What The Duck?!

Επεισόδια

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  Tits, boobies and hooters 11.09.2026 25λ

  Why is it that bird names seem so… childishly misogynistic?  Featuring:  Professor Andrew Cockburn, bird watcher and word batcher, ANU Jeannie Gray, Author, Australian Bird Names: Origins and Meanings. Ian Fraser, Author, Australia Bird Names:  Origins and Meanings. Stephen Downes, the brains behind @Parrotoftheday social media accounts Stephen Moss, Author, Mrs Moreau's Warbler: How Birds Got Their Names. Nola Turner-Jensen, Culture Inclusion Specialist and Wiradjuri Historian Dr Ayesha Tulloch, Research Fellow, QUT.   This episode was first broadcast in 2022.   Featuring extra sounds from listeners: Large-tailed Nightjar from Briony Barnett. Cat Bird from Scott Fisher.  And extra sounds from bird enthusiasts: Marc Anderson, XC287030. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/287030 ( Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0) Yong Ding Li, XC57231. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/57231 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5) Phil Gregory, XC690345. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/690345 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0)   Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrove, Producer. Joel Werner, Script Editing.   This episode of What the Duck?! 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. 
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  Can you speak fish? 04.09.2026 25λ

  Someone get a translator app because the fish are ready to speak.    FEATURING:  Lauren Hawkins - Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University. Dr Aaron Rice - Research Scientist at Cornell University.    FEATURED SOUNDS : Thanks to Aaron and Lauren for providing sounds as well as Professor Robert McCauley and the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University.    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 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.
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  Hitchhikers guide to ecology 28.08.2026 25λ

  Grabbing a lift can go from bad to worse when your uber drops you outside your evolutionary niche.    FEATURING: Dr Matt Greenlees - Sydney University. Arthur White - NSW frog and tadpole study group. David Chapple - Monash University. Dr Maggie Watson - Charles Sturt University. Dr Robert Streit - Reef Function Hub at James Cook University. Voice of the Internet: Nikolai Beilharz.  PRODUCTION:  Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer. Petria Ladgrove, Producer. Joel Werner, Script Editor. Additional mastering: Brendan O'Neill. 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.
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  G.O.A.T AUSTRALIAN WILDFLOWER 21.08.2026 55λ

  Does Australia have a BEST wildflower? Hang on... what even is a flower? Dr Ann Jones and Belinda Smith count down the top 10 best wildflowers as voted by YOU in a special live show, The Hour of Flower.     FEATURING:  Tim Entwisle – Author, The Sceptical Botanist. Former CEO of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne Chantelle Doyle - Research Associate, Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences UNSW Kingsley Dixon - Professor, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Mira Jordan - PhD candidate, Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Centre for Ecosystem Science and Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Costa Georgiadis - Presenter, Gardening Australia   PRODUCTION:  Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer Belinda Smith, Presenter / Producer Petria Ladgrove, Executive Producer Sarah Prosser, Producer Studio Engineer, Carey Dell    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.
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  Flowers are disgusting, filthy, badasses 14.08.2026 26λ

  Quackery and Catfishing. Fake news doesn’t only happen on the human internet. Welcome to nature’s dark web. We didn’t TRY to make a spooky and disturbing episode... we just wanted to talk about plants with DUCK in the title. But oh boy, these flowers are savage!  One of them has become internet famous for a detox that could literally kill you. Another catfishes its pollinators by pretending to be (and even feeling like) the ‘private’ parts of a female fly!  Nature isn’t safe from this algorithm.   Featuring: Tim Entwisle – Author, The Sceptical Botanist. Former CEO of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne Katherine Isoardi - Associate Professor, University of Queensland. Senior Staff Specialist Emergency Physician and Clinical Toxicologist Julie Radford - Threatened Species expert Gareth Prosser – Professional Voice Over Artist whose wife roped him in    Production: Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer Sarah Prosser, Producer Mastering Engineer, Harvey O’Sullivan    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.
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  Wombat scratches butt on recorder, snorts, gurgles and leaves. 12.08.2026 5λ

  WTF NATURE. I give up. ||A Message from Dr Ann - the What the Duck?! host and general dork.|| I don't really give up. The recording I took for the latest season of Nature Sounds by Ann Jones was a ripper (in terms of wombat farts). This bit  got edited out of the longer soundscape over there, because, it was determined, that a wombat walking in and scratching its butt ON THE MICROPHONES in the middle of a meditation soundscape would harsh the high of the listener. So. What the Duck?! subscribers. Enjoy. A wombat scratching its butt on my very VERY expensive recorder. RECORDING: Ann Jones MASTERING ENGINEER: Isabella Tropiano
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  Dinosaur died. No flowers at funeral 07.08.2026 26λ

  In fact, most dinosaurs never got the chance to stop and smell a flower... and it was all because of bad timing. Sad face. The meteor that killed all the dinosaurs (rude) actually kicked off flower supremacy on planet earth.  Flowering plants are only about 135 million years old, yet they’re the most bio-diverse plants on the planet. Without them, no birds, no bees. Again, sad face.  So where did flowers come from? And how did they end up being top bud?     FEATURING:  Mario Vallejo-Marin - Professor in Evolutionary Ecology, Uppsala University, Sweden. Professor Michelle Waycott - Chief Botanist at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens State Herbarium / Professor in Systematic Biology, Adelaide University. Morris Lake - Author, Australian Rainforest Woods. Gareth Prosser - Professional Voice Over Artist whose wife roped him in.    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 Wadawurrung 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.    
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  Duck on a screaming rampage wrecks Australia's 'quiet time' 05.08.2026 6λ

  It was a perfect night. But this duck had other ideas.   The scene: A perfect, wonderful, windless night at a wetland. You couldn't ask for better conditions. The sun sets and the insects hum and eventually you hear a boobook and it's lovely… except one very loud duck keeps on yelling periodically the whole way through. It's like the thing KNEW I was recording. It goes on for hours. Anyway, I've got a passion project at the ABC. A podcast called Nature Sounds by Ann Jones. It's all these looooong form sounds scapes. The idea is that you can use them to relax, or go to sleep, or drown out your colleagues or whatever. You can find it on the ABC listen app or any other podcast app. I promise this screaming duck didn't make the cut.  RECORDING: Ann Jones MASTERING ENGINEER: Isabella Tropiano
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  Its survival relies on idiotic male wasps bonking it 31.07.2026 26λ

  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.  
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  Who's your Daddy? 24.07.2026 25λ

  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. 
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  Flies are probably better at picking up than you are 17.07.2026 26λ

  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.
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  Duck, marry, avoid, friendzone 10.07.2026 25λ

  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.
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  What's with the electric eel's shocking attitude? 03.07.2026 25λ

  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.
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  Gay animals: same-sex science 26.06.2026 25λ

  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.
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  Sex is Weird 7: Do we need sex? 19.06.2026 25λ

  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.
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  Sex is Weird 6: Virgin birth 12.06.2026 25λ

  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.
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  Sex is Weird 5: Why does it feel good, anyway? 05.06.2026 25λ

  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.
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  Sex is Weird 4: How to be hot according to nature 29.05.2026 25λ

  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.
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  Sex is Weird 3: Sexy females fight back 22.05.2026 25λ

  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.
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  Sex is Weird 2: Why do penises exist? 15.05.2026 25λ

  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 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 Emily Willingham, biologist, journalist and author Dr Diane Kelly, Senior Research Fellow, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Associate Professor Andrew Durso, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Associate Professor Patty Brennan, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, US Dr Bruno Buzatto, Flinders University, South Australia Philippa Holm, HFR Performance Horses, Victoria 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.