Quirky Creepy and Freaky: Recent Episodes
Olivia Streit
Come along with Olivia Streit as we journey through the animal kingdom and investigate different animal traits that are quirky, creepy, or just plain freaky!
Welcome back to the podcast! We're back with an invasive species episode, another worm that's been wreaking havoc in some parts of the northeast. Today, we're talking about the jumping worm. Tune in to hear about how to identify it, how it affects the soil, and learn some new worm fun facts!
Happy Halloween! We have another invasive species today, and one that catches the headlines every so often: Hammerhead worms. These are pretty distinctive worms, but turns out they might not be as bad as the headlines make them seem? Tune in to learn more about these snazzy flatworms, the truth behind the headlines, and what to do if you see one.
Case study on hammerhead worm misinformation: https://www.scielo.br/j/rsbmt/a/GyhLXXmcJcbrqk7C3tzD49p/?lang=en
And we're back! October is here, and it's spooky scary invasive species month on the podcast, and this episode we're kicking it off with the nutria. This semi-aquatic rodent is an introduced species in the United States, and wreaks havoc on the wetlands it lives in. Tune in to learn about where it came from, the surprising impacts a rodent can have on the ecosystem, and what we can do to help.
And mild correction, the Invasive Species Centre is in Canada, not California, though I'm sure California has a lovely invasive species group.
If you've spent time on the internet in the last 10 years, you've probably heard about the "adding chemicals to the water to turn the frogs gay" rant that became a meme. Today, we're talking about the paper that started it all, and turns out the truth is quite a bit different, and triggered a rabbit hole of how do frogs develop male or female and the fact that we don't entirely know!
After a month's delay after an injury, and now three takes, the blue crab episode didn't want to happen, but it's finally here! In this episode, I babble about the blue crab's expanding range both in the Northeast, and its expansion in its non-native range in the Mediterranean Sea!
Action alert:
The Trump administration wants to change the Endangered Species Act to remove the harm definition and take away the bit where habitat modification counts as harm. The comment period is open for 2 more days, you can submit a comment through the Federal Registry at this link here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/17/2025-06746/rescinding-the-definition-of-harm-under-the-endangered-species-act
Despite angry sinuses and a glitching microphone, I bring you the history of the National Park Service! Have you ever wondered how the national park system got started, and when the national parks started being created? Or why park rangers wear such cool hats? All of your questions are answered in this week's episode!
On March 7, the group Stand up for Science has organized protests around the country to rally for science. In the last month, federal funding has been frozen, grants aren't being reviewed, and most recently grants are starting to be pulled. This is funding that covers people's salaries, supports local fishermen, helps fund hospitals, and universities, gives funding for graduate student positions, funds cancer research, and more.
This episode is my stream of consciousness about what all has been going on in the last month surrounding federal funding for research.
Do you ever think about how crabs evolved 5 times? Do you need more crab facts in your life? Then this episode is for you! In this episode, we talk about carcinization and the phenomenon behind crabs evolution.
Paper mentioned in the episode about what it means to be a crab: Evolution of crabs - History and deconstruction of a prime example of convergence. Scholtz, 2014
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 'Tis the season for some festive animals, and of course we all think about worms when we're looking to get into the holiday spirit. For this holiday special, we're talking all about the Christmas Tree Worm, a fun little polychaete worm in the coral reefs. How do they get their name? How old do they get? Are they festive? Tune in to find out!
Camouflage is common in the animal world, but what about mimicry? Ant mimicry is surprisingly common, so in this episode, we talk about a few of the many animals that pretend to be ants! I highlight a few species of jumping spider that pretend to be ants, but also a snail that figured out how to join army ant colonies!
Today we're finally talking about dreams! We dream, but do other critters dream? Does your cat dream? Do platypuses dream? What about octopuses? Perhaps spiders? We'll talk about all of these questions! Learn a little bit more about dreams, which other animals dream, and what animals don't dream!
