Strange Animals Podcast

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Episode 502: Back to the Ocean

Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. Life arose in the oceans and only much later spread to the land. But some land animals re

Sep 14
11 min

Episode 501: The Wee Waa Monster and Tupandactylus

Further reading: Pterosaur melanosomes support signalling functions for early feathers Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw.

Sep 7
9 min

NEW Episode 500: Crikey, it’s 500 episodes!

It’s our 500th episode! Wow! Thanks to Rosie, Remy and Julien, and Dylan, Emily, and Michelle for their suggestions this week! Further reading: Crikey! Newly Discovere

Aug 31
9 min

Episode 499: The Mystery of Amiskwia

Further reading: Cambrian Explosion Month #18: Stem-Gnathifera Ambiguous Amiskwia Amiskwia, possibly [picture taken from above link]: Show transcript: Welcome to the

Aug 24
6 min

Episode 498: Octopolis

Further reading: https://sharonahill.substack.com/ https://metazoan.net/54-octlantis/ https://metazoan.net/109-octopolis-and-octlantis/ Scientists discover an underwa

Aug 17
9 min

Episode 497 Megarachne

Megarachne as we know it now: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. Megarachne is only known from two specimens, neither of wh

Aug 10
7 min

Episode 496 Two Mystery Invertebrates

Further reading: How did a tiny bee get to French Polynesia? Eight new species help solve a scientific mystery Secrets in the canopy: Scientists discover 8 striking new

Aug 3
7 min

Episode 495 The Koao

Further reading: Gauguin’s Magical Mystery Koao Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. The French painter Paul Gauguin moved t

Jul 27
7 min

Episode 494: Four Water Animals

Further reading: New species of extinct vampire-squid-like cephalopod When teeth grow on the body Fossil shark turns into mystery pterosaur Scientists Had Never Seen

Jul 20
7 min

Episode 493: NEW The Mystery of Esconichthys and Friends

Yes, this is a NEW episode! Thanks to Eesa, Grace, and Viki for their suggestions this week. (Actual episode starts at 3 minutes 28 seconds.) Find the Backerkit campaign

Jul 13
16 min

Episode 492: Basilosaurids

Further reading: Giant early whale Basilosaurus hunted the calves of other whales Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. Let’s l

Jul 6
8 min

Episode 491: The Jumar

Further reading: http://messybeast.com/genetics/hybrid-equines.htm Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. I stumbled across an

Jun 29
6 min

Episode 490: Ipnops and Other Deep-Sea Fish

Further reading: Faceless Fish and the deep-sea voyages that found it Long-Lost 'Faceless' Fish Shows Up Near Australia Ipnops: The faceless cusk [photo taken from th

Jun 22
9 min

Episode 489: Animal Artists

Further reading: https://elephantartgallery.com/blogs/meet Desmond Morris with his favorite Congo painting: Peter/Pierre Brassau and some of his paintings: The so-cal

Jun 15
10 min

Episode 488: The Java Tiger Mystery

Further reading: Is the Javan tiger Panthera tigris sondaica extant? DNA analysis of a recent hair sample The Sunda tiger [photo by Alfonsopazphoto - Own workAnimaisFot

Jun 8
5 min

Episode 487: Animals and the Sense of Taste

Further reading: What gives bees their sweet tooth? Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. Right before I left on my trip to B

Jun 1
8 min

Episode 486: Two Rediscovered Birds

Further reading: https://www.audubon.org/news/like-finding-unicorn-researchers-rediscover-black-naped-pheasant-pigeon-bird https://www.sci.news/paleontology/confuciusorni

May 25
8 min

Episode 485: Cryodraken’s Very Bad Day

Further reading: Rare pterosaur fossil reveals crocodilian bite 76m years ago Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. Let’s learn

May 18
6 min

Episode 484: The Sewellel and the Superflea

The sewellel is a little rodent: The superflea is a big flea (left, compared to a regular flea, right): Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your h

May 11
7 min

Episode 483: Animals with Nose Horns

The horned gopher: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I’m your host, Kate Shaw. This time we’re going to learn about some mammals with weird horns. S

May 4
9 min

Chart trend

Position in the Natural Sciences chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#28#55JunJulAugSep

#20

all-time peak

456

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where Strange Animals Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 18, 2026).

#30 ▲ 2 Natural Sciences US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Very much enjoy this relaxed, personable podcast. Definitely worth a listen for those interested in different creatures on Earth. :)

Doe joke · Dec 2025

This podcast has become a regular play in our family car, because I have a six year old who is obsessed with animals. We all enjoy listening, from the toddler to the adults. I love learning something new each time, and the narrator is fun and personable to listen to. Thank you for making this podcast, and we look forward to episodes to come!

TinyT-Rex · May 2025

This is one of my favorite podcasts—it’s consistant, fascinating content has gotten me through so much! I have learned so much about AMAZING animals, and Kate is amazing! Listen to this!!!

Rae A-S. · Aug 2024

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.