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.
Sure, it's a rat, but it's Australia's own cheeky little water rat!
The rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster) is Australia's largest rodent, and can be found in the waterways all around Australia.
Cast your vote for Australia's most underrated animal here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-08-01/science-week-underrated-australian-animal-vote/105582104Featuring:
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They shoot glue, puree their enemies, and are about the size of a leaf.
With 140 species of southern velvet worms (Peripatopsidae), and most of those in Australia, these tiny creatures are our home-grown invertebrate.
They normally live in rainforests, under logs or leaf litter, and they like to keep it damp and dark.
Cast your vote for Australia's most underrated animal here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-08-01/science-week-underrated-australian-animal-vote/105582104Featuring:
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The ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) is Australia's only carnivorous bat, so it's probably not a good idea to make fun of their giant ears and unique nose.
They live in large colonies of up to 1500 individuals in northern Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, roosting in caves, and old abandoned mine shafts.
Cast your vote for Australia's most underrated animal here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-08-01/science-week-underrated-australian-animal-vote/105582104Featuring:
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They can grow up to a metre and the world's largest cuttlefish species can also disappear in a puff of ink and mucus.
The giant cuttlefish (Ascarosepion apama) is an oddball, and you can catch a glimpse of them around the whole bottom half of Australia — all the way from Brisbane to Shark Bay.
Cast your vote for Australia's most underrated animal here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-08-01/science-week-underrated-australian-animal-vote/105582104Featuring:
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Move the peas over to find that Australian freezers have seals, kangaroo penises and the DNA of 'the Chanel of goats.'
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This episode of What the Duck?! was first broadcast in 2022 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Stream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.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!
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This episode of What the Duck?! was first broadcast in 2022 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Stream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.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.
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This episode of What the Duck?! was first broadcast in 2022 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.
Stream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.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?
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This episode of What the Duck?! was first broadcast in 2022 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people
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?'.
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Thanks also to Ying Luo for background information.
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This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in December 2023 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.
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?
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With thanks to Paula Pérez Fraga at Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
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