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That’s Just Wild

That’s Just Wild

NewQ&A: Ancient Fish Eyes, Chowing Chimps and the Deserts That Mimic MarsMay 7, 2026 · 25 min
Episodes
98
Released
several times a week
Latest episode
May 7, 2026

About the podcast

Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly and Sarah Roberts bring you a wildly entertaining nature show filled with adventure, behind-the-scenes stories, and fascinating facts. Think: unexpected encounters, jaw-dropping science, and nature like you’ve never heard it before.

 

Every Tuesday join adventurer, explorer and broadcaster Steve Backshall, wildlife biologist Lizzie Daly, and journalist Sarah Roberts as they dive deep into the wonders of the natural world. From braving Arctic extremes to swimming with sharks, each episode begins with a bold superlative—Flamboyant, Freezing, Venomous—and unfolds into their remarkable tales of the wild.

 

Then, every Friday, it’s your turn. Our Q&A episodes tackle your most need-to-know nature questions—from how not to become bear food to how long is an elephant’s trunk?  

Because the world is wild, its wonders are endless—and we’re here to tell the stories that prove it.

For ad-free listening and special episodes, support the podcast at thatsjustwild.com.

Produced in the wild by Fresh Air.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes 98

  1. Q&A: Ancient Fish Eyes, Chowing Chimps and the Deserts That Mimic Mars

    25 minEpisode 96

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Sarah and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions one last time, as the show wraps up — going out with a curious bang (and probably a few weird facts for good …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Sarah and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions one last time, as the show wraps up — going out with a curious bang (and probably a few weird facts for good measure). 💥🐾✨


    🌊 Ever noticed how things seem to vanish into the distance underwater? We explore whether marine animals see the same murky limits we do — or if life beneath the surface has evolved to see further, clearer, and in ways we can barely imagine. 🐠👀


    🐜 We always hear about the strongest creatures for their size… but what about the weakest? We take a closer look at sloths — famously slow, surprisingly weak, and spending most of their lives hanging from their toes. 🌿 🌳


    🌵🦂🪲Are there places on Earth so extreme that life simply can’t survive? We head to scorching deserts in northern Chile and the Lut Desert — some of the closest environments to Mars — where, against all odds, microbes still find a way to thrive. 🔥🧬


    A huge thanks to all our wonderful listeners — while we’re wrapping things up here, the series isn’t going anywhere, so you can dip back into all our favourite (and slightly wild) episodes anytime 🎧✨

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  2. Moist: Slime Highways, Snot Bubble Beds, and a Legendary Orca Sighting

    36 minEpisode 95

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Sarah and Lizzie dive headfirst into the wonderfully weird and surprisingly soggy side of the natural world 💧💧💧🐜 Honey ants take food storage to another level — with a …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Sarah and Lizzie dive headfirst into the wonderfully weird and surprisingly soggy side of the natural world 💧💧💧


    🐜 Honey ants take food storage to another level — with a special cast that swells up with nectar until they’re completely immobile, hanging from the nest ceiling like living reservoirs, ready to feed the colony when times get tough. 🍯


    🧪 Hagfish unleash one of the strangest defences in the animal kingdom — producing up to 20 litres of slime in seconds. This bizarre mucus expands in seawater, clogging the gills of predators and making a swift escape possible. Slippery doesn’t even cover it. 🐍💨


    🐸 The ultimate survivalist? Meet the water-holding frog — capable of storing huge amounts of water in its body, going into a state of stasis, and surviving underground for up to five years without drinking in extreme drought conditions. 🌵💧


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  3. Q&A: Vertical Sleepers, Sky Dances and the Infamous Worm Dance

    23 minEpisode 94

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions!🐦 Mesmerising murmurations & the “rule of 7”… how do starlings move as one without crashing mid-air? We unpack the simple …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions!


