What The Duck?!

What makes a true fly and do we really need them?  As per usual the What the Duck?! team is elbow-deep in crap looking for a way out. And the way out, is flies! Featuring: Dr Bryan Lessard, Entomologist, Author of Eyes on Flies.  Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrove, Producer. Joel Werner, Script Editing. This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in September...

A group of Killer whales have been hassling boats around Spain over the last few years.  They've been nibbling the rudders and even sinking yachts, but why? Has anyone considered that it might be revenge?  How dangerous are Orcas anyway?  Featuring: Martin Evans, UK Sailor. Professor Peter Keegan, History and Archaeology at Macquarie University.  Dr Rebeca Wellard, Curtin University. Dr Luke Rende...

Did you know that some squirrels, otters and goats are capable of autofellatio?  And ferrets, macaques and dolphins can use rocks, plants and other objects as sex toys?  Fresh off the back of the Sex is Weird series, Sana Qadar from All in the Mind is getting the down low on animal masturbatory behaviours.  Dr Ann Jones has all the goss and it's entirely ruined her internet search history.  Please...

Sex comes at a cost, there’s energy, time, risks of predators, and diseases… so do we even need it? Asexual organisms don’t seem to miss the dating scene, and yet here we are putting a whole lot of energy into sex, even when it doesn't lead to babies when same sexes attract. Of course, sex is a chance to genetically repair faults and outrun threats, but is the pay-off really enough? Sex is Weird i...

It turns out not everyone was listening when it was written ‘it takes two to tango’ and some species can go it alone in their quest to reproduce. And then there’s the plants that decided THREE or ONE was for them, never an even number.  Why is sex so... suspiciously complicated?  Sex is Weird is a series of What the Duck?! with Dr Ann Jones following the sexual evolution of the natural world. Plea...

What is the role of pleasure in successful reproduction? Evolution says it's mightily important: every female vertebrate has a clitoris. Snakes have two! Female pleasure has been selected for. Making sex fun and pleasurable is a biologically sensible thing to do, more sex means more potential babies. Some studies of pigs and dairy cows have found an increase of up to 6% in successful conception wh...

Do animals fall in love at first sight? Every species has different traits that are 'attractive' — they're showing off their DIY skills making a bower, vibrating sexy fruit fly songs, puffing up a wattle, or just having really massive moose… antlers. Is this innate attraction like falling in love or is it more like meeting a (really hot) investment advisor? Because these attractive traits are also...

The energy required to grow, birth and raise young is intense, so it's only fair that the female body has some tricks to make sure reproducing is worth it. From cryptic choice to immune system sperm blockers, the female reproductive system can be a literal maze for those seeking to gain access to her eggs. In the battle of the sexes, this is females fight back. Sex is Weird is a new series of What...

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...

When you really think about it, sex to make babies is WEIRD! You take an outie that has to get stuck inside an innie that links into a production line of eggs to assemble a perfect tiny being. It’s so damn complicated! So why does it work like that? Join us at What the Duck for the first episode of a new series where we figure out how living things went from splitting ourselves in half to double t...

How the duck did sex evolve as a major form of reproduction? Sex is Weird is a brand new series of What the Duck?! with Dr Ann Jones.  From the evolution of the first-ever genitals and the strange methods that animals use to copulate, to the unbelievable ways that the female body responds to sex.  So strap in and get ready for the ride of your life, you'll never think about sex the same way again!...

Have the crabs been lying to us? They usually have ten legs and eyes on stalks, but there are all sorts of things hiding under the shell, including emotions.  There are true crabs, false crabs, and even shame-faced crabs which implies that some of them, at least, are guilty. Featuring: Dr Rachael King, SA Museum.  Professor Judith Weis, Rutgers University, Newark.  Dr Annabel Dorrenstein, Universi...

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...

You can run but you can't hide! Ever wondered how a mosquito manages to hit a blood vessel without fail? And that one mozzie that you hear buzzing and buzzing at night? It’s probably a species that prefers birds and is trying to determine whether you’re a bird. Featuring: Assoc Prof. Cameron Webb, NSW Pathology & University of Sydney. Dr. Jana Batovska, Agriculture Victoria. Production: Ann Jo...

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...

Ripper the musk duck had many bad habits – chief among them was attacking the keepers and then swearing under his breath. But was Ripper really angry, or was his potty mouth a symptom of something much more sinister? FEATURING: Peter Fullagar, wildlife sound recordist and retired CSIRO Scientist. Nick Hayward, Film maker,  The Message of the Lyrebird. Daryl Snowdon, Duck Shooter. Lisa Sperber, Bal...

It's the early 20th century,  a government scientist position was determined by a boxing match, and a tomato virus threatened to stop the development of Australian-style tomato sauce in its tracks.  Luckily, apart from their prowess as fighters, Australian plant scientists were leaders in identifying and controlling plant illnesses.  They wouldn't do it without some drama though, and in this very...

Plants are fully sick right now - and not just because indoor plants are in fashion.  They have an immune system, they get infections, and can catch viruses... they just can't move away from their sick neighbours. While we depend on white blood cells to fight off and remember pathogens, plants rely on inherited knowledge of past threats in their DNA, plus the effective altruism of individual cells...

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, electric eels inspired the design of Volta's first batteries, but (hold onto your socks so they don't get blown off) they'r...

A superhero origin story would absolutely be 12 years in a cage and then set free by secretive criminals. That’s the story of Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, released from his vandalised cage in Central Park Zoo, New York City.  He turned up in the middle of an intersection nearby, looking dazed and people in the know thought, ‘This is going to end badly,’ because animals released from captivity ha...

Usually, it's humans putting animals in cages, but sometimes the animals do it to themselves. Female platypus lock themselves in burrows to breed, great hornbill males lock females up in the hollow of a tree (they seal it up with fruit and poop) and potter wasps paralyse caterpillars for their babies to eat. Today on What The Duck?!, Dr Ann Jones investigates the wild and hostile world of animal j...

At first, you might think it is a plot from a zombie movie: that undead animals are coming for you. But it turns out that Australia's animals aren't just dangerous when they're alive — they can be deadly even when they're dead. Ann Jones is joined by science reporter Belinda Smith to examine why snakes can still bite up to 45 minutes after death and are potentially dangerous for years. Think we're...

Cassie and Claire have watched their parrot talk in its sleep... so is it dreaming? And, if animals DO dream... will we ever know what they’re dreaming about? Ann Jones tries to find out. Featuring: Cassie, Claire and Pidgey the Parrot. Associate Professor Nicole Lovato, Flinders University. Associate Professor John Lesku, La Trobe University. Professor David Pena Guzman, author of ‘Animal Dreamin...

Birds can fly while half their brain is sleeping and some spiders sleep dangling on a silk thread, but what about worms. Do worms sleep? Featuring: Associate Professor John Lesku, La Trobe University.  Dr Shauni Omond, @shauniomond.sleepsci on Instagram, La Trobe University.   Professor Niels Rattenborg, Research leader on Avian Sleep, Max Planck Institute.  Dr Daniela Roessler, University of Kons...

Female sage-grouse birds have decided that they want to see a weird sexy dance when deciding on a mate. Ann Jones explores the creativity of female choice in the animal world in this episode of What the Duck?! Featuring: Lucy Cooke, Zoologist and author of Bitch A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution and the Female Animal. Professor Gail L Patricelli,  University of California, Davis.  Production...