We had so much fun with our last four truths and a lie (ocean animals) that we decided to do it again! This episode features five unbelievable bugs. Four are real, one is fake. Can you spot the fake?

Let us know what you guessed by emailing us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com!

Thanks to our Patreon sponsors Loretta and Bennett! If you’d like to be a Patreon sponsor and help financially support our podcast, head over to https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Thanks for your support!

Every once in a while, Jaguar prevails and we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming for an All About Cooking episode. This is one of those times.

In this episode, Jaguar prepares Dinosaur with the essence of Turkish bay leaf. He also teaches us some pretty incredible science.

Kids, DO NOT try this at home!!

We’ll be back soon with a four truths and a lie about bugs!

Thanks for listening!

*The full episode didn't upload the first time. If you're having trouble, please redownload the episode. 

Want to support Jaguar’s All About Cooking? Order your very own All About Cooking apron here: https://www.zazzle.com/all_about_cooking_apron-154817884147573023

We've had some sickness in our house that has interfered with our podcast schedule. (Don't worry, we're all ok!) So this month we're reaching into our archives to replay an episode you may have missed the first time. This is one of our favorite episodes, and one of our most popular. It's an interview with Dr. Justin Schmidt who has been stung by over 100 different insects and created a scale of how much each one hurts. He tells us about what it feels like to get stung by a bullet ant (OUCH!) versus a bee, why insects sting, why some insects die after they sting you, and lots more. 

We will be back soon with bug edition of four truths and a lie and, by Jaguar's demand, an episode of All About Cooking. 

Axolotls are territorial, regenerative, and maybe hold the secret to eternal youth. Oh, and they're suuuuper cute. In this episode, we share 10 cool facts about axolotls, then we share our interview with Dr. S. Randal Voss. Dr. Voss is one of the leading experts on axolotls, and he shares all sorts of facts about what makes them unique, why they are critically endangered in the wild, and how kids can help protect them. 

Find out more about Dr. Voss's lab here: http://www.vosslab.com

If you want to financially support our podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

Want some CFAA merch? Get it here: https://www.zazzle.com/store/coolanimalspod/products 

In this episode, one of the most fearsome predators of all time and a living tank go head-to-head. Yes, the T-Rex and the Ankylosaur battle! Before these two face off, we learn key facts to better predict who will take the crown. Which was faster? Which was smarter? Which was best equipped to survive?

We gave a few different battle scenarios. What do you think would have happened? Send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com with your answers, and we will send you a bookmark. We also want to hear from you if you solved our riddle or if you did the kid power challenge.

Thank you to Murphy and Eli for being our Patreon sponsors! If you’d like to be a Patreon sponsor, you can check out our page here. https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

The holidays may be over, but you can still show your CFAA pride. Check out our gear store here. https://www.zazzle.com/store/coolanimalspod

If you are a regular listener of our show, you know that we LOVE cats – we even have three! In this episode, we learn all about domestic cats – how smart they are,  how much they sleep, how well they communicate, some strange jobs they’ve had, and of course, how cute they are!

Thanks to our Patreon sponsors, Maelynn, Coralynn and Atesh!

If you’d like to help financially support us – and get a shout out on our show – head here.

Also, with the holidays coming up, now is a good time to show your CFAA pride! Get your merch here.

Finally, if you want to answer our creature quiz, guess our riddle, or do the Kid Power, let us know and we will send you a bookmark! Email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com.

In this bonus mini episode, Corduroy tries to teach Jaguar the ABCs... but it doesn't go quite according to plan. 

In this episode, we dive into the world of rats. Sure, they can crawl up sewer pipes into your toilet and may have been at least partly responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of Europeans. But - they're also really smart, feel regret, and can show emotion with their ears. 

This is a special episode. In our first half, we share cool rat facts. And in the second half, we interview Professor Monica Green, who studies plague. We learned so much from her about plague, how it was spread, and even that it is still around today. 

We couldn't fit our whole interview with Professor Green into this episode, so we're including a longer interview on our feed. You should see it right behind this one. 

Thanks to our Patreon sponsor Henry for getting us excited about rats! If you'd like to be a Patreon sponsor, please click here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

In this episode, we include many of the facts from our interview with Professor Green that we couldn't fit in our Rat episode. We do go into some detail about the plague and its continued existence, so please use discretion in whether you feel comfortable listening to this episode. 

Don't miss our rat episode that accompanies this episode, which includes additional facts about rats and also includes lots of interesting information from Professor Green.

In this episode, we speak with National Geographic author about all sorts of cool animals facts. We talk about why pandas are black and white, why t-rexes have short arms, and some of her favorite animal myths to debunk. Julie is the author of almost 50 books, including a number of Weird But True books, and her new book - Why? Animals. 

Thank you to Paul and Evelyn for being our Patreon sponsors. If you'd like to support us financially, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Did you know we have a gear store? Get your animal lover a Cool Facts About Animals shirt, sweatshirt, or All About Cooking apron here: https://www.zazzle.com/store/coolanimalspod/products 

Today we are rebroadcasting our mega plastic episode.

We’re replaying this episode now because we just found out that one of the people we interviewed for this episode, Dr. Jenna Jambeck, was named as one of the 25 MacArthur Genius Grant recipients for 2022. This is a really big honor!

We have a lot planned in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for an episode with Weird But True author Julie Beer about all sorts of animal trivia. And then – our episode about rats. As part of that episode, we’ll speak with historian Monica Green about the black death.

But for now, we hope you learn a lot and gets lots of great ideas after hearing from Dr. Jambeck and our other guests about plastic pollution.  

In this special episode, Jaguar and Teddy play some games. You'll never guess who wins! 

Thanks to our Patreon sponsors, Magdalena, Kellan, and George! If you'd like to be our Patreon sponsor, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

It was a long time coming, but we finally made it to the Redwoods! We got to learn all about this amazing habitat and see the forest in person, as well as meet with two California State Park rangers, Marnin Robbins and Kyle Buchanan. In our discussions with them, we learn about the unusual way Redwood trees reproduce, the animals that live there, solve a Redwoods mystery, discover how to keep the habitat safe, and lots more.

Thanks to our Patreon sponsors for making this episode possible! If you would like to support us financially, head here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals.

Patreon sponsors also get access to our newsletter about the Redwoods and our back issues about honeybees and anaconda v. crocodile!

We will have videos up on our YouTube page soon. Check back here:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt89IP0pdPUfvETol8qHKjg 

In the meantime, you can find some Redwoods videos and pictures on our Twitter page: https://twitter.com/coolanimalspod 

In this bonus episode, the Cool Facts About Animals Crew gets the chance to speak with National Geographic author and wildlife vet Dr. Gabby Wild. We speak about her new book, How to Speak Animal, and learn a lot about the different ways animals communicate. Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell us how to tell our cat Fuzzy to stop bullying our other cats. Alphas gonna alpha. We think you’ll enjoy learning all sorts of fun animal communication facts, including how crickets can tell us the temperature, how sharks communicate through magnetic forces, whether ducks speak in a French accent, and lots more.

You can find more about Dr. Wild here: https://gabbywild.org

It’s an episode swap! Today we’re sharing an animal-themed newsy podcast from our Kids Listen pals Newsy Pooloozi! You’ll hear stories about animals, plastic trees, and, well, poo. We think you’ll enjoy it. If you do, be sure to check out their podcast wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.newsypooloozi.com

Don’t forget about our Patreon sponsor meetup on Saturday, August 13 at 10 am pacific! We hope you can join us. https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

In this special episode, Cool Facts About Animals and the Past and the Curious team up to learn all about sled dogs! We learn ten cool facts about sled dogs while also learning the history of two very special sled dogs who saved the town of Nome, Alaska. 

