BewilderBeasts!

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Host Melissa McCue-McGrath dives deep into the weirdest, funniest, sciency-est ways in which animals intersect at humanity. How is a horse responsible for the FDA? How did fish farts nearly cause bombs to fly between Russia and Sweden? Which pigeon saved 194 soldiers in WW1? Why are honey bees trained to find unexploded landmines in Croatia? Let's go!

#5 in the Top 100 Indie pets & animals All time chart

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Top 10 BewilderBeasts! Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best BewilderBeasts! episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to BewilderBeasts! for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite BewilderBeasts! episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Bonus:Dengue Chicks and the Grocery Store Walk of Shame

BewilderBeasts!

06/17/24 • 30 min

First Aired: January 20, 2023
This month's bonus ep for you is all about the chickens who give back in rather surprising ways - from keeping 100 tons (?) of food out of our landfills to preventing Dengue Fever in Central Florida.
BTW: Florida, you ok?
So, get some chickens, put on a farming hat, and let's go learn about chickens who do more than just poop you breakfast. Let's GOOOOOOOO!
Resources:
https://htrchickens.com/tag/belgium/#:~:text=%231.&text=Hens%20help%20recycle%20food%20and,an%20alternate%20waste%2Dmanagement%20system.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/belgians-egged-on-to-keep-chickens-ndash-but-they-re-not-for-eating-1942124.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17540287

https://www.permacultureproject.com/belgium-offers-chickens-to-waste-cutting-households/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8539877.stm

https://www.thebulletin.be/adopt-chicken-etterbeek

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonytellez/2023/01/12/why-are-egg-prices-still-so-high-its-not-the-reason-you-think/?sh=12af174f7c6b

https://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/12/22/south-jerseys-chicken-lady-aims-to-bring-chickens-to-backyards-one-town-at-a-time/

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/chickens-in-florida-are-helping-to-detect-mosquito-borne-viruses-in-communities

Podcast: Coffee With the Chicken Ladies for general info and my own personal experience as a Noob in the chicken game.

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Intro/Outtro music: Tiptoe Out The Back - Dan Liebowicz
Interstitial Music: MK2
Additional music: Freesound.com, Pixabay.org
Instagram: @EggAndNugget (chicken stan account) or @MelissaMcCueMcGrath
Website: BewilderBeastsPod.com
Support the Show and get stuff! Patreon.com/BewilderbeastsPodYour host, Melissa McCue-McGrath is an author, dog trainer, and behavior consultant in Southern Maine. She'll talk about dogs all day if you let her. You've been warned :)

2 Listeners

Bonus: Oh, Evolution

BewilderBeasts!

03/31/24 • 7 min

The very first Patreon Exclusive episode was ....super short. It first aired on July 22, 2021. I wasn't sure if it would play or work at all. But, this test led directly to another 28+ episodes, so thank you, evolution ;)
Here's a shortie for you to enjoy about a #1 moth who looks like #2.
Stay Curious -

Xx
M3

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Bonus: Ursa Majors

BewilderBeasts!

07/07/24 • 15 min

First aired October 2021

Fat Bear Tuesday is the culmination of a week-long bracket-style event inspired by mega-chonk bears and March Madness. What is it? Why is it? Who is going to win? Let's go!
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Resources:
https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/fat-bear-week.htm

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/30/1041674219/fat-bear-week-2021

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/get-to-known-the-bodacious-bulky-bears-of-fat-bear-week-2021-180978778/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/650110/fat-bear-week-history

https://boingboing.net/2021/09/26/its-almost-fat-bear-week-when-online-voters-decide-which-bears-have-best-prepared-for-hibernation.html

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Bonus: Butt Science and Twitter Bird Bans

BewilderBeasts!

