The Ornithorhynchus Anatinus

By: Lucy G.

      What has webbed feet, is part duck, and part beaver? The platypus! With its stunning body, special reproduction, and surprising ways of protecting itself, the platypus is a strange, yet unique, type of animal.

General

          An English scientist first discovered the platypus in 1789. Its name, which comes from the Greek language, means “flat foot”. “Platys” means flat and “pous” means foot.  The scientific name for the platypus is Ornithorhynchus Anatinus. At first, many people thought it was a hoax, something that was sewn together. But after close observations, scientists saw and found no string or marks. Thus, the platypus was declared a true and real animal.

          Platypi live near the Eastern coast of Australia. This includes the Kangaroo Islands and Tasmania. They are solitary mammals, but live in pairs, except during mating season. Steep banks with plants, ponds, and rivers are a platypus’s favorite place to live. Here they make burrows to live in, some of which can reach 30 meters long. These burrows are entered underwater. Platypuses can live up to 10 years in the wild and 17 years in captivity. As shy animals, platypuses are mostly nocturnal. They can live at altitudes starting at sea level to 6,000 feet high.

Physical Appearance

        The platypus has a streamlined body. This means they can swim through water easily and without resistance from the fur. They have thick, brown fur on top of their body. Underneath, there’s light yellow fur.  The platypus’s fur is waterproof, keeping the skin dry. The looks that made the platypus famous are its beaver tail, duck’s bill, and otter’s webbed feet. Its tail is furry and broad. Ranging from 4-5 inches, the tail helps it navigate while swimming.

      Bills are very important to platypuses. They can range from 5.2-5.8 centimeters long. The bill is flexible, like rubber, and can be used to dig for food. Though it’s hairless, a platypus’s bill is the most sensitive part of their body. Inside their bill, there are no teeth. Instead, they have horny pad that are used to “grind up” their food.

      Platypi have short legs that extend from the side of their body. They have webbed feet and broad nails. When on land, the “webbing” of skin of the feet exceeds the length of the nails. This helps the platypus walk better. Behind their feet there are spurs. Males keep their spurs for a lifetime, but females lose theirs at one year of age. The purpose of the spur is mainly protection.

      Behind the bill, there are small beady eyes. The eyes are very sharp, especially to movement. The platypus’s ears are simply holes in the side of their head. This is because they have no external earlobes. The nose is located at the front of the bill. When swimming, a platypus has the ability to shut his or her eyes, ears, and nose. Yet, they don’t crash. WOW!

 Statistics

          Sizes of platypi vary. It depends on the season and the area the platypus is living in. Most of the platypuses, though, range from 40-60 centimeters long. Males average between 50-60 centimeters, while females are 40-50 centimeters. This is about the size of a pet cat. In general, they weigh from 1.5-5.3 pounds. Even though the body temperature of most mammals is 99˚ F, a normal platypus temperature is only 90˚F.

Mating

          Mating season takes place from June to October. During mating season, the female and male platypuses live in separate burrows. In the females burrow, she will make a nesting chamber. This is where she will lay the eggs. Platypuses will mate in the water. They take care of each other. However, after the baby platypuses are born, the male will usually not take care of them.

 Reproduction

          The platypus is one of the few egg-laying mammals. The other two are different species of echidnas. Females lay leathery, reptile like eggs. There can be one to three eggs at a time. Platypus eggs are to the size of a marble. So, to prevent losing them, the eggs will stick together.  These eggs are, unlike chicken eggs, very round. Female platypuses lay their eggs in the nesting chamber of their burrow. But first, they cover the chamber with wet leaves. The platypus will then keep her eggs warm like a bird. After 10 days, the platypus eggs will hatch and baby platypuses, or “pugs”, will emerge. Pugs are only 25 millimeters long and weigh 3 grams. The first thing a pugs does after birth is suckle milk from their mother. The milk comes from patches on the abdomen of the female. Then, at last, the baby platypi will come out of their burrows in between January and March.

Food

          A platypus will eat many kinds of food. The ones most often eaten include small fish, snails, tadpoles, worms, flies, and insect larvae. Sometimes, but rarely, they may eat frogs, crayfish, and shrimp. Since platypi must eat at least 1/4^th of their body weight worth of food, they spend 12 hours a day eating or searching for food. Every so often, platypuses hunt on land. But usually, they hunt in the water. When it comes to finding food in water, the bill really comes in handy. The bill has electroreceptors. These are sensors that receive and send out electric signals. The signals let the platypus know in what direction the food is. The bill can also be used as a shovel to dig up worms. Even if the platypus finds food in the water, it will store the prey in pouches in its cheeks and eat it on land.

Protection

          Male platypuses have a one-of-a-kind way to protect itself. The spur, or claw, behind its hind feet is hollow and is connected to a poison gland in the leg. The poison is strong enough to kill another platypus or an animal the size of a dog. If a human is stabbed with this spur, the poisoning isn’t lethal, but causes an extreme pain. Female platypuses on the other hand, don’t have this claw. Instead, they are great swimmers. This helps them escape from danger.

         See, I told you the platypus is a special animal. From its discovery to reproduction, food to its appearance, the platypus is different than other mammals. Even the way it protects itself is an individual characteristic! Can you find an even more unique mammal?

  Fast Facts:

• Platypus predators include hawks, eagles, owls, water rats, crocodiles, pythons, goanna, and foxes.          
• Platypuses were on the Red List for a while due to water pollution, but not anymore.
• There’s no real plural for the word platypus. Most people just use platypuses or platypi.
• A group of platypuses is called a pile.
• There’s only one species of platypus.

Sources

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•  “Platypus.” World Book. 2008 ed.:569-570