How Did Cane Toads End Up in Australia? The 1935 Mistake
If you live in Queensland, you know the scene: a warm, wet summer night, the porch light on, and a fat, warty cane toad squatting on the path like it…
Are Drop Bears Real? The Truth About Australia’s Tall Tale
If you visit Australia, sooner or later someone will warn you about drop bears. It usually happens around a campfire or at the start of a bushwalk, delivered with a…
Why Do Koalas Sleep So Much? (Hint: They Are Not Stoned)
Anyone who has visited a koala sanctuary hoping to see one in action knows the feeling: a grey, furry ball wedged in the fork of a tree, fast asleep. So…
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
Every summer barbecue seems to have one: the person slapping their ankles all night while everyone else barely notices a mozzie. So why do mosquitoes bite some people more than…
Why Do Magpies Swoop? And How to Avoid Getting Hit
If you grew up in Australia, you probably know the feeling: a sudden rush of air behind your head, the sharp clack of a beak, and a frantic dash down…
Why Octopuses Have Three Hearts, and Why One Stops When They Swim
Octopuses are strange animals. They change colour in a blink, squeeze through gaps barely wider than their eyes, and their arms seem to have minds of their own. But one…
Are Daddy Long Legs Poisonous? The Most Venomous Spider Myth
No. The daddy long-legs spider is venomous, but not dangerously venomous to humans, and it is certainly not the most venomous spider in the world. The other half of the…
What Is Echolocation? How It Works and Which Animals Use It
Imagine walking through your house with every light switched off. You know where the furniture is, but try finding your way around an unfamiliar room without touching anything and things…
Pizzly Bears: Are Polar-Grizzly Hybrids Really on the Rise?
A pizzly bear is a hybrid between a polar bear and a grizzly bear. These hybrids are real, and several have been found in the wild. But the idea that…
Bed Bugs: How to Spot Them, Treat Bites and Get Rid of Them
“Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” It’s an old rhyme, but bed bugs are very real, and they can turn a normal night’s sleep into an…