    🐦 Mesmerising murmurations & the “rule of 7”… how do starlings move as one without crashing mid-air? We unpack the simple behavioural rules behind those hypnotic sky dances — and why each bird only needs to track a handful of neighbours. 🌅✨


    🐛 Ever seen gulls doing a strange little “worm dance”? We get into the surprisingly clever ground-drumming behaviour that tricks worms into the surface — and why it works so well. 🌊👀


    🌙 Do sperm whales really sleep vertically? We explore the bizarre world of “upright” sleepers in the animal kingdom — and what this unusual behaviour tells us about life beneath the surface. 🐋💤


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  4. Sleepy: Mucus Cocoons, Sky Sleepers, and the World’s Best Micro-Nappers

    37 minEpisode 93

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Sarah and Lizzie, drift into the drowsiest corners of the natural world 🌙😴🛌 Sleep is risky business, so animals have evolved some seriously creative solutions. From extreme …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Sarah and Lizzie, drift into the drowsiest corners of the natural world 🌙😴


    🛌 Sleep is risky business, so animals have evolved some seriously creative solutions. From extreme sleepers to near-insomniacs, the animal kingdom does things wildly differently 🐾


    Discover sloths dozing high in branches too flimsy for predators to reach 🦥🌿, African pixie frogs that can disappear into a mucus cocoon for up to seven years 🐸⏳, and parrotfish that wrap themselves in their own slimy sleeping bags 🐠


    Plus, we explore the science of sleep deprivation—where staying awake for just 16 hours can impair you as much as alcohol 🧠⚠️🍷


    And don’t miss the mysterious sleep abilities of creatures like the common swift, which can remain airborne for months at a time without properly landing 🕊️☁️


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  5. Q&A: Seriously Smart Chimps, Snake hoods and a Very Quiet Rainforest

    23 minEpisode 92

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions!🐒 Seriously smart chimps, artistic animals & nature’s creative side… from painting primates to musical whales and …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions!


    🐒 Seriously smart chimps, artistic animals & nature’s creative side… from painting primates to musical whales and masterpiece-making bowerbird—but are they really making “art” like we do? 🎨🐋


    🐦 Can different bird species “talk” to each other? We dive into the surprising world of shared alarm calls—how robins, sparrows and others team up to warn of danger, and why learning bird calls might change the way you experience nature. 🌿👂


    🌙 Why do so many animals come alive at night? Nearly 70% of mammals are nocturnal—think stealthy panthers and city-dwelling rats adapting to a world after dark. 🌆🦝


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  6. Systems: Dust Crossing Oceans, Shrinking Iguanas and a Tiny Earth Experiment

    32 minEpisode 91

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Sarah and Lizzie dive into the natural systems that keep our planet running — the hidden forces connecting oceans, weather, and life itself 🌍✨🌊 The Great Ocean Conveyor …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Sarah and Lizzie dive into the natural systems that keep our planet running — the hidden forces connecting oceans, weather, and life itself 🌍✨


    🌊 The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt keeps our planet in motion — a vast, globe-spanning current system circulating water, heat, and nutrients across the seas… quietly shaping climates and life on Earth.


    🌦️ From swirling weather systems to extreme survival hacks, marine iguanas can actually shrink their bodies during tough times — tightening their energy use when food runs scarce. Adapt or shrink trying.


    🛰️ And from space, a surprising link: NASA satellites reveal Saharan dust crossing the Atlantic to fertilise the Amazon rainforest — while experiments like Biosphere 2 attempt to recreate Earth itself under glass.


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  7. Q&A: Goats on Wheels, Luscious Long Necks and Poo Is Power

    23 minEpisode 90

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions!🦣 Do animals support their young with disabilities? From African wild dogs to elephants and chimpanzees, we explore the …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions!


