What is a platypus and what is its other name?

Answer 1

The platypus is sometimes known as a "duck-billed platypus", but this is a misnomer, as its bill serves a function quite different from that of a duck.

A platypus is a monotreme, i.e. an egg-laying mammal. It has dense, waterproof fur and a thick, beaver-like tail, but that is its only resemblance to a beaver.

It has short legs with webbed feet, and is well-equipped to hunt in the water, yet spends most of its time on land. Each foot has five toes with sharp claws, as it digs a burrow in the riverbank for shelter. When swimming, a membranous "web" extends between the toes. The male platypus has a venomous spur on its hind leg, which cannot kill a human but can cause extreme pain.

The platypus is shy and nocturnal, active mostly at dawn and dusk. It hunts for food underwater, using its duck-like bill, which is equipped with extremely sensitive electroreceptors to find food such as insect larvae, snails, worms, small fish, and crustaceans. It can remain underwater for between one and five minutes.

The platypus is found in freshwater creeks and rivers in eastern Australia, from sub-alpine regions in Tasmania north to the sub-tropical zone of north Queensland.

Answer 2

There is only one species of platypus, and that is Ormithorhynchus anatinus.

Platypuses which are found in Tasmania are the same species and go by the same name as platypuses from the Australian mainland - which are simply called platypuses.

The platypus is also not actually called a "duck billed platypus" at all. Its proper name is simply "platypus".

Answer 3

There is no other official name for the platypus, apart from their scientific name of Ornithorhynchus Anatinus.

Sometimes they are called a "duckbilled platypus".

Answer 4

The platypus is sometimes called a "duck-billed platypus", but this name is not used in Australia.

Answer 5

The duck-billed platypus has the scientific name is Ornithorhynchus anatinus.