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The Wild Episode

Brian Ruckley·125 episodes

ScienceNaturalNature

A Collection of Wonders and Curiosities from the Animal Kingdom. Zoology, natural history and sometimes human history too. Amazing stories about amazing wildlife.

Episodes

30 min
May 27, 2026Episode 126
Barrel Amphipod : The Hollow Kindergarten

The Barrel Amphipod is a tiny terror for certain animals that share its open ocean habitat ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Eclipsed by Fear by Aldous Ichnite, CC BY 4.0, The Big Drop, Find a Peaceful Place and The Ganzfeld Expriement by ROZKOL, CC BY 4.0

32 min
Apr 29, 2026Episode 125
Salp : The Great Chain of Being

Salps are the strangest, most extraordinary of your reasonably close relatives in the Animal Kingdom ... some of the most extraordinary animals on Earth, in fact ... fellow chordates, yet so very, very different ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Astral Longing, Tea, World is Yourz and Elevate by 1000 Handz, CC BY 4.0

35 min
Apr 13, 2026Episode 124
Grey Seal : The Corkscrew Killer Mystery

The Grey Seal is a very big predator - but also the victim of a strange killer that was, for a long time, a bit of a mystery ...  You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Perhaps It Was Not Properly Manufactured, Cut to Rip Torn and Last Night I Dreamt I Saw True Love In Your Eyes by Chris Zabriskie, CC BY 4.0

31 min
Apr 1, 2026Episode 123
Moniliformis : Attack of the Necklace Worm

Moniliformis moniliformis is an example of one of the strangest groups of animals in the world: the parasitic Acanthocephalans, or the Thorny-Headed Worms ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Soundwork LXVII, Soundwork LXX and Soundwork LXXVII by Jon Shuemaker, CC BY 4.0

37 min
Mar 13, 2026Episode 122
Kākāpō : Population Boom

The Kākāpō is the world's most extraordinary parrot - remarkable in even more ways than most people realise ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Fath Mo Bhuartha, De Bharr na gCnoc (Over the Hills), The Silent Grove and Reservoir Sunset (Remastered) by Axletree, CC BY 4.0 Kākāpō recordings are from the Department of Conservation (NZ) here. CC BY 4.0

29 min
Feb 26, 2026Episode 121
Paradise Flying Snake : Swimming in the Air

The Paradise Flying Snake is one of the most surprising 'fliers' in the Animal Kingdom. How does it do it? And why is the answer to that question different than for all other gliding animals?  You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Find a Peaceful Place and Ganzfeld Experiment by ROZKOL. CC BY 4.0.

34 min
Feb 3, 2026Episode 120
Glanville Fritillary : A Madness of Butterflies

The Glanville Fritillary is an elegant European butterfly, the stufy of which reveals some of the hidden forces shaping animal populations. And it was discovered by a woman - Eleanor Glanville - whose own life is  strange story all of its own ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Computations in a Snowstorm by Scott Buckley, CC BY 4.0 Torn, Run, Chasing Ghosts and No Way Out by Philipp Weigl, CC BY 4.0

35 min
Dec 10, 2025Episode 119
Tree Hyrax : Shouting in the Trees

The four species of Tree Hyrax are the survivors of an ancient and diverse group of animals that once dominated Africa. They now live secretive - but very noisy - lives high in the trees. You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Clusticus The Mistaken, That Guy's Sky Is Way Too High, Please, Not The Mind Fizz and Are You There, Invisible Woman by Doctor Turtle, CC BY 4.0 Animal Recordings from: Rosti, H., Pihlström, H., Rottcher, N., Bearder, S., Mwangala, L., Maghenda, M., & Rikkinen, J. (2023). Species identity and behavior of cave-dwelling tree hyraxes of the Kenyan coast. Ecology and Evolution, 13, e9693. <a href= "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"

33 min
Nov 21, 2025Episode 118
Longnose Lancetfish : Ferocious

The Longnose Lancetfish is a big, strange, predatory fish of the open ocean, whose unusual feeding habits and physiology make it of particular interest to scientists ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Even a free sign-up there will get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Ancient and The Scholar by AvapXia, CC BY 4.0

34 min
Nov 4, 2025Episode 117
Bigfin Squid : Unknown Knowns and Known Unknowns

The Bigfin Squid (species of the genus Magnapinna) is one of the most iconic deep sea animals these days. But we know precious little about it - we can't even be 100% sure exactly what we're looking at when we capture footage of one of these amazing animals ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0.

