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Yes and no. Platypuses are semi-aquatic. They are land animals, as they live in dry burrows above the waterline of creeks and rivers. However, platypuses are completely dependent upon the water for their food. They make hundreds of dives daily, in order to find the freshwater crustaceans and annelid worms they need to eat.
What else can I help you with?
Do platypuses survive into adulthood?
Yes; platypuses frequently survive into adulthood.
Can platypuses survive in saltwater?
No. Platypuses are freshwater creatures only.
Are platypuses fast on land?
No. Platypuses do not walk particularly fast on land.
Where do platypuses mate?
Platypuses mate on land, not in the water.
Do platypuses breed in water or land?
Platypuses breed on land. They only hunt for food in the water.
Where do platypuses breed?
Platypuses breed on land. They do not mate in the water.
Can platypuses come on to land?
Yes - platypuses live on land. They only hunt in water. Platypuses dig burrows in the riverbank or creek bank near which they do their hunting.
What land food do platypuses eat?
Platypuses do not eat land food. They feed entirely off crustaceans and small water creatures.
How do baby platypuses survive on their own?
Baby platypuses do not have to survive on their own. They suckle from their mother for at least four months, and tend to stay with her until they are around eighteen months to two years old.
How will platypuses survive in the future?
Platypuses will quite conceivably survive perfectly well in the future. Although vulnerable to habitat loss and changes brought about by human interference, the platypus has enjoyed a resurgence in its population since becoming a protected animal. There are estimated to be as many platypuses now as there were when European settlement started.
What do platypuses do when they don't have sufficient food and water?
Sometimes, during drought seasons, the water level in a platypus's river or creek will get too low to sustain enough food for the platypus to survive. When this happens, the platypus must move to a new waterway. Platypuses do not move quickly over land, and they can become dehydrated, dying before they reach a new creek or river. Some do survive the move.
Is a platypus semi-aquatic?
Platypuses are indeed semi-aquatic. Platypuses live and shelter in burrows dug into dry land, but they need to hunt for their food in freshwater creeks and rivers. Platypuses cannot breathe underwater.