    🦣 Do animals support their young with disabilities? From African wild dogs to elephants and chimpanzees, we explore the surprisingly compassionate side of the animal kingdom. ❤️🌍


    🦒 Ever wondered why giraffes have such ridiculously long necks—and who else is in the long-neck club? From swans and ostriches to alpacas and even bizarre insects (yes, really), plus prehistoric creatures that make giraffes look short… this one stretches way back in time. 🦢✨


    💩 Can animal poo actually be useful? From fuel to survival hacks, we uncover the true value of poo—including why baby koalas have to eat their mum’s to grow up healthy. Nature gets weird. Fast. 🤯🌱


    🔍 And finally—Steve’s favourite animal tracking facts from Africa. Because sometimes, the distance between droppings (and how far they fell…) tells you everything you need to know. 🐾


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  8. Invincible: Mesmeric Meerkats, Mongoose vs. Cobra Showdowns, and Regenerating Worms

    37 minEpisode 89

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie dare to explore natural world’s toughest survivors — the creatures that refuse to die, defy the odds, and redefine what it means to be truly invincible 💪🦎 Olms …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie dare to explore natural world’s toughest survivors — the creatures that refuse to die, defy the odds, and redefine what it means to be truly invincible 💪


    🦎 Olms lurk in dark cave systems with the incredible ability to regenerate lost limbs and even organs — and can live for over a century… while planarian worms take things even further, rebuilding entire heads, brains, and tails from tiny fragments.


    🦂 Mesmerising meerkats go head-to-head with some of the world’s most venomous scorpions, while the famously fearless honey badger squares up to just about anything — from snakes to lions, hyenas… even crocodiles.


    🧬 And the tardigrades — microscopic, oddly adorable “water bears” that can survive being frozen, boiled, and even blasted into space. Cute… but nearly indestructible. 🚀✨


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  9. Q&A: Evolution Oddities, Pet Reptiles and Saving Rainforests

    29 minEpisode 88

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions!🐍 Ever thought about owning a corn snake… and then realised how big the commitment actually is? We get into exotic pets and …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie tackle more of your wildest questions!


    🐍 Ever thought about owning a corn snake… and then realised how big the commitment actually is? We get into exotic pets and what it really means to care for them. 🤔


    🦘 What’s the point of marsupials — and is there such a thing as a “useless” animal? From pouches to egg-layers, we explore the strange paths of evolution. 🌍✨


    💰 Pangolin scales, rhino horn, and even fish bladders worth more than gold… why are these wildlife products so valuable, and what’s the real cost behind them? 🐅


    🌴 And finally — can one person actually make a difference in saving a rainforest? From palm oil to conservation in Borneo, we explore what protecting land really looks like 🌱


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  10. Builders: Beaver Cities, Swiftlet Phlegm Hammocks, and Antlion Larvae Death Traps

    50 minEpisode 87

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie roll up their sleeves to share some of nature’s most ingenious architects 🏗️🐝🦫 Could the world’s biggest beaver dam really dwarf the Hoover Dam? From booming …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Lizzie roll up their sleeves to share some of nature’s most ingenious architects 🏗️🐝


    🦫 Could the world’s biggest beaver dam really dwarf the Hoover Dam? From booming “beaver cities” to their surprising comeback (and even “beaver bombing”), these furry engineers are reshaping landscapes. 🌿


    🌾 Social weaver birds build giant tree-top apartment blocks packed with life — while swiftlets craft bizarre saliva “hammocks”… and antlion larvae set deadly sand traps like tiny snipers. 🎯


    🐝 Giant Asian honey bees defend their homes with shimmering waves, and underwater, a pufferfish creates intricate sand masterpieces to build the perfect nest. 🌊✨


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  11. Q&A: Flaunting Peacocks, Sweet Rhino Farts, and Dolphins’ Dark Side

    22 minEpisode 86

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah tackle more of your wildest questions!🦚 What is the real purpose of sexual dimorphism? From strutting, show-off peacocks to enormous male seals and tiny females …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah tackle more of your wildest questions!


    🦚 What is the real purpose of sexual dimorphism? From strutting, show-off peacocks to enormous male seals and tiny females, plus the bizarre love life of the anglerfish. 🤯🌊


    🐬 Dolphins aren’t always the friendly faces we think they are… what really goes on during mating season, and just how dark can their behaviour get?


