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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.
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 does a platypus hunt?
Platypuses are nocturnal, and hunt for their food between dusk and dawn.
Does a platypus swim?
Yes. Platypuses spend most of their waking hours in the water, diving and swimming as they hunt for food.
Why is a platypus semi-aquatic?
The platypus is semi-aquatic because, although it must live and shelter on dry land, it needs to hunt for its food in creeks and rivers. Platypuses cannot breathe underwater; nor can they search for food on land.
Does man hunt for platypus fur?
Man used to hunt the platypus for its fur, but does not any longer. Platypuses are protected by law, and it is illegal to hunt them or capture them. Due to hunting, their numbers had dropped to alarmingly low levels by the early 20th century, but bringing in laws to protect them certainly saved the platypus.
Why did they hunt the platypus?
Platypuses were originally hunted for their velvety pelts.
How old for platypus to get its own food?
Platypuses are usually capable of finding their own food from about the age of four months. They suckle from their mother until they are around 3-4 months old, and learn to hunt for food after that.
Why is a platypus's fur waterproof?
The platypus's fur is waterproof because, as a semi-aquatic mammal, it still needs its fur to keep it warm. If both layers of its fur were constantly saturated, the platypus's body temperature would drop too low. Further, the platypus must make hundreds of dives daily to hunt enough food to eat. If its fur became waterlogged, it would not be able to swim as easily and agilely, because it would be weighed down by the extra mass of the water. It would therefore not be able to hunt as effectively.
How does the platypus carry its young?
The platypus does not carry its young. The young platypuses remain in the chamber, deep in the mother's burrow, until they are ready to learn to hunt.
Does a platypus swim in water?
The platypus swims often as it must hunt its food in the water, only returning to land to shelter in a burrow dug in the riverbank or creek bank. Platypuses make hundreds of dives in a single feeding session, and it must find enough food to make up its own body weight each day.
What does a platypus do on a daily basis?
On a daily basis, a platypus swims and hunts for food in the water.
Is a platypus an aquatic or terrestrial animal?
The platypus is semi-aquatic.Although it spends much of its time diving and swimming for food, it actually lives on land. It has webbed feet with a retracting webbed membrane which can expose the claws, enabling the platypus to effectively dig burrows. Its claws are used for digging burrows into riverbanks for shelter, and the webbing membrane retracts for that purpose, but spreads between its toes when it needs to swim - which it needs to do to get its food.
Could a platypus survive in the desert?
Unlikely. Platypuses need a permanent freshwater source, preferably a slow moving creek or river, in which to hunt for food. They also need to be able to dig deep burrows in riverbanks for shelter. While some deserts do have permanent water supplies, they may not be sufficient to provide for the platypus's food and shelter requirements.