Don't forget out meetup on August 13 at 10 am Pacific for Patreon sponsors! Become a sponsor here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Also, we have merch! Want a tshirt? An All About Cooking Apron? Find it here: https://www.zazzle.com/store/coolanimalspod

In this episode, we learn all about honeybees! Learn about the waggle dance, how furry bees are, and other fun facts about these amazing and important pollinators.

We are having another Patreon meetup! Patreon sponsors at any level (beginning at $1) are invited to join us for a Zoom on August 13 at 10 am pacific/1 pm eastern. Zoom details will be available on our Patreon page.  https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Our kid challenge this episode is to build a home for mason bees. Here’s a link to how to do that: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c40e967372b96739edad511/t/5e9b98b339f0f40fc8528b2c/1587255480757/Mason+Bee+House+DIY.pdf

If you do the kid challenge, know the answer to the creature quiz or want to take a guess at the riddle, send your answer to coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com and we will send you a bookmark.

Thanks for listening! And thanks to RACC for the podcasting equipment! 

Not to be confused with International Jaguar Day, we celebrate World Jaguar Day with Jaguar, his best friend Lunch the spider monkey burrito, and the rest of the crew. 

Not a lot of learning in this one, but lots of giggles. 

Two kings of reptiles meet in our mock meetup ... anaconda versus crocodile (versus Jaguar). First, learn cool facts about the anaconda and salt water crocodile, and then let us know if you agree with our crowned winner(s). 

Thanks to our Patreon sponsors James and Millie! If you would like to be a Patreon sponsor (and start getting our newsletter!) head over here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

To answer our creature quiz, riddle or to let us know about your kid power challenge, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or Tweet us at @coolanimalspod

Thanks as always to Andrew of Ear Snacks for the theme music! 

During our research of the arctic fox, we discovered Dr. Maarten Loonen, a biologist who studies in the Arctic Circle. We learned so many cool things that we hadn't known about before, not just about the arctic fox but about other animals, too. Like the amazing journey of the arctic tern, and how to tell whether Rudolph is a boy or a girl reindeer.  We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed speaking to Dr. Loonen. 

Ready to learn about the pint-sized, fluffy-tailed arctic fox? Yes, the arctic fox is adorable. But it’s also tough. It's highly evolved to withstand the -50 degree temps of the arctic circle. We’ll learn about these traits and more facts that make these animals so cool in this episode.

Thanks to our $10 Patreon sponsor Tessa for the suggestion! If you’d like to support us financially, check out our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

You can show your Cool Facts About Animals podcast pride with some merchandise! We’ve got tshirts, sweatshirts, and some other fun stuff at our Zazzle store here: https://www.zazzle.com/store/coolanimalspod

Want to get a glimpse of how cute they are for yourselves? Check out this video of a young arctic fox learning how to pounce: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/arctic-fox-dive-bombs-lemmings-hidden-snow/14872/

Finally, we hope you check out our buddy Dan Saks and his musical, silly, genius podcast Noodle Loaf. We love this show, and we think you will too! Here’s a link to the podcast: https://www.noodleloaf.com

Hello listeners! We know you've heard us talk about Kids Listen before. Well, we're excited to announce that they're putting out a new podcast series called Mashups. And we're in the first episode!

The podcast "mashes up" two different podcasts. We were mashed with Ms. Lynn of the Good Words podcast. We talk about our podcasts, play a game together, and share some bloopers at the end. 

Here's the first episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep1-good-words-about-animals/id1502915722?i=1000554610996

And here's a link to Ms. Lynn's excellenet podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-words-podcast/id1390655167 

Hope you enjoy it!

We'll be back very soon with our next episode!

We’re very excited about this episode of Cool Facts About Animals. We’re breaking format to present “Four Truths and a Lie.” Four of these sea animals are real. One is not. Can you figure out which one is the lie?

Thank you to our Patreon sponsors! If you would like to be a Patreon sponsor, head here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

We’ve also created a Cool Facts About Animals merchandise store! You can buy a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or canvas bag. Jaguar has also added an All About Cooking apron.

https://www.zazzle.com/store/coolanimalspod

(If this link to the products adoesn’t work, try again in a few hours – it takes the store a bit of time to set up.)

In this episode, we learn about the trickster coyote. At the end of this episode, you’ll know their defense mechanisms, how dangerous they really are to humans, and what’s so cool about their noses. We’ll also learn a Native American story about coyotes. Plus, find out all about Latin from Jaguar.

Thanks to our Patreon sponsors for your support! We are using the funds to travel to the Redwoods to learn more about different animals and speak with experts. If you’d like to support us financially, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/creator-home. You can get access to our outtakes (this episode has a LOT) and to our Zoom meetups.

We hope you check out the podcast Warrior Kid Podcast. It’s a really cool podcast about Indigenous people and cultures. You can find it here, or wherever you get your podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/warrior-kid-podcast/id1371964204

If you think you know the answer to our Creature Quiz, or if you do the Kid Power challenge let us know! Send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com, or Tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

Thanks to the Regional Arts & Culture Council for funding our audio equipment!

And thanks to Andrew Barkan of Ear Snacks for our theme music!

In this episode, we learn about one of the most endangered animals in the world, the vaquita. Vaquitas are the smallest existing porpoise and there are only about 10 o them left. We learn about the vaquita, the reason why they are in such danger, and how to help. We meet with two vaquita experts – Dr. Barbara Taylor and conservationist Jonathan White – to help us better understand the plight of the vaquita. Be sure to check your feed for our stand-alone interviews with them too.

Thanks to listener Max for bringing the vaquita to our attention.

If you think you know the answer to our Creature Quiz or our riddle, or take part in the Kid Power challenge, send us a note and we’ll send you a bookmark! Email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

Thanks also to Maude and Jiggy, our Patreon sponsors. If you would like to support us on Patreon, head over here: https://www.patreon.com/creator-home. Funds raised will go toward traveling to meet with scientists in person, once it’s safe to do so.

Thanks to Regional Arts & Culture Council for our podcasting equipment.

And thanks to Andrew Barkan of Ear Snacks for our theme music!

In this companion episode to our vaquita episode we speak with scientist Dr. Barbara Taylor. She tells us even more interesting facts about the vaquita than we could fit into our vaquita episode. She also tells us about a real life polar bear encounter! Spoiler: she survived. Be sure to check out our interview with conservationist Jonathan White and our vaquita episode too!

In this companion episode to our vaquita episode, we speak with conservationist Jonathan White. He tells us about his own vaquita spotting, how dangerous it is out there on the Gulf of California, and we discuss why saving the vaquita matters. Also check out our interview with Dr. Barbara Taylor and our vaquita episode!

Unfortunately for Jaguar, the cassowary escaped. So this all about cooking is all vegetarian. 

You guessed it listeners! This episode is about the Australian flightless bird the cassowary. Learn about why this bird has been termed the world’s deadliest bird, what that horn thing is all about, and just how big they get.

If you think you know the answer to our creature quiz or riddle, or if you did our kid challenge, let us know! Send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod and we will send you a bookmark.

Patreon sponsors! We are having a Zoom meet up on December 4th! Check our Patreon page for details. Do you want to be a Patreon sponsor? You can sign up here. https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Your donations will go towards traveling to meet with a scientist to learn more about animals.

Thanks to RACC for funding our audio equipment!

Thanks to Andrew from Ear Snacks for our theme music!