    🐾 And is there actually an evolutionary advantage to being cute — or are humans just projecting our own ideas onto the animal kingdom? ✨


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode 🎧

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  12. Chatty: Tamarin’s Scent Secrets, Curious Whales and Nature’s Loudest Love Song

    35 minEpisode 85

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah are seriously chatty as they discuss some of nature’s most outrageous communicators📞📢🔊…🦜 From the red-eyed vireo, the tiny “preacher bird” that somehow belts out a …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah are seriously chatty as they discuss some of nature’s most outrageous communicators📞📢🔊…


    🦜 From the red-eyed vireo, the tiny “preacher bird” that somehow belts out a staggering 22,197 songs in just 10 hours (yes, really!), to the white bellbird, whose call is so loud it’s basically like standing next to the speakers at a rock concert… except it’s screaming directly into a female’s face. 🔊🎚️🤘


    🐋 Humpback whales might be trying to chat with us — not out of fear, but pure curiosity — by blowing perfect bubble rings underwater. 💬


    🐒👃🏽 Meet the Brazilian bare-faced tamarin, which communicates through scent marking… and Steve’s face-off with a satin bowerbird. 💙


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  13. Q&A: Snow Leopard Close Calls, Desert Masters and Spiders Cleaning Up

    28 minEpisode 84

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve and Sarah tackle more of your wildest questions! 🐆 How close should you really get to a snow leopard? Steve shares a heart-stopping near miss with one of the most …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve and Sarah tackle more of your wildest questions! 


    🐆 How close should you really get to a snow leopard? Steve shares a heart-stopping near miss with one of the most elusive predators on Earth. 😳🏔️


    🌵 How do animals survive in the harshest places on the planet — and what happens when apex predators like dingoes and Tasmanian devils are brought back to restore balance?


    🕷️ And do spiders actually eat their own webs? Plus, a simple challenge: what might you discover if you wake up early enough to watch one being built…


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  14. Memory: Squirrels’ Mind Palace, Snail Memory Transplants and the Grandmother Effect

    37 minEpisode 83

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah are exploring into the surprising world of animal memory. 🧠🐿️ 🌰From squirrels with a near-perfect mental map of their buried snacks to goldfish that can remember …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah are exploring into the surprising world of animal memory. 🧠


    🐿️ 🌰From squirrels with a near-perfect mental map of their buried snacks to goldfish that can remember far more than you’d think… 🧠🐠


    🐘 Meet the matriarchs of the animal kingdom — elephants whose incredible memories may hold the secret to longer lives, thanks to the rare and remarkable “grandmother effect.” 👵🌍


    🪶 And it’s not just remembering — some of the smartest birds on Earth, like crows, can make tools, solve problems, and even pass knowledge on… proving memory in the wild is anything but simple. 🐦‍⬛⚒️


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  15. Q&A Shark Special: The Shark Matriarch, Overexcited Sharks and Baby Sharks Fending for Themselves

    21 minEpisode 82

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Sarah is joined by special guest Shark Man Dan for a Shark Q+A special🦈💙🌊🦈 Ever wondered if sharks are good mums? Turns out life as a baby shark is brutal. The moment …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Sarah is joined by special guest Shark Man Dan for a Shark Q+A special🦈💙🌊


    🦈 Ever wondered if sharks are good mums? Turns out life as a baby shark is brutal. The moment they’re born, they’re on their own — just survival in the big blue. 😬🌊


    👀 Do sharks ever hunt together? We dive into the surprising social side of these ocean predators… like how many sharks show respect to the biggest females. 👑


    🏝️ And if you actually want to see sharks in the wild, where should you go? Plus the incredible sharks that can swim from the ocean hundreds of kilometres up rivers. 🚤🦈


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  16. Shark Man Dan: Walking Sharks, Strange Species and Wild Ocean Stories

    48 minEpisode 81

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Sarah is joined by special guest Shark Man Dan for a deep dive into the world of sharks… and the wild path that led Dan to dedicate his career to them. 🦈🌊🎥🦈💙 Dan shares how he …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Sarah is joined by special guest Shark Man Dan for a deep dive into the world of sharks… and the wild path that led Dan to dedicate his career to them. 🦈🌊🎥