07/14/24 • 27 min

First aired February 2023

Twitter bans an ornithological society for posting photos of "woodcocks" while Melissa gets banned for "Hairy Man"; The Media takes special care to protect the identity of one little jailbird with hilarious results; and, no post is complete without a little butt science.
There is a photo that I can't stop laughing at in this episode - that photo is attached but also a part of this tweet:
https://twitter.com/CampbellxEmma/status/1178400639208116224
All of the articles I read directly from are here:
Dirty Birds:
https://metro.co.uk/2023/01/31/bird-charity-banned-from-twitter-for-posting-woodcock-photos-18196900/
Jail Bird:
https://time.com/5689057/bird-arrest/
Regenerative Butt Science
https://www.livescience.com/sea-spiders-anus-regeneration

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Ep 91: The Well Diggers of Death Valley

BewilderBeasts!

04/03/23 • 20 min

When we discuss an invasive species on this show, the discussion turns to the distruction by that species on the environment. But, here is an animal that has become part of the food web,is saving other species from a warming climate by digging 5' water wells, and is now part of the very fabric of America's desert. Federal biologists are faced with some inconvenient data thanks to an out of the box scientist, and now they have to answer an ethical question as to what to do next with the Death Valley Donkeys.
I got todays information from:
https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/eight-warmest-years-record-witness-upsurge-climate-change-impacts

https://phys.org/news/2021-04-donkeys-wells-life.html

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/wild-donkeys-and-horses-dig-wells-provide-water-host-desert-species-180977627/

https://www.google.com/search?q=donkeys+digging+wells&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS773US773&oq=donkeys+digging+wells&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l2j69i61.2900j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_H8cgZMn4E9Hl5NoP46Ko0AM_29

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/science/donkeys-mountain-lions-death-valley.html

https://www.salon.com/2012/04/02/hollywoods_long_history_of_animal_cruelty/

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Ep 95: Zombieland

BewilderBeasts!

01/22/24 • 32 min

Starting season 6 off with mind control parasites often found in kitty litter boxes around the world - so how is this parasite endangering monk seals in the Pacific Ocean?
Ready? Let's go!
***SIDENOTE: Melissa's presentation on animal distress, how to lessen stress in our pets and ourselves, and living in cities with pets (as well as amazing speakers all about reactive dogs) can be found here, for FREE this weekend (January 26-28, 2024).
PUPFEST BY NIKI FRENCH!****
I got today’s information from :

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/toxoplasmosis-risk-wolves-cats-mice
(“You can store them in 10 percent bleach for years, take them out, wash them off, and the parasites can still develop.” yuck.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/220113-sneaky-cat-parasite-takes-over-human-brains-science

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/zombies-parasites-animals-science-behavior
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/seals-endangered-species-health-disease-oceans

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/gen_info/faqs.html#:~:text=infection%20to%20me%3F-,What%20is%20toxoplasmosis%3F,infected%20with%20the%20Toxoplasma%20parasite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis

https://www.livescience.com/surprising-toxoplasma-gondii-facts

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224422000141
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaroslav_Flegr

Intro/Outtro Tiptoe out the back by Dan Liebowicz, interstitial by MK2,AANNNNNNNDDDDDDD extra stuff found on Pixabay, and freesound.org

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Ep 99: Rises and Falls

BewilderBeasts!

02/26/24 • 25 min

'We can never have luck without a cat on board' he said. If this were true, the crew would have been better off with a different cat. "
The story, about what goes up, must eventually come down, perfectly weaves the tale of the rise and fall of nearly every subject in the story.

I got today's information from:
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/kiddo-the-cat.htm

https://www.airships.net/first-attempt-fly-atlantic-wellman-vaniman-airship-america/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawley_Harvey_Crippen

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/paul-von-hindenburg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_(airship)

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hindenburg-adorned-swastika/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Vaniman

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/paul-von-hindenburg

Look up Melvin Vaniman - his artwork and what he did before getting on these ships is a whole other story that someone else can tell. He climbed skyscraper poles to take photos, he was like, a stunt cameraman before getting into dirigible business! And there is a famous photo of him with Kiddo the “lucky” cat - he didn’t look unhappy given how upset he was with the cat at the beginning of their journey. I’d like to think they made up before parting ways.