Thanks to all of you for listening!

We’re featuring a creepy, Halloween-worthy animal in this bonus episode! The Goblin shark gets its name because it really does look like a goblin. Learn more about its impressive mouth gape, lightning fast jaw speed, and more.

We mentioned the videos of the goblin shark eating – there are links to both videos in this informative article. https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/goblin-shark-mitsukurina-owstoni/

One of our kid challenges this episode is to try to find plastic-free candy wrappings if you’re giving out candy for trick or treating. Here’s a list of some options:

https://www.treehugger.com/ideas-plastic-free-halloween-treats-4857928

If you do the kid challenge, or know the creature quiz answers, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

Thanks Frannie for being our Patreon sponsor! If you’d like to financially support our podcast, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Thank you to RACC for the funds for our podcasting equipment! Jaguar’s entrance and exit music would not be here if not for you.

And thanks to Andrew Barkan of Ear Snacks for our theme music!

Finally, don’t forget to check out the other Halloween episodes from our friends at Kids Listen. You can head to the Kids Listen app the week of October 24 to find a big playlist of Halloween/spooky episodes. https://app.kidslisten.org

It's taken a bit longer than we wanted to get our next episode out. We found this goofy recording on my phone from the summer and thought you might enjoy. See you soon with our next episode!

Piranhas get a bad rap. They’re thought of as vicious, human killing machines. While piranhas do have some impressive teeth and an even more impressive bite force, they’re really not quite as dangerous as they’re made out to be. In this episode, we do some piranha myth busting and learn more about this impressive creature.

Thank you to RACC for our audio equipment. We really think you can tell the difference! We’re so glad to be able to share some clearer audio with you.

Thank you also to Andrew Barkan of Earsnacks for our theme music.

Do you know the answer to our creature quiz or riddle? Did you do the kid power challenge? Let us know and we’ll send you a bookmark! Email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod

Finally, if you would like to support us financially,  head on over to our Patreon page! We are using the money raised there for some in-person trip (once safe to do so) to meet with scientists and share our interviews with you.

On this episode, we learn all about the venomous (not poisonous) rhinoceros viper. Learn about its cool retractable fangs, the not one but TWO types of venom it has, and take a listen to Jaguar's new evolution music. 

Thank you to the Regional Arts & Culture Council for our awesome new podcasting equipment! We are excited to give you better and better audio as we learn the tricks of our new equipment. 

Thank you also to Nora for being our Patreon sponsor! If you would like to be a Patreon sponsor, head here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

If you know the answer to our creature quiz or riddle, send us the answers at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or Tweet us at @coolanimalspod. 

Thanks Andrew of Ear Snacks for our theme music!

Hello listeners! We are doing an episode swap with Newsy Jacuzzi! We think you’ll love this podcast, another kid-grownup collaboration. They help find some of the coolest news stories from all across the world and share them with their listeners. There are often stories about animals, the environment, and other things that I know our listeners care about. We hope you like this episode, which has news stories about hangry fruit flies, air purification, and lots more. If you like Newsy Jacuzzi, add it to your feed!

https://www.newsyjacuzzi.com

We will be back soon to talk to you about a new animal, on our new podcasting equipment thanks to RACC.

Have you ever watched ants hurry busily along and wonder what they're doing? Dr. Moffett did, and decided to turn that interest into ants and other bugs into a career. In this episode, we learn about ants - from the kind in your backyard to the kind that can eat people, how Dr. Moffett almost got trampled by elephants, hit by blowdarts, and other adventures. We also are joined by his wife Melissa, who tells us about their travels and more. 

Thanks to Andrew Barkan of Ear Snacks for our theme song! 

Our next episode will be recorded on our new audio equipment! Thanks to the Regional Arts & Culture Council for awarding us our grant! 

Questions? Want to reach out? You can find us on Twitter at @coolanimalspod or email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com

We asked, you answered! In this episode, we hear facts about sea slugs, lions, zombie caterpillars, wild horses, and lots more. And of course, Jaguar evolves to become even more powerful.

Thanks to Ari, August, Cristian, Gracelyn, Lucy, Oliver, Sally, Tristan, Quinn, Harry, Iris, and Theo for their facts!

Be sure to check out the Kids Listen podcast Best Day Yet for positivity, affirmations, and animal explorations. You can find the podcast here: https://www.bestdayyetpodcast.com

Thanks to Andrew Barkan for our theme song! 

Don't forget to check out our mega plastic episode. We encourage you to try out one or more of our kid challenges! 

And if you'd like to support us financially on our Patreon page, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Our plastic episode is here! In this episode, we learn about how much plastic is in the ocean, why that’s a problem for animals, how it all got there, and, most importantly, how you can help.

We talked to so many experts to make this episode. Thank you to:

Senator Jeff Merkley

Dr. Jenna Jambeck, University of Georgia

Christopher Joyce, NPR

Rachel Giles, Chelsea Rochman’s lab

Shaye DiPasquale, Terracycle

David Clark, Amcor

Thank you also to our fabulous editor, Eric Klein. If you need editing help, send him an email at e.c.klein@gmail.com">e.c.klein@gmail.com

Thank you to Andrew Barkan of Ear Snacks for our theme music.

Thank you also to our Patreon sponsors who made this possible! We really appreciate you!

We have a lot of show notes on this one:

Want to do a waste audit? Here’s the link to the waste audit Rachel mentioned: https://rochmanlab.com/waste-audit/

Here’s a link to Terracycle’s website, where you can figure out what to collect and recycle: https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/

Learn more about Senator Merkley’s Break Free from Plastic Act: https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/pollution-act/

Don’t know whether it’s recyclable? Check out: http://recycleornot.org

And be sure to download the Marine Debris Tracker app: https://debristracker.org

Please let us know what steps you’re taking to battle plastic pollution and we can share our progress together! Send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod

Spread the word about this episode! The more kids helping, the more of a difference we can make.

This is Jaguar meow meow! Learn how to cook endangered meat with just a flame thrower, trebuchet and elbow grease in this best ever episode! 

In this episode we learn all about lake cow bacon, otherwise known as the hippopotamus! You’ll learn about poop-flinging, built-in sunscreen, mouth gape, how huge they are, and more.

Thanks for listening! If you would like to support us on Patreon, please head here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals We have fun benefits like shout-outs and outtakes (including a funny one on poop today).

Here’s our website. https://coolfactsaboutanimalspodcast.wordpress.com/2021/06/06/hippopotamus-hippo/

I’ve loaded a picture of Teddy when he was smaller at the zoo, with a wide-mouthed hippo behind him.

Here’s a link to buying hippo poop: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/618838/buy-fiona-hippos-poop

And to hippo poop flinging: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-jXMeo4a4k

If you know the creature quiz answer or do the kid challenge, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

Thanks to Andrew at Ear Snacks for our theme music!

Finally, check out the fellow Kids Listen podcast Fairies and Dragons, Ponies and Knights. It’s a fun, episodic storytelling podcast that we think you’ll really enjoy!  https://dirtroadtheater.com/fadpak/

We at Cool Facts About Animals are pretty jealous of our east coast listeners who are about to get visited by TRILLIONS of cicadas! In this episode, we give you all the information you need to know about this amazing insects, which have been waiting for the past 17 years to emerge. Included in that is a zombie fungus disease that makes their butts fall off! You don't want to miss this one. 

