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Where does a platypus go for protection?
Platypuses dig burrows in riverbanks or creekbanks. This is where they shelter, and where the female lays her eggs and raises the young.
What does a platypus make its house out of?
Platypuses shelter in earthen burrows they dig out of riverbanks.
Why and how does a platypus dig?
Platypuses have sharp claws on their front legs. Although their feet are webbed, the webbing is retractable. Platypuses dig burrows in riverbanks for shelter.
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.
Where do platypuses hibernate?
Platypuses do not hibernate. During the day, they shelter in long burrows they dig in riverbanks, while the female also lays her eggs in a chamber which she hollows out at the end of the burrow.
Do platypuses live in streams?
Platypuses do not actually live in the water. Platypuses find all their food in freshwater creeks, rivers and ponds, and they burrow into riverbanks for shelter. Their burrows can be up to 30 metres (100 feet) in length, but they are dug above the waterline.
What platypuses do when resting underwater?
Platypuses do not "rest" underwater. Like all mammals, they are air-breathing creatures. They may remain motionless, holding their breath for several minutes, if danger threatens. Platypuses shelter and rest in burrows they dig above the waterline of creeks and rivers.
What time does a platypus sleep?
Platypuses are nocturnal, so they sleep during the day. They shelter in burrows they dig in riverbanks.
Where do platypuses go to get food to feed their babies?
Platypuses find food on the bottom of freshwater riverbeds and creek beds.
What are a platypus's claws used for?
Platypuses are unusual in that they are semi-aquatic mammals with strong claws. Platypuses have claws for digging. These claws have retractable membranes between them. The membranes help when they are swimming, and they are retracted when the platypus is digging its burrow for shelter.
Do platypuses build dams?
No. Platypuses are nothing like beavers, and they do not build dams. Platypuses do not have teeth, so would be unable to gnaw wood to build dams. Their grinding plates are purely for grinding their food.For shelter, platypuses dig burrows in the banks of the freshwater creeks, rivers or lakes where they do their hunting. These burrows can be over 30m in length (100 feet). The entrances are disguised beneath overhangs, or by tree roots and other vegetation. Platypuses have webbed feet with retractable webbing which enables them to dig their burrows.
Do platypuses live in water or on land?
Although platypuses are regarded as semi-aquatic, they actually live on dry land. Platypuses shelter in burrows dug in riverbanks, but these burrows are quite dry, above the water line. They are dependent on water for their food, and they spend most of their waking hours diving for invertebrates and tiny crustaceans at the bottom of creeks and rivers.
