Why do goats sound like humans? A Cozy Critters Collaboration

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Vermont Public

Language, Science, Nature, Kids & Family

4.4 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 19 December 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Have you ever heard a fox scream at night and thought it was a human? And why, when goats bleat, do they sometimes sound like human babies? Animals can sometimes make similar noises but not because they’re feeling the same things. It often has more to do with how similar the sound-making structures in our bodies are! In this bonus episode, we learn about how animals make sounds and how their vocal folds work with Dougie Pickles, host of the sleepy adventure podcast Cozy Critters.

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0:00.0	But Why had a pretty cool year.
0:07.0	We learned about colors, candy, horses, volcanoes, glaciers, oysters,
0:11.0	Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, wildfires,
0:15.0	Spockens, English language, math, spicy food, sunscreen, horseshoe crabs,
0:20.0	walruses, sea lions, atoms, records,
0:23.2	tacos, tariffs, tapeworms, and wildcats. And that was just one year of shows. What we do in
0:29.3	26 really depends on you. In July, our station, Vermont Public, lost $2 million when federal
0:36.9	funding for public media was taken away.
0:39.4	We'll be without federal funds for the foreseeable future, so support from our listeners is more important than ever.
0:46.0	Contributions from listeners like you help keep but-wide going and freely available to kids everywhere.
0:51.9	If you're able, please consider making a gift to support our show.
0:55.7	You can make a one-time gift in any amount, or you can join our But Why Fan Club. Memberships start
1:01.3	just at $7 per month. Head to ButyKids.org slash donate to make your gift today. And thanks. This is But Why, a podcast for curious kids from Vermont Public. I'm Jane Lindholm.
1:40.9	On this show, kids around the world send us questions and we find interesting people to
1:45.7	offer answers. Today we have a little bonus episode inspired by a curious adult who sent us a
1:52.5	question about doing something together. Hey, howdy. I'm Dougie Pickles, your curious animal-loving guide
1:59.8	from the cozy Critters podcast.
2:01.6	I'm a grown-up who never stopped finding amazement in the small, wonderful things,
2:07.6	like the sound a caterpillar makes when it chews, or the determined little shuffle of a penguin on a mission.
2:15.6	On Cozy Critters, I help kids wind down at night by visiting
2:20.5	incredible animals all over the world. As he mentioned, Doug hosts a podcast called Cozy Critters.
2:28.4	Cozy Critters is a sleepy adventure podcast for kids who love animals and want a little magic at bedtime.
	...

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