WELCOME TO THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF EXTREMELY QUESTIONABLE CREATURES
THE PODCAST
Each episode opens a new Creature Case File.
Junior Researchers, your job is to investigate the evidence and decide:
- Real
- Legendary
- Institute Original
- Not Yet Detirmined
EDUCATION FILES
Our educational resources are designed for use alongside the Podcast,
Creature Case Files and classroom investigations.
Or simply as a starting point for exploring the extraordinary natural world.
- Observe.
- Question.
- Imagine.
- Investigate
CREATURE ARCHIVES
Thousands of creatures have passed through the Institute's files.
• Some are remarkable.
• Some are legendary.
• Some scientifically awkward.
• Some we're still trying to explain.
Meet a few of our current residents
INSTITUTE FIELD REPORT: Researcher Mia has spent hours on Wombat Watch hoping to photograph the elusive Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat. Mostly active after dark and spending much of its time underground, this remarkable creature isn’t always easy to spot. But patience is an important part of wildlife research. And so, apparently, is sitting very quietly in the dirt.
FEATURED CREATURE OF THE WEEK
Meet the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat, one of Australia’s most extraordinary underground engineers!
Found in the dry grasslands and shrublands of southern Australia, this remarkable marsupial spends much of its life beneath the ground in an elaborate network of burrows. With powerful claws, strong legs and a sturdy body built for digging, it’s perfectly equipped for life underground.
But there’s plenty more to this creature than a hairy nose!
Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats are mostly nocturnal, emerging after dark to graze on grasses and other vegetation.
They have a backwards-facing pouch, helping protect their young from flying dirt while digging, and remarkably efficient digestive systems that allow them to survive in dry environments.
And then there’s their poo. Yes, Junior Researchers, wombats really
do produce cube-shaped droppings! Scientists believe the
unusual shape helps prevent the droppings from rolling away when wombats use them to mark their territory.
Just another extraordinary Australian creature proving that sometimes nature is stranger than anything the Institute could invent!