What The Duck?!

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:Tom May, senior principal research scientist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria, and co-author of Planet Fungi Grace Boxshall, PhD student at the University of Melbourne and visiting junior research fellow at the University of New South Wales.Lindsay Mollison, retired consultant physician in infectious diseases and gastroenterologyJustin Beardsley, researcher at the University of Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute and physician at Westmead HospitalProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerThis 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.Featuring:Cassandra Taylor, ANU.Claire Taylor, Uni of Melbourne.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Joel Werner, Script Editing.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:Ella Tyler, wife of the late Prof Mike Tyler.Prof Andrew Smith, Biology, Ithaca College.Prof George Murrell, Director Orthopaedic Research Institute, St George Hospital, NSW.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.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.

If you ever wanted to be able to stick to walls like Spider-Man, then listen to this!How do geckos and ants walk easily up walls and across the ceiling?Is an insect foot sticky in the same way as a reptilian tootsie?And how does underwater stickiness compare? Just how is that barnacle attached to that boat?Featuring:Rishab Pillai, James Cook University.Dr Christofer Clemente, University of the Sunshine Coast.Dr Eleanor Velasquez, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) at UQ.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Joel Werner, Script Editing.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.

This place is so extreme that NASA sends scientists to test equipment for Mars missions. And yet, Australia's salty lakes are full of life.Featuring:Bonnie Teece, Postgraduate Researcher at UNSWAngus D'Arcy Lawrie, PhD Student at Murdoch University.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Joel Werner, Script Editing.This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2022 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.

Ann finds out that birds are not really blue. Not even bluebirds. If they're not blue, then what the duck are they?Featuring:Richard McClure, Stems Flower Market, Ballarat.Nate Byrne, ABC News Breakfast Meteorologist and science nerd.Prof Andrew Lowe, University of Adelaide.Dr Kate Umbers, University of Western Sydney.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Joel Werner, Script Editing.This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2022 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people.

Listen back to the What the Duck?! special broadcast with Dr Ann Jones and Cassie McCullagh.After 65,000 votes, Australia has spoken — the rakali has been crowned Australia's most underrated native animal!Raking in a whopping 20 per cent of the votes cast, the water rat was well out in front.Here are the results:1.Rakali2.Palm cockatoo3.Giant cuttlefish4.Dugong5.Marsupial mole6.Turtle frog7.Velvet worm8.Great desert skink9.Ghost bat10.Short-finned eelYou can also read more on the ABC News blog from the countdown:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-15/wildlife-blog-15-august-2025/105651126Featuring:Professor Euan Ritchie, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Deakin UniversityJacinta Bowler, ABC Science ReporterDr Kirsti Abbott, head of science at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern TerritoryProfessor Nicki Mitchell, UWAJonathan Webb, ABC Science EditorDr Mark Norman, Chief Scientist Parks VictoriaDr Christina N Zdenek, ecologist with People for WildlifeProfessor Peter Banks, University of SydneyProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerJames Bullen, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer

They live off seagrass, and sound like a teeny bird, but can weigh in at more than 400 kilograms and will cut you with their tusks.Dugongs (Dugong dugon) were once confused for mermaids.Yanyuwa people in the Golf of Carpentaria have observed their roles in family groups and identified 16 different types of dugongs.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:Dr Rachel Groom, Charles Darwin UniversityProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

It's a bold claim, but the palm cockatoo might be the most punk-rock bird of all.The black and scarlet parrot lives in the rainforests and woodlands of Far North Queensland, as well as the Aru Islands and New Guinea.With a wingspan of 1.5 metres, the palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) is an impressive bird, with a black mohawk and a powerful beak.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:Dr Christina N Zdenek, ecologist with People for WildlifeProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

This little orange lizard lives with his mum and poos outside. What's not to love?The great desert skink (Liopholis kintorei) can be found in the deserts of the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia.They live in large burrows in family groups, which is extremely unusual for reptiles.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:Christine Ellis Michaels, Warlpiri rangerDr Rachel Paltridge, Indigenous Desert AllianceProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

What has no eyes, no ears, and is barely ever seen? It's no riddle — it's the marsupial mole!These tiny, golden creatures like to burrow through the sands in central Australia, making the two species of marsupial mole (Notoryctes) almost impossible to find.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:Associate Professor Natalie Warburton, Murdoch UniversityProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

This tiny frog is pasty white, with big arms, a teeny head, and is — somehow — still absolutely adorable.The turtle frog (Myobatrachus gouldii) can be found in a small part of south-west Western Australia.They mostly live underground, and are one of only a few species of frog that burrow forwards instead of backwards.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:Dr Paul Doughty, Western Australian MuseumProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

They can travel over land, climb walls and take down large prey. And that's all before the short-finned eel (Anguilla australis) makes it out into the ocean for their epic migration to mate.The location is so remote, scientists still don't know what happens while they're there.But then, as new baby eels, they need to swim thousands of kilometres back to the Australian mainland — and only one in every 10,000 hatchings make it.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:Dr Wayne Koster, Arthur Rylah InstituteProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

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:Emmalie Sanders, Charles Sturt UniversityProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

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:Associate Professor Tanya Latty, the University of SydneyProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

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:Dr Nicola Hanrahan, Charles Darwin UniversityProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

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:Dr Mark Norman, Chief Scientist Parks VictoriaProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / ProducerJacinta Bowler, ProducerRebecca McLaren, ProducerHamish Camilleri, Sound EngineerPetria Ladgrove, Executive ProducerStream the brand-new series Dr Ann's Secret Lives on ABC iview.

Move the peas over to find that Australian freezers have seals, kangaroo penises and the DNA of 'the Chanel of goats.'Featuring:Dr Natalie Warburton, Murdoch University. Dr Jillian Garvey, La Trobe University. Dr Nicola Rivers, Monash University.Dianne Hakof, Hospital Manger Animal Health Department Zoos SAProduction:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer. 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!Featuring:Dr Kevin Feeney, Central Washington University.Professor Michael Huffman, University of Kyoto.Dr Sophia Daoudi-Simison, Newcastle University UK.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Nick Kilvert, Presenter/ Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Mastering: Angela Grant.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.