We're back! Did you know about sea cucumbers? Did you know sea cucumbers sometimes have some fishy friends? Now you do! Tune on in to hear about sea cucumbers, some ramblings about their cousins, and the fishy friend that lives with them in one of the stranger of the symbiotic relationships in the ocean.
We know why cats purr, but do we really know HOW cats purr? After a new paper was released in early November, now we do! Or at least we have some new insight into it. Tune in to learn more about cats, the aerodynamics behind your cat's purr, some new cat discoveries, and find out the nitty gritty behind how cats make their purring sounds.
Sources:
Herbst, C.T, Prigge, T., Garcia, M., Hampala, V., Hofer, R., Weissengruber G.E., Svec, J.G., Fitch W.T. 2023. Domestic cat larynges can produce purring frequencies without neural input. Current Biology, 33:4727-4732
Why cats purr is a surprisingly long-standing mystery. Now we're one step closer to solving it. https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats/why-cats-purr-is-a-surprisingly-long-standing-mystery-now-were-one-step-closer-to-solving-it
How cats purr: The mystery unraveled at last! https://cats-magazine.com/2023/10/11/how-cats-purr-the-mystery-unraveled-at-last/
What happens when you introduce a species of butterfly to a new island, and not one, but two new wasps also show up? A parasitic wasp version of nesting dolls! For our Halloween episode, we're talking about some butterfly body snatchers who also have body snatchers; a butterfly's parasitic wasp also has a parasitic wasp! Tune in to learn how one caterpillar can have two hidden parasitoids at once, just how tiny a wasp can be, and who the Glanville Fritillary Butterfly was named after!
Can jellyfish learn despite not having a brain? This week we're talking about a recently published paper providing evidence that box jellyfish are capable of types of learning previously thought to require, well, a brain! Tune in to learn more about box jellyfish, their nervous systems, and what sorts of things a jellyfish can learn!
The paper:
Bielecki, J., Nielsen, S.K.D., Nachman, G., and Garm, A. 2023. Associative learning in the box jellyfish Tripedalia cystophora. Current Biology 33, 1-10.
It's a good time of year for newt finding! This week we're talking all about our little Eastern Newt and other salamander friends. Have you ever wondered what makes a newt different from a salamander? Tune in to find out!
Have you ever wondered what triggers the feeling of sleepiness at night? Or what about what happens while you're sleeping? This episode is all about the cycles of sleep: what the different stages of sleep there are, and how we cycle through them, and the circadian rhythms we have that cycle us through these sleep-wake patterns every day.
Cuttlefish can change colors to instantly blend in, a lot of animals have color patterns to disappear into their typical surroundings, but did you know that some spiders can change color too? This week we talk about the goldenrod crab spider, whose camouflage abilities help them to disappear on meadow flowers so they can nab their prey and hide from predators. Tune in to hear about the color-changing abilities of the goldenrod crab spider and the surprising ways they use prey pigments along with their own pigments to change colors!
In July, Florida experienced record high water temperatures, causing mass coral bleaching and mass mortality events. But what happens when coral bleaches? Is a bleached coral a dead coral? What causes coral bleaching? We're going to cover all of it! Tune in to learn about corals, and how current events sure are stressing them out enough that they just bleach and turn white.
To see footage of the bleaching event around the Florida Keys: https://www.flickr.com/photos/myfwc/sets/72177720309991225/
patreon: www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
This week, we have hermit crabs and the special relationship they have with sea anemones! Or, at least some sea anemone species. Tune in this week to learn about hermit crabs and the sea anemones that some of them like to carry on their shells, and why they carry around sea anemones in the first place! You'll also learn about sea anemones that can help the shell grow with the hermit crab. So many hermit crab and anemone fun facts!
Welcome to shark month! This episode, we talk about the shark at the base of mysteries for centuries, the cookiecutter shark! We talk about how this shark is not only responsible for many bites on marine animals, but is also responsible for damaging nuclear submarines!
