Australia's snakes, spiders and other venomous critters tend to strike fear in many people. But is Australia's reputation as a nation of deadly creatures deserved?
Western galahs in flight.
Shutterstock/Andrea Izzotti
When is a galah not a galah? That depends on which scientific name is attached to the Australian bird. There's been some confusion over this, which DNA testing has finally solved.
Some of the many species in the Australian National Insect Collection.
CSIRO/Alan Landford
At least 100,000 insects are among the many Australian species still to be formally identified. That's a problem for any biosecurity experts who need to be able to spot potentially invasive bugs.