32 min
Oct 14, 2025Episode 116
Adélie penguin : The Ice Riders

The Adélie penguin is the ultimate Antarctic penguin, partly because there's so many of them, partly because of its special and profound connection to Antarctic sea ice ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening Path to Solitude by Doxent, cc by 3.0

32 min
Sep 29, 2025Episode 115
Shovel-headed Worm : The Worm in the Hothouse

The Shovel-Headed Garden Worm, also known as the Hammerhead Worm, is a voracious, terrestrial predatory flatworm. A world-traveller with amazing anatomy, predatory abilities and - especially - reproductive capacity. But why is it named after Kew Gardens in London? You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: 404 Not Found, But That's Okay and Echoes in the Code and Syncing Our Systems by Aldous Ichnite, CC BY 4.0

32 min
Sep 10, 2025Episode 114
Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo : Change is the Only Constant

Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo is one of only two species of tree kangaroo in Australia. Animals change, the world changes, the natural world is - almost - never standing still. You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening Magic Hour by Three Chain Links, CC BY 4.0; Short Song 030523 by Chris Zabriskie, CC BY 4.0

31 min
Aug 27, 2025Episode 113
Bogong Moth : The Moth and the Stars

Every year, the Bogong Moth undertakes one of the most extraordinary insect migrations on Earth in south-eastern Australia. The question for this episode is: how? You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening Temple and Lost and Found by drób, CC BY 4.0

31 min
Jul 29, 2025Episode 112
Supergiant Isopod : Big is Beautiful III

There are several types of Supergiant Isopod in the deep sea - some of the most successful and effective scavengers on the planet. But why are they so very big? You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening Dawn, Worship the Sun and Faith by Mark Wilson X, CC BY 3.0

32 min
Jul 4, 2025Episode 111
Giant Clam : Big is Beautiful II

The Giant Clam has a secret trick that enables it to grow faster and bigger than any other bivalve mollusc in the world ...  You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening Tired of Life, Please Wake Up and Away by Meydän, CC BY 4.0

31 min
Jun 16, 2025Episode 110
Giant Armadillo : Big is Beautiful I

The Giant Armadillo is easily the biggest living armadillo, equipped with the biggest claw on Earth. And the fact of its size means it is significant - valuable - to a surprisingly wide variety of other animals ...  You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: The Wake, Same Boat and Don't Close Your Eyes, by Josh Woodward, CC BY 4.0

32 min
May 13, 2025Episode 109
Harlequin Beetle Pseudoscorpion : Along For The Ride

The Harlequin Beetle-Riding Pseudoscorpion: a tiny predator with an extraordinary way of moving from one hunting ground to the next ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: I Wanted to Live, You're Enough and Slow Lights by Lee Rosevere, CC BY 3.0

30 min
Apr 1, 2025Episode 108
Golden Rocket Frog : The Bromeliad, the Waterfall and the Frog

The Golden Rocket Frog - an amazing little frog that lives only in one small corner of South America and whose life revolves around the very specific architecture of one - also amazing - plant. You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. You don't have to pay anything, though - a free sign-up there will still get you regular content celebrating the wonders and curiosities of the Animal Kingdom. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you.  Music Opening Rain by Unheard Music Concepts, CC BY 4.0.

33 min
Dec 20, 2024Episode 107
Ochre Sea Star : The Keystone Experiment

The Ochre Sea Star. A remarkable predator that can turn its stomach inside out through its mouth. And is also central to the story of a highly influential concept in ecology: it is the original Keystone Species ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you. Music Opening Prelude No. 21, Prelude No. 18, Prelude No. 20 and Prelude No. 13 by Chris Zabriskie, CC BY 3.0

35 min
Dec 3, 2024Episode 106
Pygmy Hippo : The Hippo in the Zoo

The Pygmy Hippo. An animal - one of them in particular - that's been all over social media recently. But what do we actually know about this species, how do we know it and why is there something unusual about the baby pygmy hippos born in zoos around the world? You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you. Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: The Maze - NoVox by Josh Woodward, cc by 4 and Everywhere by Lee Rosevere, cc by 4.

