Beliefs, Superstitions, and Phobias About the Platypus The baby platypuses will remain in the burrow for about four months, then they are weaned and begin to emerge and explore. She will incubate the eggs for an additional 10 days before they hatch. It is believed that one male platypus will mate with several different females during the breeding season.Īfter breeding, the female platypus develops the eggs for 28 days before laying them. Platypuses breed between the months of June and October. They live, sleep, and give birth within tunnels in the riverbank. Scientists believe platypuses have a territory of approximately two miles, and males may overlap territories with a number of females. They can be seen during the day, especially on particularly overcast or cloudy days. The platypus is mainly nocturnal or crepuscular, which means they are active at night, dusk, and dawn. Currently, the only platypuses on display, and the only successful breeding programs, occur in Australia. This makes it quite difficult to keep and breed them in zoos. Platypuses are very sensitive to environmental change. They are protected as native Australian wildlife, and they are also notoriously difficult to keep in human care. It is illegal to have a platypus as a pet. Platypuses have not been domesticated in any way. In recent times, dams, pollution, and land development have threatened platypus survival.
They were ruthlessly hunted for their fur, which is similar in texture to an otter’s fur, until the 20th century.Įven after additional protection was put in place to prevent hunting, platypus still perished in fishery nets until 1950. Scientists believe that this decline is due to a number of human activities. While platypuses are not endangered, they have seen population decline in recent years. This hunting method is very similar to sharks, which use ampullae of Lorenzini to detect electromagnetic fields. These creatures hunt while swimming, and use their bills to sense electromagnetic currents from their prey. Some common prey items include worms, shrimp, crayfish, and insect larvae. Platypuses are carnivores, and they feed mainly on invertebrates and various small aquatic animals. They can also be found on Tasmania, and a small population lives on Kangaroo Island. These mammals can be found across the entire eastern coast of Australia, as far north as the Cape York Peninsula, and as far south as Victoria. They can be found in habitats ranging from cold highlands to tropical rainforests. These small mammals prefer small streams and rivers, where they can hunt for prey on the riverbed. Platypuses are semi-aquatic mammals, so they must live near water sources. Male platypuses’ venom spurs only activate during breeding season, and scientists believe they are used to fight competing males. This venom is not deadly, but is highly painful. And They’re Venomous?! – Just when you thought they couldn’t get any weirder… male platypuses are venomous! All of these animals grow spurs on their rear legs, but the males have venom inside their hollow spurs.This electroreception allows platypuses to see the electric fields created when an animal moves its muscles. Just like your tongue can taste, and your nose can smell, platypus bills have a sense called electroreception. An Electric Animal – Platypus bills don’t just serve as a conversation starter, they are actually sensory organs.The only problem? Platypuses don’t have teats! Instead of nursing from teats, the mother platypus oozes milk from glands on her abdomen, and the babies suck the milk from her fur. Even though baby platypuses are hatched from eggs, they still require their mother’s milk to survive. Milky Mammals – Just like all other mammals, platypuses produce milk to raise their young.The only other warm-blooded egg layer is the echidna (another resident of Australia). While these unique creatures are mammals, they actually lay eggs! Platypuses are one of the only mammals in the world that lay eggs. Bird-Like Doesn’t Stop at the Bill – The resemblance to birds doesn’t stop at the platypus’ bill.The oddities don’t stop at the platypus’ appearance! These incredibly odd mammals continue to astound with each new piece of information.
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