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Bizarre Beasts

@bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social
526 followers 6 following 120 posts

What makes a weird animal weird? Once a month, we'll introduce you to a new bizarre beast and explore the many answers to this question at youtube.com/bizarrebeasts!

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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"I've never been one to turn down a good time drawing fish so I was naturally thrilled to draw up a shark, and such a mythical one at that! The Greenland shark also has a rather adorable face which was a joy to capture in illustration." Check out more from Julian here: julianmiholics.com
The various pin variants for the greenland shark
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
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.
Julian Miholics posing with his designs of the greenland shark added to the image
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
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 you guessed Greenland shark, you're right!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
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?
can you guess the next bizarre beast? silhouette of a beast with a scientific name that means sleepy small head.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
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
Sarah poses in new Bizarre Beasts arthropod shirt
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
"Just outside a renowned cheese creamery in Marin, I observed my first tent caterpillar tree. A generously-sized, wide branching tree was completely enveloped with silk, and within the silk held thousands upon thousands of caterpillars. That was years ago, and clearly left an indelible impression."
Pin variants of the designs for the tent caterpillar that Jennifer drew!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Jennifer’s designs are meticulous, often featuring intricate tessellations that incorporate concepts and aesthetics from her background as a scientific illustrator and biologist. In her ceramic work, she uses the technique of sgraffito to adorn dishwares with unusual animals.
Jennifer V. Zee holds up a print she made featuring different animals.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
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.
Jennifer V. Zee holds a leaf bug, with the pins she designed over top of her photo.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
We don’t really know why they gather in this way, but we have learned that their forest ecosystems are great at population control so they don’t get completely overrun by a tent caterpillar outbreak. Watch the episode to learn more! youtu.be/xNA4quA9VuI
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
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.
Can you guess the next Bizarre Beast? 

Silhouette of a fuzzy cylinder.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Abelle's main source of inspiration for these pin designs stems from the gold speckers that cover a Wandering salamander’s scales. To them, the spots almost resemble stars in a galaxy, and they wanted to represent that in the final design.
a gold and black enamel pin with the common labela gold and glittery white enamel pin with a rare labelA gold and teal enamel pin with an uncommon labelA card show each wandering salamander pin design side-by-side
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
This pin was designed by Abelle Hayford. Abelle Hayford is an illustrator currently based in Austin, Texas. They love experimenting with colors, playing with textures and effects, and exploring whimsical themes. Check out more of their work: abellehayford.com
A photo of pin artist Abelle Hayford, with the designs of three pin variants in no particular order.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
This month's beast is the wandering salamander! These little guys can spend their entire life cycle hundreds of feet above the ground. As a result, they’re pretty well suited to climbing – and skydiving. ⁠ ⁠ Check out the episode now! youtu.be/sbBjwBHOnsk?...
if you guessed wandering salamanders, you're right!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
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.
Can you guess the next bizarre beast? with silhouette of a creature over a brown and yellow background
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
We like treehoppers and all their oddities! 📺: youtu.be/ZgyAnhlGUIY?...
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
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
Text: This is Toughie overlayed on an image of Toughie the Rabbs' Fringed-Limbed Tree Frog.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
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
Text: If you guess treehoppers, you're right! 
with an illustration of a treehopper made by an artist named Lucyold Langi
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
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?
silhouette of critter with the text "Can you guess the next bizarre beast?"
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
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?
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
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/...
a photo of the endling 'akikiki in someone's hand
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
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
A photo of Thomas Marnin, with his pin design of the Brahminy Blind Snake to the left of his face. 