30 min
Oct 30, 2024Episode 105
Texas Horned Lizard : The Pain Index III

The Texas Horned Lizard has solved a tricky problem: how to eat insects that not only have a powerful bite but also some of the most painful and lethal stings in the world ... You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you. Music Opening Freeze and Build by AvapXia, CC BY 4.0

30 min
Oct 16, 2024Episode 104
Tarantula Hawk : The Pain Index II

You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - and get additional content by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to get access to occasional bonus episodes. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. Please share the show on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. That helps a lot. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you. Music Opening The Desert Archer by Pipe Choir III, CC BY 4.0; Lucid Coma by Kevin Hartnell, CC BY 4.0.

34 min
Oct 2, 2024Episode 103
Bullet Ant : The Pain Index I

The infamous and fearsome (or not?) Bullet Ant. The first of three loosely connected episodes about ... pain. You can support the show - keep it going, keep it growing - by subscribing at The Wild Episode Substack. Become a paid subscriber to (if there's enough interest/support!) get access to occasional bonus episodes. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app. Or best of all, become a paid subscriber at  The Wild Episode Substack. Thank you. Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Doppler Piano, A Killer in Me, Ruminations and Terror Dome by Mark Wilson X, CC BY 4.0

32 min
Sep 19, 2024Episode 102
Remipede : How to be Perplexing

Remipedes! Upside-down-swimming, venom-injecting, cave-dwelling amazingness. Some of the strangest crustaceans ever discovered, living in some of the strangest places the world has to offer. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Music Opening cinematic suspense series episode 004 and lost place atmospheres 001 by Sascha Ende, CC BY 4.0.

30 min
Jul 18, 2024Episode 101
Myrmeconema : Gliding Ants and Red Berries

Ants that can glide and Myrmeconema, a parasitic nematode that can change the appearance and behaviour of its host. What happens when the two of them meet? Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Music Opening  and Crawling, The Other Side of Darkness and Played by Ear by Unheard Music Concepts, CC BY 4.0.

34 min
Jul 1, 2024Episode 100
Sumatran Rhino : Sunset Song

The Sumatran Rhino, the closest living relative of the extinct Woolly Rhinoceros, is the most vocal of all rhinos. This is the story of its extraordinary voice, and its journey through the twilight of the natural world ...  Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Music Opening Mourn by Mark Wilson X, CC BY 4.0 and Ancient Rite by Kevin MacLeod, CC BY 4.0. Sumatran Rhino and Humpback Whale vocalizations are from the paper: Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, Paul Reinhart, Brad Lympany, R. Barton Craft; Songlike vocalizations from the Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). ARLO 1 July 2003; 4 (3): 83–88

30 min
Jun 13, 2024Episode 99
Cookiecutter Shark : A Bright Shark in a Dark Ocean

The Cookiecutter Shark is famous for its gruesomely efficient parasitic attacks on whales, seals and big fish. But that is only a part of the story when it comes to this extraordinary, and extraordinarily bright, shark ...  Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Music Opening  Lightless Dawn by Kevin Macleod (incompetech.com), CC BY 4.0.

30 min
May 23, 2024Episode 98
Giant Barrel Sponge : Methuselah on the Reef

The Giant Barrel Sponge: one of the simpler animals on Earth yet grows to enormous size over a crazily long life, exerts a big influence on reef ecosystems and, unlike a great many animals in our oceans, seems to be thriving ... Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Music Opening Short Song 011123, Short Song 011023 and Short Song 011323 by Chris Zabriskie, CC BY 4.0.

33 min
May 9, 2024Episode 97
Aldabra Giant Tortoise : The One and Only

The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is an amazing survivor of a lost time - very recently lost - when giant tortoises dominated many of the islands in the Indian Ocean. Aldabra Atoll is the only place in the world you can still see great herds of tens of thousands of these huge reptiles.  Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Lost Frontier and Lost Time by Kevin MacLeod, CC BY 3.0 and Quiet Endings by Mark Wilson X, CC BY 4.0.

32 min
Apr 23, 2024Episode 96
Phrynus longipes : The Whip Spider in the Cave

The Whip Spider Phrynus longipes is not a spider but one of the craziest-looking arachnids on Earth. They're also territorial and cannibalistic, so how do they manage to survive at super high densities in Caribbean caves without eating each other? Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Solitude and Morpheus Cave by Mark Wilson X, CC BY 4.0, God, Why Do You Do What You Do to Me and They Call It Nature by Chris Zabriskie, CC BY 3.0, and Horror 13 from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0.

