70. Why do elephants have trunks? Why do snails come out with it rains? With the Natural History Museum What noise do spiders make?

Full Episode description

In this week’s show we answer three questions from Arlo, Beatrice and Henry and Isabelle with help from special guest experts Jon Ablett from the Natural History Museum in London. 

Jon Ablett is a world expert on molluscs and looks after a huge collection of them at the Natural History Museum in London.  He gives us the low down on snails and why they come out in the rain. 

Our first question is from Arlo and is about elephants, he would like to know why they have trunks? Discover lots of fun facts about elephant’s enormous noses and all the things they can do, from trumpeting to hugging! 

Next up is Jon Ablett telling us all about snails based upon his career at the Natural History Museum learning about them and understanding them and their mollusc friends. We also find out about tiny snails with trunks like elephants.

Thirdly, we have a question about spiders and the sounds they make, so tune in to discover the world of spider noises! We also found out how they hear, kind of through their knees!

We also have a competition to win a Toucan box! A magical box full of fun. See www.toucanbox.com. You can buy a subscription with 50% off the first box using the code SUN or enter the competition in the episode.

Plus we find out who won a copy of Pippi Longstocking illustrated by Lauren Child.

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Twitter: @everythinguts

Facebook: @everythingunderthesunbyMollyOldfield

Website: www.everythingunderthesun.co.uk

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Molly Oldfield studied History at Oxford before becoming a QI elf, writing and researching questions for the BBC quiz show for twelve years. She has written three books. They are The Secret Museum, a book about all the things that are in museums that rarely, if ever, go on display; Wonders of the World’s Museums filled with things you can see, and Natural Wonders of the World about all kinds of creatures and places on our beautiful planet we call home. 

This podcast will also be published as Everything Under the Sun – A Year of Curious Questions in September 2021 by Ladybird at Penguin Random House. 

Jon Ablett – @JonathanAblett

Natural History Museum – https://www.nhm.ac.uk

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