Thanks to our Patreon sponsors August and Wren! If you would like to be a Patreon sponsor, you can sign up here. https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

If you haven't yet sent us your cool fact for an upcoming episode, please send it to us, along with your name, age and where you're from by May 31, 2021. We'd love to have an audio clip of you, but email is just fine. Send it to us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com

Happy Earth Day! In this special bonus episode, we each choose an endangered or extinct animal to learn about, then we choose an animal that’s making a rebound, and share an idea for how you can help to keep animals of the endangered list!

In this episode, we learn about:

• Black rhinoceros
• White rhinoceros
• European Jaguar
• Blackfooted pigeon
• Tooth-billed pigeon
• Condor
• Vaquita
• American alligator

Here’s a great website to learn more about ethical and sustainably-produced seafood:

https://thehealthyfish.com/how-to-tell-if-youre-buying-sustainable-ethically-produced-seafood/ 

Here are the episodes that we mentioned on this episode:

Past earth day episodes

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-earth-day-animal-episode/id1334467437?i=1000409436677

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/extinct-animals-special-earth-day-episode/id1334467437?i=1000436001946

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/earth-day-episode-cool-animal-facts/id1334467437?i=1000472264858

Condor:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/california-condors/id1334467437?i=1000425872502

Submit your cool animal facts to us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com and we will play them in an upcoming episode!

In this special double episode, we learn all about herons. First, we are joined by Patreon supporter and friend Meryl to learn all about the third biggest heron, the great blue heron. Then, the usual crew learn more about the second biggest and biggest herons - the white bellied heron and the Goliath heron. 

We want to hear from you too! Send us an audio clip with your cool animal fact to coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com and we will include them in an upcoming episode.

If you'd like to be a Patreon sponsor, you can head here:

Thanks for listening!

https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Jaguar wants to cover the world in trash. Can Corduroy stop him? 

(No animal facts in this one - this is just for fun!) 

Horseshoe crabs have been around since before the age of dinosaurs! During the time, they've seen a lot of changes in the world. We talk about these living fossils, including why their blood is so valuable, their many eyes and legs, and many other cool facts. 

If you think you know the answer to the riddle or creature quiz, or if you do the Kid Power challenge, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod and we'll send you a bookmark! 

If you'd like to be a Patreon sponsor, you can head over here. https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Thanks to Andrew of Ear Snacks for our theme song! 

Dragons are one of the most amazing animals in the world - but it's hard to get the facts about them when they are so rare.

Luckily, we were able to speak with Mr. Eric of What If World and a real live What If World dragon, Dracomax! Dracomax fills us in on all sorts of interesting stuff about dragons, like their favorite jokes, systems of governance, and their deepest, darkest secrets (it involves pudding).  We hope you have as much fun listening as we did making this episode.  If you do, be sure to check out What If World! 

Thanks to our Patreon sponsors June, Iris and Manni! If you'd like to support us financially, you can check out our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

We have a really cool special episode for you today.  In this one, we interview Gina Zwicky. Gina is a graduate student at the University of New Orleans, where she studies reptile immuno-evolution, and she knows a ton of stuff about toads, frogs, alligators and turtles. In this episode, we learn about snapping turtles' butt-breathing, how to tell an alligator from a crocodile, and why frogs have the coloring they do. We also learn about Gina's frog watch events, and why they're helpful to science. We hope you enjoy! 

This is one tough animal. Smart, recklessly aggressive, equipped with tough skin, stink bombs and sharp claws - even lions run from the honey badger! 

We mentioned a bunch of things in this episode. Here's a link to the Nature documentary: 

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/honey-badger-honey-badgers-masters-of-mayhem/8636/

Here's a link to our YouTube channel - you can check out our collaboration with At Your Level and we will post a drawing lesson in the near future: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt89IP0pdPUfvETol8qHKjg

Here's a link to our Patreon page: 

https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Yogurt recipe:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017991-creamy-homemade-yogurt 

Granola bar recipe:

https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/thick-chewy-granola-bars/

Thanks to Andrew of Ear Snacks for our theme song! 

Learn more about sea stars (aka starfish) while playing along with the Cool Facts About Animals and At Your Level podcasts. During this activity-filled video, you'll learn how to draw the crown of thorns sea star, make an origami sea star, and hear a story about a sea star going to the library. You'll also get to see Jaguar interviewed as a sea star - aka Ulysses S. Grant. Plus, dad jokes and some holiday trombone music.

Watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZ_HnSlUZI 

Grady, Clara, Teddy and mom Ali sit down to talk about the starfish (or is it a sea star?).  You'll learn that this festive-shaped star can come with many, many more arms than you'd imagine, what important things it's lacking, the strange place its eyes are located, and about its amazing superpower.

Here’s a picture of that heron and eel: eel-bursts-out-of-heron.html">https://www.livescience.com/snake-eel-bursts-out-of-heron.html

Here’s a picture of a crown of thorns sea star: https://oceana.org/marine-life/corals-and-other-invertebrates/crown-thorns-starfish

Here's some pictures of a sea star growing its body from an arm - regenerating.html">https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/starfish-regenerating.html 

Here’s a link to our YouTube channel – stay tuned for our activity video in collaboration with At Your Level! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt89IP0pdPUfvETol8qHKjg

If you can answer our Creature Quiz, Riddle or want to take our Kid Power challenge, send us a message at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod

Thanks again to Miles and Anna for being our Patreon sponsors. You can sponsor us here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

In this episode, the crew shares a whole bunch of really, really gross animal facts. If you do not like being grossed out, DO NOT listen to this episode! Animals include a toad that gives birth by baby toads breaking through the skin on its back, a lizard that shoots blood from its eyes, an animal that feasts on human skin, and a sea cucumber that shoots out its internal organs.

We have a lot of show notes today. Here are the promised links, plus a picture of the Surinam toad (beware this picture is gross!).

Jaguar’s Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/TheRealJaguar2

Corduroy’s Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/Corduro96602363

Tongue-eating isopod post:  https://twitter.com/JimmyBernot/status/1337129154484056066

Birds decorating their nest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1zmfTr2d4c

Picture of the Surinam toad: photo-surinam-toad-pipa-pipa-young-emerging-from-under-skin-of-mother-image01563459.html"> https://www.naturepl.com/stock-photo-surinam-toad-pipa-pipa-young-emerging-from-under-skin-of-mother-image01563459.html

Frogs with hair: frog-breaks-bones-produce-claws-burst-skin-like-X-Men-s-Wolverine.html"> https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2300424/The-frog-breaks-bones-produce-claws-burst-skin-like-X-Men-s-Wolverine.html

If you have a gross animal fact to share, or think you know the answer to our riddle, send it to us by email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

In this episode, we get pretty confused talking about opossums v. possums - because they sound the same! We sort it out with the help of Jaguar's helpful poem. We also learn about why they play dead and why it's so confusing, other gross defense mechanisms, and lots of other cool facts. 

Our friends at Nature Nerds are going to be putting out an episode on opossums too! Be sure to check it out. 

Thanks to Cristian for being our Patreon sponsor! If you'd like to financially support us, check out our page here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

You can find a picture of the adorable cross-eyed opossum here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/heidi-the-cross-eyed-opossum-becomes-a-star-in-germany/

Don't forget to answer our creature quiz or do our kid challenge! Send us a message at @coolanimalspod on Twitter or email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com

Hi Listeners! We are trying out something new this episode, and swapping an episode with our friend Laine at Nature Nerds, a podcast in the Kids Listen family. We’ve never done this before, but we thought we would try it this time because we really think if you like our show, you’ll also like Nature Nerds. (Our family listened to the whole first season in one day.)

In each episode, Laine and her nature assistant learn about a new animal through a mix of exploration and speaking with experts.  There’s a lot of humor and even a little magic at play too!

