PODCAST · science
Quirky Creepy and Freaky
by 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!
Episodes
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Episode 71: Disco Worms
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!
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Episode 70: Super Scary Toxic Worms
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...
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Episode 69: Beware the Anti-Beaver
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…
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Episode 68: Chemicals turn the frogs gay...or trans?
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...
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Episode 67: Blue Crabs: Into the Unknown
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:...
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Episode 66: History of the National Parks
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…
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Stand up for Science
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...
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Episode 65: To be a crab or not to be a crab
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 -...
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Episode 64: Christmas Worms
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…
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Episode 63: Spiders in disguise
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...
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Episode 62: Octopuses Dream of Punching Fish
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!
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Episode 61: You've Got a Friend In Me
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…
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Episode 60:The Science Behind the Purr
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...
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Episode 59: Butterflies That Have Parasites That Have Parasites
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...
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Episode 58:The Jellyfish are Learning!
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...
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Episode 57: Send Newts
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!
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Episode 56: Science of Sleep
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...
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Episode 55: Masters of Disguise: Spider Edition
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...
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Episode 54: Coral Bleaching in a Hot Tub Ocean
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...
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Episode 53: Sea Anemones: A Hermit Crab’s Best Friend
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...
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Episode 52: The Cookiecutter of the Sea
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!
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Episode 51: Gender Swapping Fish
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...
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Episode 50: Snake-Eating Spiders
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…
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Episode 49: 19 Molas Jumping
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!
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Episode 48: History of Earth Day
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...
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Episode 47: Red Kites Back from the Brink
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...
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Episode 46: The Bobbit Worm of Doom
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...
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Episode 45: Stella the Adventuring Sea Eagle
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 supposed…
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Episode 44: How birds survive the cold of winter
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...
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Episode 43: So...are bats primates? Part 2
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...
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Episode 42: Are bats primates? Part 1
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…
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Episode 41: The History and Legends of Black Cats
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...
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Episode 40: Open Ocean Migrations of Tiny Birds
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...
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Episode 39: Save the Bees and Leave the Leaves
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…
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Episode 38: Blue Sharks and the Top 5 Fastest Sharks
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…
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Episode 37: The Porbeagle Shark and Beagles
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
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Episode 36: Basking Sharks, the Second Largest Fish
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…
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Episode 35: Medicinal Leeches
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
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Episode 34:Why Leeches Don’t Suck
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...
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Episode 33: Flies All Up in Your Face
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
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Episode 32: What Makes a Moose Tick
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
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Episode 31: World’s Deadliest Animal
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...
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Episode 30: Masters of Disguise
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
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Episode 29: Longest Bird Migration
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!
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Episode 23: Glow in the Dark Platypus
Glowing platypus?? Learn about this other quirky trait of the already wonky platypus in this week's episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
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Episode 27: Spider vs. Bat
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
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Episode 26: An Unconventional Parasite
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
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Episode 25: Gallons of Slime
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
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Episode 24: Snakes Are In The Oceans Too
This week's episode features a great group of snakes: sea snakes. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
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Episode 23: Gliding....ants?
For this week's episode, we're looking at more gliding animals! This time, the unexpected gliding ant! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/quirkycreepyfreakypod
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Quirky Creepy and Freaky have?
Quirky Creepy and Freaky currently has 72 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Quirky Creepy and Freaky about?
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!
How often does Quirky Creepy and Freaky release new episodes?
Quirky Creepy and Freaky has 72 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Quirky Creepy and Freaky?
You can listen to Quirky Creepy and Freaky on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Quirky Creepy and Freaky?
Quirky Creepy and Freaky is created and hosted by Olivia Streit.
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