Oceania
Episodes 70-73
Ever wonder what the animals we talk about look like, or which episodes cover what animals? Find the answers you seek below! Our episode guides give a brief breakdown of each episode as well as links to the articles we discuss, our sources, and of course, pictures of the animals!
All pictures are either Public Domain or Stock photos unless otherwise noted.
Unfortunately we are not able to provide photos for every animal, especially the more obscure ones, due to not being able to obtain photos which don't violate copyright law. For any animals lacking a photo we remind you that Google is your friend.
Episode 70: Little Dinosaur
The Oceania month starts off with Casey talking about his time spent at Disneyland for the first time in over a decade. Ali talks about being sick and passing the time watching Encanto, which has many animals we’ve discussed in it. Casey goes on to talk about how birds in Australia have possibly accessed the power of fire and spread it to flush out their prey, while Ali shares the sad news that Magawa, the ‘Hero Rat’, has died. They go on to talk about some of their favorite Australian Animals That Rank #1 on a List (either in Australia or the world), the Sydney Funnel Web Spider and the Inland Taipan. Casey gives us a lesson on our stunning Animal of the Week, the Frill-Necked Lizard, before closing the episode by challenging Ali with an Australian themed quiz.
Pictured from top to bottom: Frill-Necked Lizard, Sydney Funnel Web Spider, and Inland Taipan.
Sources and Links
Australian Birds Of Prey Have Harnessed The Use Of Fire To Flush Out Their Prey | IFLScience
Why These Birds Carry Flames In Their Beaks (nationalgeographic.com)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/11/asia/magawa-landmine-rat-dies-intl-scli/index.html
ADW: Atrax robustus: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
Sydney Funnel-web Spider - The Australian Museum
Funnel-Web Spiders: Families, Bites & Other Facts | Live Science
Funnel-web Spiders - The Australian Museum
Billabong Sanctuary - Australian Native Wildlife Park Townsville
Inland Taipan - The Australian Museum
Billabong Sanctuary - Australian Native Wildlife Park Townsville
Inland Taipan / Fierce Snake - Australia Zoo
Oxyuranus microlepidotus (Fierce Snake) (iucnredlist.org)
ADW: Chlamydosaurus kingii: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
Frill-neck Lizard | The Living Desert
Researchers find lizards' frilled neck is more than just for show (phys.org)
Episode 71: Flightless Birds and Ground-Walking Bats
Casey kicks things off by updating us on his plant Christmas gifts, and telling us about his difficulty getting his new San Diego Zoo pass, and Ali tells us about her coworkers’ pet pictures, and a breakin at work. Casey talks about an article in which researchers have confirmed that leopard seals are hunting sharks around New Zealand, while Ali gives us much more heartwarming news about Willow, the kitty that has joined the White House as the First Cat. The pair then discuss some of their Favorite Bird Species Native to New Zealand, the Weka and the Fiordland Penguin. Next Casey teaches us about our interesting winged Animal of the Week, the New Zealand Lesser Short-Tailed Bat, and Ali concludes the episode by challenging Casey to a game of Jeopardy that really isn’t Jeopardy.
Pictured from top to bottom: New Zealand Lesser Short-Tailed Bat, Weka, and Fiordland Penguin.
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Sources and Links
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/28/1076323003/biden-cat-white-house-willow
The evolution of flightless birds (sciencenode.org)
Island Gigantism and Dwarfism: Evolutionary “Island Rule” Confirmed (scitechdaily.com)
The Island of Huge Hamsters and Giant Owls - YouTube
Weka | New Zealand Birds Online (nzbirdsonline.org.nz)
Weka: Native land birds: Conservation (doc.govt.nz)
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Fiordland Penguin: <i>Eudyptes pachyrhynchus</i> (penguinworld.com)
Fiordland crested penguin | New Zealand Birds Online (nzbirdsonline.org.nz)
Fiordland crested penguin (biologicaldiversity.org)
ADW: Eudyptes pachyrhynchus: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
ADW: Mystacina tuberculata: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
New Zealand short-tailed bats: Native animal conservation (doc.govt.nz)
New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bat | Mystacina tuberculata (edgeofexistence.org)
TerraNature | New Zealand Ecology - Lesser short-tailed bat (Mystacina tuberculata)
Why fly when you can shuffle? This curious bat prefers the ground - Australian Geographic
Episode 72: Adorable Australians (Mostly)
This episode begins with Casey telling us some highlights from his most recent visit to the San Diego Zoo, while Ali gives us another health update, and a new situation involving work. Casey provides us with an update on the conservation status of koalas, and Ali talks about another lesser known breed, the Australian Kelpie. They then discuss some of their Favorite Cute Animals from Oceania, the Honey Possum and the Common Wombat. Casey gives us a lesson on our creepy crawly Listener’s Choice Animal of the Week, the Lorde Howe’s Island Stick Insect, and ends the episode by challenging Ali to a World Pangolin Day Quiz.
Pictured from top to bottom: Lorde Howe's Island Stick Insect, Honey Possum, Wombat, and Australian Kelpie.
By Granitethighs - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15476183
Sources and Links
Australia Declares Koalas an Endangered Species - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/australian-kelpie/
Honey Possums - Bush Heritage Australia
ADW: Tarsipes rostratus: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
ADW: Tarsipedidae: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
What is a Noolbenger? - Carnegie Museum of Natural History (carnegiemnh.org)
ADW: Vombatus ursinus: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
Bare-nosed Wombat - The Australian Museum
Wombat | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants
Lord Howe Island Stick Insect (zoo.org.au)
Lord Howe Island Stick Insect | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants
Lord Howe Island stick insect - Australian Geographic
Dryococelus australis (Lord Howe Island Stick-insect) (iucnredlist.org)
Episode 73: A Cute Episode!
The episode opens with Casey talking about his visit to Universal Studios Hollywood and getting back into gaming. Ali reviews the documentary, America’s National Parks: Saguaro, and gives it a rating of Mostly Safe. Casey talks about an article discussing the first documentation of orcas hunting an adult blue whale, while Ali presents an article about a pair of gay penguins in a New York Zoo raising an adopted chick. The two go on to talk about their Favorite Animal Native to New Guinea, the Victoria Crowned Pigeon and the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo. Casey then teaches us about our peculiar Animal of the Week, the Numbat. They bring the Oceania month to a close with another round of the infamous ‘Cup’ game.
Pictured from top to bottom: Numbat, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, and Matschie's Tree Kangaroo.
Sources and Links
Scientists record orcas hunting and killing an adult blue whale for the first time - CNN
https://www.livescience.com/same-sex-penguins-become-parents
Goura victoria (Victoria Crowned-pigeon) (iucnredlist.org)
Victoria Crowned Pigeon - Honolulu Zoo Society
Victoria Crowned Pigeon - Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures on Animalia.bio
ADW: Dendrolagus matschiei: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
Matschie's Tree Kangaroo | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants
Tree Kangaroo | Kangaroos | WWF (worldwildlife.org)
Dendrolagus matschiei (Huon Tree Kangaroo) (iucnredlist.org)
ADW: Myrmecobius fasciatus: INFORMATION (animaldiversity.org)
Numbat - AWC - Australian Wildlife Conservancy
Numbat | Myrmecobius fasciatus (edgeofexistence.org)
