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Why are the platypus and echidna unusual mammals?
The platypus and echidna are unusual mammals because they are the world's only known monotremes, i.e. egg-laying mammals. Though egg-layers, they are classified as mammals because the young suckle mothers' milk.
What are the other mammals that are egg-laying mammals?
The egg-laying mammals, or monotremes, are the platypus, the long-beaked echidna and the short-beaked echidna.
Are vertebrates that produce milk for their young are called?
Mammal.All mammals feed their young on mothers' milk. This is the defining characteristic of a mammal, and it is a characteristic not shared with any other vertebrate.Mammals include placental mammals, marsupials and monotremes (egg-laying mammals).
How are the spiny anteater and the platypus different from other mammals?
The correct name for the spiny anteater is echidna. The echidna and platypus are different from other mammals because they are the only egg-laying mammals. All other mammals, both placentals and marsupials, give live birth.
Are mammals born in eggs?
Most mammals are not hatched from eggs. Only the monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, reproduce by external eggs. Monotremes include just the platypus, the long-beaked echidna and the short-beaked echidna.
Do any mammals lay eggs except platypuses and echidnas?
There are two egg-laying mammals. The platypus and the echidna are both egg-laying mammals, or monotremes.They are still classified as mammals because they feed their young on mothers' milk - a characteristic unique to mammals alone.There are just three known species of egg-laying mammals, or monotremes. They are the platypus and short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) of Australia, and the long-beaked echidna (Zaglosssus bruijni) of Papua New Guinea. The echidna is sometimes called the spiny anteater, and there are several sub-species of the long-beaked echidna: the Western long-beaked echidna, Sir David's long-beaked echidna and the Eastern long-beaked echidna.
What makes an echidna different from other mammals?
It lays its young in eggs.
Is the platypus the only animal to lay eggs?
No. Platypuses and echidnaslay eggs. They are members of the order Monotremata, so they are known as monotremes. There is just one species of platypus and two species of echidnas: the short-beaked echidna of Australia and the long-beaked echidna of New Guinea. There are three sub-species of the long-beaked echidna.
Platypuses are one of the 2 mammals that do what?
Platypuses are one of the 2 mammals that lay eggs. The other is the echidna.
Is the platypus one of the only mammals that lay eggs?
The platypus belongs to an exclusive group of mammals known as monotremes, or egg laying mammals. The only other animal in this group is the echidna. Although platypuses and echidnas lay eggs, they are still mammals because their young suckle on mothers' milk.
What are monotreme mammals?
Monotremes are mammals which lay eggs, as opposed to all other mammals which give birth to live young. The only mammals which are monotremes are the platypus and short-beaked echidna of Australia, and the long-beaked echidna of New Guinea.
Is an echidna the only egg laying marsupial?
The echidna is a monotreme, which is an egg-laying mammal. Most mammals give live birth, but only the echidna and platypus are egg-laying mammals.
