What The Duck?!

Move the peas over to find that Australian freezers have seals, kangaroo penises and the DNA of 'the Chanel of goats.' Featuring: Dr Natalie Warburton, Murdoch University.  Dr Jillian Garvey, La Trobe University.  Dr Nicola Rivers, Monash University. Dianne Hakof, Hospital Manger Animal Health Department Zoos SA Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrove, Producer.  This episode...

It turns out self-medicating and herbal remedies are not exclusive to humans. From cats eating grass, to elephants making medicinal tea in their throat pouch — the animal world has its own prescriptions. And naturally, there's plenty of digging through poo involved in this scientific research! Featuring: Dr Kevin Feeney, Central Washington University. Professor Michael Huffman, University of Kyoto...

Fossils tell us a lot about the past, but are there fossilised farts? (Spoiler, YES!) Look back at great farts of history, and the story of methane. Do birds not fart? And which creature is responsible for the stinkiest? Listen to part one (Does it Fart?!) here . Featuring: Dani Rabaiotti, Author of Does it Fart? and Zoological Society of London. Dr Nick Gales, Former Head of Australian Antarctic...

Farts are not just for laughs. There are farts for survival, for communication, and even to attack! But it turns out it's tricky to get scientists to agree on what actually constitutes a fart. Still, from tiny fish, ants, and spiders, to manatees, primates, and blue whales — is it as simple as the bigger the creature, the bigger the fart? Featuring: Dani Rabaiotti, Author of Does it Fart? and Zool...

It's a seemingly simple question from What the Duck?! listener Skylar: how do scientists determine a new species? Turns out, it's complicated. And it's got Ann Jones impersonating a dog on the internet to try to find out what breed she is, as well as asking, 'what is a species anyway?'. Featuring: Skyla Seltzer, What The Duck?! listener. Beanz and Henry the dog. Link Olson, Curator of Mammals, Uni...

The influence of selective breeding by humans has created a doggo for every occasion, but it's not without problematic results. Some breeds have breathing difficulties, hip problems, aggression, or anxiety. There are dogs with ADHD and others with depression. Does our longest-term relationship need couples therapy? Featuring: Dr. Annika Bremhorst, founder of Dogs and Science, and canine scientist...

This is the story of the domesticated animal that feralised itself. Where did dingoes come from and when? Where does a wild dog stop and a dingo begin? How much can genetics really tell us about Australia's only native dog — and how long do you have to live somewhere to be 'native'? Featuring: Professor Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona State University Dr Angela Perri, zooarchaeologist, C...

Are puppy dog eyes really a sign of love, or does Fido just want a lil snack? Can dogs really "speak" by pressing talking buttons, or do they just make great content for TikTok? There's more to canine communication than howls and growls — and a wagging tail could be telling you more than you think. Featuring: Dr. Mia Cobb, Chaser Innovation Research Fellow (Canine Welfare Science), Animal Welfare...

'Man's best friend' sure sounds better than 'obligatory symbiont', but what are the true dynamics at play? There's no denying the bond people feel and the attachment dogs have for their humans, but if we put that beautiful relationship under scientific scrutiny, does it hold up? Can any dog go 'full Lassie' if you (or Timmy) gets stuck down a well? Will your dog save you? Featuring: Professor Cliv...

There's designer clothes, but they have nothing on designer dogs! They come in a huge range of shapes and colours and sizes, from the tiny Chihuahua to the Great Dane. In the animal world this much variation usually means different species, but not for dogs — so where did they all come from? And what role did Victorian-era rats play in the development of 'breed standards'? Featuring: Joyce Sulliva...

The relationship between humans and big scary wolves has come a long way to give us tiny fluffy lap dogs with very discerning tastes in expensive food. Whose idea was it? Was it the wolves who wanted the warmth of the fire, or the humans who wanted protection from the other scary carnivores?  And take a look at the first archaeological evidence of a beloved family pet preserved with its human fami...

A new series from What the Duck?! is coming soon. Dr Ann Jones is exploring the connection between humans and dogs and asking how our destinies became intertwined. How did we get pugs from wolves? How did the howling creatures of our nightmares become floppy eared, tail wagging good boys and girls? From the very first archaeological evidence of 'beloved family pet' to the paw-pushing communication...

How does a snake climb a pole? It's not like they have a ladder... or arms. It turns out that snakes have some pretty crazy skills when it comes to climbing anything and everything. The Island of Guam had between two and four million brown tree snakes in the 1980s, leading to all sorts of issues for the birds and the environment. Guests: Dr Aaron Collins- Assistant State Director Guam/Western Paci...

