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Platypuses are carnivores. They are predators; they eat small water animals such as aquatic insect larvae, fresh water shrimp, annelid worms, yabbies and crayfish. They do not eat any type of aquatic vegetation.
Platypuses catch their food in the water. They may make hundreds of dives in a single day. The bill of a platypus has sensitive electroreceptors which pick up tiny nerve and electrical impulses generated by crustaceans and other animals that inhabit the bottom of the creek or river. The platypus then uses its bill to shovel away the dirt, and find the food.
Platypuses do not have teeth, but hard bony plates which they use to grind the food.
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When do platypuses hunt?
Platypuses hunt at dusk, during the night and in the early morning.
Do platypuses breed in water or land?
Platypuses breed on land. They only hunt for food in the water.
When does a platypus hunt?
Platypuses are nocturnal, and hunt for their food between dusk and dawn.
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.
Why did they hunt the platypus?
Platypuses were originally hunted for their velvety pelts.
Can Platypuses be found in the swamp?
No. Platypuses need water which is relatively free of snags and water reeds, in order to swim and hunt effectively.
Do platypuses swim together?
Platypuses are solitary animals which live and hunt alone. However, small groups of two or three platypuses can often be seen together while hunting for food.
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.
Do platypuses live in freshwater saltwater or both?
Platypuses are only able to live alongside freshwatersources such as freshwater creeks and rivers. They cannot hunt in salty water.
What do platypuses do at night?
Platypuses are nocturnal, so much of their hunting for food is done at night and in the evening. To the quiet and patient observer, platypuses may be observed swimming and diving at night as they hunt for food on the bottom of creeks and rivers.
Do platypuses have eyes?
Yes, platypuses do have eyes, and they use them whenever they are on land. Platypuses close their eyes when they dive and hunt underwater for food. They do not need to see underwater, as they use the electroreceptors in their bills to detect living organisms underwater.
Do platypuses eat squirrels?
No. To begin with, platypuses and squirrels live on completely different continents. Platypuses live only in Australia, and there are no squirrels in Australia. Secondly, platypuses do not eat larger live animals. They hunt for small crustaceans and insect larvae which live on the bottom of creeks and rivers.