In this episode, you’ll learn more about bats. We think you’ll enjoy it. If you do, head over to wherever you listen to podcasts and look for “Nature Nerds” for more episodes on animals like nutria and honeybees. 

And we’ll be back soon with our mystery animal. We can’t wait to share it with you. Thanks for listening!

Do you think crows are scary? In this episode, we learn that crows are scary – scary smart! Did you know that crows can solve 8-step puzzles, make and use tools, recognize faces, hold a grudge and even obey traffic lights? In this episode, we learn all about these spooky smart creatures.

This episode is part of the Kids Listen Halloween collaboration. I’ll be updating the show notes with a link to all the episodes once it’s published, or head to the Kids Listen app and search for the Halloween Playlist. https://app.kidslisten.org

We mentioned a bunch of videos today:

Video of the 8-step tool puzzle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gui3IswQ0DI

Hook-building: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDg0AKfM8EY

Crows having fun in the snow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ta33bMB70

Jaguar’s music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikzSylqEkRQ&feature=youtu.be

If you think you know the Creature Quiz or riddle, or if you do the Kid Challenge, send us an email (coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com) or tweet us (@coolanimalspod) and we will send you a bookmark!

Finally, thank you to our latest Patreon sponsor, Cecelia! If you’d like to be our Patreon sponsor, head to our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

On this episode, we talk all about peafowl! New fact for me, only the male peafowl is called a peacock. Who knew! We also give lots of info on the peacock's beautiful tail (or train), its flying ability, and some cool facts about their eggs. 

For our kid challenge, we are challenging you to make a bird feeder out of apples, nut or seed butter, and birdseed. Find an example of how to do this here: https://busylittleizzy.com/2019/09/25/homemade-apple-bird-feeder/

We also mention the Kids Listen Activity Podcast - find more about that here. https://www.kidslisten.org/season-2

If you know the answer to our creature quiz or riddle, or if you did the kid challenge, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

In this episode, we talk to dragonfly and damselfly expert Dr. Jessica Ware about what makes these insects so cool. And there's a lot! Like their eyes, the way they can do math even with their tiny insect brains, how big they used to be (and sometimes still are), how long they've been around for, and even how you can try to find your own new species of dragonflies. 

Thanks so much to Dr. Ware for taking the time to speak with us and share her knowledge with everyone!

We love hearing from you! You can tweet us at @coolanimalspod or email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com

Big news, listeners! Jaguar and Corduroy have made their first music video. Now, I'm not sure about the message, but you know Jaguar. Check it out on YouTube, https://youtu.be/ikzSylqEkRQ, and listen to the preview here. 

We're back! With an episode about the pink river dolphin/aka Amazon River Dolphin/ aka Boto. In this episode we learn about why they might be their unusual color, how they look different from marine dolphins, interesting myths surrounding them, and lots more. 

If you think you know the answer to our creature quiz or our riddle, or if you took part in our Kid Power challenge, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod and we will send you a bookmark!

If you're interested in being a Patreon sponsor, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

And don't forget to visit www.amazoninnhubandgrub.com for all your Amazon eating needs. 

And be sure to check out the Curious Kid podcast! We think you'll really like it. 

On this second part to our spider monkey episodes, we have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Michelle Rodrigues, who has Jaguar's dream job - getting up close and personal with spider monkeys. (Although her motivations differ from Jaguar's.)

Dr. Rodrigues talks to us about spider monkey sociality, the effect of climate change on spider monkeys, whether they laugh, and - of course - answer Jaguar's question about why they are so delicious. 

We always love to hear from you! You can email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.  

Thanks to Andrew of Ear Snacks for our theme song! 

It's Corduroy turn to share his origin story! Learn about how he found his corduroys and how he got his name. It involves a very famous person - maybe you can figure out who! 

You also hear more about the Amazon Inn Hub & Grub. Be sure to head to www.amazoninnhubandgrub.com to get your gift certificates!

Did you ever wonder how Jaguar became Jaguar? In this bonus episode, Jaguar explains how he became the cat he is today. 

Don't forget to check out his enterprise, Amazon Inn Hub & Grub at www.amazoninnhubandgrub.com 

The day has finally come, listeners. Jaguar learns all about spider monkeys. Now, the question is - will he learn to love them so much that he won't eat them again? Listen to find out, as well as finding out about their amazing tails, their calls, and some pretty gross ways they have of deterring intruders.  

Thank you to Emily, our latest Patreon sponsor. If you would like to be a Patreon sponsor, head to our Patreon page here. https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals We have a bunch of outtakes up there as well. 

If you know the answer to the creature quiz or riddle, or just want to say hi, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod. Thanks for listening!

What animal is so big it takes to podcast episodes to cover it? The elephant! In this follow-up to our first elephant podcast, we interview Dr. Josh Plotnik, an elephant expert who studies sociality and empathy. We talk about the smartest thing Dr. Plotnik has ever seen an elephant do, whether elephants can recognize themselves in a mirror, how they show empathy, and more. 

Thank you to our Patreon sponsor Georgia! If you'd like to be a Patreon sponsor, head to our website here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

We always love to hear from you. Email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod. 

Thanks to Andrew Barkan of Ear Snacks for the theme music!

We have been wanting to do elephants for SO long. Just recently, we got a slide show presentation from listener Emily that really inspired us to get moving on it!

In this episode, we chat about elephants with Grady's friend Finn. We talk about how smart they are, the ways they communicate, how they show empathy, how big they are, how much they poop, and lots more. 

Later this week, we will be speaking with Dr. Josh Plotnik, who studies elephants and how they socialize. Stay tuned! 

Do you want to get in touch with us? Send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us @coolanimalspod.

Thanks to Andrew Barkan of Ear Snacks for the music! 

Back at what seems like the dawn of time (i.e., two months ago when the kids were still at school),  Clara was working on a pollinator project for her second grade class.  Clara chose the blue-tailed day gecko. But when she started researching it, she found that there was almost no information out there about them!

Luckily, we discovered the Skype a Scientist program, where we were connected to Travis Hagey. Dr. Hagey is an expert on day geckos (though he has not yet studied the blue tailed day gecko) and he taught us a lot about these amazing animals – like that they can drop and regrow their tails, that they probable traveled on the side of ... something (a log?) to get to the island they live on now, and why that commercial Gecko isn’t really super accurate.

We learned a lot from Dr. Hagey, and had a super good time too.  We hope you will as well!

As always, we love to hear from you! Email as coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us @coolanimalspod.

Thanks to Andrew of Ear Snacks for our theme music! 

This one is just for fun, definitely no learning here. Join in Jaguar's adventures as he travels from Transylvania to Washington to the moon to try to track down that rascally Corduroy. 

In this special Earth Day episode, the CFAA gangs bring you lots of cool facts about a whole bunch of different animals, including the brown pelican, purple loosestrife beetle, honey badger, dung beetle, sand cat, a headless frog, and more!

Do you want to make a difference this Earth Day? Learn about a new animal and tell someone about it! Including us! Send us an email with an audio recording or a paragraph about your animal to coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com 

Thanks for listening, and happy Earth Day! 

Hey Listeners! Happy Earth Day Week! We are hoping to get out an Earth Episode this week, but in the meantime, we wanted to direct you to the Kids Listen Activity Podcast, where we are rebroadcasting our episode on extinct animals. You can find the Kids Listen Activity Podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kids-listen-activity-podcast/id1502915722

After the episode, head to kidslisten.org/activity-podcast to find a whole bunch of activities we put together associated with this podcast episode (and over 20 others). We have ideas like building a maze out of straws, painting rocks, measuring your yawn gape and more. 

