Logo
    Search

    Why should you never scare a vulture?

    enJuly 23, 2013

    Podcast Summary

    • Exploring Unique Benefits: Capital One Venture X Card and Health Aid KombuchaThe Capital One Venture X Card provides unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and premium travel benefits, while Health Aid Kombucha offers a healthier alternative to sugary drinks and potential gut health benefits.

      The Capital One Venture X Card offers unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and premium travel benefits, while Health Aid Kombucha is a delicious and healthier alternative to sugary drinks. A tragic story from the podcast Stuff You Should Know highlights the importance of healthy vulture populations, as they help to clean up carcasses and prevent the spread of diseases. Contrary to popular belief, vultures actually prefer fresh meat over rotten flesh. The Capital One Venture X Card and Health Aid Kombucha may seem unrelated, but they both offer unique benefits that can enhance everyday life. Whether it's earning miles for travel or improving gut health, these discoveries are worth exploring.

    • Impact of Protecting Animal SpeciesProtecting certain animal species can have unintended consequences, such as overpopulation or population decline, which can affect human populations and cultural practices.

      The protection of certain animal species, such as vultures, from human interference can have unintended consequences. In France, the ban on hunting vultures has led to an overpopulation of these birds, making them a threat to humans. Conversely, in the Himalayas, the lack of vultures due to the use of a certain drug in livestock farming has resulted in the inability of religious communities to practice sky burials, leaving them with no viable solution for disposing of their dead. It's important to consider the complex interplay between human actions and animal populations, and the potential impact on various ecosystems and cultural practices.

    • Vultures: Nature's Cleaners and Disease FightersVultures are essential for maintaining cleanliness and preventing disease spread by consuming carcasses. They have unique adaptations to efficiently locate and consume carrion.

      Vultures play a crucial role in the ecosystem by cleaning up carcasses and preventing the spread of diseases. Their digestive systems neutralize diseases, making them essential to breaking the chain of infectious diseases. Despite their unsavory reputation, vultures are cleaner than people might think and perform this vital service very quickly. Evolutionarily, vultures developed independently in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, highlighting their importance. Old world vultures, related to hawks and eagles, build nests, while new world vultures do not. The California condor, a new world vulture, is an example of a species that was once endangered but is now rebounding. Contrary to popular belief, vultures do not circle waiting for animals to die; they use their sense of smell to locate carcasses. Their large size and circling flight pattern are adaptations to help them locate and consume carrion efficiently.

    • Unique Features of Turkey Vultures: Sight or Smell, Hygiene, and Effective ScavengingTurkey vultures are scavenging birds with unique features like having either excellent sight or smell, featherless heads and necks, no singing ability, no natural predators except for egg thieves, and urinating on their feet for hygiene and temperature regulation.

      Turkey vultures, while being birds of prey, have unique features that make them stand out. They are either equipped with excellent sight or smell, but not both. Their featherless heads and necks are a hygienic adaptation, allowing them to avoid getting their feathers covered in blood and guts while scavenging. Vultures do not sing and have no natural predators, except for those that target their eggs. They are considered sanitary creatures due to their practice of urinating on their feet to keep cool and kill bacteria. A group of vultures is called a committee. These adaptations make vultures effective scavengers and contribute to their distinct presence in the animal kingdom.

    • Unique behaviors in nature and digital worldVultures use vomiting as a defense mechanism, Zigazoo ensures kid-safe social networking, and LinkedIn Jobs offers effective and free hiring for small businesses

      Vultures, while playing a crucial role in nature as necessary scavengers, have an unusual behavior of vomiting in times of stress or when feeling threatened, a phenomenon known as defensive vomiting. This behavior serves as a decoy to distract predators and also helps the vultures to fly away quickly. Meanwhile, in the digital world, Zigazoo offers a safe and kid-friendly social network where children can post and share their videos without the fear of mean comments or data safety concerns. With videos moderated by actual people and parental consent required for joining, Zigazoo prioritizes data safety for kids and is KidSafe Kappa certified. For small business owners, LinkedIn Jobs provides an effective solution to find the right professionals for their team quickly and for free, with its vast network of over one billion professionals, making it the best place to hire. The intuitive, quick, and easy hiring process is a significant advantage for small businesses that often wear many hats and have limited resources. Therefore, whether in nature or business, understanding the unique behaviors and utilizing the right tools can lead to significant advantages.