33 min
Apr 8, 2024Episode 95
Glacier Lanternfish : The Scatterers

The Glacier Lanternfish is one of the most important fish in the world - part of arguably the greatest, and most under-appreciated, concentration of animal life on the planet. Which we can only really 'see', and understand, using sound. Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Acoustic Ambient Improv #1, Acoustic Ambient Improv #2, Acoustic Ambient Improv #3 and Acoustic Ambient Improv #8 by Ryan Lutton, CC BY 3.0

29 min
Mar 8, 2024Episode 94
Matabele Ant : The Raid

The Matabele Ant conducts large-scale raids against its only prey: termites. And the way it does it is amazing, with elements that might remind us of reconnaissance, generals, signalling, tactics, even battlefield medical services. Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: The Companionship of Isolation, Everything Tastes Different and A Gentle Fog Descends by Brylie Christopher Oxley, CC BY 4.0. medic medic voice by cosmicembers, CC BY 3.0.

31 min
Feb 1, 2024Episode 93
Yellow-Footed Antechinus : Paying the Hormonal Price

The Yellow-footed Antechinus is a tiny marsupial predator in Australia that has a life history, and in particular a breeding system, that makes it one of the most unusual mammals in the entire world ... Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Aggressive Phenomenon by Mystery Mammal, CC BY 4.0

31 min
Jan 11, 2024Episode 92
Train Millipede : The Eight Year Itch

The Japanese Train Millipede has a surprising history of interactions with the country's railway system, and the pattern of those interactions reveals it to be almost unique in the way its life is governed by a ticking clock ... Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: (Ambient)Breath, Melancholy Fear, Discovery, A Fleeting Thought and Dream State by Kirk Osamayo, CC BY 4.0

32 min
Dec 13, 2023Episode 91
Leopard : The Cat in the City

The leopard is the most flexible, adaptable big cat in the world, with a surprisingly long history of visiting urban areas. Today, as in the past, sharing your city with a large predator brings problems, but maybe there's an upside, because of how, and what, urban leopards are hunting ... Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: $50 to Breathe, I Refuse to Accept That There's Nothing I Can Do About It and Thanks for Trying to Rescue Me But You've Made Things Worse by Chris Zabriskie, CC BY 3.0

34 min
Nov 30, 2023Episode 90
Paragordius tricuspidatus : The Phantom Thread

What connects feasting Japanese fish, a swimming pool in southern France and Alexander the Great's encounter with the Gordian Knot? The extraordinary horsehair worm Paragordius tricuspidatus, a simple animal capable of astonishing things ... Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening Blooming Flower by Lee Rosevere, CC BY 4.0

31 min
Nov 16, 2023Episode 89
Northern Gannet : Deep Impact

Northern Gannets are famous for one thing above all else: plunge diving after fish. So, an episode that's a bit of a deep dive into ... diving! How high, how deep, how dangerous, and how individually distinctive is a gannet's dive? Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Melpomene, Muse of Tragedy, Path to the Hidden Gate, Midnight in the Monastery and Elegy for a Family by Justin Allan Arnold. CC BY 4.0.  Gannet colony recording by dobroide , CC BY 4.0.

32 min
Nov 1, 2023Episode 88
Antarctic Krill : Maximum Swarm

The Antarctic Krill is one of the most numerous animals on Earth, probably responsible for the biggest single species aggregations you can find nowadays. So numerous, in fact, that its surprising connection to Antarctic sea ice is just one of the ways it's bound into global climatic systems, carbon cycling and flows of energy and matter ...   Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Ambient Dream, Nightmare Designs and Dark Awakening by malictusmusic, CC BY 4.0 SCP-x2x and Symmetry by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), CC BY 4.0

29 min
Jul 5, 2023Episode 87
Tentacled Snake : J Stands For Death

The tentacled snake is one of the most unmistakable snakes in the world. And the story of how its tentacles connect to its extraordinary hunting strategy involves two letters: 'J' and 'C'. Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: New Year's Loops by Correspondence, CC BY 3.0, Wants To Know by Bodysurfer, CC BY 3.0, Piano Soundtrack 1 by Gurdonark, CC BY 3.0

34 min
Jun 14, 2023Episode 86
Mediterranean Monk Seal : The Seal in Hiding

The Mediterranean Monk Seal is probably the rarest pinniped in the world. It's had almost everything thrown at it - by us and by Nature - and survived, just, in part by changing its own behaviour. At some point, left with no alternative, it went into hiding. Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Realization, Breath and On A Blimp by Kirk Osamayo, CC BY 4.0. Bittersweet and Suonatore di Liuto by Kevin Macleod, CC BY 3.0.