In a bit of a pride month themed episode, we're introducing you to some fish that can change between male and female! You may be aware of the ability of clownfish to change from male to female, but did you know other fish can do this as well? This week we talk about damselfish, their surprisingly complicated social lives, and how they benefit from the ability to swap gender.
Sources: Male-to-female sex change in widowed males of the protogynous damselfish Dascyllus aruanus:https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10164-015-0450-8
Sex change strategies and group structure of damselfishes: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327177449_Sex_change_strategies_and_group_structure_of_damselfishes
Behavior, socio-ecology and sexuality in damselfishes (Pomacentridae): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/11250009809386853
Protogyny in a tropical damselfish: females queue for future benefit: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4933090/
It's good to be back getting into the swing of things again! We're coming back from our break with an episode diving into yet another thing that spiders eat: snakes. Tune in to learn a bit more about spiders, who is mostly responsible for eating snakes, and which snakes are getting eaten. The main spider culprits might not be who you think!
This week we have the Mola mola, or Ocean Sunfish, one of the largest bony fishes! Tune in to learn about just how big these fish can be, how and maybe why they breach, and even how to tell an ocean sunfish fin apart from a basking shark fin at sea!
Earth Day is just around the corner, so for this episode I decided to mix things up a little and talk about the history of Earth Day and how it came to be one of the most celebrated and observed secular holidays! We'll go into the environmental disasters as well as work by conservationists like Rachel Carson that brought environmental issues into the public eye that made the first Earth Day a huge success, and kickstarted a decade of conservation work.
Sources:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/cuyahoga-river-caught-fire-least-dozen-times-no-one-cared-until-1969-180972444/
https://www.earthday.org/history/
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/earth-day
https://www.epa.gov/earthday
https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/earth-day-70-what-it-meant.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Spring
https://michiganintheworld.history.lsa.umich.edu/environmentalism/exhibits/show/main_exhibit/origins/-environmental-crisis--in-the-
https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status
https://www.nps.gov/places/000/bald-eagle.htm
It's a little late but finally here! This week we have a conservation tale of recovery, bringing the UK and Irish populations of the red kite back from extinction after centuries of being targeted by humans. Join me as we hear about what happened to these birds and how we were able to bring them back through one of the longest running conservation projects in history!
This week we are back to the ocean, talking about a polychaete worm, the bobbit worm! Unlike other worms we've talked about, this one is not a parasite, but they are still quite the predator, giving us one more reason living on land is pretty cool: You don't have to worry that a worm is going to jump out and pull you underground. What a time!
The Steller's Sea Eagle has been seen in Maine again for the last month or so, so that's our topic for today! Hear about this bird's incredible journey, as it made it's way from Alaska, to Texas, then moved between Canada and New England, and we'll also talk about where the sea eagle is supposedto live, and all that good stuff! For more information on the eagle's tour through North America:
2022: https://maineaudubon.org/news/rare-bird-alert-stellers-sea-eagle/
2023: https://maineaudubon.org/news/rba-stse-2023/
We've had some episodes about crazy long bird migrations, but what about the birds that don't migrate and stay behind for winter? This episode talks about some of the ways birds survive the cold days of winter, including hoarding food, snuggling on up, and shivering. Birds have quite a few adaptations to survive winter, so tune on in to hear how they survive the cold! Also corrections corner: blackpoll warblers fly over the Atlantic ocean, not the Arctic; see episode 40 for more info!
Today we have the part 2 of our journey down the rabbit hole that is the Flying Primate Hypothesis! Without giving spoilers, this episode talks about the evidence against the hypothesis, and talks about what science is currently saying about how closely related bats are to primates (and therefore us!) and other groups. Find out in this episode if bats are more closely related to primates or to cats!
