Explainers
How orcas hunt
Orcas (Orcinus orca) are one of the ocean’s most efficient predators, and demonstrate intriguing hunting techniques. Dive in to learn more about these incredible marine mammals:
Category: Explainers
Explainers
Grey-headed flying-foxes
Australia’s grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) aren’t just adorable; they’re vital pollinators that disperse thousands of fruit seeds each night as they feed. But while they might seem to fill the skies at dusk, why are their numbers declining?
Explainers
Space junk
When you think about space, you usually imagine constellations and asteroids, not the amount of junk floating around up there! But just how much junk is circling in our orbit? And how do you think we should clean it up?
Explainers
Aussie penguins
Eighteen species of penguin live on this Earth, and a surprising number of them have Australian connections. Here are our top five penguin species with strong Aussie links. These penguins breed on the mainland, on Australia’s sub-Antarctic islands – Macquarie, Heard and McDonald – or within the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Explainers
Quokka selfies
How close is too close? Let’s talk about wildlife selfies and boundaries! Quokkas might seem cute and cuddly, but experts are warning that these adorable Aussie icons are being disrupted by some tourists. So how can you safely snap the local wildlife?
Explainers
Auroras
Over millennia, humans have observed and been inspired by beautiful displays of light bands dancing across dark night skies. Today, we call these lights the aurora: the aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere, and the aurora australis in the south.
Explainers
Solar eclipses
Total, partial, annular and hybrid – the different types of solar eclipses can be confusing… So let’s unpack them! RELATED ARTICLE: What is a solar eclipse?
Explainers
Tasmanian devils
Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) are among Australia’s most beloved animals. So here are a few things you may not know about these native marsupials. FACT FILE: Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)
Explainers
How anglerfish ‘lure’ their prey
Anglerfish have long been famous for the way they attract prey. These slow-moving creatures (belonging to the order Lophiiformes) have developed a way to make their food come to them using what is, essentially, a built-in, baited ‘fishing rod’ extending from their foreheads, bringing their food right to the entrance of their mouth. This ‘fishing rod’ is actually… View Article
Explainers
The dingo debate
Dingo management in Australia has long been a controversial issue, with a strong us-versus-them mentality existing at various times between pastoralists, ecologists and conservationists. But recently, DNA research has confirmed that the majority of Australia’s dingoes are pure native dingo, not hybrid species. So what does this mean for the next chapter of our country’s… View Article