logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
23m 2s

What are eels?

Vermont Public
About this episode

What are eels? And why are some eels electric? We head to Poughkeepsie, New York to learn about eels with Chris Bowser, Hudson River estuary educator with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Plus we learn about electric eels. Electric eels have captured the imagination of many people, but they’re not actually considered eels by the scientific community. They’re a type of knife fish, more closely related to catfish and carp. But they are electric! So we’ll tackle why they’re electric and how they create electricity. David de Santana, of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, tells us what it’s like to study electric eels in the Amazon. 

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slides

Up next
Aug 22
Why are puffins' beaks so colorful?
Have you ever seen a puffin? With their bright beaks, orange feet and black and white coloring, these birds are very cool to look at. And we’ve gotten a lot of questions about them! In this episode, we talk with Don Lyons, an educator and avian ecologist with the Seabird Institut ... Show More
39m 34s
Aug 8
Who invented the English language?
Where did the English language come from? Why do words have silent letters? Why do some people have accents? Why do some words sound similar? Answers to all of your questions about English and words with sociolinguist Erica Brozovsky, host of a PBS digital show called Otherwords. ... Show More
34m 30s
Jul 25
Chameleons, jellyfish and ballerinas! Check out But Why Bites
For today’s episode, we’re doing something a little different! We’re going to be listening to our video series, But Why Bites! (Even without the video part, they’re really cool!) Every other week over on our YouTube channel, we answer one kid question in a short and sweet little ... Show More
14m 2s
Recommended Episodes
May 2022
Reinventing the Eel
Aristotle thought they were born out of mud. A young Sigmund Freud dedicated himself to finding their testicles (spoiler alert, he failed). And a legendary Danish marine biologist spent 18 years and his wife's fortune sailing around the Atlantic Ocean to find their birthplace. Th ... Show More
48m 52s
Jun 2024
Electric Eel- an attitude problem and access to its own taser
It seems absolutely bonkers that an animal can muster ELECTRICITY, especially enough to send out a zap like a taser. But that's exactly what electric eels can do, and the world record holder more than doubles the voltage of the Australian electricity supply. More than that, elect ... Show More
25m 16s
Jul 2014
Ballad of the Electric Fish
How does the electric eel generate its juice and how did six different lineages of bioelectric fish evolve on this planet of ours? Find out in this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/liste ... Show More
20m 23s
Apr 2021
What If Fish Had Legs?
Fish with legs? Crazy, right? Turns out, fish with legs are a lot more real than you might think! We teamed up with What If World, one of our favorite storytelling podcasts, to answer this question both scientifically and creatively! In our “science version,” we consult with the ... Show More
17m 12s
Aug 2022
Will the eel (slim, shady) please have sex?
Where eels come from is a surprisingly difficult question to answer, in large part because scientists have never actually seen them reproduce in the wild. Gastropod explains why eels are somehow still so mysterious.For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainableIt’s a great place to ... Show More
47m 49s
Nov 2022
Qu’est-ce que le street-fishing, cette nouvelle culture urbaine ?
Une nouvelle génération de pêcheurs a échangé les vestes sans manches kakis aux dizaines de poches contre des casquettes, des hoodies et des sneakers. Avec de nouveaux codes et un nouveau vocabulaire, ces jeunes pêcheurs ont réinventé la pratique millénaire. C’est ce qu’on appell ... Show More
4m 16s
Oct 2022
Wasserratz und Rechenkönig: Der Angler / Mundart Schwaben
Beim Spaziergang am Mandichosee beobachten Liesi, Tobi und ihr Vater einen Angler, der einen riesigen Fisch fängt. Wieso halten Fische eigentlich das kalte Wasser aus und wie groß ist die Gefahr, sich als Wasserratz in einen Fisch zu verwandeln? Und was hat das alles mit dem Herz ... Show More
5m 16s
May 2024
Do you know about frogs? 🐸
In this episode, we will start learning what makes amphibians so unique, we will look at the incredible life cycle of frogs, and the various environments in which they will thrive across the globe. We will also look at what these amazing creatures eat to fuel their leaps and hops ... Show More
25m 15s