. Kirk shares the bizarre story of the time Idaho parachuted 76 beavers into a remote wilderness as part of operation Beaver Drop. It's an amazing story with some long-term benef…

This week, Kirk starts us off with an unbelievable story about a recent science expedition to one of the most remote jungles in the world where scientists bizarrely discovered a terrestrial shrimp. That's right a shrimp that lives on land. Rachel is up next and tells us about a beautiful and rare phenomenon, hair snow. This strange creation require…

This week, Victoria spins a tale of a mystery creature inflicting terrible pain swimmers and the strange unorthodox researcher who solved the mystery. Kirk then tells us about strange obelisks living in our mouths. Rachel rounds out the week by diving down 16,000 feet under the ocean to track down a bizarre eel with a giant mouth. Join us weekly fo…

It's that time again, the end of another year of Strange by Nature. So, as usual, we're joined by professional naturalist Brett Sieberer and he takes over the show to quiz us about the past year of shows and other bizarre nature knowledge. Yes, we play the ever popular game, Eat, Ride, Jacket. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters …

This week Rachel kicks of the show talking about the bizarre theoretical phenomenon of Spaghettification, the process of your body being stretched out into a line of sub-atomic particles inside a black hole.Victoria then takes us to the ocean where we learn about how the ear-wax plugs of whales can teach us about their life-histories.Kirk then wrap…

This week Kirk kicks us off with a discussion of Samurai Crabs and realizes they sound familiar because of a strange childhood connection involving a cartoon rabbit. Rachel then dives into prions and Chronic Wasting Disease. Fear not, she has good news. Victoria rounds out this week by telling us about the missing continent of Zealandia. Join us we…

Victoria kicks off this week with a charged up salute to caffeine. Sure, you can find it in Coffee and Tea but there are other plants from around the world with caffeine including a Holly from North America. Kirk is up next and he shares multiple examples of times humans have unintentionally caused the evolution of species. Rachel rounds out this w…

This week we Rachel and Kirk both head to the ocean but or very different reasons. Rachel tells us all about the Portuguese Man-O-War, one of the strangest creatures in the sea. Upon hearing the story, Kirk decides he may never swim in the ocean again. Kirk brings us back to the sea again with a story about the time his ship almost fell victim to t…

This week Kirk kicks things off with details of a fascinating study that determined which perfume tigers find most alluring. The implications for research are surprisingly useful. Rachel takes on a listener suggestion and covers new research into the bizarre ability of Reindeer to eat while they sleep! Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our su…

This week Victoria starts us off by having us think about dinosaurs and why we haven't updated our portrayals of them based on new science. It turns out, T-Rex probably had lips. Kirk then tells the tale of a time in the far distant past when birds ate our ancestors. Rachel wraps things up this week with the bizarre tale of a moth with a surprising…

Rachel kicks off this week with a bizarre tale of a parasite that invades the nests of red ants, pretends to be their queen, works the ants to death, and eats their young all in a quest to become a beautiful butterfly. Victoria takes us to Australia and asks the question, why are there so many poisonous animals there? Kirk rounds out the episode wi…

This week on the show, Kirk talks about how Beer saved his life (and yours.) Rachel then has a mystery animal that isn't anything like you would suspect from the name. The Mountain Chicken doesn't live in mountains, and isn't a chicken. It isn't even a bird. It is the biggest frog in the world. Weird. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our sup…

Two great topics this week. Rachel tells us about mysterious rivers that flow under the ocean and Kirk tracks the history and evolution of the tongue! Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad free! Support us: patreon.com/strangebynature Email us: contact@strangebynaturepodcast.com Visit us at: strangeb…

This week, Kirk kicks things off by sharing some incredible research that shows it may be possible to induce a torpor/hibernation state in mammals with ultrasound. Rachel lets us know all about the Gopher Tortoise, and Victoria tell us all about the strange world of Mussel reproduction. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patr…

Hello Dear Listeners. Here's what we have for you this week. Victoria kicks things off by telling the tale of her recent encounter with one of the world's few venomous mammals and you'll never guess where she found it...her basement! Kirk invents a weird quiz about strange ways nature might try to kill you. Which is more likely, getting hit in the …

We had an absolute blast this week with the full crew. Rachel kicks us off by telling us exactly how strange Scallops really are. Are those eyes? Yup. Next up, Victoria tells us the story of the golf course with bull sharks in the water traps. Kirk then wraps things up by testing out how well the other hosts can spot a hidden snake in digitally alt…

Kirk takes us on a journey to learn about where the smell of Musk comes from and along the way we find out about a problem with the synthetic versions that took our nostrils by storm starting in the 1990s. Rachel then tells the amazing story about how the physical structure of dragonfly wings can destroy bacteria just by coming into contact with it…

Rachel kicks things off this week with the most ridiculous looking spider ever. Seriously. This thing is bizarre and cool and completely stupid looking. Listen as we learn about the Pelican Spider. Kirk takes us on a real-life Hero's Journey to the briny depths of the Galapagos Spreading Zone where biologists got a little help finding a rich biolog…

This week Kirk kirk kicks things off by talking about a fungus showing up somewhere unexpected. Speaking of unexpected, Rachel shares a story about two species that were accidentally cross-bred in a lab when it shouldn't have been possible. Victoria rounds out the show this week by talking about how weirdly we're all getting cooler over time. Suppo…

Victoria brings us the amazing story of the world's first ever known fruit eating frog. Yeah, it pollinates flowers too. Kirk delves into the Salt Cedar and tries to puzzle out whether or not invasive species really are to blame for being the way they are. Rachel blows our minds by telling us about pollinators and flowering plants in the ocean. She…