12/28/2023 0 Comments Platypus facts![]() Platypuses can swim through fast waters at the speed of around 1 meter per (3.3 feet) second, but when foraging the speed is closer to 0.4 meters (1.3 feet) per second. Platypuses are mainly nocturnal feeders, and can usually only be observed at dawn and the in the very early morning, and dusk/late evening.Įcologically, it has an important role in food chains, feeding on freshwater shrimp, crayfish, annelids, and insect larvae. The Platypus is one of the few mammals known to have a sense of electroreception: it locates its prey in part by detecting body electricity. The platypus is an excellent swimmer and spends much of its time in the water foraging for food. It is one of the few species of venomous mammals: the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans. The webs enable them to swim more efficiently and move around on soft, muddy surfaces with ease. Platypuses have evolved to have webbed feet. The fur on the rest of the body is dark to light brown above, with lighter fur on the underside. But the tail is also a fat store.Īdding to its distinctive appearance are conspicuous white patches of fur under the eyes. Its flatness assists with swimming, functioning almost like a rudder. The platypus noted for its odd combination of primitive features and special adaptations, especially the flat, almost comical bill that early observers thought was that of a duck sewn onto the body of a mammal. Weight varies considerably from 0.7 to 2.4 kg (1.5 to 5.3 lb), with males being larger than females males average 50 cm (20 in) in total length, while females average 43 cm (17 in), with substantial variation in average size from one region to another. The lifespan of platypus is about 12 years in the wild and about 17 years in captivity. The rivers and streams are usually less than 5 meters (16.4 feet) in depth. They prefer areas with steep banks that contain roots, overhanging vegetation, reeds, and logs. The geographic range of the platypus is restricted to the wetter regions of eastern Australia and Tasmania.ĭuck-billed platypuses inhabit rivers, lagoons, and streams. Then be a platypus.The platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic mammal. More recently it has been discovered that platypus milk has powerful antibiotic properties that could open new frontiers in the fight against drug-resistant pathogens, and their venom has been found to stimulate insulin production which could make it a medicine for people living with diabetes.īe yourself. The males also have a venomous spur on one hind leg that they use in fights with other males. They have a cloaca–a combined reproductive and waste discharge opening usually associated with birds and reptiles–and the testicles of males remain inside the body throughout life. Babies lick milk that oozes out of specialized skin on the mother. The platypus was clearly a mammal due to its fur, but it doesn’t have nipples. And these critters only get weirder and more fascinating as you look more closely.Įarly taxonomists had plenty of reasons to be confused. What?!? Seriously–what even is this animal? Is it a duck? A beaver? A hoax?Īn ancient Aboriginal myth traces its origins to a mating between a water rat and a duck, which is not an unreasonable theory given its appearance.
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