Episode: Springtime Animals with Special Guest 10 year old Levi

What springtime animals are making you happy today? What animal did Laura and Rob see build a nest on top of a pizza oven? What animal has three eyelids and stays dry in the water? Hear Laura and Rob choose what animals are making them happy, a game show about animal sounds, a big band song about the signs of spring, awesome animal clues from fan Ellie, plus an interview with 10 year old Levi from Portland, Oregon. What animal does Levi pick? He has over 50 different stuffed animals of the animal in his room!

The Happiest Animal Show (on Planet Earth) is a comedy podcast for kids and families who love wildlife, with original animal songs, stories, jokes and special guests from comedians to scientists to kids. If you like frogs, baby geese and ducks, you might really like this episode!

Episode Transcript (please pardon any typos!)

And now for an animal joke. What do frogs do with a piece of paper? I repeat, what do frogs do with a piece of paper? The answer is. Going to be revealed at the end of the episode. But first, get your ears ready because it’s the Happiest Animal Show on Planet Earth. The Happiest Animal Show on Planet Earth.

You want to be sad? No! Do you want to be glad? No. Wait. Yes. Well, it’s the Happiest Animal Show on Planet Earth. . Hello and welcome to the Happiest Animal Show on Planet Earth, the podcast that asks the very important question. What animal is making you happy today? Not yesterday, not even last night, but today. I'm Rob and I’m Laura. And we are a sister brother pair of zoologists, filmmakers and songwriters.

We are here to explore the wonderful world of wildlife and discover why animals make us happy. Today we are celebrating spring with some of our favorite springtime animals. We will hear a song from a lounge singing Tree Frog. Oh, and apologies to international soccer superstar Lionel Messi, who was supposed to be our guest, but we've had to bump him because we were able to book ten year old Levi from Portland, Oregon.

Here we go. What animal is making you happy today? I want to know for this episode of The Happiest Animal Show. We gave ourselves the topic of springtime animals. So, Laura, what springtime animal is making you happy today? There's so many good springtime animals. This animal is a baby animal. I'm just going with a baby version of an animal.

Okay? And it is yellow and it's fluffy. And it. Is it a bird? It is a bird. Okay. Is it a bird that grows up with a long neck? Yes. Is it a Canada goose? It's a baby goose. It is a great choice. Yeah. Why? Why is a goose making you happy today? I love seeing little baby geese.

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They're so cute. And there's only a finite amount of time when they're that cute. That tiny and yellow fluff ball feather goose cute before they start to grow up. Yeah, they get awkward really fast. Yeah, I like that. You can see baby geese in lots of different places. You don't have to trek to the middle of nowhere to see them.

I was reading about goose nests, and it says that a mama goose picks the spot for her nest that is somewhere near water. Usually it's alone, so it's not near a bunch of other things, and it's a little bit higher than anything else around it. And usually I see goose nests on the ground, but it reminded me of the pizza goose from the time that a goose made a nest on a pizza oven.

Yeah. That was weird. That was really weird. You think it would be, a poor choice for a nest because it was, like, nine feet off the ground, this pizza oven. So there's an urban farm down the hill from my house, and they have a pizza oven outside on their property, and it's just like a brick oven with this canopy over the top on the roof of it.

They turned it into a green roof, so it had plants growing up there like mosses and grasses and ferns. So it looked like a teeny tiny little natural area. And, this goose picked, that is the spot to lay her eggs. So every day we would go and check on it to see if the eggs attached. It was like our own little soap opera because we didn't know what was going to happen when they hatched.

Yeah, I remember, Rob excitedly told me one day there's a nest on top of a pizza oven. I've got to film it. And he would go with his camera and watch. And there were three eggs on the nest on top of the oven. The farm stopped using the pizza oven. So there was. We weren't going to hurt any of the geese.

No pizza until the geese were born. Right. And then we waited. And then they the geese were born. But the big question was, what's going to happen? Can they get down? Can they get down safely? Are we going to have to help them? Are we going to have to build a ramp? What would happen when a baby goose falls 8 or 9ft to the ground?

Or are they going to hurt themselves? We didn't know. And then one day, these little yellow fluff ball faces poked out from underneath their mother's wing. And they were the cutest things you've ever seen in your life. Yeah. And I mean geese baby geese apparently can swim almost right away but they can't fly yet. So I was nervous for them.

Yeah. And so I figured they'd be stuck up there for a few days. And I remember watching them one morning for several hours, and then I had to leave. And I came back the next day expecting to find all these baby geese up there, you know, stuck trying to figure out how to get down. And they were gone

They had flown the coop. Yeah. And then they were happy in the little wetland on the farm. So obviously they were fine jumping nine feet off of the roof of a pizza oven, down to the ground. Yeah, but do not do this if you are listening at home. Unless you are a baby goose. Yeah they are. They just have, like, natural padding built in, you know.