And we're back! You, the listeners picked the episode today, and we have quite the episode! In what will be a 2 part series, we will be exploring the flying primate hypothesis, the idea that the large bats, flying foxes and fruit bats, were descended from primates! In this episode, we introduce the flying primate hypothesis, and introduce some of the drama and controversy surrounding it, and the supporting evidence.
4 part paper drama:
Pettigrew, J. 1991. Wings or Brain? Convergent Evolution in the Origins of Bats. Syst. Zool. (40)2: 199-216
Baker RJ, Novacek MJ, Simmons NB. 1991. On the monophyly of bats. Syst Zool. (40)2: 216-231
Simmons NB, Novacek MJ, Baker RJ. 1991. Approaches, Methods, and the Future of the Chiropteran Monophyly Controversy: A Reply to JD Pettigrew. Syst. Zool. (40)2: 239-243
Pettigre1 J. 1991. A fruitful, Wrong Hypothesis? Response to Baker, Novacek, and Simmons. Syst Zool (40)2: 231-239
Happy Halloween everyone! This week, we'll be exploring some of the history of superstitions surrounding black cats. Did you know that a black cat showing up in your door step could bring your prosperity? Or that black cats could actually be shape-shifting witches? Join us this week to learn all about your favorite kitties.
For episode 40 we are once again talking about fantastic feats of migration! Today, we talk about transoceanic migration paths of three small songbirds, the blackpoll warbler, Connecticut warbler, and the Bobolink, and how every fall they fly thousands of miles over the open ocean.
A couple notes on mis-speaks: The Connecticut warbler flies to the Amazon Basin, and the Blackpoll warbler is indeed only 12g.
Patreon: Patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Fall is here, leaves are changing colors, so it's time to talk about pollinators! This is an important time of year to be thinking about supporting our native pollinators and native bees over winter, so tune in to learn about how you can use your fallen leaves to help the bees! For more information on how you can support your local pollinators, check out xerces.org.
Patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
In Episode 38, we have our third episode on sharks and the end of our shark unofficial miniseries! This episode we talk about blue sharks, and their migration patterns, their litters with all of the pups, and then we decide which sharks are the top five fastest sharks in the world. Tune in to find out where the blue shark fits in that list!
Patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
This next shark themed episode talks about the porbeagle shark! Come learn about this warm-blooded shark and its more famous cousins, the Great White, and find out how this shark's name may have been inspired by beagles.
Patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Join us this episode as we start a few episode long series on different shark species! We start of with basking sharks, the second largest fish, and the second largest shark, and just how small you would feel sitting next to one. Of course we use bananas for scale, so if you've ever wanted to know how long a basking shark is in bananas, be sure to tune in!
patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Have you ever been curious about the use of leeches in medicine? Then this is the episode for you! We talk about the history behind medicinal leeches, what makes them useful, and some of the things we still use leeches for in medicine today.
Patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
On our last critter in our series of bloodsucking summertime ectoparasites, we have a part 1 episode talking about leeches! Many bloodsucking parasites have a risk of transmitting a long list of diseases, but leeches are an exception. Listen on in to learn more about leeches and their lack of disease transmission.
Patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
In episode 3 of our 4 week ectoparasite series, we are talking about Black flies, how black fly season in Maine has lengthened over the years, and some tips for keeping black flies out of your nose!
patreon: patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
This week in our series of parasites, we have a small tick that lives in grassy, wooded areas that likes to bit moose! Learn more about ticks and moose, and how you can prevent tick bites
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Join me this week as we start a new 4 episode series on some warm weather ectoparasites with an episode about the world's deadliest animal, which is a critter you may not expect! Mosquitoes, while just annoying in many places, can spread some pretty nasty diseases in other places, so learn some things about mosquito diseases, some other things mosquitoes do in the ecosystem, and some good, eco-friendly mosquito prevention tips.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
And we're back! Did you know there are animals in the ocean that can change what their entire body looks like in just a couple of seconds? Listen to this week's episode to learn more!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Join in this week's episode as we talk about one of the longest bird migrations!
