Meet the Animals

Duck-billed Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus

The duck-billed platypus is one of the odder animals in the world. Found only in freshwater habitats in eastern and southeastern Australia, the platypus is only one of three species of monotremes in existence. Although they are mammals, monotremes lay eggs to reproduce. The platypus will lay one to three soft-shelled eggs at a time, and shelter them by holding them to her belly with her tail. The young are born without fur, and are blind at birth. The mother builds a nesting burrow, which is larger than an ordinary platypus burrow, and keeps the young inside for several months. The young will suckle from the mother, but she doesn't have teats, only mammary patches from which milk is given. Platypus will take a year to become fully grown.

Platypus are strong swimmers, and very much at home in the water. They spend half the day underwater hunting for the grubs and insects which are their main food supply. The snout and tail are very strong as well as flexible, and platypus will even lift rocks on the streambed to find its prey. Since a platypus can stay underwater for several minutes, it will stuff its cheek pouches with food, and then head up to the bank to eat. They have no teeth, but instead use a set of horny serrations in the mouth to grind their food and spit out the harder bits. Platypus are one of a very few mammals which are poisonous — the males have a protrusion on their back legs which can inject a poison strong enough to kill small animals, and which will give serious pain even to a human.

Platypus are fairly common still, but can be elusive. They have sensitive hearing and are disturbed by the presence of humans. They are also threatened by anything that contaminates or otherwise imperils their habitat, especially pollution and destruction of riparian vegetation. Snakes and foxes are known to hunt platypus for food, and they were hunted by humans for their fur.

Photo by the Environmental Protection Agency of Australia.

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