Hey there, friends, and welcome to episode 308 of Just the Zoo of Us. This week, I am joined by a writer and science journalist for a highlight reel of some of the animal kingdom's biggest surprises. We discuss Lego Trebuches, the sci-fi potential of a projectile-based language, endangered relationships, biofluorescence, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch's number

one fan, and so much more.

Just the Zoo of Us presents Kara Gaiymo's top three surprises from the animal kingdom. I'm I'm I'm

The Hi there, everybody. It's Ellen Weatherford with Just the Zoo of Us, your favorite animal review podcast. I am so excited because this week we have a brand new friend to talk to about some fun and

exciting surprises from the animal kingdom.

We have Kara Jai-M-O.

Say hi, Kara.

Hey, everybody.

Kara, what are your pronouns?

Oh, I use she-her pronouns.

Thank you so much.

This week you have come to us with some absolutely, like, completely out of pocket surprises from the animal kingdom

that have come up in your work reporting and writing on animals, which actually your writing

was where I came across you, your work for the first time.

Years ago, you wrote a fascinating article on giraffe social behavior

that I remember quoting in one of these episodes like years ago. So when I came across you in my

email, I was like, oh my gosh. Hey. So Kara, what got you into the work that you do writing about

animals and the natural world? Oh, that's awesome

that you remember the giraffe article. That was also really surprising and fun to write. I've been

really into animals since I was a kid. I grew up in sort of a rural area with a lot of forests,

and I would spend a lot of time in the forest, just after school and stuff, just seeing what I could see.

And as I got older, I thought that I wanted to be a scientist and do biology research, and I kind of

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