Would you meet a stranger in a park with a pile of snakes?  Comedian Craig Quartermaine took the risk in an attempt to overcome his fears. Featuring: Craig Quartermaine, comedian.  Sandy Dickinson, Urban Reptiles. Jonathan Wright, announcer's voice.  Production: Ann Jones, presenter/producer. Petria Ladgrove, producer. Joel Werner, script editor. Field recording: Dylan Prins. Additional mastering:...

Have you heard of the Kookaburra that conquered Hollywood? Yes- that was a kookaburra at the start of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. But WHY?  Dr Ann Jones is on a mission to find out. Featuring: Ella Loeffler, Film and Bird Watcher.  Dr Maggie Watson, Ornithologist, ecologist, fantasy fiction fan.  Assoc Professor Cameron Webb,  Mosquito Wrangler, NSW Health and University of Sydn...

Spiders have gravity-defying ninja skills, they can hear without ears and they work together to gang up on huge prey. Spiders are murder machines! Featuring: Dr Kate Umbers, Western Sydney University. Dr Alfonso Aceves-Aparicio, University Hamburg. Dr Jay Stafstrom, Cornell University. Dr Lena Grinsted, University of Portsmouth. Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrove, Produce...

A tiny penis, a 12-hour annual fertilisation window, picky females and strawberry bubble bath – these are just a few of the issues that pop up when making a panda cub. Featuring: Chad Crittle, Acting Assistant Curator for Carnivores and Ungulates at Zoos SA. Mr Li Zhang, Consul, Head of Bilateral Section at the Chinese Consulate-General in Adelaide. Dr Meghan Martin Wintle, Director, Conservation...

There's a whole world of mystery, and quite a bit of maths,  inside the humble sea shell. Forget ancestry searches online, shells can tell you the history of the world! Featuring: Amy Prendergast, University of Melbourne. Jann Vendetti, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.  Dr Paul Butler, Researcher at the University of Exeter.  Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrov...

Jaws (1975) was a massive hit that also created a whole lot of fear, but does anything in the film really stand up to shark science?  Do sharks stalk humans? Do they roar? What can they sense?  There are so many misconceptions when it comes to sharks that even now, 50 years later, these are impacting shark policies in Australia, and have come to be known as 'the jaws effect.' Featuring: Sophie May...

Female lab mice have been bred to be passive and breed with ease.  But, in the wild they're feisty and even pugnacious. How much of our biological understanding of the world is based on misogyny? Featuring: Lucy Cooke, Zoologist and author of Bitch A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution and the Female Animal. Professor Arthur Georges, University of Canberra. Professor Catherine Dulac, Harvard Uni...

Eels are mysterious and have a fascinating history.  People in pre-medieval England used them to pay rent. Early 17th-century maps featured 'eel ships,' and even Sigmund Freud studied their breeding and reproduction habits for a whole summer. Dr Ann Jones gets 'eely' curious about eels in today's What the Duck?! Featuring: Dr. John Wyatt Greenlee, Historian Cornell University.  Erin Rose, Budj Bim...

When it comes to sexual organs, the penis is really ‘out there.’  Name another organ that can change its form AND function in a matter of seconds!  There’s a lot of variety in the animal kingdom; from spikes and nails to coils and collagen – so, this appendage is worth investigating... close up.   Sex is Weird is a new series of What the Duck?! with Dr Ann Jones following the sexual evolution of t...

Aussie classic Babe turns 30 this year, and its story of the little pig that achieves his dream of being a sheep dog is still as uplifting as the day it premiered. But we can't say "that'll do, pig" when it comes to the science.... By now, we know pigs aren't "definitely stupid", but how smart are they? Would an orphaned pig be taken in by a family of dogs? Could a pig really learn to herd sheep?...

If you have a fear of getting swooped by magpies, mobbed by seagulls or blinded by crows, perhaps Alfred Hitchcock is to blame. His 1963 horror classic The Birds created a generation of ornithophobes, and played on our fears of death by feathered fiend.  But how accurate are his creepy corvids? Do birds of a feather flock together exclusively? Can a bird go all 'Here's Johnny' on a locked door? Do...

Remember that 1998 film Antz? The one about an ant named Z? The one where the ants had nightmare-inducing human teeth? The one we probably have to blame for the existence of Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie? Considering the movie is all about ants, you'd think it'd get SOMETHING right about ants. But Hollywood has once again LIED TO US. Do male ants have any jobs outside the boudoir? Can ants breathe? D...