31 min
May 24, 2023Episode 85
São Tomé Caecilian : Double Yellow

The São Tomé Caecilian is a fantastic creature: an extremely yellow legless amphibian living in the soil on a single volcanic island. An extraordinary example of an already extraordinary group of animals. Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Minor With Cricket and Second Nature by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0 and Dizzy Spells - Instrumental by Josh Woodward. CC BY 4.0.

30 min
May 10, 2023Episode 84
White-Barred Acraea : Where Did All The Males Go?

Something very weird goes on in mating assemblies of the White-barred Acraea butterfly - males and females swap roles. Why? And what can it tell us about a secret natural force shaping whole populations of insects? Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Headway, modum and periculum by Kai Engel, CC BY 4.0

32 min
Apr 26, 2023Episode 83
Whirling Disease Myxozoan : Minimum Animal

Whirling Disease in fish is caused by a tiny parasite. But what is that parasite and just how tiny is tiny? The answers will astound you! Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: On The Highway, Age, Angled Insight and Unforeseen Space by Unheard Music Concepts, CC BY 4.0

31 min
Apr 12, 2023Episode 82
Megamouth Shark : The Third Biggest Shark in the World

The Megamouth Shark is one of the biggest, yet least known, least understood, sharks in the world. Not entirely surprising, since we've only known it exists for about fifty years ...  Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Desert Archer, Hot Soup on Cold Days, Coffee and Time and Homesick by Pipe Choir III. CC BY 4.0.

4 min
Dec 16, 2022Episode 81
Update and 2023 Preview

Just a quick update on the podcast, and a quick look forward to 2023!  Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0.

32 min
Nov 18, 2022Episode 80
Vampire Jumping Spider : Vampire or Van Helsing?

The Vampire Jumping Spider feeds - in part - on blood. Often, human blood. But how it does it makes it one of the most extraordinary spiders in the world ... Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening Murmur, Leer and Ah! by Mystery Mammal, CC BY 4.0

31 min
Oct 31, 2022Episode 79
Vampire Squid : Neither Vampire Nor Squid

The Vampire Squid is not really a vampire, nor is it really a squid. It's the last survivor of an ancient lineage that has arrived in the present with an astonishing array of adaptations that equip it to live in a place most other animals can only visit ... the oxygen minimum zone. Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. The Long Journey, Gone, It's A Mystery and How I Used To See The Stars by Lee Rosevere, CC BY 3.0

31 min
Sep 28, 2022Episode 78
Corsac Fox : Two Foxes, an Eagle and a Marmot

The Corsac Fox is a small, elegant fox of Central Asia, Mongolia and China - a huge range, most of which it shares with four other animals that loom large in its life: red fox, golden eagle, marmots and, inevitably ... humans.  Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Mastoom Mastoom/Asmar Asmar, Drum Solo and Fidayda by Turku, Nomads of the Silk Road, CC BY 4.0

29 min
Sep 7, 2022Episode 77
Neon Flying Squid : You'll Believe a Squid Can Fly

The Neon Flying Squid is one of those animals that lives up to its cool name: a squid that can actually fly. And we're not talking just gliding - time to talk jets and rockets ... Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future Wild Episodes, and e-mail your comments, corrections, suggestions or feedback to help make those future episodes better! You can also follow the show on Facebook or Twitter. To support the show, please share on social media, rate and review in your podcast app! Thank you. Show notes, with photos, video and links to lots more information, are available at thewildepisode.com Music Opening & Closing Themes: Running Waters and Acoustic Meditation by Audionautix (Jason Shaw), from audionautix.com. CC BY 3.0. Modified versions of: Wonder Cycle, Your Journey Is Resuming Now and It Takes a Lot to Keep a Figure Like This, by Chris Zabriskie, CC BY 3.0