Platypuses

The domain of the platypus is Eukarya. The platypus is part of the Kingdom Animalia, and all members of this kingdom belong to the domain Eukarya.

No. This is completely untrue, and also impossible. It is illegal to have a platypus as a pet, and you would not be able to provide the conditions it needs. It would die very quickly as platypuses are highly sensitive to ecological changes. Platypuses are native Australian animals, and therefore protected by law. They are not permitted to be kept as pets in Australia or any other country, and this will not change.

No, they are not the most poisonous animals in the world, but they are one of the world's very few venomous mammals.

No one has been recorded as dying from platypus venom, but 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.

No.

There is no word for a group of platypuses, as platypuses do not congregate in groups. They are solitary animals. Because they do not form social groupings or families, there has been little need for a collective noun to describe such groups.

The platypus only closes its eyes when it is swimming and hunting for food underwater, and this is because it does not need vision to find its food. 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 are only related to seals and otters in that they are all semi-aquatic mammals. Even there, the similarity is flimsy, because seals and otters are placental mammals, whereas platypuses are monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, one of only two types of such animals in the world.

Only the adult male platypuses have a spur. This venomous spur on each of their hind legs is the means by which they can deliver a venom strong enough to kill a small dog, and to cause almost paralysing agony to an adult human. Platypus venom also contains a protein which lowers blood pressure, also inducing shock.

It appears to be a defence mechanism, although there has been little opportunity for research to determine the spur's purpose.

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 do not have "nests" in the usual sense of the word. Platypuses dig long burrows for shelter and protection, and during breeding season, the mother platypus prepares a chamber at the end of a burrow especially for the purpose of protecting the young.

Once the baby platypuses are hatched, the mother gives extra attention to the strength and lining of the chamber. As she leaves the chamber, the mother platypus makes several thin plugs made of soil along the length of burrow; this helps to protect the young from predators which would enter the burrow during the mother's absence. When she returns, she pushes past these plugs, thereby forcing water from her fur and helping to keep the chamber dry.

No, platypuses do not have blubber. In Australia's mostly temperate climate, they do not need blubber.

Platypuses are one of two types of mammals which lay eggs. Unlike the echidna, the other egg-laying mammal (or monotreme), the platypus does not develop a temporary pouch to incubate the eggs.

The mother platypus prepares a chamber at the end of a burrow especially for the purpose of protecting the young. After she lays one to three eggs, which have already developed within her body for 28 days, she curls her body around the eggs to incubate them for another ten days.

After hatching, the mother platypus feeds her young on milk secreted from glands, rather than from teats. The young are blind, hairless and completely vulnerable. They are suckled by the mother for 3-4 months, during which time she only leaves them to forage for food. As she leaves the burrow, the mother platypus makes several thin plugs made of soil along the length of burrow; this helps to protect the young from predators which would enter the burrow during the mother's absence. When she returns, she pushes past these plugs, thereby forcing water from her fur and helping to keep the chamber dry.

Such a graph is not available. It is estimated that platypus numbers are similar today to what they were at the beginning of European settlement. They did decline significantly in the early part of the twentieth century due to being hunted, but laws ensuring their protection have seen the platypus population recover.

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.

A platypus's ecosystem is freshwater rivers and creeks.

Platypuses live along the eastern coast of Australia in heavily wooded and protected regions, from the cooler areas in the south and the Tasmanian highlands to tropical far north Queensland. They live in burrows that they dig on the banks of streams, rivers and lakes.

the platypus has the strange 6th sense which detect electricity emitted by muscle movement. so if a predator is on the move the platypus doesnt even need to see it to know its coming toward his direction

Yes. A cloaca is present in marsupials and monotremes, as well as in birds, amhibians and reptiles. Placental mammals do not have a cloaca.

No. The platypus can only live near fresh water. In reality, platypuses do not live in water at all. They live in dry burrows in freshwater riverbanks and creek banks, and hunt for food in the water.

so they dont drown

There are not believed to be any platypuses in zoos outside of Australia. Even in Australia, there are strict limits on the numbers of universities, zoos and sanctuaries which are licensed to keep platypuses for either display or research purposes.

There are just three species of monotreme: the platypus, the short-beaked echidna and the long-beaked echidna. Of the three species, the long-beaked echidna is the largest.

Being a mammal, a platypus breathes using its lungs, nostrils and respiratory system. Unlike some marine mammals (dolphins, porpoises and whales) it does not have a blowhole on the top of its head.

The platypus is able to hold its breath for up to two minutes underwater when diving for food, and because of this, may make hundreds of dives in order to find enough food for a single feeding. Platypuses may also hold their breath underwater for 5-6 minutes if they are threatened.

Yes. All native Australian animals are protected by law.

Platypuses, like koalas, were extensively hunted for their fur until the early years of the 20th century and protective legislation was put into place in the mid-twentieth century. This legislation covered all native animals, and legislation continued to be refined through the 1970s-1990s and the early 21st century as well.

No. Platypuses do not have gills. They are mammals and, like all mammals, breathe using lungs. Even aquatic mammals such as whales and dolphins have lungs rather than gills. Only fish and juvenile amphibians have gills.

Yes. The platypus needs sharp claws to dig a burrow in a riverbank for its home. The claws have retractable membranes between them. These membranes extend when the platypus is swimming and retract when they are on land.

A baby platypus is not born, but hatched. When hatched, it weighs around half a gram.