    • Vultures and their unique digestive system help prevent disease spreadVultures consume decomposing animals, neutralizing bacteria with acidic vomit to prevent disease spread, and play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. Their acidic vomit is more corrosive than gastric acid and even acid rain, and they're currently endangered. In forensic science, their carcass-finding abilities help solve crimes.

      Vultures and their unique digestive system play a crucial role in nature, particularly in preventing the spread of diseases. Vultures consume decomposing animals and their highly acidic vomit neutralizes bacteria, making it safe for them to eat. This helps break the chain of infectious diseases and keeps populations of other disease-carrying animals in check. Despite their unsavory diet and appearance, vultures are essential for maintaining ecological balance and should be appreciated. In fact, their acidic vomit is so corrosive that it's more acidic than gastric acid and even more so than acid rain. Additionally, vultures are currently endangered, so it's important to be kind to them and recognize their important role in nature. Another interesting application of vultures is in forensic science, where their ability to locate and consume carcasses has led to their use in helping solve crimes.

    • Vultures in Forensic InvestigationsVultures help determine time and location of a death by discovering and consuming human remains in 37 days, providing valuable information for investigators.

      Vultures play a crucial role in forensic investigations. Researchers study the behavior of vultures in discovering and consuming human remains to help determine the time and location of a death. A recent study found that a group of American black vultures took 37 days to discover a body and five hours to completely skeletonize it. This information can help investigators piece together the circumstances surrounding a death and potentially clear innocent people from being wrongly accused. Additionally, vultures can be experienced up close through unique activities like paragliding with trained vultures in the Himalayas. This not only provides an exciting adventure but also raises awareness about the importance of these birds in forensic investigations.

    • Relax and let your money work for you with BettermentBetterment helps maximize your savings and investments, allowing you to relax and enjoy your free time.

      While we enjoy our free time and relaxation, our money can be working hard for us through automated investing and savings apps like Betterment. Betterment helps your money earn more in high yield cash accounts, invests it in diversified portfolios, and optimizes it with tax-efficient strategies. Meanwhile, you can sleep or relax, knowing your money is hustling for you. Thomas Trask, a listener and finalist in our Halloween horror fiction contest, wrote a book called Prism, which is now available on Amazon. In the listener mail segment, a bartender in Vancouver shared a story about the importance of good service and being a good person, even when not tipped appropriately. Despite being given a mere nickel for over $800 worth of drinks and service, the bartender chose to be gracious and continued to provide excellent service, hoping for a better outcome the next time. This story serves as a reminder to provide good service and to treat others with kindness and respect, even when not financially rewarded.

    • A customer's unpredictable behavior tests a bartender's professionalismMaintain composure and professionalism in customer service, unexpected kindness can make up for past misunderstandings.

      The power dynamic between customers and servers can lead to unusual situations. In this story, a bartender named Brett from Vancouver experienced a rollercoaster weekend with a philanthropist customer who tested Brett's professionalism and patience. The customer, who was Don Cheadle in real life, initially came in with a group and left a small tip, but on the second night, he returned alone and left a generous tip of $2,000. Brett was initially aggravated by the customer's behavior but kept his cool and acted professionally, even when the customer tried to provoke him. This experience highlights the importance of maintaining composure and professionalism in customer service, even when faced with challenging situations. It also shows that unexpected kindness and generosity can make up for past misunderstandings or mistreatment. Ultimately, Brett's story serves as a reminder that every interaction with a customer has the potential to be memorable, and treating others with respect and kindness can lead to positive outcomes. It's important to remember that every customer interaction is an opportunity to build a positive relationship. Instead of playing games or trying to get back at customers who have mistreated us, we can choose to be professional and treat them with kindness and respect. And who knows, they might just surprise us with a generous tip or kind gesture in return.