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BONUS: Luck o' the Irish Setter

BewilderBeasts!

03/10/24 • 19 min

Patreon exclusive number 9: Originally aired March 16, 2022
Let's learn about the only place in Ireland where citizens could get a pint on St. Patrick's Day ----the Royal National Dog Show! And, an Irishman steps up to help injured wildlife by converting his pub to Ireland's FIRST wildlife hospital during the 2020 pandemic.
"There's no bad press except an Obituary" - Brendan Behan, Irish Poet
Resources:
https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/all-pubs-ireland-closed-st-patricks-day

https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/irish-pubs-will-finally-have-beer-on-good-friday

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/desperate-for-a-drink-on-dry-good-friday-in-ireland-146406725-237584801

https://www.history.com/news/st-patricks-day-origins-america

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Kavanagh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Behan

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210221-locked-down-pub-becomes-ireland-s-first-wildlife-hospital

https://www.wbur.org/news/2010/03/12/evacuation-day-holiday

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/03/17/the-irish-american-population-is-seven-times-larger-than-ireland/

http://traleetoday.ie/greyhound-stadium-to-receive-boost-with-good-friday-drinking/

https://news.sky.com/video/irelands-wildlife-hospital-under-threat-12503946

https://www.independent.ie/life/the-curious-history-of-our-disappearing-dogs-35519917.html

And for fans of Ted Lasso - Trent Crimm, the Independent would support this:

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/alcohol-on-good-fridaywhat-you-need-to-know-from-off-licences-and-supermarkets-to-takeaway-pints-40266929.html#:~:text=While%20buying%20alcohol%20on%20Good,the%20first%20time%20since%201927.

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Ep 89: Cat Turned Brew

BewilderBeasts!

03/20/23 • 28 min

What does the Black Death, scotch whiskey, cats, the worst laws in Tennesee, and bad taxidermy have to do with each other? Oh, buckle in - we're going for a ride!
I got today’s information from A LOT OF PLACES:!
https://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/towser.html
https://www.thegreatcat.org/towser/

https://iheartcats.com/protecting-breweries-ne-of-cats-many-noble-endeavors-throughout-history/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/bristol-cat-pub

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-humane-brewery-working-cat-1.4998719

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/the-real-reason-breweries-keep-cats-around/ar-AA125kNn

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/07/21/Feral-cats-defend-Chicago-brewery-from-rats/1661469111930/

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/3616831/fife-cats-netflix-lindores-abbey/

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2017/06/lindores-abbey-distillery-seeks-names-for-new-kittens/

https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1715640115

https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/drink/whisky/lindores-abbey-distillery-cats-revel-in-their-netflix-fame/

https://lindoresabbeydistillery.com/test-5/

my favorite article title: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-bright-side-of-the-black-death -

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/09/09/347093135/behind-every-good-whisky-is-a-trusty-distillery-cat

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/the-plague

Stupid laws: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/tn-laws/

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Ep 48: The Cat Who Adopted An LA School

BewilderBeasts!

10/24/21 • 27 min

Today, there is a sign that says no pets allowed on the fence surrounding Elysian Heights Elementary - but the very foundation of this school's culture is built on the spirit of a cat named Room 8 who went to school every single day for 16 years. Let's learn about the most famous cat in the US that you likely never heard of because the Internet didn't exist in the 50s.
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Resources for today's episode:
https://www.thegreatcat.org/room-8/

https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-room-8-mascot-at-elysian-heights-elementary-school-20181127-htmlstory.html

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/room-8-the-cat-mural

https://www.dailybreeze.com/2008/04/02/classy-cat/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7374255/room-eight

https://www.imdb.com/

Erik Friedl, Los Angeles-based photographer who took the photos described in the episode. You can see some of Erik's work on YouTube.

And on the humble potato:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scientists-peel-away-potatos-dna-secrets-bmc09hd5hqb

https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine

https://genetics.thetech.org/ask-a-geneticist/chromosome-number-not-correlated-complexity

Melissa McCue-McGrath

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/BewilderBeastsPod)

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