Enjoy!

On this episode, we learn about a truly resilient animal, the tardigrade (aka the cutely-named moss piglet or water bear). 

This animal can survive anywhere from the moon to a volcano to your own backyard. In its tun state, it can lie dormant for decades in a sort of zombie state. Very cool. 

Thank you to Abby for supporting us on Patreon! If you would like to financially support us, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Find Skype a Scientist Live here: a-scientist-live.html">https://www.skypeascientist.com/skype-a-scientist-live.html

If you know the answer to the creature quiz or take part in the kid challenge, let us know and we will send you a bookmark! Email us at coolanimalspod@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod. 

In honor of one of our favorite holidays, we are rebroadcasting our April Fools Day episode from last year, starring Mr. Eric of What if World. It's our most popular episode of all time and we hope you enjoy it! 

On this episode, we take advantage of the amazing Skype a Scientist program and speak with Dr. Dan Killam, an expert on giant clams. 

We learned so much about giant clams - including how their eyes work (and that they even had eyes), how big they can get, how they are similar to trees, and lots more. 

We had more than we could fit in this episode. If you want to hear more about giant clams and other odds and ends (like what Dr. Killam named his Venus fly trap) head over to our Patreon page. You do not need to financially support us to hear these bonus materials. https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

We always love to hear from you! Send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod 

Learn more about the Skype a Scientist program here: https://www.skypeascientist.com

Starting this week, Kids Listen member podcasts – like What If World, The Past and the Curious, The Good Words Podcast, Book Club for Kids, Little Bedtime Stories, Tumble Podcast, Timestorm, Be Calm on Ahway Island, Aaron’s World, Best Day Yet, The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian, Story Spectacular, Unspookable, Curious Kid Podcast and Buttons & Figs – and of course Cool Facts About Animals – will bring you a podcast and an activity based on the episode.

Cool Facts About Animals’ episode is up today! For our episode, we chose our second most popular episode of all time – tarantula hawk wasps. This episode features an interview with Dr. Justin Schmidt, who invented the Schmidt Sting Pain Index.  Do you kow how he invented that index? He got stung. A lot. And then told people about how much each one hurt on a scale from 1 to 4. It’s a really fun episode, filled with lots of animal facts from a super cool scientist.

After you listen, you can find a number of activities relating to the episode, including inventing your own index, drawing your defensive superpowers, doing in-depth bug observation, and lots more. 

Here are all the links you need:

Kids Listen Activity Podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kids-listen-activity-podcast/id1502915722

Raw feed if you’re not an iTunes person: https://kidslistenactivitypodcast.libsyn.com/rss

Kids Listen Activity website: https://www.kidslisten.org/activity-podcast

Link to our most popular episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unicorns/id1334467437?i=1000433820094

Here’s another resource of podcasts to listen to and other resources: https://medium.com/kidslisten/schools-out-kids-podcasts-are-in-82634e23d4c4

And our contact info – we’d love to hear from you! Email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet @coolanimalspod.

If you’re into hashtags, use the tag #kidslistenactivitypod

Stay well, listeners. 

On this bonus episode of CFAA, we speak with Allyson Shaw, an editor and writer at National Geographic Kids.  In this interview we learn about “comeback critters,” animals that were struggling but are now doing a lot better because of human intervention, as well as animals that still really need our help.  We also talk about the dangers and benefits of plastic, and practical tips to reduce plastic consumption.

This episode is FULL of tips on how kids can help protect animals.  We’d love to hear some of the tips you found most inspiring, and which going to try to do yourselves!  You can tweet us at @coolanimalspod or email us at cfaa@gmail.com, and we will send you a bookmark!

Thanks as always for listening, and we will back soon with our regular format.

Hello listeners! On this episode we are learning all about Koalas (not bears).  We learn a number of really gross things that these animals do, despite being so cute, and some other cool facts - like how small the babies are, what their name means and all sorts of interesting things about their hands and feet. We also talk about how you can help koalas suffering from the effects of the bush fires, including by "adopting" a koala through the Australia Koala Foundation: https://www.savethekoala.com 

Thanks to Sam the Bug Hunter for being our Patreon sponsor! If you'd like to help support our podcast, please head over to our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

If you know the answer to the riddle, creature or quiz, or you do the Kid Challenge, let us know! Email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod 

Thanks as always to Andrew of Ear Snacks for our theme music! 

We have another bonus episode in store for you today! We speak with Dr. Jim Sanderson, a conservationist and Program Manager of Wild Cat Conservation at the Global Wildlife Conservation. We wanted to speak with him about the Andean Cat, because he is one of the very few people to ever see one in nature. While we did learn some cool things about the cat, we also learned a lot about a new field - conservationism.  

It was such an honor to get the chance to speak with Dr. Sanderson. This episode is a bit longer than usual, but we thought the whole interview was so interesting, we didn't know what to cut. 

We hope you enjoy it, and are as inspired by Dr. Sanderson's work as we are!   We should be back to our normal format after this. We look forward to thanking our newest Patreon sponsor on that episode. 

We were excited to receive a copy of “A Book of Rather Strange Animals” by Caleb Compton. Just like it sounds, the book is a collection of unusual, weird, wacky, and just plain cool animals.  In this episode we talk about a few of the animals in the book: the purple frog; sea bunny; hammerhead worm; and vampire squid.

Want to answer the creature quiz, riddle, or tell us about how you did on the kid challenge? You can reach us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

And if you’d like to financially support us, you can do so at https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

On this episode, we learn all about the colossal squid – an animal that no one has actually seen move around in the ocean.   In this episode you’ll learn about their predators, how they attack prey, how colossal they really are, and the surprising amount they need to eat to stay alive. 

Thanks to Fox and Frye for the suggestion!

If you know the answer to the creature quiz, or did the kid challenge, let us know! You can reach us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod

If you’d like to support us financially, please visit our Patreon page! https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Finally, here’s a link to the video of the colossal squid autopsy: https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-09-17/rare-colossal-squid-was-dissected-new-zealand-and-you-can-watch-it-youtube

Learn more about Spider Monkey Burrito Creator Day and Green Overall Day(s) with Jaguar and Corduroy. Things get a little heated, but it ends up with everyone coming together with some holiday songs. (No animal facts in this one, it's just for fun.) 

On this episode, we go way back in time to learn about the velociraptor! If your knowledge about the velociraptor comes from the movie Jurassic Park (like Jaguar) then you’ll be surprised to know that most of what you think is true is false! The velociraptor was only about the size of the turkey, and its hunting game was way different than portrayed.  In this episode, you’ll learn more about its dangerous claws, a prehistoric battle, and lots more. 

We mentioned two videos in the episode. They are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0qs5oclDkI  - Interesting information about what the velociraptor might have sounded like

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2erfy1 - BBC documentary in which they do experiments to discover more about how the velociraptor’s claws were used

If you want to answer our creature quiz, riddle, do the kid challenge, or just want to say hi, you can reach us on Twitter at @coolanimalspod or email us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com

If you’d like to support us financially, and help fund our trip to the Red Woods to study a new habitat, you can support us on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Thanks for listening!

You can’t get much spookier than this spider, the largest of all spiders.  It’s legs alone get be up to a foot long, and it’s so hairy and creepy and…. I need to stop. 

On this episode, you’ll learn about this tarantula’s defense mechanisms—including its ability to spew barbed hairs at its enemies, the creepy thing female spiders do to their would-be mates, and lots more. 