    🦈💙 Dan shares how he turned his love for sharks into a career — taking a very unconventional route to become one of the ocean’s biggest shark champions. 🏆


    Meet Dan’s favourite shark, the epaulette shark — famous for its incredible ability to “walk” across reefs and out of rock pools to escape predators. 🪨🐚


    🌊 Things get seriously intense as Dan and Sarah share one of their closest calls — caught in a powerful vortex current and later stranded out at sea in Japan without a boat. 🇯🇵🗾


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  17. Q&A: Cheeky Octopuses, Chompy Geese and Spiders with Pet Frogs

    32 minEpisode 80

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve and Sarah tackle more of your wildest questions! 💪🏽 Ever wondered what the bite force of a goose is? Steve reckons he might’ve bite-tested more animals than anyone …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve and Sarah tackle more of your wildest questions!


    💪🏽 Ever wondered what the bite force of a goose is? Steve reckons he might’ve bite-tested more animals than anyone else on Earth… and honestly, we believe him. 🌏😅


    🕷️🕸️ Do wild animals ever keep other animals as pets? Meet the spiders that open their homes to frogs. 🐸🏠


    🐜🐄 And we ask the big questions… what’s the most successful species in Earth’s history — and can animals actually hold a grudge? 😤


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  18. Motherhood: Crab Spider Sacrifice, Panda Sibling Rivalry and the Frog That Turns Her Stomach into a Nursery

    35 minEpisode 79

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah are exploring motherhood in the animal kingdom… from the sweetest care to the most jaw-dropping survival strategies. 💛🐣🐻‍❄️🐊 From polar bears to crocodilians …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah are exploring motherhood in the animal kingdom… from the sweetest care to the most jaw-dropping survival strategies. 💛🐣


    🐻‍❄️🐊 From polar bears to crocodilians carrying their babies gently in their mouths… to reptiles like leopard iguanas leaving their hatchlings in a protective pile of poo — motherhood in nature comes in many wild forms. 🥚💩


    🕷️ Meet the ultimate self-sacrificing mum — the crab spider mother who lets her babies drink nutrients from her legs… before they eat the rest of her. 🕷️🦀


    🐼 Not all mums can raise twins — giant panda mothers often choose one cub to care for, leaving the other behind in a tough twist of sibling rivalry.


    🐸 Some mums go to incredible lengths — like the gastric-brooding frog that swallows her eggs, switches off her stomach, and protects them inside her body.


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  19. Q&A: Dung Beetle Deadlifts, Orca Dialects and the Fight for Territory

    25 minEpisode 78

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Lizzie Daly and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!Ever wondered if animals have accents? Sarah and Lizzie discuss if orcas really pass down their own …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Lizzie Daly and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!


    Ever wondered if animals have accents? Sarah and Lizzie discuss if orcas really pass down their own unique calls and communication styles through generations. 🐋🎙️


    From gorillas to leafcutter ants to dung beetles… who’s the true strength champion for their size in the animal kingdom? 💪🐜


    And do all animals defend a territory— and what happens when that animal packs up and migrates? 🗺️🦅


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


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  20. Speedy: Flattie spider spinners, Mummified cheetahs and the fastest animal on earth

    43 minEpisode 77

    This week on That’s Just Wild Lizzie and Sarah are racing into all things speedy... blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speedy.And Sarah's got a new book! https://linktr.ee/Wild_Apprentice⚡👀 🕷️ Meet the flattie spider — …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild Lizzie and Sarah are racing into all things speedy... blink-and-you’ll-miss-it speedy.


    And Sarah's got a new book! https://linktr.ee/Wild_Apprentice


    ⚡👀 🕷️ Meet the flattie spider — whipping around its prey in a spin so fast it holds the title for the quickest terrestrial twirl on Earth. 😵‍💫🕸️


    🦅 🦅 We spotlight the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on Earth, zooming through the sky in an incredible super-speed dive.