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Like the softest little feathers. So I think they probably hit the ground with just a nice gentle thump. And then it didn't slow them down at all. Yeah. So that's the story of the pizza goose. Yeah. Yeah. And great pick Laura. Thank you. Baby geese are a great springtime animal. Yes. Well you know what Laura chose.

We'll find out what I picked right after this. It's time for everybody's favorite game show. Ray, that sound.

What is making this sound?

Is it a a cricket b an eastern American toad? Or c your uncle's cell phone ringing in his pocket while you're trying to watch The Princess Bride? The answer is B, it's a toad. It's a toad. Hold on. Let me check with the judges. I thought toads made a ribbon sound. Okay. It's confirmed. Eastern toads make a high trilling sound.

You learn something every day. Thanks for playing everybody's favorite game show. Name that sound. And we are back. Rob, what springtime animal is making you happy today? I think you're going to get it really fast. It's, It's a small animal that would fit in your hand. Okay. And you used to see it a lot when we lived in Michigan.

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Ooh. And this animal can be found in the water, and it can also be found on land. Ooh, this is an amphibian. Yeah. So it's an amphibian. Ooh. Yeah. So this animal here's just what's going to give it away. This animal spends the winter frozen under the leaf litter. You know for sure. Yeah. Yeah. And then do you hear it calling in the springtime.

I do, yeah. Do you know what kind of animal it is. Is it a frog. Yeah. It is a wood frog. No frog and wood frogs are one of the first signs of spring, letting you know that winter is finally almost over. These frogs, they'll actually make their way out into the ponds even when there's still ice around the edges of the pond.

They'll still go out there and they'll start calling. It is so cold. But they're out there making it happen. And what do they sound like? They kind of sound like they're laughing. They just got it really on air. I think you I think you do a better wood frog than me. I do when I put. Let me hear your wood frog.

Sounds like this. Or. Over here. Yeah. There. That's it. Thank you. Yeah. Wood frogs. It's not a classic frog sound. It's, It's a weird frog sound. It does sound like a bunch of laughter. Yeah, because there will be, like, sometimes hundreds of them out in a pond, and you'll just get, like, a whole orchestra of these little giggling little frogs

Let's do it. At the same time. Area right out here. There are, there are. Oh, yeah. And you know, they're they're just this little brown frog that blend into the forest floor. You know, there's, there's nothing all that exciting about looking at a wood frog, except that it's one of the very first signs of spring. I get so excited when I hear them, because I know finally, a long, cold winter is finally almost over a wood frog.

Great pick Rob. And now for a song, Rob and I wrote this song for one of our very first movies. It's called Lost in the Woods. It was based on the children's picture book Lost in the Woods by Carl R Sams II, and Jean Stoick. In the movie. There is a lounge singing Tree Frog who sings about the signs of spring that he's seeing everywhere in the woods, along with his good friend Shirley, who is an old box turtle.

And fun fact Rob is the voice of the lounge singing Tree Frog. Enjoy the evening. How do you know when spring has sprung? I promise by the time my song is sung, you will see the signs of spring. You will. You know when you see the redwinged blackbirds are returning from their winter vacation. And you know when you hear the vocalization of the spring peepers peeping at night.

Oh, and you will know when you see the hibernating creatures have awoken from their long winter slumber. And you know when you hear the lightning and thunder. As the spring rains fall from the sky. Whoa, spring is here! The signs of spring. They’re all around you singing. Spring is here! The signs of spring. They’re shouting at you singing spring is here.

Spring is all around you. If it only take the time to look around and listen.

Flowers of every color are blooming all around. Springing up from the ground to say hello.

And love is in the air. Cause it's time to find your pair And watch your children grow. Oh, oh, spring is here. The signs of spring! They’re all around is singing spring is here! The signs of spring. They’re shouting out your singing spring is here! The signs of spring. They're all around you. If you only take the time to look around and listen.

So how do you know when spring has sprung? I promised by the time my song was sung, you would see the signs of spring. And. Before we get on with the show, here's a quick message for the grown ups. And we are back. It's that time in the show for the happiest animal, where a fan like you gives us clues for what animals are making them happy.

Today's submission is from eight year old Ellie from Portland, Oregon. Clue number one. This animal is a bird. Clue number two. It's bright pink. Clue number three. It often stands on one leg. Oh, this is getting exciting. Clue number four. It eats shrimp. The answer is a flamingo. Flamingos make Ellie happy because their bright feathers make her feel joyful.

Thanks for your submission, Ellie and Grown-Ups. If you or your family would like to submit a happiest animal, visit our website at Happiestanimalshow.com. Now it's time for our special guests. Ten year old Levi from Portland, Oregon. Levi, thank you for joining us on the Happiest Animal Show. We're so excited to have you. Hi. Thank you for having me.

