All About Platypus Blog

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Appearance

Platypuses are small animals covered with waterproof fur which makes them look shiny. Their fur is a dark brown on the top and a silver or light brown on the bottom. They have short limbs with webbed feet like a duck. They have a large flat tail like a beaver that is used for helping them swim underwater. Platypuses' front feet are fully webbed and it helps them walk and dig. The Platypus's most distinctive feature is their large bill that looks like a duck. It is soft and flexible and it is covered with multiple sensory receptors that help detect the small electrical signals emitted from their prey species. Platypuses' bill is very sensitive when a person touches it. They are used to probe the mud to search for insects to eat. Males are a little bit larger than females. Males have a poison spur on the ankle of each hind foot that is used to push away rival males during mating season.

Diet

Platypuses are carnivorous. Their diet is mostly of bottom-dwelling aquatic species. The majority of prey are young insects. They can also eat small crustaceans (crabs), snails, tadpoles, and tiny fish. While the platypus is underwater, its eyes, nostrils, and ears and shut so they use their bill to find food. Their bill can detect movement so when they feel movement they eat it. Instead of teeth platypuses have a horny area near their cheeks. They store their food in cheek pouches located on the side of their mouth. 

Habitat

Platypuses live on the east coast of Australia from a place called Cocktown in Queensland to the Island of Tasmania, they can also be found in Kangaroo Island in Southern Australia. They are found in streams, rivers, and some lakes that have good banks for burrowing and a permanent source for water. They are suited for their semi-aquatic life. They have dense fur for dealing with cold weather. Platypuses are thought to be very successful as an animal species because they are able to survive in a moist environment in the world's driest environment.

Reproduction/ Life Cycle

Mating season is around late winter to early spring. Males use their poison spurs to attack their rivals. After, females build their nests with wet leaves and soil. After a gestation period of about two - three weeks the females lays one to three tiny eggs. When they are born they are about 1.5 cm long. The young platypuses are born blind, hairless, and have tiny limbs. They are nursed by their mother in their nest for 5 months drinking their mothers milk. Younger plstypuses are lighter than older ones. Platypuses live for around 10 years in the wild but in captivity they can live up to 17 years.

Thank you for reading, I hope you learned a lot about platypuses. You can learn more fun facts in my youtube video just go to the Informative Zoologist and click on the Platypus video or go here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilSANwg7qK4

If you have any questions just tell them in the comments.