• Dugong: seagrass and karaoke bars
    Jun 27 2025

    Given how much seagrass Dugongs consume everyday, they're often referred to as sea cows. But when they're not busy eating, how do they communicate with each other?


    The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge


    You can find out more about the dugong here: https://www.ontheedge.org/edge-zine/species-spotlight/dugong?rq=dugong?utm_campaign=TheAnimalSensemaker?utm_medium=Partnerships?utm_source=Tortoise


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk

    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

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    10 mins
  • Great Green Macaw: picky eaters and favourite trees
    Jun 20 2025

    Found across Central and South America, the Great Green Macaw is the world’s second largest. Despite having a lush rainforest to choose from though, the macaw quite particular when it comes to food and nesting sites.


    To find out more about the Great Green Macaw click here:

    https://www.ontheedge.org/edge-zine/species-spotlight/great-green-macaw?rq=great%20green%20macaw?utm_campaign=TheAnimalSensemaker?utm_medium=Partnerships?utm_source=Tortoise

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

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    10 mins
  • Nguru pygmy chameleon: forest floors and fast tongues
    Jun 13 2025

    No bigger than a golf tee, the Nguru pygmy chameleon tends to hide among leaf litter on forest floors. But why are they important to local farmers?


    The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge


    You can find out more about the Darwin frog here: https://www.ontheedge.org/edge-zine/species-spotlight/nguru-spiny-pygmy-chameleon?utm_campaign=The%20AnimalSensemaker?utm_medium=Partnerships?utm_source=Tortoise


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk

    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

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    8 mins
  • Sea otters: favourite rocks and tummy tables
    Jun 6 2025

    Diving to depths of around 20 metres, sea otters can access all kinds of food but they often need the help of their favourite rock to crack open their catch.


    No bigger than a golf tee, the Nguru pygmy chameleon tends to hide among leaf litter on forest floors. But why are they important to local farmers?


    The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge


    You can find out more about the sea otter here.


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk

    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

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    10 mins
  • Darwin's frog: ‘pregnant’ males and a 7,000 mile journey
    May 30 2025

    After a deadly fungus spread through the rainforests in southern Chile, conservationists embarked on a rescue mission to save Darwin's frog.


    The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge


    You can find out more about the Darwin frog here.


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk

    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

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    12 mins
  • Long-Beaked Echidna: Attenborough’s elusive creature rediscovered
    May 23 2025

    Sixty-two years after Attenborough's long-beaked echidna was last scientifically recorded, Expedition Cyclops went on a mission to find out whether the species still exists in the Cyclops Mountains.


    You can find out more about the long-beaked echidna here.


    The Animal Sensemaker is brought to you from Tortoise and On the Edge.


    If you’d like to learn more about the hunt for Attenborough’s echidna, click on the links below:


    https://www.expeditioncyclops.org/

    https://expeditioncyclops.substack.com/

    https://www.yappenda.eco/

    https://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/people/james-kempton


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

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    11 mins
  • Saiga Antelope: humungous noses and countless comebacks
    May 16 2025

    Having roamed since the Ice Age, Saiga Antelope are no stranger to harsh conditions. But as mass mortality events leave their population extremely vulnerable, how have they managed to make countless comebacks?


    The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.


    Find out more about the Saiga Antelope: https://www.ontheedge.org/edge-zine/article-species-spotlight-saiga-antelope


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk

    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

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    10 mins
  • Beavers: waffle tails and river lodges
    May 9 2025

    After being extinct in England for centuries, beavers are making a comeback thanks to a new license permitting their wild release. How could their dam building prevent flooding and droughts?


    You can find out more about the beaver here.


    The Animal Sensemaker - one animal, every week to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.


    To find out more about The Observer:


    Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

    Head to our website observer.co.uk

    Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

    If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

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    11 mins