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Platypuses
One of Australia's most unique and unusual native animals, the platypus is an egg-laying mammal which lives on land and hunts for food in the freshwater creeks and rivers of eastern Australia. Once incorrectly thought to be the most primitive mammal, it is now regarded as a superb example of adaptation. Questions and answers about platypuses can be found here.
996 Questions
Does the Cheyenne mountain zoo in Colorado have platypuses?
No. In 2013, there are no platypuses in zoos anywhere outside of Australia.
Platypuses are native Australian animals, and therefore protected by law. Only a limited number of facilities in Australia keep them for either display or research purposes, and there are very strict government controls on the housing and keeping of these monotremes.
How many cells does a platypus have?
It depends on the size of the animal, and also keep in mind that they shed skin cells everyday just like humans.
Where do you find the rideau canal?
you can find it in Ottawa, nice city of Ontario Rideau Canal is located in Canada. There is good reviews about this place.
Why does a platypus's heart rate must slow down so it can stay underwater for long periods of time?
so it has a longer time of having air
It is a mammal yet lays eggs has a beak like a mouth and a body covered with spines?
The echidna is an egg-laying mammal. It is a beak-like snout, and its body is covered with spines.
anuj manrai 29.11.1975 At chandigarh. India. 6:20 pm
What is poisonous about the platypus's beak?
Platypuses are not poisonous at all, as "poisonous" indicates that something is dangerous if you ingest (eat or drink) it.
Adult male platypuses have venomous spurs on their ankles. There is nothing either venomous or poisonous about their bill. The bill is not called a beak.
Platypuses do not speak.
However, they do make soft puppy-like growling sounds.
What organ do pregnant monotremes and marsupials lack?
A complex placenta. Marsupials have a choriovitelline placenta, but it is not as well-developed as the placentas of placental mammals.
Do penguins lay eggs and are they mammals?
Penguins lay eggs, but they are not mammals. They are birds. The only two egg-laying mammals in existence are the platypusand the echidna, which are classed as monotremes.They are still classified as mammals because they feed their young on mothers' milk - a characteristic unique to mammals alone.
What are Aggressive growth funds also called?
Aggressive growth funds are also known as capital appreciation funds
What diet does a platypus have?
A platypus diet consist mainly of insect larvae, shrimp, crayfish and worms. The average platypus eats 20% of its body weight everyday.
The platypus lives on its own most of the time. It is a solitary creature and tends to live alone. It only lives in a family group while the mother raises the young. The male takes no part in this, and remains solitary, except for during breeding season.
What climate do duck billed platypus live in?
The duck-billed platypus primarily inhabits freshwater environments in eastern Australia, including Tasmania. They thrive in temperate climates, where they are found in rivers, lakes, and streams, often in areas with dense vegetation. Their habitat typically has a mild climate, with seasonal variations in temperature and rainfall.
What type of heart does a platypus have?
A platypus has a four-chambered heart, similar to that of mammals. This heart structure allows for efficient separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, supporting its active lifestyle. The four chambers consist of two atria and two ventricles, enabling effective circulation throughout its body. This adaptation is crucial for maintaining its metabolic needs, especially given its aquatic habits.
All animals have ancestors.
Further information:
The platypus has only ever been a platypus. Contrary to popular opinion, it has not been an otter, a duck or a beaver. Fossils of possible platypus ancestors indicate that, if it did indeed have other ancestors, they shared the same characteristics it has today. The main difference is that earlier forms of the platypus had teeth.
What are 5 important structures of a platypus?
- The platypus 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.
- The platypus can remain underwater for between one and five minutes. Its bill 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. It does not have teeth, but hard bony plates which it uses to grind the food.
- The platypus has thick, waterproof fur, which means it does not become saturated and weighed down when it swims and dives.
- It has a flat, beaver-like tail which acts as a rudder in the water.
- The platypus has two eye lids for protection. It closes its eyes tightly when it swims, using its senses and electroreception to find food.
- Males have venomous spurs on their hind legs to harm or kill predators
No. Platypuses deliver their venom differently.
Adult male platypuses have venomous (not poisonous) spurs on their ankles.
Through these spurs, they can deliver a poison strong enough to kill a small dog, and to cause almost paralysing agony to an adult human. Platypus venom contains a protein which lowers blood pressure, also inducing shock.
People who have been "spurred" by a platypus report that the pain is strong enough to cause vomiting that may last for days, weeks or sometimes even months. The pain cannot be relieved by morphine and other standard pain-killing drugs. It seems the only way it can be relieved is through anaesthesia of the main nerve from the spur site.
Female platypuses do not have venom, but they are born with spurs. These spurs fall off by the time the young female is about a year old.
Platypuses have been measured diving to a depth of 8.77m, which is the equivalent of over 28 feet.
Do platypuses have any adaptations to help them survive in their environment?
Yes. Platypuses have numerous adaptations that help them survive in their environment.
Platypuses have 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.
The platypus can remain underwater for between one and five minutes. Its bill 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. It does not have teeth, but hard bony plates which it uses to grind the food.
The platypus is a semi-aquatic animal, with thick, waterproof fur. It also has a flat, beaver-like tail which acts as a rudder, and which stores fat for when times are lean. The female also uses her tail to carry vegetation to her burrow to line the nesting chamber in preparation for incubating her eggs. During mating season, the female platypus digs a separate chamber at the end of her burrow. The eggs are laid here, and once hatched, the mother "closes off" the chamber with a wall of leaves when she leaves, to protect the young. The wall of leaves is also designed in such a way that it helps remove excess water from the platypus when she returns, thus keeping the chamber as dry as possible.