Thomas Marnin is one half of MarninSaylor, a Seattle based toy brand known for their characters, the Pastry Pets.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
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
Art of a worm looking snake wrapped around a quarter with the text "If you guessed brahminy blind snake you're right!"
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
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?
Can you guess the next Bizarre Beast? with a silhouette of a creature in a purple shadow
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
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
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
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
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
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.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
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.
artist Kory Bing, with the digital art for the okapi pins she designed
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Braconid wasps are pretty weird! Here's an animation of a wasp injecting a host with its virus!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Our braconid wasp pin artist is Sage Friss! Sage is a Missoula based artist who grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Montana. He's deeply connected to the world around him and inspired by nature.
Artist Sage Friss with braconid wasp pins he designed
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
If you guessed braconid wasps, you're right! Braconid wasps are parasitoids, which is a type of parasitism with a slightly different outcome. The host of a parasitoid, becomes a dual-purpose incubator and food source for its offspring. youtu.be/LmQNrI4aIzo
Text: If you guessed braconid wasps , you're right! 
With an illustration of our braconid wasp pin, designed by Sage Friss
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
The survival of this family of insects is so intertwined with a virus that they partly share a genome. This extreme level of teamwork lets these beasts live their best parasitoid lives. Can you guess what the next bizarre beast is?
Text: Can you guess the next bizarre beast? with the silhouette of an insect that we cannot name but if you check back on monday you'll get the answer!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Hank loves the Mola Mola! youtube.com/playlist?lis...
A mola mola fish underwater
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
It's that time of year again! Wood you be our Valentine?
Shipworm Valentine's Day Card cover that says Wood You Be My Valentine?
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
If you guessed Rajah Brooke's Birdwings, or ultra-black animals for the feature, you're right! Ultra-black generally means a shade of black that reflects 0.5% of light or less, and these bizarre beasts have areas of their body that do just that! youtu.be/aG06yKwabac?...
Rajah Brooke's Birdwing illustration + text if you guessed Rajah Brooke's Birdwings, you're right!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Our next bizarre beast is really more of a collection of beasts that all have this one dark thing in common. Some may not surprise you, like deep sea fish, but we've seen it with butterflies and birds as well! Can you guess this beast, or it's bizarre feature?
can you guess the next bizarre beast? 
silhouette of a beast in lime green!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
All of the Endlings mini-series episodes are out now! You can learn all about these bizarre beasts that are truly one of a kind. You can watch all of the episodes at youtube.com/bizarrebeasts. PS - You can still snag an Endlings bandana at bizarrebeastsshow.com!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Whether you call them one-toothed, the one who points at the sky, or corpse whales-- one thing is for certain, this unicorn of the sea is bizarre. youtu.be/bTql5Pv0gf0?...
Narwhal (Mondon monoceros) is the bizarre beasts monthly critter!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
The final episode of our Endlings miniseries is out now! Learn how Lord Howe Island Giant Stick Insects (say that five times fast) came back from the dead. youtu.be/PAzVFQ1-THc?...
Lord Howe Island Giant Stick Insects in a cliffside bush
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Is extinction really always a bad thing? In the latest episode of our Endlings miniseries, we discuss a case where extinction might be for the greater good... youtu.be/46xA35awnL8?...
an animation of a guinea worm extraction
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
For a limited time, you can get this Bizarre Beasts shirt! Our very own fashion icon, Sarah, hand-made the design featured on the front! ⁠ ⁠ Grab yours at complexly.store before Dec. 8th if you want to be the weirdest animal at your family's holiday festivities!
Sarah Suta rocks the new handmade holidays edition bizarre beasts tshirt.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Our next Bizarre Beast is the Christmas Island Red Crab! Learn all about their weird mating rituals and how they took over Christmas Island in our latest episode. youtu.be/5YsJ7q7a7fA
Christmas Island Red Crab Gecarcoidea natalis with crab pin design.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
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
Thylacines drawn on a grassy cliff near water's edge.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
If you guessed Mexican Tetra, you're right! This little tropical fish makes a great pet, but it also lives in cave systems in at least 29 different caves. In addition to the standard, this beast also comes in various versions of "cave flavor." youtu.be/PXW7xcESz-s
if you guessed Mexican tetra you're right!
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
Sometimes we can spot when a new species diverges from a nearby population. Certain adaptations can even give us a clue about what’s to come. Our next bizarre beast gives us a chance to see what happens when a single beast makes an evolutionary change. Can you guess what the next bizarre beast is?
Blue Blob silhouette, "Can you guess the next bizarre beast?"
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Next up on our Endlings mini-series: silphium! ⁠ ⁠ This is the first recorded extinction in history, and of a species so culturally relevant that it was printed on money. youtu.be/cNNEOEV5oyc?...
Silphium plants overlook some water and cliffs
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
The first episode of our Endlings miniseries is out now! This has been such a huge project for us, and we couldn't have done it without our amazing audience. Check it out!! youtu.be/JbTAVnyHB88?...
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
I hope everyone enjoys the pin as much as I enjoyed making it and learning about pseudoscorpions. I keep looking for them now everywhere I go!
The Bizarre Beasts pseudoscorpion pin variants
Main-- red and orange holding a tan book 
Uncommon-- periwinkle and teal holding a blue book
Rare-- all over gold
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Meet our pin artist: Daniel Mrgan! My name is Daniel Mrgan, I’m 47, and I’ve been attempting art since early childhood. I was lucky enough to translate this interest into a graphic design job which is my present profession.
Pin artist Daniel Mrgan holding a baby goat outside surrounded by pseudoscorpion pin designs.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
Our next bizarre beast is the world’s most bizarre hitchhiker and one tiny weirdo. So tiny you might miss it, but there’s probably one of well over 3000 species nearby right now! Introducing: pseudoscorpions; youtu.be/sKA-l5UN4iM?...
an artist's drawing of a pseudoscorpion reading a book as a play on the fact that they are sometimes called book scorpions.
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Bizarre Beasts @bizarrebeastsshow.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
Australia has a sizable share of the World’s Deadliest Snakes. This month, we're talking about a few of them with venom deadly enough to keep you from discovering their true nature: downright cuddly little critters. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fet...
Text "AUSTRALIAN SNAKES' with a red and black illustration of a snake on the classic bizarre beasts background in green with a gold border.
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