We always love to hear from you! You can reach us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

If you’re interested in being one of our Patreon sponsors, follow the link here:https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

Thanks as always to Andrew of Ear Snacks for our theme song! 

In this episode, we talk about new discoveries about orcas (aka killer whales), learn more about how smart they are (learning words!), and Jaguar gets a little jealous.

We’ve got lots of links in this one:

Here’s the link to Orca v. Great White Shark: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/orca-versus-great-white-shark/id1334467437?i=1000423748015

Here’s the link to the salmon episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/salmon/id1334467437?i=1000417338721

Here’s a link to the granola bar recipe I’ve been using (I love Smitten Kitchen): https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/thick-chewy-granola-bars/

And here’s a yogurt making primer: https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-make-homemade-yogurt-step-by-step-article

And thanks again to Maggie for being our Patreon sponsor! If you’re interested in supporting our podcast financially, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

If you want to answer the creature quiz, riddle, or tell us how you’re doing on this month’s kid challenge, send us a note at coolfactsboutanimals@gmail.com or on Twitter at @coolanimalspod. 

Thanks as always to Andrew of Ear Snacks for our awesome theme song!

The Cool Facts About Animals crew got the opportunity to head to Oregon’s science museum (OMSI) to check out the new exhibit, Exquisite Creatures, and interview the artist behind the exhibit, Christopher Marley. 

Marley is an Oregon artist who uses animals and insects to create amazing pieces of art.  In this episode you’ll learn why it’s so important to go out and see nature in real life, what kinds of looks you get when you take your pet monitor lizard for a walk, and how you can help to protect animals.

Thanks as always for listening, and we will be back soon with our regularly-scheduled episode!

Many thanks against to Christopher Marley for speaking with us, and for OMSI for giving us this opportunity.  

And thank you to Andrew Barkan of Ear Snacks for our theme music! 

It's a whale! It's a shark! It's not a whale at all, it's the biggest fish in the sea! It's a whale shark! 

On this episode we get way too silly talking about filter feeding, the differences between whales and sharks, and just how big these sharks are. (Hint: super big.)

Thanks to Miles for the suggestion, along with previous suggesters Theo and Nadia. 

And many thanks to Lilli and Hazel, two of our newest Patreon sponsors! If you would like to help support us take a road trip to visit in person with a scientist, you can head over to https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals and make a donation.  We are narrowing in on a location, and hope to head there this fall! 

If you think you know the answer to our creature quiz or riddle, or if you completed our kid challenge, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com, or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

Thanks for listening! 

Just for fun this long weekend, we're doing filling in the blank word games with Jaguar and Corduroy! We'll be back with more cool animal facts in a week or so - stay tuned!

Thanks so much to Miles and Toby, our Patreon supporters! If you're interested in supporting us financially, you can check out our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

Another special summer episode, this time featuring Tristan and Quinn.  Besides being Sea Pig experts, they are also cousins to Grady, Clara, and Teddy. 

We learn lots of cool facts about this very strange looking sea creature. If you want to guess what they might look like (no peeking!) send us a picture at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com, or tweet us at coolanimalspod.  If you already know what they look like, send us another picture instead.  We will send you a bookmark! 

We will be getting back to school and our normal schedules soon. Thanks in advance to our three new Patreon sponsors! We will be doing official thank yous in our next three regular episodes.  

If you would like to financially support our podcast, click here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

A long, long time ago we got a request from James—who was 5 at the time—to do an episode about tarantula hawk wasps. When we started researching the insect, we kept coming across the name Dr. Justin Schmidt. Grady had already heard of him—you may have too. He invented what’s called the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. The index measures just what it sounds like it would—how painful different insects’ stings are to humans. Dr. Schmidt is also the author of a book called The Sting of the Wild, which we recommend you all read.

We had the great pleasure of having a Skype conversation from Dr. Schmidt from his office in Tucson, Arizona. We talked about not just the tarantula hawk wasp, but also about other stinging insects, why some insects die after they sting you, how much it hurts to get stung by a bullet ant, and lots more. Check it out.

We will be back with our regular format soon! And once again, we know we have a growing list of folks who we owe bookmarks and replies too. You are on our radar, but summer fun is getting in the way. We will be back on track soon!

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the landing on the moon, we are celebrating a moon-themed animal--the Luna Moth! Learn about its fierce defense tactics as a caterpillar, the one important thing its missing as an adult, and a lot of corny moth jokes.

Want to support Jaguar's mantis shrimp habit? Er, rather, our trip to Eastern Oregon to learn about some other cool animals from the experts? You can support us on our Patreon page!https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

To answer our Creature Quiz, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or Tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

We are behind on sending out our bookmarks, but we are aware! We promise to send soon.

On this episode, we travel all the way to… Grady’s elementary school to do a “versus” episode. This past school year, Grady’s third-grade class did a unit on Oregon bird, where each kid in the class chose a different Oregon bird to study. We spoke to nine of these kids to bring you this versus episode! Which type of bird would win in a fashion contest? Which type of bird would win a hotdog eating contest? And which bird reigns superior! Listen to the episode to find out.

Many thanks to the kids who contributed to this episode, and to Mrs. Gassner for making this episode possible!

This episode was originally part of the Kids Listen sampler, which you can also find on our feed. But to celebrate the 4th, we are bringing you 5 minutes packed with facts about the United States' national bird. Enjoy! 

Happy Summer! On this episode, we are talking about a sunny-colored frog, which happens to be one of the most toxic animals in the world – the golden poison dart frog.  We discuss the difference between venomous and toxic, how many humans one of these tiny frogs can kill with one touch, and their surprisingly social nature.  Plus: can you guess which sound comes from a poison dart frog? (Jaguar does a pretty good imitation!)

If you’re interested in getting a pound of trash out of the ocean, and getting your own recycled bracelet, here’s the link to 4ocean: http://4ocean.com

Also please consider supporting us on our Patreon page! Any money received will go toward funding a trip to Eastern or Southern Oregon to meet in person with a scientist and learn more about a different animal habitat. https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

If you think you know the answer to our creature quiz or riddle, or want to tell us about your Kid Power success, send us an email at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com, or tweet us at @coolanimalspod 

We are on summer vacation, and so likely won’t be publishing on our usual schedule.  But we will be back soon with our next episode!

Thanks as always to Andrew of the awesome podcast Ear Snacks for our theme music! 

It’s our first ever listener episode! We learn from you listeners lots of cool facts about animals, including king cobras, goats, sand cats, and more—plus answer some questions about frogs and how we decide which animal we choose to talk about. Thanks to our listeners who submitted their audio clips: Nadia, Demaris, Quinn, Grace, Lexi, Ginny, Oliver, Cece, Trace, Aryn, Lilli and Xia. We loved getting to hear and share your voices!

We hope we didn’t miss anyone who submitted their fact/question. Please let us know if we did at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod and we'll get your clip on our next episode. 

To find the full episode-length fact-filled audio about guinea pigs from Lexi, check out our website: https://coolfactsaboutanimalspodcast.wordpress.com

We’ll be back soon with a new animal!

Thanks as always to Andrew from Ear Snacks for our theme music.

Cool Facts About Animals has teamed up with a bunch of other kids’ podcasts to bring you an hour of high-quality kids audio programming – just in time for the long weekend, or to listen to throughout the summer.

All of the shows involved are part of the grassroots kids’ audio advocacy group Kids Listen, and all the shows are available on the Kids Listen App.  You’ll hear 5 minutes from 10 different podcasts, including ours, but also some of our personal other go-to listens like Circle Round, Noodle Loaf, Story Spectacular, What if World, and others all listed below.

