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.
It's like a classic horror film.
There are huge fangs, a segmented body, a remote location, the ocean bashing against cliffs, you're all alone and there's no one to help.
The first bodies that turn up are of the children… of petrels.
Featuring:
Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2022 and produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
Turns out centipedes versus millipedes isn't as simple as a numbers game.
But here at What the Duck?! we never skip leg day.
Featuring:
Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2022 and produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
Can animals create, or even enjoy music?
Ann rips through the animal kingdom to check out the musical talent of some likely and unlikely performers.
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Featured sounds:
Musical Stimuli for Parrots by Adena Schachner, Fostog's Touch by David Teie (music for cats) and Marlene McCohen (YouTube) and her Amazon parrot Lucy.
Production:
For more about bird song and music click here.
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2023 and produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
We'll all go to trouble to get a good meal, but some animals take it to the extreme.
Some build architectural masterpieces to entrap their prey, or use body parts as lures.
But what is your cat doing when it makes the 'ek ek ek ek?' Is it trying to bewitch the birds?
Featuring:
Extra audio: Cat Ek ek ek by @thiscatisdumpling.
Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2024 and produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
Fungi are already hard at work helping trees survive drought, recycling fallen logs, rotting away carcases, and helping human digestive systems, but could they do more?
Is our future made of fungi?
Research has shown fungi's potential to make medicine, clothing, and cheap fire-retardant housing, but trying to isolate and harness just one species is not an easy task given they get into pretty much everything.
Featuring:
Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
Mushrooms were once lumped in with plants, and they stayed there well after science knew better.
But if a fungus is not a plant… is it a closer relative of yours than you might've thought?
With millions of species on Earth, and many that live inside you, it seems important to know about the kingdom of fungi.
Featuring:
Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
As daily updates about the 'mushroom murders' monopolised newsfeeds around the country, the What the Duck?! team started questioning the motives. Not the human ones — the fungi ones.
Why would a mushroom need a toxin so powerful it takes just a few grams to kill a human?
And where's the warning? Nature usually throws up alerts for poison, like bright colours or spots, but the death cap is pretty plain.
Why does a mushroom need such a deadly toxin anyway?
Featuring:
Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Taungurung people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
Have you found yourself wondering why a simple brown mushroom would develop a toxin so strong that just a few grams could kill a human?
What the Duck?! is investigating the motives of toxic fungi and exploring the curious world of puffballs, fly agarics, stinkhorns, and death caps.
Powerful toxins are scary, but there are varieties that could help humans in medical treatment, space exploration, manufacturing, and by consuming plastic waste…
Mushrooms are sending us mixed messages!
What the Duck?! serves mushrooms from October 3rd.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
Cuckoo babies hatch in the nests of other bird species then quickly, often brutally, make sure they're the only baby to get fed…
So how does a cuckoo know how to be a cuckoo?
Well… that is a ducking good question.
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Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2022 and produced (mainly) on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.
There are so many sticky things in nature, but what's the nature of their stickiness?
Could slug mucus or frog ooze be used in medical treatments?
Ann puts on her spider-woman gloves to find out.
Featuring:
Production:
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2022 and produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.ore the mysteries of nature.
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