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Yeah. Levi, what are your hobbies? What do you like to do? I like playing video games, reading and playing with my friends and eating food. Yeah. Eating food? Yeah. What's your favorite? What are your favorite foods? Mango, watermelon. And my mom's fried rice. Oh, nice. It's a good trio. Okay, Levi, here's the important question we have for you.

What animal is making you happy today? Do you have clues for us? Yes. Okay. The first clue is this animal has three eyelids. What? Okay. All right, I'm a curveball. I'm already loving this. An animal with three eyelids, I love it. Second hand. Is this animal. It cannot get wet. It doesn't get wet. Okay. It stays dry. Yeah, it stays dry.

It sometimes can get wet. Okay. Very rarely. Right. But it can keep itself dry a lot of the time. Yeah. Okay. And it has eyeballs with three eyelids. I have some questions, but I want one more clue first. Okay. The last clue is it has a lot of species. The most common one that I'm thinking of is green.

Oh, green. Okay, I'm going to say that pretty much rules out mammals because I can't think of a green mammal. So green things might be like a reptile or a bug or a bird. Yeah. Is it a bird? Yes, it's a bird. Nice. Okay. Green birds. There are parrots that are green. Okay. Do you see this bird in the trees a lot?

No. Oh. Good question. Thank you. But you mentioned it doesn't get wet, so I have a feeling it spends a lot of time in the water. Yes. Ooh, it's a water bird. And this is again, it has three eyelids. Three eyelids. Remember that. And eyelids. When you have multiple eyelids like that, usually it's to protect your eye.

Especially when you you're dipping your head underwater so you can protect your eyes while they're underwater. My first guess is a type of duck. Yes. Yeah. Nailed it. Duck. Ooh, what a great animal. Okay. Is it a specific kind of duck? Yes. That's why I told you it's green. Okay. You. You've. Wait. Is it a duck you can see around here in Portland, Oregon?

Yes. Okay. Is it a mallard duck? Yes. Mallard Duck. What a great choice. Mallard ducks are so pretty. I mean, if you really look at their feathers in the sun, it's pretty amazing how many colors are in there. Male mallard ducks have more colors than the female mallard ducks. Females have those beautiful patches on their wings that are like.

Yeah, iridescent. And different colors. Like purple. Yeah. Yeah. So why are mallard ducks making you happy? Lives. Well, since I was born, I've always really love the color yellow and ducks. I started collecting ducks, and then by 2023, I read like 54 ducks. I think stuffed animals. You have over 50 stuffed animal ducks. Yes. Wow. That's a that's a lot of ducks.

That's so cool. It's a good amount of duck collecting you've had. Yes. Do you have any favorites? I do. My first one, I named Bach, even though that's what chicken says, but sometimes ducks. And he is the same age as me because I, Right when I was born, I didn't play with him until 2017. Sure. And then he went into the wash.

Well, what happened when he went through the washing machine? He got all gray. Oh, but I'm still happy with that. I still love him. You know, he's even cuter now. He's still back. He's your future back. Even though he's been washed. Yeah. What color was Bok when you first got bok? White? Bok was white. Bok went through the washing is now gray.

I mean, he went through the wash like, a couple times to get gray, but, like, he feels rough now, but like, I sleep with him and he's like, feels like different. Feels like different. He's changed color and changed texture a little bit. But we all got like, Gandalf the Gray became Gandalf the White and Lord of the rings.

But this is the opposite. This is the reverse of the white. Became Bok. The gray. Yeah. So then what else do you love about ducks? Well, I have, like, seen over 100 ducks. And, like, every time I throw a food until, like. And they just start eating it up. Oh, you are feeding ducks, you know. So Laura and I, we have a family cottage on the lake in Michigan.

And we grew up as kids, going to that cottage in the summertime. And there are always ducks on the lake. One year we were throwing corn out on, on the shoreline to bring the ducks in, and this one duck showed up, a mallard showed up and we noticed something weird about its beak, and we all just stared at it.

We're trying to understand what we were looking at it and we got close to it. Eventually it got used to us and it was. It wasn't scared of us anymore. And it got close to us. Yeah. And we realized it had an extra tongue and it was sticking out below its its chin and below its beak. So we called it the two tongue duck.

Yeah, it had two tongues. Did you ever take a picture? Oh, I'm sure we did. But it was so long ago. I was just thinking about this, actually, about the two duck. Duck from our childhood. Yeah, but, yeah, one tongue was inside its beak and the other one was just hanging below its mouth. Kind of downturned. Yeah, it was real weird.

