Echidnas | Dr Christine Cooper

As one of the world’s rarest mammals, the iconic echidna has developed surprising ways to adapt to a warming climate.In this episode, David Karsten was joined by Dr Christine Cooper from Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences to discuss the unique traits of echidnas and what the future holds.What is a monotreme? 01:30Dr Cooper explains how echidnas use vocalisations to mate [8:05]The differences between echidnas across the country [14:09]How echidnas survive in extreme heat [22:03]Learn moreCurtin study suggests rare echidna noises could be the ‘language of love’Study finds blowing bubbles among echidna’s tricks to beat the heatConnect with our guestsDr Christine Cooper, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin UniversityChristine Cooper is an expert in vertebrate ecophysiology. She completed her PhD in zoology at UWA, focusing on numbat physiology and behaviour. Since becoming a lecturer at Curtin in 2005, Christine splits her time between teaching, supervising research projects, and studying Australian birds and mammals. She has established extensive collaborative networks nationally and internationally, and maintains strong links with wildlife and conservation organisations.LinkedInCurtin staff profileJoin Curtin UniversityThis podcast is brought to you by Curtin University. Curtin is a global university known for its commitment to making positive change happen through high-impact research, strong industry partnerships and practical teaching.Work with usStudy a research degreeStart postgraduate educationGot any questions, or suggestions for future topics?Email thefutureof@curtin.edu.auSocial mediaTwitterFacebookInstagramYouTubeLinkedInTranscriptRead the transcriptBehind the scenesHost: David KarstenContent creator: Anne Griffin-AppadooProducer and Recordist: Emilia JolakoskaSocial Media: Amy Hosking Executive Producers: Anita ShoreFirst Nations AcknowledgementCurtin University acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which Curtin Perth is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation, and on Curtin Kalgoorlie, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields; and the First Nations peoples on all Curtin locations.MusicOKAY by 13ounce Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 Music promoted by Audio Library.Curtin University supports academic freedom of speech. The views expressed in The Future Of podcast may not reflect those of Curtin University.