This week on The Children’s Hour, we learn about one of the most ancient animals to live on our planet, that is still alive today: Lungfish. Meet Dr. Irene Salinas, a biologist investigating the amazing properties that enable this fish to live on land, out of the water, for years. Then we hear a book review of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls: Changemakers from Nina on our Kids Crew. 

This week on The Children’s Hour, we learn about one of the most ancient animals to live on our planet, that is still alive today: Lungfish.

Our guest, biologist Dr. Irene Salinas studies lungfish at the University of New Mexico’s Department of Biology. She will explain to us what lungfish are, and how they can survive both in the water, and on land … for years. 

Lungfish not only breathe outside the water, they surround themselves in a cocoon while they are on land. Dr. Salinas has studied the cocoon and it’s amazing properties. Lungfish can regenerate all of their cells, including all their internal and external organs. The cocoon is full of anti-bacterial properties, as well as other toxins that make predators not want to eat a slumbering lungfish out of water.

This episode was produced by Katie Stone and Eli Henley. Chad Scheer was our live engineer at Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA. Our thanks to Tom Guralnick at Outpost for sharing the space with The Children’s Hour Kids Crew. 

© 2024 The Children’s Hour Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Please note: not all songs we play can be found in Spotify.

Playlist: Lungfish