The Unusual Platypus
Find platypus Australian mammals in the Outback at Animals N More.
Hi. My name is Patti and I'm a Ty Beanie Baby Platypus. I'm the purple guy at right. I come from Australia and Tasmania. Sometimes I'm called a duck-billed platypus because of my muzzle that looks alot like a duck's bill. But I'm not a bird at all. I'm a mammal. However, like a bird I do lay eggs. Pretty cool, huh! I like to eat bugs, worms, small crustaceans and mollusks. On the left is a Wild Republic Cuddlekins Platypus.
The platypus, (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), with its duck bill and webbed feet, is from Australia. It and the echidna are monotremes (egg-laying mammals) These are the only monotremes on earth. Their body temperatures are lower than other mammals.
They seem more like lizards than mammals.
An adult platypus is only about 2 feet long, the females are smaller. Their fur, thick and greyish brown, is in two layers-- the outercoat is dense and waterproof and the underfur is grey and woolly, providing insulation. The tail is boad and flat with bristly fur.
The paws are adapted for use both on land and in the water. The fore-paw is webbed for swimming, and on land, the skin is folded back, allowing the platypus to walk or burrow. The hind foot is used mainly for steering and treading water.
The male has a horny, hollow spur on his hind foot, which is connected to a poison gland. This is the male platypuses only means of defense. It can inflict a very painful wound.
Platypus produce many vocalizations, which include a growling sound when disturbed. They live in dens or burrows that are dug into the banks of fresh water rivers, lakes or streams. These dens are usually spacious and are constructed close to the water line.
Platypus are solitary animals that only come together to mate, however, several individuals may be found living in close proximity. They are shy and wary, usually venturing out only in the early morning and evening, although there is considerable variability in the time that individuals are active. Platypus forage for food for about 12-13 hours every day and can consume up to half their own body weight a day. They dive for between 20-40 seconds during foraging, resting on the surface for only 10 seconds between dives. They perform about 80 dives per hour.
It is during spring that breeding occurs. The animals mate in the water. After 12 to 14 days, anywhere from1 to 3 eggs are laid in a den created by the female.
The female clutches her eggs close to her body, rolling up into a ball, in order to incubate them for about 10 to 12 days. The mother feeds her babies with milk secreted from her teatless mammary glands. It takes about six weeks for the young to grow fur and open their eyes. They may leave the burrow for short periods of time. They are weaned when about four to five months old.
Platypus forage on the bottom, using their electro-sensitive bill to find food. Their prey includes worms, insects, crustaceans, mollusks and small vertebrates. Typical prey includes caddisfly larvae, mayflies, two-winged flies and shrimps. The prey is carried in cheek-pouches to the surface where it is eaten. Rather than teeth, platypus have small, horny pads that they use to crush their prey.
Other animals that you can find in the outback are:
Echidna | Kangaroos | Koalas | Platypus | The Outback Intro | Wombat
Many thanks to the Parks & Wildlife Service of Tasmania for the information on the platypus.