    🚄 🇯🇵And nature inspiring transport engineering — Japan’s bullet train modeled on the kingfisher’s beak to slice through air in near silence. 👑🎣


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode 🎧🌍

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  21. Q&A: Stratosphere Spiders, Underwater Scorpions and Vultures flying with Airplanes

    24 minEpisode 76

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!Scorpions that can survive underwater thanks to their wild “book lungs.”Animals reaching heighests …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!


    Scorpions that can survive underwater thanks to their wild “book lungs.”


    Animals reaching heighests hieghts.. from Vultures spotted by an airliner at cruising altitude to Spiders kite-flying to the edge of the stratosphere.


    And the gloriously named golden-butted leaf-eared mouse. And yes… the Echidna’s four-headed penis...


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  22. Ancient: Velvet Worm Veterans, Self-cloning Shrubs and a 507-Year-Old Ocean Icon

    35 minEpisode 75

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah are going Ancient… seriously ancient. 🦖⏳🌊 From the deep cold, dark waters where life moves slowly and lives ridiculously long... where some Glass sponges have …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve and Sarah are going Ancient… seriously ancient. 🦖⏳


    🌊 From the deep cold, dark waters where life moves slowly and lives ridiculously long... where some Glass sponges have survived 17,000 years.🧽🔎


    Meeting Ming the giant clam — 507 years old that was already alive when Leonardo da Vinci was painting the Mona Lisa.🐚🖼️


    🦈 We trace ancient lineages: Sharks cruising our oceans for 400 million years, Horseshoe crabs older than dinosaurs and Velvet worms predating flies and mosquitoes.🪱🧲🦀


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode 🎧🌍

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  23. Q&A: Lazy Big Cats, Dwarf Elephants and Orca's wearing Salmon Hats

    21 minEpisode 74

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly, and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!🦈 Why are some orcas obsessed with shark liver — and what’s the story behind pods …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly, and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!


    🦈 Why are some orcas obsessed with shark liver — and what’s the story behind pods wearing salmon as actual hats? 🐋🐟 (Yes. Salmon hats.)


    🦁 Why don’t big cats bother with tiny snacks? When you’re a lion or tiger, why ignore small prey and go all-in on the big prey?


    🧠 And does neurodivergence exist in animals? Can wildlife have different brain wiring too?


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  24. Hearts: Heart Stopping Frogs, Mystic Sea Angels and Three-hearted Cephalopods

    30 minEpisode 73

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Lizzie, and Sarah dive heart-first into the wildest, weirdest, and most jaw-dropping hearts in the animal kingdom.❤️❤🐟 How many hearts is too many? From fish and reptiles …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Lizzie, and Sarah dive heart-first into the wildest, weirdest, and most jaw-dropping hearts in the animal kingdom.❤️❤


    🐟 How many hearts is too many? From fish and reptiles to squid with multiple hearts, the animal kingdom might suprise you!


    🩺 Meet the zebrafish that can regenerate it's heart… and the frogs that literally stop theirs to survive freezing temperatures ❄️🐸


    🦑 And finally… Steve makes his case for three-hearted cephalopods as the strangest hearts of them all.🫀🫀🫀


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode 🎧🌍



    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  25. Q&A: Tenacious Honey Badgers, Regurgitating Snakes and Spotting the Fastest Bird on the Planet

    16 min

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly, and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions! Ever wondered why a snake might suddenly throw up its lunch? 🐍🤢🐝 Why are honey badgers …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly, and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!


    Ever wondered why a snake might suddenly throw up its lunch? 🐍🤢


    🐝 Why are honey badgers called honey badgers… and how did they become fearless, beehive-raiding machines?🦡🍯


    🏙️ And how can you spot the fastest bird on the planet hiding in plain sight — yes, even in the middle of a city? 👀🦅


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode


    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  26. Lovers: Lovebombing Spiders, the Froggy Kamasutra, and Romping 95-Year-Old Tortoises

    38 minEpisode 71

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Lizzie, and Sarah go in search of romance and Valentine’s vibes in the animal kingdom 💕🐾And just a head's up, adult themes are discussed so this episode might not be …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Lizzie, and Sarah go in search of romance and Valentine’s vibes in the animal kingdom 💕🐾

    And just a head's up, adult themes are discussed so this episode might not be suitable for small ears....


