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Victoria starts off today's show with a completely bizarre parasite. Usually parasites are secretive and don't want to be seen but the amazing Green Banded Broodsac absolutely loves attention and goes great lengths to be seen.

Kirk is up next and, big surprise here, he has a bird story for us. It turns out that not only are New Caledonian Crows super intelligent but research shows they also have handedness. That makes them only the second species on Earth other than humans to display this quality.

This episode was made possible by our Patrons. Thank you!

Rachel kicks off the show this week by talking about the strange pollinators of the beautiful Red Hot Poker flowers. Turns out it is the Ethiopian wolf! This is an incredible and rare example of pollination by large mammals.

Victoria is up next and she brings us the mysterious case of the all-female population of whiptail lizards. This population survives without men and reproduces through parthenogenesis.

Kirk finishes up the show with a short story about why sometimes it pays to be the loser. Research on Japanese Quail show that females often pick the loser of fights but they do it for a very good reason.

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Kirk starts us off this week with the bizarre story of a form of life that literally feeds on radiation. Found growing in Chernobyl, radiotrophic fungi are strange and amazing.

Rachel tells us about a medieval potion from Bald's Leechbook containing garlic, onion, wine, and ox bile that scientists have discovered kills up to 90 percent of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Victoria lets us know about Pavement Mushrooms. These edible urban mushrooms can grow right through sidewalks and asphalt. These incredible mushrooms are a fascinating example of urban survivors. Species that are able to thrive in the harsh human environments we have created.

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Email us: contact@strangebynaturepodcast.com

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