We hope you enjoy discovering a new podcast, or hearing something new from an old favorite. 

We are discussing the bald eagle in our segment. Many thanks to AJ and to Quinn, who both suggested that we do a podcast on the eagle.

What If World: http://www.whatifworldpodcast.com/

Story Spectacular: http://storyspectacular.com/

Noodle Loaf: http://www.noodleloafshow.com/

Book Power for Kids: http://bookpowerforkids.com/

Little Stories for Tiny People: http://www.littlestoriestinypeople.com/

Be Calm on Ahway Island: https://www.ahwayisland.com/

Cool Facts About Animals: http://coolfactsaboutanimalspodcast.wordpress.com/

Circle Round: http://www.wbur.org/circleround

The Good Words Podcast: http://goodwordspodcast.com/

Girl Tales: https://girltalespodcast.com/

The bomber worm was only discovered about 10 years ago, but it’s not rare. This deep, deep underwater creature has one of the coolest defense mechanisms we've seen yet: releasing bioluminescent bombs to deter predators. We also talk about two other newly-discovered underwater creature: the ruby sea dragon and hoodwinker sunfish.

If you’re interested in becoming a Patreon sponsor, and help to fund us to meet with scientists in person to bring you even more cool facts, head on over to our Patreon site: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

And here’s a link to the video of the green bomber worm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4nLstCR0AI

We love to hear from you! If you want to be included in our next episode, send us an audio clip of your favorite animal fact, or ask us a question, at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com

You can also tweet us at @coolanimalspod

Thanks for listening!

Happy Earth Day, listeners! On this special episode we talk about four cool animals that have been impacted by humans and climate change: the dodo bird, Tasmanian tiger, white lemuroid possum, and Fernandina giant tortoise.  Through hunting, climate change, introduction of non-native species, and more, these animals have been brought to the brink of extinction, and sometimes even have gone extinct.

We end this episode with practical ways that you can make a difference for animals and for our environment.

By the way, the 200 million number on straws is probably very low--but we can't find an accurate number for how many straws are used every year. 

What are your ideas for what you can do to protect the environment?  Let us know at coolfacsaboutanimals@gmail.com

We also want to hear your audio clips of animal facts or questions. Send them to us at coolfactsaboutanimls@gmail.com. If we get enough, we will make your clips into an episode! 

Thanks as always to Ear Snacks for our theme music. And thanks to all of you for listening, rating and helping to protect our environment!

It’s Teddy’s favorite animal, the Thorny Devil! Join us as we learn all about this six-inch mountain dragon. It’s got more defense mechanisms than any other animal we’ve studied (including a fake head – cool!) and has a very interesting way of drinking (foot water anyone?).

You can also check out our first ever Cool Facts About Animals video, explaining how capillary action works.  And yes it has to do with Thorny Devils. It's on our newly-minted YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/VcmaiQt6zC4 

Thanks so much to our Patreon sponsor Cormac for being our Patreon sponsor! You can join Cormac and our other Patreon sponsors, and get a shout out on our show, by visiting: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

We have two kid power challenges this week – and great job to Nadia and Reagan for participating in our last challenge! You can pick up a bag of trash, or take steps to reduce your water consumption. Did you do the challenge? Or the creature quiz? Let us know at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or on Twitter at @coolanimalspod

And send us your questions or cool facts! We want to put together an episode inspired by you. 

We looked high and low for the information we needed to research our episode on unicorns. But try as we might, we could not find even basic facts like what unicorns eat, what the horn is for, and what their favorite jokes are.  Luckily, Professor Abacus P. Grumbler, resident What If World unicorn expert, was able to answer all our questions. 

Special thanks to Prof. Abacus and Mr. Eric for this episode! And special thanks to Xia for the request. And of course, as always, thanks to Andrew of Ear Snacks for the theme music. 

We love to hear from you! Contact us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweets us at @coolanimalspod.

Clara’s class has spoken! This week’s episode is all about the Little Blue Penguin (aka Fairy Penguin). This adorable little dude weighs in at just about two pounds, and stands only about a foot, but it packs a lot of cool stuff into that small size. In this episode, we talk about molting, fledging, diving, vocalization, and lots more.

To hear the backstory on how we chose this episode, check out the prior episode: “And the Winner Is,” available here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/and-the-winner-is/id1334467437?i=1000431839783&mt=2 

Here’s a link to the video we mentioned in the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQMOTDZ9jqY

Special thanks to our Patreon sponsors Finn and Osa! If you’d like to financially support us and get a shout-out on our show, check out our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals

And as always, many thanks to Andrew of Ear Snacks for the theme music!

Have the answer to the riddle or creature quiz? Want to try out the kid power challenge? Send us a note at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod

Last week, CFAA went on the road to Clara's 1st grade classroom. Her class has been studying penguins for the past month -- and wow, did they know a lot about them! We asked the students to break into groups for each of the five penguins they studied: rockhopper, little blue, king, chinstrap, and gentoo, and tell us the coolest things about each kind of penguin they could find. Then we all voted on the penguin they most wanted to learn about. Here are the results, which will be featured as our next animal on CFAA.

Thanks to Clara's class for working so hard on this, and teaching us all such cool facts about penguins! 

Ever wonder what makes Jaguar... well Jaguar? We dive deep into the mind behind the feline in this interview. We cover favorite foods, vacation spots, Thanksgiving carols (what?) and more in this bonus episode. 

This is a bonus episode put out for our Patreon subscribers. We are sharing it on our regular feed with all our listeners so you can get a taste of some of the bonus footage you can get at the $5 level of support.

Thanks to our existing Patreon supporters, and thanks to those considering financially supporting us! Your contributions will help us get out in the field to interview animal experts and see animals in person.

You can find out more about how to financially support us, and the cool extras you can get here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

Not everyone is able to financially support us, and that's okay! We thank all of our listeners for tuning in, writing reviews, drawing us pictures, writing in with suggestions, riddle and creature quiz answers, and more. You guys are all awesome! 

Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow meow (Now back to the bonus episode)

In this episode, we speak to squirrel expert Amanda Robin, a PhD student at UCLA. She taught us about the fascinating world of squirrels, including how they decide to store or eat their nuts, what chunking is, and other cool facts about squirrels. THEN we have a "who would win" battle: squirrel v. rattlesnake. Think it's hands-down rattlesnake? Think again.  

Thanks as always to Ear Snacks for our theme music.  Send your creature quiz answers to us at coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or tweet us at @coolanimalspod.

Also we have a Patreon page. If you would like to financially support our podcast, please do so here: https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals 

It's our most requested episode ever AND our most-answered riddle ever!  You guessed it - it's the platypus. 

This is one seriously cool animals you guys. I mean, how many venomous, egg-laying mammals do you know? Not many, right? 

We dive into what makes platypuses so usual, discuss their super strange chromosomes, and talk about a recent discovery of a stegosaurs-platypus. Yup, no typos.

Special thanks to Samson and Dorothy, long-time listeners with an impressive amount of platypus knowledge!

Also special thanks to E.J. and all the other listeners who requested this episode, and who answered the riddle. 

If you're interested in the sex chromosomes of platypuses (and let's be honest, who isn't), check out this video. The visuals are really helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nyAl7TipkI

Thanks as always to Andrew of the awesome podcast Ear Snacks for the theme music. 

And please keep in touch - coolfactsaboutanimals@gmail.com or Tweet us at @coolanimalspod

And support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/coolfactsaboutanimals