Platypus fact file

Females seal themselves inside one of the burrow's chambers to lay their eggs. A mother typically produces one or two eggs and keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail. The eggs hatch in about ten days, but platypus infants are the size of lima beans and totally helpless. Females nurse their young for three to four months until the babies can swim on their own. All rights reserved. Common Name: Platypus. Scientific Name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus.

Type: Mammals. Diet: Carnivore. Size: Head and body: 15 inches; tail: 5 inches. Weight: 3 pounds. Size relative to a 6-ft man:. Near threatened. Least Concern Extinct.

Current Population Trend: Decreasing. Share Tweet Email. Go Further. Animals Giraffe populations are rising, giving new hope to scientists. Animals Wildlife Watch Bird flu deaths trigger Israeli hunting ban. It creates intense pain and swelling develops near the wound. In the end this will die down but a high sensitivity to pain will be felt by the victim for months to come.

It is believed this venom is not used to injure prey but instead to assert dominance over other males. The female also has a rudimentary spur but this drops off within their first year alive. Predators of the platypus include water rats, snakes , hawks, eagles, owls and monitor lizards.

The platypus is seen to have a nocturnal or crepuscular activity pattern. On the days the sky is overcast they may also be active. Platypus are excellent at swimming.

They alternate the movement of their front feet to propel them forward. The back feet are only used for steering. A distinguishing feature of this species is that you cannot see their ears while they swim. When the platypus was first sent to Europe for study the scientists believed it was a prank. The Australian 20 cent coin features a platypus on the tail side. There is still yet to be a decision on what the plural of platypus is.

Many suggestions exist including platypi, platypoda and platypuses and platypus. Their name platypus is derived from 2 latin words. Platypi are also commonly referred to as duck billed platypuses. Middle Two. Under License. Woodroffe, R. Lycaon pictus amended version of assessment. Downloaded on 27 April We share awesome animal content daily. Copyright The Animal Facts Exact matches only. Search in title. Search in content. Search in excerpt. Platypus Fact File. Appearance Platypus are also commonly called duck-billed platypuses.

It lives near freshwater streams and rivers and is highly adapted for its semi-aquatic lifestyle. At first glance the Platypus looks like a strange mixture of several different animals: it has the webbed feet and brown coat of an otter, the flattened tail of a beaver, and the large bill of a duck.

The marks his scissors left on the skin can still be seen today! This gives the animal a reptile-like gait. When walking on land, the platypus walks on the knuckles of its front feet to protect the webbing between its toes. There is less webbing on the hind feet. Males are larger than females, averaging 50 cm 20 in in total length. The average body length of females is 43 cm 17 in. The male platypus has spurs on each ankle that can deliver venom powerful enough to kill small animals such as dogs.

While not lethal to humans, the venom can cause excruciating pain. Female platypuses are also born with spurs, but they drop off within the first year of life and are not venomous. The platypus is a carnivore, and eats worms, insect larvae, freshwater shrimps and crayfish, all of which are found in its freshwater habitat. The platypus hunts underwater, using its cheek-pouches to carry prey to the surface before eating. This means that it spends an average of 12 hours per day looking for food.

Perhaps you thought that, what with the egg-laying and venom production, the platypus was already quite strange enough? When underwater, the platypus closes the grooves containing its eyes and ears.

This means that it is blind and deaf while hunting.