    How common is monogamy in the natural world? 💍🌿


    How different positions make reproduction more likely… in frogs 🐸👀


    The obscene noises made by 95-year-old tortoises… and yes, Steve does an impression 🐢😳🎤


    And is love just “the negotiating procedure of how to pass on your DNA” (as Lizzie describes it)… or is it something more magical? ✨❤️🧬


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode 🎧🌍

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  27. Q&A: Mysterious Eels, Headless Cockroaches, Animal-Inspired Workouts

    24 minEpisode 70

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly, and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!Where on earth do eels actually go to reproduce… and why is it still such a massive …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly, and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!


    Where on earth do eels actually go to reproduce… and why is it still such a massive mystery?🪱🔍


    🧠 Why do some animals have brains in the weirdest, wildest places? 🪳


    🎥 When filming out the the WIld, Steve Lizzie and Sarah discuss the fine line between observing nature… and when to step in and save a life. 🚨💪


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  28. Muddy: Giant Tadpoles, Mud-Breathing Fish, and the Dirty Tricks of Dolphins

    34 minEpisode 69

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Lizzie, and Sarah are getting Muddy — plunging into the gloopy, squelchy, wildly misunderstood world beneath our feet. 🐾Frrom mud-loving marvels like the Chilean helmeted …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Lizzie, and Sarah are getting Muddy — plunging into the gloopy, squelchy, wildly misunderstood world beneath our feet. 🐾


    Frrom mud-loving marvels like the Chilean helmeted bullfrog 🐸, to the paradox frog whose skin slime could help treat diabetes 🧪


    Sarah shares experience wrestling with sharp-tooth catfish, and explains how some dolphins use mud as a hunting tool. 🐬


    Plus: Busting quicksand myths, ancient lungfish that cocoon themselves in mud for years, and muddy landscapes where woolly mammoths likely took their final steps.


    📝 Leave us a review and tell us what you thought — we love hearing from you.


    🔔 Follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  29. Q&A: Left-Handed Crabs, Skin-Shedding Dinosaurs, and Elephant Baby Teeth

    31 minEpisode 68

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly, and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!Are any animals left-handed? 🦀🤨Did dinosaurs shed their skin like snakes? 🐍🍌And do any …

    Show notes

    On this week’s That’s Just Wild Q+A, Steve Backshall, Lizzie Daly, and Sarah Roberts tackle more of your wildest questions!


    Are any animals left-handed? 🦀🤨


    Did dinosaurs shed their skin like snakes? 🐍🍌


    And do any animals other than humans have baby teeth? 🦷👶🐘


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team 💚


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  30. Exoskeletons: Moulting Marvels, Punk Rock Ladybirds and Giant Crabs Losing Claws

    48 minEpisode 67

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Lizzie, and Sarah dive into the weird and wonderful world of exoskeletons — and why critters and crustaceans deserve more love. 🦀🐞From the bizarre process of moulting 🐛to …

    Show notes

    This week on That’s Just Wild, Steve, Lizzie, and Sarah dive into the weird and wonderful world of exoskeletons — and why critters and crustaceans deserve more love. 🦀🐞


    From the bizarre process of moulting 🐛


    to the mad scientists who tried to build exoskeletons for humans (and then attempted to get eaten by a snake to prove they work 🐍😳),


    and why ladybirds are a gardener’s best friend 🌱

    but cause havoc here in the UK 🇬🇧🐞


    Plus, there’s another banger of a TV blooper from Steve 📺😂


    📝 Leave us a review to let us know what you think — every comment means a lot to the whole team!


    🔔 Make sure you follow That’s Just Wild wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode!

    Go to thatsjustwild.com to get ad-free listening, special deep-dive episodes and exclusive That's Just Wild goodies.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

These are the latest 40 of 98 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.

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