Never seen anything like it. Yeah. So crazy. Did you ever try looking it up and see if it's normal? Do a quick Google search. I will do that. Quick tip about feeding ducks. Totally cool to feed ducks, but you're not supposed to feed ducks bread. It's not good for them, right? So you can feed them corn. Dried corn.

Or other grains for like beans. I don't know about beans but that's a good question. Want to look that up. Yeah. Hey how about this. What. You can feed ducks beans. Wow. I learned something today. According to to Google, it says you can feed ducks cooked or sprouted beans. By the way, I found one picture on Shutterstock of a duck with two tongues.

Oh, good. So we're not the only ones. Yeah, but it was like, that was just kind of hung below its beak. What an interesting thing. I like to think of it as some sort of duck oracle. Some special duck with powers. Have you had any cool duck encounters? There is this one time I was swimming, and I saw a family of mallards.

Just like one mallard and a bunch of, like, baby ducks. And then. And they, like, approach me, and I, like, reach my hand out, and they just, like, circled around my hand, like all the chicks and then the mallard was, like, right in front of all of them. And then I just got up them. Fortunately, my sister and my dad were just getting out.

Wait, so they didn't get to experience it? No. Did they believe you that it happened? Yes. They did. Okay. Wow, what a magical experience. One of my favorite thing about waterbirds. Like ducks is how it doesn't seem like their feet ever get cold. Oh, yeah. They have special nerves in their feet, so, like, they can walk on ice.

They can swim really cool water. They know she's, like, immune to cold. Yeah. It's only their feet. Yeah. I mean, I think about myself just walking barefoot around on an icy lake and my feet would fall off. And me. Yeah, but if they did that, they would just be perfectly fine. Plus their feathers. Keep them warm. Yeah. How do their feathers keep them dry?

You said that ducks stay mostly dry. Their feathers are, like, waterproof, so they're, like, all around. So, like, even if there's, like, a speck of water on the feather, it would just slide right off, because it's all, facing horizontally down. Wow. So they've got special feathers, also the oil on their feathers that also keeps them dry just keeps the water from soaking in.

They migrate, you know, they travel vast distances and then they come back. Throughout the different seasons. So they're traveling across the continent and then coming back. And that's an amazing animal that can do that. They can float around on the water. They don't get wet. Their feet don't get cold, and they can fly across an entire continent and fly back and know where they're going the whole time.

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What a cool animal. Wait, so ducks have three eyelids. What's going on with that? Yeah. So with duck's eyelids, what I've read is they have an upper and lower eyelid, and then they have this third eyelid that is called a Nic teetering membrane. And that is what helps protect their eye, keeps debris out of their eyes and helps keeps their eyes safe underwater.

And it's kind of transparent so they can see through it like a pair of swim goggles. Yeah. So it's not like they have three individual eyelids in three different places on their face, right? They only have two eyeballs, three eyelids on each eyeball. Pretty cool. Yeah. You know, I was actually reading about ducks recently. I was curious how many types of ducks there are in the world.

Do you know how many types of ducks there are in the world? Something like 45. It's a good guess. What I read was that there are somewhere around 135 different with wow looks. I assumed they were all over the world, and they are, like, the only place that they don't. You can't is Antarctica. That's right. Nice. That's right.

I like having a duck expert here. Yeah, they're found out on all continents except Antarctica. How cool is that? I mean, like, it's the coolest place in there. Like their feet are immune to cool. Like, why don't they live there. Yeah I don't. I mean food is kind of scarce though. That's probably why. Yeah. There are a lot of ducks.

Yeah. A duck is such a good choice. Levi and I learned something today. I learned that ducks can eat cooked beans. And I've learned that you had a magical encounter with ducks swimming around your hand one time, which is pretty cool. Yeah. Yeah. Great choice. Thanks for being here, Levi. Thanks for having me. And now it's the time we've all been waiting for.

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The answer to the joke of the day. What do frogs do with a piece of paper? Do you have a guess? The answer is rip it. Rip it.

And before we go, remember, we live on a beautiful planet. So go out and find what makes you happy today. Hey, Grown-Ups, we know you're busy, but if you like our show, we'd love for you to tell your friends and family about it. It is the best way for our podcast to grow and Grown-Ups. You can also follow us on our social media accounts at Happiestanimalshow, or check out other fun things on our website like how to submit an animal or how to get merch.

Visit Happiestanimalshow.com. The Happiest Animal Show is created by Laura Sams, Robert Sams with story editor Dave Cain. And with only a little help from our cat walking across the keyboard. Now let’s talk music. Original music is written and performed by zero time Grammy Award winning songwriters Laura Sams and Robert Sams, except for the end credits music which was written by Laura and Rob’s Grandma Max, and the joke answer suspense music was written by David Schultz.

The theme song was written and performed by Laura and Rob and mixed by Jason Wells of Audiowells. Thanks for listening. You are the best.