What The Duck?!

Every superhero has their origin story, and a superhero of science is no different…
From watching slater bugs and catching non-venomous snakes in her garden just outside Toronto in Canada, to harnessing lizards with palm fronds in the Caribbean, Tanya Latty was always going to study animals.
But it wasn't until an invertebrate zoology class that her "mind exploded" and her passion for entomology became clear.
She went to the Rocky Mountains to study mountain pine beetles for her PhD — where she also accidentally studied bears and cougars up close.
These days Tanya is based in Australia and raises awareness and understanding of invertebrates after bushfires.
This is the origin story of Associate Professor Tanya Latty.
Featuring:
Associate Professor Tanya Latty, entomologist and insect ecologist at the University of Sydney
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Rebecca McLaren, Producer
Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer
This 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.

Nineties kids didn't dawdle on the way home from school in the afternoon. This was the age of appointment television, and that appointment was with Totally Wild.
From 1992 it was beloved afternoon viewing for almost 30 years, hosted with a massive smile (and a decent fringe) by Ranger Stacey.
Every superhero has their origin story, and a superhero of environmental education is no different…
From the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, to holding her own with cranky carpet-faced puppet Agro, and then hosting her own TV show for 29 years.
This is the origin story of Ranger Stacey Thomson.
Featuring:
Ranger Stacey Thomson, environmental educator, Redland City Council
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Rebecca McLaren, Producer
Hamish Camilleri, Sound Engineer
This 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.

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. Mia Cobb, Chaser Innovation Research Fellow (Canine Welfare Science), Animal Welfare Science Centre at the University of Melbourne
Professor Chris Johnson, the University of Tasmania
Michael Worboys, Emeritus Professor at the University of Manchester
With thanks to Paula Pérez Fraga at Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary for audio from Family pigs' and dogs' reactions to human emotional vocalizations:a citizen science study
Further reading:
Associations between Domestic-Dog Morphology and Behaviour Scores in the Dog Mentality Assessment
Solitary working hunting dogs show a higher tendency for magnetic alignment, with decreased alignment in older dogs
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Nat Tencic, Producer
Rebecca McLaren, Producer
Jacinta Bowler, Producer
Petria Ladgrove, Executive Producer
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2025 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung 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.

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, evolutionary genomics at the University of Oxford
Professor Euan Ritchie, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Deakin University
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Nat Tencic, Producer
Rebecca McLaren, Producer
Jacinta Bowler, Producer
Petria Ladgrove, Executive Producer
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2025 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung 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.

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 State University
Associate professor Federico Rossano director of the comparative cognition lab at the University of California San Diego
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Nat Tencic, Producer
Rebecca McLaren, Producer
Petria Ladgrove, Executive Producer
This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in 2025 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung 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.