Stay ConnectedAustralia is full of weird plants and animals. And Dr Ann Jones is on speaking terms with most of them!
Each week Ann explores the most unusual elements of our natural world — the ones that make you go What the Duck?! Like why do quolls have spots? Who farts (and who doesn’t)? And how do snakes climb trees?
Join Ann alongside experts and ordinary Aussies alike to solve mysteries, smash myths and uncover the bizarre truth about nature down under.
Copyright: © Copyright 2024, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
Yes, the Little Mermaid is an animated movie, but if it were real, where would this mermaid paradise be?
Is it plausible that Ursula the Octo-woman would have henchmen in the form of eels?
Ann Jones is examining the biological accuracy with the help of scientists and fans of classic movies in the series "Hollywood Lied to Us."
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This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.
If you want to hear more "What the Duck?" episodes- please like and subscribe here.
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.'
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Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.
If you want to hear more "What the Duck?" episodes- please like and subscribe here.
Did you know that pigeons make milk?
The pigeon gets a bad rap, but it is actually an incredible bird with a rich history.
It is related to the dodo and even played a role in the French Revolution!
Surely this bird deserves some recognition?
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If you want to hear more "What the Duck?" episodes- please like and subscribe here.
This episode of What the Duck?! was first broadcast in Dec 2023 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.
Are you high, or is that a sheep glowing?
Yep- sheep glow, but that's not all... when it comes to glowing the list of animals includes the platypus, dolphin teeth, bilby ears and Tasmanian Devil feet.
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If you want to hear more "What the Duck?" episodes- please like and subscribe here.
This episode of What the Duck?! was first broadcast in October 2023 and is produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.
There's a statue of an ostrich wearing a saddle in Meningie, South Australia.
The large bird statue is dedicated to the legend of "John Francis Peggotty", the Birdman of the Coorong.
He loved gold, robbed stagecoaches, and used an ostrich as a getaway car. OR DID HE?!
Featuring:
Denice Mason, teacher and Meningie resident.
Associate Professor Rohan Clarke, Monash University and co-author of the Australian Bird Guide.
Jacob Fiebig, Meningie resident and composer of "The ballad of John Peggotty".
Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was first broadcast in Feb 2022 and is produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna people.
If you want to hear more "What the Duck?" episodes- please like and subscribe here.
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!
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This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in September 2022 and is produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
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?
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This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast on the 30th of September 2023 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.
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 note that this program contains adult themes and explicit language. Parental guidance is recommended.
Featuring:
Sana Qadar, Presenter All in the Mind.
Check out her podcast on the psychology of masturbation here.
Matthias Wentzlaff-Eggebert, Listener.
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Petria Ladgrove, Producer
Additional mastering: Isabella Tropiano.
This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
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 is a series of What the Duck?! with Dr Ann Jones following the sexual evolution of the animal kingdom.
Please note that this program contains adult themes and explicit language. Parental guidance is recommended.
Featuring:
Associate Professor Kevin Teather, Author, The Evolution of Sex.
Assistant Professor Amanda Gibson, University of Virginia.
Professor Joseph Heitman, Duke University.
Professor Jenny Graves, La Trobe University.
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Petria Ladgrove, Producer
Additional mastering: Isabella Tropiano.
This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
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.
Please note that this program contains adult themes and explicit language. Parental guidance is recommended.
Featuring:
Dr Meredith Lake, Presenter, Soul Search ABC Radio National.
Dr Michael Whitehead, Evolutionary Ecologist.
Libby Eyre, Biologist, Macquarie University.
Associate Professor Andrew Durso, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida.
Professor Michael Kearney, University of Melbourne.
Dr Christine Dudgeon, University of Queensland.
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Petria Ladgrove, Producer
Additional mastering: Isabella Tropiano.
This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
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