Platypus

Platypus Latest News

New fossils from South Australia reveal a new species of ancient platypus that still had teeth – something modern platypuses lost long ago.

About Platypus

• The platypus is a semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia.
• Scientific Name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus 

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Platypus Habitat

• Platypuses occur in freshwater systems from tropical rainforest lowlands and plateaus of far northern Queensland to cold, high altitudes of Tasmania and the Australian Alps. 
• When not foraging, the platypus spends most of the time in its burrow in the bank of the river, creek, or a pond.  

Platypus Features

• The duck-billed platypus’s head and body grow to about 38 centimeters and its tail grows to about13 centimeters long. 
• Platypus is well adapted for a semi-aquatic lifestyle. 
• Its streamline body and a broad, flat tail are covered with dense waterproof fur, which provides excellent thermal insulation. 
• The platypus propels itself through the water by using its front, short, webbed limbs, and the partially webbed hind feet act as rudders. 
• It uses its tail for storage of fat reserves and the strong claws on its feet for burrowing and moving on land. 
• In addition, males possess a horny spur on their ankles, which is connected to a venom gland in the upper leg, making the Platypus one of the few venomous mammals. 

Platypus Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ under the IUCN Red List.

Source: EAR