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. When it comes to camouflage and animal markings, there's a lot we can learn from the animal kingdom. Featuring:Dr Belinda Wilson, The Australian National University.Associate Professor Tanya Latty, University of Sydney.Dr Quentin Fogg, University of Melbourne.Dr Kaia Tombak, Purdue University. Professor Marc Holderied, Bristol University.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Additional mastering: Isabella Tropiano.This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

Why do Quolls have spots?

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A superhero origin story would absolutely be 12 years in a cage and then set free by secretive criminals.  That’s the story of Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, released from his vandalised cage in Central Park Zoo, New York City.  He turned up in the middle of an intersection nearby, looking dazed and people in the know thought, ‘This is going to end badly,’ because animals released from captivity have an extremely low survival rate.  But Flaco – ‘skinny’ in Spanish – flew in the face of all that. Flaco not only learned to live, he seemed to thrive. He turned up on fire escapes and windowsills, and was photographed around Manhattan like a coked-up socialite with wide eyes and fabulous ear tufts.  But, how long could Flaco possibly last in the graveyard of bird diversity that is the city? How long could he fly without confusing a window for the sky? Featuring:Ed Shanahan, Metro reporter, The New York Times. Julia Wang, Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Brendon Samuels, Fatal Light Awareness Program and Western University in Canada.Dr Kylie Soanes, Urban ecologist at The University of Melbourne.Mat Howard, Midjuburi Ward (Marrickville), Inner West Council, NSW.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Additional mastering:  Hamish Camilleri.This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

Flaco the escapee owl flew free in New York City ... until he met his end on a window pane

Usually, it's humans putting animals in cages, but sometimes the animals do it to themselves. Female platypus lock themselves in burrows to breed, great hornbill males lock females up in the hollow of a tree (they seal it up with fruit and poop) and potter wasps paralyse caterpillars for their babies to eat. Today on What The Duck?!, Dr Ann Jones investigates the wild and hostile world of animal jails. Are the animals just psycho killers or do they have their reasons? Featuring:Geoff Williams, Biologist, Australian Platypus Conservancy. Pooja Pawar, Nature Conservation Foundation of India.Dr. George Binns , Entomologist, Macquarie University.Dr. Graham Brown, Entomologist, Darwin.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Additional mastering:  Hamish Camilleri.This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

When animals put other animals in jail

At first, you might think it is a plot from a zombie movie: that undead animals are coming for you. But it turns out that Australia's animals aren't just dangerous when they're alive — they can be deadly even when they're dead. Ann Jones is joined by science reporter Belinda Smith to examine why snakes can still bite up to 45 minutes after death and are potentially dangerous for years. Think we're lying? Belinda found a guy whose great aunt (and her dog) were killed by a decapitated snake! So if a snake could commit multiple murders from beyond the grave, what other animals are going to get you? Featuring -  Ray Miller, relative died after being bitten by a dead snake. Dr Christina Zdenek, Australian Reptile Academy. Professor Kylie Pitt, Griffith University.  Dr Olaf Meynecke,  Griffith University.  Len Zell, retired marine scientist and author of Australian Wildlife – Roadkill.Production:Belinda Smith, ABC Science Reporter/Producer. Ann Jones, Presenter/Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Additional mastering: Hamish Camilleri.This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri and Kaurna people.

Why snakes remain deadly even after they're dead

Cassie and Claire have watched their parrot talk in its sleep... so is it dreaming? And, if animals DO dream... will we ever know what they’re dreaming about? Ann Jones tries to find out. Featuring: Cassie, Claire and Pidgey the Parrot. Associate Professor Nicole Lovato, Flinders University. Associate Professor John Lesku, La Trobe University. Professor David Pena Guzman, author of ‘Animal Dreaming’ and San Francisco State University.  Professor Sidarta Ribeiro, neuroscientist at Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Dr Shauni Omond, @shauniomond.sleepsci on Instagram, La Trobe University.Professor Niels Rattenborg, Research leader on Avian Sleep, Max Planck Institute.  Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Additional mastering:  Hamish Camilleri. This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people and was originally broadcast in July 2023.

Do animals dream?

Birds can fly while half their brain is sleeping and some spiders sleep dangling on a silk thread, but what about worms. Do worms sleep? Featuring:Associate Professor John Lesku, La Trobe University. Dr Shauni Omond, @shauniomond.sleepsci on Instagram, La Trobe University.  Professor Niels Rattenborg, Research leader on Avian Sleep, Max Planck Institute. Dr Daniela Roessler, University of Konstanz. Production:Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Additional mastering:  Roi Huberman.This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people and was originally broadcast in July 2023.

Why do Quolls have spots?

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