Do you really know your platypus?
12 things about the Australian Platypus ·
August is Platypus month - but do you really know your platypus? You may find some of these facts illuminating.. [pun intended – find out below]
The First nations people of Australia had many different regional names for the platypus, including “boondaburra”, “mallingong” and “tambreet”.
According to Aboriginal legend, the platypus originated when a young female duck mated with a lonely and persuasive water-rat or Rakali. The subsequent offspring had their mother’s bill and webbed feet and their father’s four legs and handsome brown fur.
Ancient: Based on fossil evidence, the earliest known ancestors of the modern platypus date from the early Cretaceous Period (100-146 million years ago).
Hoax? Dr George Shaw, a British scientist published the first scientific description of the platypus in 1799. His first reaction was that this very unusual looking creature was an elaborate hoax. He even cut up the preserved specimen, assuming that the bill had been attached to the rest of the body with stitches!
Resides on the East Side: The platypus only lives on the eastern side of Australia.
Toothless: The platypus’s capability to prey on fish or other vertebrates is restricted by its lack of true teeth as an adult. Thus the platypus will tend to dine out on bottom dwelling insects, water bugs, various types of flies, shrimps and mussels amongst other things. All the good stuff.
Licentious: The males are lascivious and court as many females as possible, and females rear their young without male assistance.
Monotreme or Egg Laying Mammal: One of only 2 in the world [the other is our iconic Echidna]. A clutch of 1-3 white leathery-shelled eggs is laid approximately 2 weeks after mating. Incubated for 10 days in an underground nesting burrow, the mother will curl up around them for the incubation period. Their escape from the egg is assisted by the “caruncle” at the end of the snout, an inwardly curving egg tooth and tiny claws on the front feet.
No Nipples here: Whilst they are a mammal and its milk is thick and rich - a female platypus doesn’t have any nipples. The baby sweeps its stubby bill rhythmically from side to side to slurp up milk secreted directly onto the mother’s belly from two round patches of skin.
Hey Baby: There is no official term to describe a baby platypus. The word “puggle” is often used although this term was originally applied specifically to baby echidnas, and now refers generically to both sets of monotreme. Hard core Platypus aficionados will call them platypups though which we rather like.
Illuminating: That’s right – the platypus glows in the dark! Platypus fur glows in lurid shades of purple, green and blue when illuminated by a strong source of ultraviolet light! This occurs because UV light is absorbed by platypus fur and then re-emitted as visible longer-wavelength light.
Venomous: The male platypus has a visible spur located on each inner hind ankle. Adult spurs are roughly between 12-18 millimetres long, similar in shape to a dog’s tooth and are connected to the venom-producing crural gland. This venom is only produced by mature males, and venom production peaks during the breeding season. It is believed that platypus venom primarily serves to help adult males compete for mates. Platypus venom is a clear, slightly sticky fluid and different from snake venoms. Although it is not life-threatening, it will cause acute pain and swelling which can take several weeks to subside.
Breathwork: When a platypus feels threatened in the water, it may dive and hide under logs. By staying immobile and dropping its heart rate, a platypus can remain underwater for up to 11 minutes before it needs to resurface!
Help: Whilst the platypus is an air breathing mammal, it has adapted to only feed in the water. So if you rescue a platypus, don’t put it in water and force it to swim - if it’s injured it needs to rest whilst you get help. If a platypus’s freshwater habitat dries up [thanks to drought or habitat disturbances] the animal will starve to death unless it can somehow find a new place to live.
The Platypus.