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, University of Alaska Museum. Dr Nicola Rivers, Monash University. Professor Paul Hebert, Scientific Dir...
Jun 26, 2025•26 min
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 at the University of Bern Professor Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona State University Dr. M...
Jun 20, 2025•25 min
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, Chronicle Heritage Kelly Ann Blake, Wadawurrung woman, and Jack the Dingo Professor Greger Larson, ev...
Jun 13, 2025•26 min
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 Science Centre at the University of Melbourne Professor Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona St...
Jun 06, 2025•26 min
'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 Clive Wynne, animal psychologist, Arizona State University Dr. Mia Cobb, Chaser Innovation Research Fell...
May 30, 2025•25 min
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 Sullivan, papillon breeder Wayne Douglas OAM, Afghan Hound breeder Esther Joseph, all breeds judge Michael ...
May 23, 2025•25 min
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 family for almost 15,000 years! Featuring: Luc Janssens, Specialist in small animal surgery and archaeolo...
May 16, 2025•25 min
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 buttons on YouTube… this is a look at the true nature of the relationship with man's best friend....
May 15, 2025•53 sec
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 Pacific Theatre at USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services Professor Kristin Y. Pettersen- Centre for Autonomous Ma...
May 09, 2025•25 min
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: Angie Grant. This episode was originally broadcast in 2023. This episode of What the Duck?! was produc...
May 02, 2025•25 min
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 Sydney. Professor John W. Fitzpatrick, Emeritus Director, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, James Currie, Sound Re...
Apr 25, 2025•25 min
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, Producer. Joel Werner, Script Editor. Additional mastering: Angela Grant. This episode of What the Duck?! w...
Apr 18, 2025•25 min
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 Ecologist at PDX Wildlife. Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrove, Producer. A...
Apr 11, 2025•25 min
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 Ladgrove, Producer. Additional mastering: Carey Dell This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast ...
Apr 04, 2025•25 min
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 Maycock, shark obsessive and founder of SharkSpeak. Chris Pepin-Neff – Shark policy expert at the Univers...
Mar 28, 2025•25 min
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 University. Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrove, Producer. Additional mastering...
Mar 21, 2025•25 min
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 World Heritage Executive Officer at Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Braydo...
Mar 14, 2025•25 min
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 the animal kingdom. Please note that this program contains adult themes and explicit language. Parental g...
Mar 07, 2025•25 min
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? And would Babe really stay so small for so long? Dr Ann Jones sniffs out the porkies Hollywood told ...
Feb 28, 2025•25 min
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 birds hold grudges? Dr Ann Jones gets a bird's eye view of Hollywood's avian lies. Featuring: David ...
Feb 21, 2025•25 min
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? Do ants have creepy little human teeth? Ann Jones sets out to be pedANTic and find the facts in the f...
Feb 14, 2025•25 min
In 1985, a real American black bear consumed a bunch of cocaine that'd been dropped from a plane into the forest, and died. Nearly 40 years later Hollywood stepped in the rewrite the story. What would happen if the bear survived? Maybe it'd go on a coke-fueled rampage. That's how it works, right? Cocaine Bear (2023) launched a lot of memes, but does it get anything right about bears, or how they'd act under the influence of blow...or did Hollywood lie to us? Would a black bear really eat a drug ...
Feb 07, 2025•25 min
Quick! Think of a ‘dinosaur movie’. Chances are Jurassic Park (1993) was first to mind. Steven Spielberg’s genetic nightmare/theme park gone wrong classic is so iconic that it inspired a generation of kids to study palaeontology, and reinvented our modern popular idea of dinosaurs. But does that idea still stack up? Could you really clone a triceratops from DNA found in an ancient mozzie? Did dilophosaurus really look like a frill-necked lizard? And aren’t dinosaurs supposed to be feathery? Ann ...
Jan 31, 2025•25 min
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 series where we figure out how living things went from splitting ourselves in half to double the population, to periodically feeling compelled to copulate in such a vigorous, sometimes highly embarr...
Jan 24, 2025•25 min
Could a legless lizard be 'minimalist of the year' for famous podcaster T. K. Coleman? Ann Jones leads an unlikely gang of animal experts on a tidy dance through the philosophy of minimalism. There are moths without mouths, flies without wings, and a worm-lizard that will even declutter its own tail. Move over Marie Kondo, Minimalist Mother Nature is in town. Featuring: T. K. Coleman, Co-host of the Minimalists Podcast. Dr. Bryan Lessard, aka Bry the Fly Guy, entomologist and author of 'Eyes on ...
Jan 17, 2025•25 min
ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is a tingly sensation that can bring relaxation, and it's spawned a growing industry of videos online of whispering, tapping, mouth noises and soft speaking. But, if you wanted quiet, intimate sounds, well, Nature does it so. much. better. Ann Jones goes on an ASMR journey with vibrating caterpillars, whispering monkeys and birds who want to keep secrets. Featuring: Dr Giulia Poerio, University of Sussex. Thanh Sagris, ASMR artist , Melbourne. Associat...
Jan 10, 2025•25 min
Imagine you've just been cancelled for a controversial opinion about Taylor Swift's musical output, and you have to go to ground. You can act like the Olsen twins, and hide behind big glasses and a big coat. Or you could take a lesson from nature and blend in, like a proverbial spotty quoll into the bush. The animal kingdom has a lot to teach us about camouflage and animal markings. Featuring: Dr Belinda Wilson, The Australian National University. Associate Professor Tanya Latty, University of S...
Jan 03, 2025•25 min
Right now, you’re probably sitting on one of the most unique things about humans. One thing that separates us from the apes, from the birds, from EVERYTHING on earth. The thing that allows us to walk upright, on two legs.We have big butts and I cannot lie,This sort of exceptionalism doesn’t deny,That when a bird walks in with a little bit of hasteAnd drumsticks in your face, you have to admit that bipedalism ISN’T what’s interesting.It's actually our peachy butts. Featuring: Professor Daniel Lie...
Dec 27, 2024•25 min
How many species live around your house? In the COVID lockdown of 2020, three housemates decided to count. They thought there’d only be a handful, but the number kept rising and rising. Could their simple suburban Queenslander house be the next candidate for a new national park? Featuring: Dr Matt Holden, Mathematician, University of Queensland. Dr Andrew Rogers, Ecologist, University of Melbourne. Dr Russell Yong, Taxonomist. Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrove, Produce...
Dec 20, 2024•25 min
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a Christmas classic... but how much do we really know about reindeer? In the last instalment of "Hollywood lied to us" for 2024, Ann Jones fact-checks the festive fairytale for biological accuracy. What would it take for a reindeer to fly? What are their noses really like? Would a glowing nose even make a decent fog light?? Featuring: Belinda Smith, ABC Science Online reporter Tim Horstkotte, Staff scientist at Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Um...
Dec 13, 2024•25 min
