This was a fun one to research, AND they still let me include some of the dumbest jokes I've ever written!

Bizarre Beasts@bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 6d ago

This month's beast is, of course, the Greenland shark! We blamed Greenland sharks for the gruesome deaths of over 5,000 seals from 1993-2001 near Sable Island. The only thing it's actually guilty of is outlasting every other vertebrate on the planet. youtu.be/ldAGbtpD9uI?...

This month's pin was designed by @pansybeast.bsky.social Julian Miholics aka Jules is a full time illustrator and ceramicist born, raised, and currently working in Ontario, Canada, and owner of a one-man shop to peddle his wares.

This month's beast is, of course, the Greenland shark! We blamed Greenland sharks for the gruesome deaths of over 5,000 seals from 1993-2001 near Sable Island. The only thing it's actually guilty of is outlasting every other vertebrate on the planet. youtu.be/ldAGbtpD9uI?...

If our next bizarre beast had a mantra it would be "swimming in the cold and getting real old." It's also an enigmatic predator from the north which may be why we accused it of some mysterious seal deaths back in the day. But it was totally framed! Can you guess what the next bizarre beast is?

One more tent caterpillar swarm before we chat about our next beast! youtu.be/d6L5LzihGSI?...

Shocking Moth Plague of Biblical Proportions - Forest Tent Caterpillar Moths

YouTube video by Richard Reich

youtu.be

We’re excited to announce, we have a new shirt for you! Our celebration of arthropods! Are we over-representing Hymenoptera here? Probably not! There are so many.⁠ ⁠ Anyway… get a new shirt to show love to the whole arthropod community. complexly.info/arthropods4

This month’s pin was designed by Jennifer V. Zee! Jennifer V. Zee is a Chinese American, Bay Area based Printmaker and Clay Artist. She prints distinctive nature and geometry inspired art from hand carved blocks.

The term “social butterfly” is actually a bit of a misnomer. Most moths and butterflies live pretty solitary lives. However, our next beast is just more gregarious. Especially in its larval stage, when this beast is so social with its nearby friends that we classify their gatherings as swarms.

You might expect to see our next bizarre beast in a pond, bog, puddle, wetlands, or even under a nice moist rock or log. If that’s the case, you’ll be looking in all the wrong places because this amphibian can live hundreds of feet above ground.

However you support Complexly, you fuel our mission: whether you’re buying merch, watching our videos, or getting a ticket for Complexly’s first in-person fundraiser, Something Worth Knowing!

We like treehoppers and all their oddities! 📺: youtu.be/ZgyAnhlGUIY?...

Toughie the Rabbs' Fringed-limbed Tree Frog lived in a biosecure enclosure in Atlanta for years. The first time anyone heard his voice, he was already the last of his kind, the endling. Learn his story now: youtu.be/uWallOyZvn0

If you guessed treehoppers, you're right! Sitting still all the time does make them vulnerable to attacks so they’ve come up with some pretty complex defense mechanisms, which you can learn all about in our latest episode! youtu.be/ZgyAnhlGUIY

Our next bizarre beast is a true bug. They get their names from living on tress and being good at jumping, though a majority of their time is spent holding still and slurping tree sap. Can you guess what it is?

As you probably know, the Brahminy Blind Snake's length is about the same as the circumference of 1 quarter! But what about some of our other bizarre beasts?

Let's go on a field trip to the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center! The KBCC is home to Hawaii's rarest birds, including our most recent Endling the 'akikiki (episode out now!). watch the new episode: youtu.be/rr8Sfnbp2M4 take the field trip: kuula.co/share/5MqXT/...

This month’s pin was designed by Thomas Marnin! Thomas Marnin is one half of MarninSaylor, a Seattle based toy brand known for their characters, the Pastry Pets. Thomas is a lifelong lover of the natural world. Check out more from Marnin Saylor here: marninsaylor.com

If you guessed Brahminy Blind Snake, you're right! For these so called "flowerpot snakes" living in tropical soil has become the ultimate accidental passport. There are now Brahminy Blind Snakes in the tropical and subtropical biomes of every continent, except for Antarctica. youtu.be/uHd7zuWZHxk

You’re going to have to get in really close to identify our next beast. On first glance, you may think it’s just a worm. That totally makes sense given its tiny size, blindness, and tendency to dig around in the soil. But it's not a worm at all...who is that girl?

The Galápagos Conservancy was a huge help on our Galápagos Island Tortoises Endlings episode. Their team has re-wilded more than 10,000 tortoises since 1965. learn more about them here: www.galapagos.org and watch the Galápagos Island Tortoises episode here: youtu.be/UIlCNJTvSsc

Protects and Restores the Galápagos Islands | Galápagos Conservancy

Galápagos Conservancy safeguards and revitalises the Galápagos Islands through targeted conservation efforts and strategic grant funding.

galapagos.org

A new Endlings episode JUST DROPPED! The many species of Galápagos Island Tortoises are the islands' most dominant herbivores. So how did one tortoise become affectionately known as Lonesome George, the Endling? 📺: youtu.be/UIlCNJTvSsc

Turns out, the first season of Endlings on @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social wasn’t our last! Season 2 starts now, with the story of the two wolves of Japan #scicomm

Is The Japanese Wolf Still Alive? (Endlings Is Back!)

YouTube video by Bizarre Beasts

youtube.com

Two wolves once prowled the mountains and forests of Japan. They were revered as deities, and respected as protectors of travelers and fields, until forces from outside the islands changed everything... 📺: youtu.be/UUKGQKkUKeE

If you want to work with the Bizarre Beasts team, here's a chance! Our department is hiring an Associate Producer to help us and some other cool channels. Check out the link if you're interested!

Complexly@complexly.org · 5mo ago

We're looking for an Associate Producer to join Complexly! This is a full-time remote role supporting video production from pre-production to publishing. Apply by May 13th at Complexly.org/jobs

Happy 200th Birthday @zslofficial.bsky.social! 🥳 The ZSL has helped us out on Bizarre Beasts many times and we're just so glad they exist. Check out their 200th celebration at zsl.org/200.

Kory Bing is an illustrator based in Oregon City, Oregon with a focus on strange creatures, extinct animals, and other oddities of our natural world. She grew up in the rural Ozark Mountains of Missouri and spent most of her childhood in the woods poking things with sticks and picking up snakes.

Have you discovered the fabulous Bizarre Beasts show? Many episodes trace the scientific discovery and early descriptions of #BizarreBeasts through the literature. Look out for references to the Biodiversity Heritage Library! (Thanks @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social for crediting BHL!)

Bizarre Beasts@bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 11mo ago

The next endling in our mini-series is the Thylacine! Thylacines (aka Tasmanian Tigers or Tasmanian Wolves) have been extinct since 1936. Many factors contributed to their extinction, but our own zoological fascination was part of the problem. Learn more in our latest episode. youtu.be/YeMXE8XEmSU

Thank you! This is beautiful! We love Endlings and are happy to have supported it! @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social @hankgreen.bsky.social

Braconid wasps are pretty weird! Here's an animation of a wasp injecting a host with its virus!

Special thanks to the folks at Ant Lab for letting us use this footage of wasps emerging from a caterpillar in our episode! youtube.com/shorts/VO-Mi...

Wasps emerging from a caterpillar!

YouTube video by Ant Lab

youtube.com