We'll also be taking a bit of a break after this episode, but we'll be back with new episodes in a few weeks!
Glowing platypus?? Learn about this other quirky trait of the already wonky platypus in this week's episode!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
In this episode, we hear about a spider going up against a bat in what turned out to be a first for a few different things! How will it end? Find out who prevails!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
In episode 26, we travel on back to North America to talk about a bird...that's a parasite? Come join me and learn about brood parasitism!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Join me in this week's episode as we talk about a fish that can almost instantly cover a highway in slime!
Slime photos and article: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2017/07/truck_full_of_eels_overturns_o.html
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
This week's episode features a great group of snakes: sea snakes.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
For this week's episode, we're looking at more gliding animals! This time, the unexpected gliding ant!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
In Episode 22, we talk about a marine parasite that lives in the hollowed out shell of its host!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
In episode 21, we're talking about a group of snakes that can jump from tree to tree without falling to the ground!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
To ring in the new year, I'm bringing you an episode talking about some giant lizards that like to have their friends for dinner!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Merry Christmas everyone! With Christmas coming up, here's an episode about some festive, colorful bugs that emerge just in time for Christmas!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
This week, we're going on a trip to Australia to talk about the only animals that make cube shaped poo!
patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
In this week's episode, as we get into the holiday season, we're going to talk about some animals that flicker through the night like Christmas lights in July!
For the extra organic chemistry details: Marques, S.M., Esteves da Silva, J.C.G. 2009. Firefly bioluminescence: A mechanistic approach of luciferase catalyzed reactions. Life, 61(1): 6-17
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Now we're visiting some boneless marine life, and looking at an octopus hitching a ride!
We're back in the ocean for this week's episode with a trip to the Arctic to talk about an animal that has a tusk coming out of its face!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
For this episode, we talk about a chemical defense spray of some beetles!
Patreon: www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
Happy Halloween! Our final Spooky Season Series episode features animals that only eat blood!
This week, we explore the extinction and continued sightings of an animal that officially went extinct almost 100 years ago.
To check out the review paper I talk about and the sightings they mention: Sleightholme S.R. and Campbell C.R. 2016. A retrospective assessment of 20th century thylacine populations. Aust. Zool. 38(1). And check out sightings and videos posted on the Thylacine Awareness Group of Australia website: https://www.thylacineawarenessgroupofaustralia.com.au
Our next episode in the Halloween Spooky Season series features a parasite capable of mind control and changes the behavior of the host!
In this episode, we're going down to the deep sea for a creature that can extend its jaws out to the end of its snout!
For more detailed illustrations and information, check out: Nakaya, K., Taketeru, T., Suda, K., Sato, K., Ogimoto, K., Chappell, A., Sato, T., Takano, K., Yuki, Y. 2016. Slingshot feeding of the goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni (Pisces: Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae). Sci Rep 6:27786.DOI: 10.1038/srep27786
We're back to the ocean this week with an animal that looks like it should be one individual but is actually a colony of tiny organisms!
In this week's episode, we will talk about one of the longest insect migrations out there!
To learn more about monarch butterflies, check out the Monarch Lab at:
https://monarchjointventure.org/
In episode 5, we're back to the ocean with animals that steal stinging cells from their prey!
If you'd like to read the study I mentioned in this episode: Greenwood, P.G., Garry, K., Hunter, A., Jennings, M. 2004. Adaptable defense: A nudibranch mucus inhibits nematocyst discharge and changes with prey type. Biol. Bull. 206:113-120
Episode 4 is our first journey into parasites, and we talk about some wasps that parasitize other bugs!
In this episode, you'll hear about animals that have a second set of jaws they use to catch prey!
For more on the specific musculature of moray eel jaws: Mehta & Wainwright. 2007. Raptorial jaws in the throat help moray eels swallow large prey. Nature 449: 79-82.
For the first episode, we will be featuring a group of organisms that frequently reverse their blood flow!