Asshole Animals, with Alice

It's hard to imagine that Alice would be poking fun at a bird with iridescent feathers, a beautiful flight pattern, and whose name LITERALLY means "little star", but here we are. It was hard to imagine that Donald Trump would turn out to be a wannabe Dictator....crazier things have happened in this timeline.

Here to discuss one of Britain's most under-the-radar birds is celebrated author, TV producer, and creator of BBC's Springwatch: Stephen Moss - who researched Starlings to such a degree that he became their official biographer, releasing a book entitled: "The Starling: A Biography".

Tune in to hear Alice and Stephen dissect the two personalities of the Starling: the one the general public see and the one it actually is. Hear them dive into topics such as the incredible Somerset murmurations, Roman augury, and of course Oasis vs Blur.

Our charity of the week this week is shielding Somerset's land/plants/animals from more climate crises: the incredible Somerset Wildlife Trust. To find out more about their journey to protect Somerset's wild spaces, visit their website at www.somersetwildlife.org.

And, as always, our superstar sponsor, Blue Panda Clothing is sponsoring this episode today. Shop with code: ALICE10 to receive 10% off of your Blue Panda purchase when you go to their online store! Get the Christmas presents done for your animal-loving pals with the help of Asshole Animals and Blue Panda using code: ALICE10! Visit their site at: www.bluepanda.co.uk for some sustainably chic designs! What are you waiting? RUN!

Side note before we get started: does anyone else remember Cadbury's "Taz"s? The chocolate bar? The one that was kind of like a Freddo but had caramel inside? What ever HAPPENED to those?

In any case, Tasmanian Devils are definitely one of those creatures that the general public knows little about, other than through the portrayal of a beloved yet crazed cartoon lunatic. Could you even DRAW a Tasmanian Devil if I asked you to? Probably not, right?

Here to talk about these wild and wonderful beings is Brian Ahearn, nature-lover and artist, and creator of Zoo Draws, the comic strip that combines comedy and nature (sound familiar?).

Listen to Alice and Brian talk about what makes Tazzie Devils special, including their facial tumours, carnivorous babies, and how they've recently made a comeback to Australia after a whopping 3000 years!

Our charities of the week are the INCREDIBLE Aussie Ark and Re:Wild - both setting extraordinary examples of how to be excellent humans and save the planet. If you want to find out more about what they're doing to help Tazzie Devils and generally making the world a better place, check out www.aussieark.org.au and rewild.org!

Quick question: how much do you know about Slug penises? Not very much? Well, that's SUPER embarrassing for you...Thankfully, Yussef Rafik (children's TV presenter/zoologist/slug enthusiast) is here to tell you all you need to know about Slugs (genitalia and otherwise).

The human experience with Slugs can probably be best described as one of "disgust", right? No one is happy to see a Slug - not on their plants, under their shoe as they step out into the garden, and certainly not in their HOMES. But Slugs are actually incredible creatures and are super important for our survival, so tune in to hear Alice and Yussef talking about why we need them, where the word "sluggish" comes from, and also why you should NEVER EVER eat a slug, not even on a dare from your friends.

Our charity of the week this week is the incredible Bug Life - a charity Alice has actually mentioned on the show but their work is so vital, it bears repeating. Looking after the little things that run the world, go on to their website to learn more about how to help bugs and also what awesome species we have here in the UK, at www.buglife.org.uk.

This episode of Asshole Animals with Alice is sponsored by the fabulously and delightfully whimsical Button and Squirt - who are helping you and your little ones learn about the natural world in the most fun way possible! To dive in to the world of wildlife and pick up a fun present for an animal-lover you know, head over to their website, at: www.buttonandsquirt.co.uk.

You've got to hand it to Elephants - for an animal THAT large, they've managed to invoke a range of emotions in us pretty well. Whether you were moved to tears by Dumbo, terrified of the Heffalumps in Winnie the Pooh or laughing at Stampy, Bart's Elephant from the Simpsons - us humans have a special kinship with these large creatures and it's about time we explored that...

Here to determine if Elephants are assholes are not is funny man James Roday Rodriguez, who believes that Elephants may just be our spirit guides. Hear Alice and James dive into topics such as Verne Troyer, Hindu Mythology AND where the phrase "White Elephant" came from on this very special episode of Asshole Animals.

Please note: Alice DOES claim in this episode that she doesn't know of any examples of Elephants being malicious to other species on purpose - which directly contradicts her previous episode on Vultures with Tom Morath. Simple explanation: she had no idea Elephants messed with Lappet-faced Vulture nests at the time of this recording.

Our charity of the week is the fabulous Trunks Up - who are working hard to free Elephants from being put to work in Asia and to give them a peaceful existence out in large sanctuaries. Find out more about their incredible work and how you can donate to help feed these Elephants at www.trunksup.org.

We have 3 incredible sponsors this week!

1) Nature Spy - the ultimate go-to for all of your wildlife watching tech! If you're in need of a camera that lets you watch wildlife from afar, these are your guys. Use code "ANIMALS10" to get 10% off of trail cameras, in honour of their 10th anniversary. https://www.naturespy.org <---

2) Our pals at Blue Panda are sponsoring this episode of the podcast, and c'mon guys, if you haven't seen their incredibly cute range of Elephant merchandise, then what are you doing?! Check out some sustainable and chic fashion at www.bluepanda.co.uk!

3) NEW SPONSOR ALERT: We are proud to sponsored by the incredible Button and Squirt - who make animal activities and illustrations, designed to help your little ones learn about the natural world (and grown ups too!). To browse their amazing range of cards and activity books that are bright and fabulous, check out: www.buttonandsquirt.co.uk

We all love a good crossover episode, right? Jetsons meet the Flintstones, Family Guy vs The Simpsons, Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Well, all of those crossovers PALE in comparison to the shenanigans brought by the teams at "How Many Geese?" and "Asshole Animals with Alice"...

Join Jack, Roddy and Alice as they set their differences aside to crown the "Worst Bird in the World"...at Global Birdfair.

This journey is no easy task - and it will take 7 suggestions from the fans, and 3 birds each from the trio to face off in a 16-bird battle for the crown. WHO will be the victor, and what makes them the World's Worst Bird? You know what to do, give it a listen...