The platypus is such an unusual creature that European naturalists thought
it was a hoax when the first dried skin was sent to England from the newly
explored continent of Australia by Governor John Hunter in 1799. Surely
a clever taxidermist had sewn the beak of a duck to the body of a small
beaver!
photo courtesy of
Dr. Lloyd Glenn Ingles, California Academy of Sciences.
But when preserved specimens were available for further examination,
biologists were even more astounded to find a reproductive tract that
was very similar to that of certain snakes and lizards that give birth
to live young.
There was speculation that the platypus may be a furry lizard, until
it was discovered that the female has mammary glands and suckles her young.
But she also lays eggs! The platypus is now known to be a mammal, and
belongs to the order Monotrememata, along with the long-beaked echidna
and the short-beaked echidna.
The Monotremes are named for the one orifice, called the cloaca, that
they use for urination, defecation and reproduction. "Monotreme"
means "one hole." They have this anatomical feature in common
with the marsupials, (such as the kangaroo and opossum), as well as birds
and lizards.
The platypus does not have a true beak like a bird, because the bill
is actually quite soft and spongy and is covered with a highly sensitive
skin. The nostrils are found at the top and near the front, so that the
platypus can breath while gliding almost completely submerged in water.
This secretive little creature, which is about half the size of a common
cat, lives much of it's life in water, searching for insect larvae on
the bottom of streams.
The sensory receptors in it's beak can sense the small electrical charges
emitted by moving larvae, as well as being highly sensitive to touch.
In fact, the platypus relies solely on these senses while underwater,
because it does all it's hunting with it's eyes closed!
The platypus has teeth when it is very young, but sheds them as an adult,
and grinds it's food to a very fine mush with it's rough tongue against
bony plates on the upper side of it's mouth. The eyes and ears are located
in a groove at the side if their heads, and this groove closes tight over
their eyes and ears whenever they go underwater.
The males have a spur on the back ankle that is hollow, and connected
to venom glands which can be used in defense against predators. These
glands are enlarged during mating season, and may be used to defend the
male's territory.
Little
is actually known about how the platypus lives in the wild, because they
are so secretive. Their senses of hearing and sight are very acute, so
they are aware of the slightest movement of people on the banks of their
streams. It is believed that the female lays her egg (or two)about a month
after mating in the spring, and that the egg hatches about ten days later.
Unlike the echidna,
which carries it's egg and puggle (baby) in a pouch, the platypus digs
a burrow in the side of the stream or river, which may be three to ten
feet deep. It is believed that the platypus may curl up around her egg
to keep it warm, but that she does not stay in the nest with the baby
once it's hatched. Platypus mothers have been known to leave their nesting
babies for two or three days at a time, but the babies grow quickly even
with their infrequent feeding. The mother continues nursing her offspring
for six to seven months. Because these are solitary animals, the young
platypus will then need to find a feeding ground of it's own.
The front feet of the platypus are highly webbed, and they are used as
paddles to propel the platypus through water. The hind feet have less
webbing, and are used mostly for steering. The tail, which looks a little
like a beaver tail except that it is covered with fur, is used mostly
to store fat to use for energy during times when food is difficult to
find.
These animals are nocturnal, which means they spend the days resting
inside their burrows, which they dig into the banks along the rivers.
At dusk they come out of their burrows to feed in the stream, traveling
a mile or more each day in search of food. At dusk they return to their
burrow.
It is impossible to get an accurate count of such a secretive creature,
but the platypus has been protected in Australia since the late 1800's.
You might also want to learn how to draw these critters...
Little
is actually known about how the platypus lives in the wild, because they
are so secretive. Their senses of hearing and sight are very acute, so
they are aware of the slightest movement of people on the banks of their
streams. It is believed that the female lays her egg (or two)about a month
after mating in the spring, and that the egg hatches about ten days later.
Drawing
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