    • Innovative digital platforms for different age groups and use casesZigazoo is a safe, moderated social media platform for kids to create and share videos, while Canva is an online design tool for professionals to create presentations for various workplace departments

      There are innovative digital platforms designed specifically for different age groups and use cases. For kids, there's Zigazoo, a social media platform where they can create and share videos in a safe, moderated environment with built-in privacy protections. For professionals, there's Canva, an online design tool that allows users to create presentations for various workplace departments, saving time and resources. Both platforms cater to specific needs and offer unique benefits. For kids, Zigazoo provides a fun and safe space for creativity and socialization. For professionals, Canva offers a versatile solution for designing professional-looking presentations for various workplace functions.

    Recent Episodes from Stuff You Should Know

    Whistling!

    Whistling!

    Whistling is pretty cool when you think about it because it can mean many things, from simple happy tunes to legit communication. Learn all about this ubiquitous skill today. 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Stuff You Should Know
    enJune 25, 2024

    The Big Episode on Wikipedia

    The Big Episode on Wikipedia

    Wikipedia changed the world. Before it came along, you had to go to the library to get the answers you sought. And you and your friends had to just agree to disagree on facts. And as the internet grew and commercialized, Wikipedia remains free and open.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Stuff You Should Know
    enJune 20, 2024

    Related Episodes

    Raptor Conservation in the Iberian Peninsula

    Raptor Conservation in the Iberian Peninsula

    In this episode of The Hawk's Call Podcast, hear directly from former trainee and long-time collaborator Alfonso Godino, as he discusses his impressive and successful raptor conservation research initiatives in the Iberian Peninsula, including species such as the cinereous vultures, Rüppell's vultures, and bearded vultures. 

    Thank you to this episode's sponsor: The Brickhouse Grill! Check them out at www.bhgrill.com

    Visit www.hawkmountain.org to learn more about our science, education, and stewardship, or plan a visit! If you would like to sponsor a future podcast episode, please reach out to info@hawkmountain.org. Thank you for listening!

    Conservation of African Vultures

    Conservation of African Vultures

    In this episode of The Hawk's Call Podcast, hear directly from current collaborators Dr. Lindy Thompson and Danielle do Toit as they discuss their work researching and educating about several vulture species throughout Africa. Their work includes wing tagging, creation of "Vulture Safe Zones," and educational outreach with regional landowners.

    Visit www.hawkmountain.org to learn more about our science, education, and stewardship, or plan a visit! If you would like to sponsor a future podcast episode, please reach out to info@hawkmountain.org. Thank you for listening!

    Turkey Vulture Research in Western North America

    Turkey Vulture Research in Western North America

    Hawk Mountain Senior Research Biologist David Barber and Coastal Raptors founder and Executive Director Dr. Dan Varland discuss the ongoing research and monitoring of turkey vultures living and migrating in western North America. 

    Visit the following links to learn more about Hawk Mountain's and Coastal Raptor's vulture research:

    HMS Vulture Research: hawkmountain.org/conservation-science/active-research/raptor-conservation-studies/new-world-vultures
    Coastal Raptors Vulture Research: https://coastalraptors.com/Research/TurkeyVultureTracking.aspx
    Coastal Raptors Collaboration with HMS: https://coastalraptors.com/Collaborations/HawkMountainSanctuaryAssociation.aspx

    Visit www.hawkmountain.org to learn more about our science, education, and stewardship, or plan a visit! If you would like to sponsor a future podcast episode, please reach out to info@hawkmountain.org. Thank you for listening!

    Global Vulture Conservation

    Global Vulture Conservation

    In this episode of The Hawk's Call Podcast, hear directly from former HMS Director of Conservation Science Dr. Keith Bildstein, an expert and leader in global vulture conservation and research. He discusses his experiences and the bright future of vulture conservation. Stay tuned for a new book by Keith coming in the next year!

    Visit www.hawkmountain.org to learn more about our science, education, and stewardship, or plan a visit! If you would like to sponsor a future podcast episode, please reach out to info@hawkmountain.org. Thank you for listening!