World of Platypus
A fascinating animal
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), sometimes referred to
as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic,
egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The
platypus is the sole living representative of its family
(Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus),
though a number of related species appear in the fossil record.
Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant
species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving
birth to live young. Like other monotremes, it senses prey through
electrolocation. It is one of the few species of venomous mammals, as
the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom,
capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unusual appearance of this
egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled
European naturalists when they first encountered it, and the first
scientists to examine a preserved platypus body (in 1799) judged it a
fake, made of several animals sewn together.
The unique features of the platypus make it an important subject in the
study of evolutionary biology, and a recognisable and iconic symbol of
Australia.
Learn more about the platypus on
Wikipedia
This website was created by Lauren Palmer