This flower takes needy to a whole new level! 

It was almost extinct. That was, until 2015, when a woman called Julie took it upon herself to make sure we didn’t lose the species altogether, and as it happened (baby) Ann Jones went along with a microphone. 

Now, it’s 10 years on, and Ann is older, greyer and more closely resembles a bearded orchid. But, given she hasn’t been made redundant yet, we can revisit the forest to ask – was all that effort worth it? Did the orchids survive? 

Featuring:

• Julie Radford, Threatened species ecologist in Central Victoria

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Sarah Prosser, Producer
• Mastering Engineer: Tegan Nicholls

This episode of What the Duck was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung people. 

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (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.

You probably have a daddy-long-legs in your house right now.

But when is having a weird housemate in the corner ACTUALLY a good thing? Dr Ann Jones investigates.

Featuring:

• Dr Samantha Nixon, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
• Dr Lizzy Lowe, Invertebrates Australia.
• Thanks also to Dr Bernhard Huber, Arachnid Curator at Museum Koenig for helping us get the facts right.

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
• Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
• Additional mastering: Hamish Camilleri.

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2023 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and 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 ABC Listen (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.

Flies have rhythm and choreography, could their moves make the next TikTok dance fad?

Dune flies groove to their own beat in dance-circles and hoverflies use rhythmic movements in mating.

Researchers found the dancing dune fly’s repertoire has specific moves for impressing a female and others for rival dance battles.  Pretty fly for a dune fly.

In Costa Rica the male red hoverfly rhythmically squeezes and strokes his mate during copulation.

They also have a pattern of coupling and uncoupling as many as 17 times during the act!

Featuring:

• Dr Keith Bayless, research scientist, National Research Collections Australia, CSIRO
• Professor William Eberhard, emeritus scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; emeritus professor, Universidad de Costa Rica

Further reading:

• Genital behaviour in Menidon falcatus (Diptera, Syrphidae) and the possible significance of repeated, rhythmic movements
• Courtship choreography is stabilized among genetically isolated populations

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Tegan Nicholls, Sound Engineer

This episode of What the Duck?!  was recorded on Ngunnawal Country and produced on the lands 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 ABC Listen (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.

Live from the World Science Festival Brisbane What the Duck?! is playing a game and you get to decide: duck, marry, avoid, or friendzone.

You'll hear about the natural world's romance, reproduction, and relationships

Once you've listened you can email [email protected] to vote for how you would categorise snakes, birds, insects and mammals.

Featuring:

• Dr Chstina Zdanek, Australian Reptile Academy
• Dr Cesar Puechmarin, wildlife veterinarian and podcaster
• Dr Bryan Lessard, entomologist
• Jacinta Bowler, ABC Science journalist

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer
• Recorded by Steve Fieldhouse and Daniel Shapland
• With thanks to the World Science Festival Brisbane 

This episode of What the Duck?! was recorded on the land of the Turrbal and Jagera people and produced on the lands of the Kulin Nation.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (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.

It seems absolutely bonkers that an animal can muster ELECTRICITY, especially enough to send out a zap like a taser.

But that's exactly what electric eels can do, and the world record holder more than doubles the voltage of the Australian electricity supply.

More than that, electric eels inspired the design of Volta's first batteries, but (hold onto your socks so they don't get blown off) they're not the only ones who've got electricity pumping through their bodies.

Featuring:

• Professor Will Crampton, University of Central Florida.
• Professor Ken Catania, Vanderbilt University.
• Professor Kate Trinajstic, Curtin University.

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
• Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
• Additional mastering: Emrys Cronin

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2024 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and 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 ABC Listen (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.

For around 700 years scientists observed same-sex pairings in as many as 1500 different species, but didn't record or publish their findings due to public perceptions.

Now research is catching up and many papers on queer behaviour in nature have been published in the past two decades.

This discussion was recorded live at Mardi Gras 2026 and presented by the Royal Zoological Society of NSW for Wildlife at the Watering Hole.

Featuring :

• Daphne Willemsen, behavioural ecologist, PhD candidate at the University of NSW
• Lucien Alperstein, microbial ecologist, PhD candidate at the University of NSW
• Dr Caitlin Creak, behavioural ecologist and arachnologist, University of NSW
• Cody Williams, marine biologist, PhD candidate at the University of NSW
• With research by Neve Kelly, geneticist, PhD candidate at the University of NSW

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Rebecca McLaren, Producer
• Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer
• Recording by Harvey O'Sullivan

This episode of What the Duck?! was recorded and produced on the lands of the Eora and Kulin Nations.

Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (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.

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 originally broadcast in 2024 and was 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 ABC Listen (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.

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 originally broadcast in 2024 and was 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 ABC Listen (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.

What is the role of pleasure in successful reproduction?

Evolution says it's mightily important: every female vertebrate has a clitoris.

Snakes have two!

Female pleasure has been selected for.

Making sex fun and pleasurable is a biologically sensible thing to do, more sex means more potential babies.

Some studies of pigs and dairy cows have found an increase of up to 6% in successful conception when the females are stimulated during artificial insemination.

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:

• Dr Bruno Buzatto, Flinders University, South Australia
• Lynette Greenwood, Dairy farmer, Victoria
• Associate Professor Andrew Durso, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida
• Lucy Cooke, Author and Film maker
• Associate Professor Patty Brennan, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, US
• Emeritus Professor Susan Suarez, Cornell University, New York

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Petria Ladgrove, Producer
• Additional mastering: Isabella Tropiano

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2024 and was 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 ABC Listen (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.

Do animals fall in love at first sight?

Every species has different traits that are 'attractive' — they're showing off their DIY skills making a bower, vibrating sexy fruit fly songs, puffing up a wattle, or just having really massive moose… antlers.

Is this innate attraction like falling in love or is it more like meeting a (really hot) investment advisor?

Because these attractive traits are also messages about genes — who will make a good investment to partner with for the next generation.

Of course, one species beauty is another's turn off, and some species have a very low bar (looking at you guppies), so Hot or Not could end up being a very individual thing.

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:

• Dr Bruno Buzatto, Flinders University, South Australia
• Nathan Finger, Bird of the Week podcast host
• Jason Graham, Pacific black duck conservation group, Tasmania
• Dr Victoria Austin, Western Sydney University
• Professor Rob Brooks, University of New South Wales
• Dr Judy Wang, Queensland Brain Institute

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Petria Ladgrove, Producer
• Additional mastering: Isabella Tropiano

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2024 and was 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 ABC Listen (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.

The energy required to grow, birth and raise young is intense, so it's only fair that the female body has some tricks to make sure reproducing is worth it.

From cryptic choice to immune system sperm blockers, the female reproductive system can be a literal maze for those seeking to gain access to her eggs.

In the battle of the sexes, this is females fight back.

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:

• Professor Sarah Robertson, University of Adelaide 
• Dr Diane Kelly, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• Associate Professor Patricia Brennan, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, US
• Emeritus Professor Susan Suarez, Cornell University, New York
• Professor Mariana Wolfner, Cornell University, New York

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
• Petria Ladgrove, Producer
• Additional mastering: Isabella Tropiano

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2024 and was 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 ABC Listen (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.