Platypus

Have you ever looked at a platypus and wondered if God was drinking the day that He created this creature?

The history of the platypus dates back to prehistoric times when ancestors of this odd creature were known to exist. Both the Teinolophos and the Steropodon were believed to be akin to today’s modern platypus. The oldest known fossil ever found, was determined to be over 100,000 years old.

The name, “platypus”, is derived from the Greek word, “platupous”, which means flat-footed, broad, or wide. The name is also shared with a species of wood-boring beetle, though the scientific name for the platypus in this story is, “Ornithorhynchus anatinus” which respectively means, bird snout and duck-like.

When referring to more than one platypus, you would use the term, “platypi”, though, “platypuses” is more commonly used.

On occasion, you may hear one of them referred to as a “duck-billed platypus”. This is of course to the reference of the elongated snout which has similarities to waterfowl bills. Of course, this is not the only unusual visual oddity that a platypus has; besides the bill of a duck, they also have the tail of a beaver, and the webbed feet of an otter.

The legs of a platypus are located on the sides of the body, not unlike a reptile. The nostrils are located on the dorsal side of the soft-skinned bill, close to the tip. The eyes are almost inline with the nostrils just behind the bill, and the ears, hidden by fur, are behind the eyes.

The body of the platypus is covered in a dense biofluorescent fur which glows a blue-green color under UV lights (black lights). The fur traps a layer of air which acts as insulation to keep the body warm. The fur is also waterproof and has the texture of a mole.

Since a platypus loves to swim and spends over twelve hours per day in the water, the waterproof fur comes in handy. As I mentioned, they spend over twelve hours a day in the water, and most of this time is spent foraging for food. The average platypus eats 20% of its own body weight every day! I know that if I did that, I would be as big as a house in a month.

A platypus feeds mostly on crustaceans such as crayfish or freshwater shrimp, but they also eat worms and insect larvae. They will dive under the water in streams, digging their bills into the soft sand and by using electrolocation (locating their prey by detecting electric fields generated by muscle contractions), they can sense where the prey is located. When a platypus submerges itself under water, in generally stays under no more than thirty seconds. In this period, the platypus will close its eyes, ears and nostrils and hunt by touch. The prey is then scooped up in the bill and stored in cheek-pouches until the platypus surfaces. It is then that it will devour its meal.

Although all four of their feet are webbed, the platypus will only use its front feet for propulsion when swimming. The hind feet will remain held up against the body and aid in steering along with its wide, flat tail. When on land, this semiaquatic creature with curl back its webbing and walk across land on its knuckles.

The predators of the platypus in most cases, are snakes, water rats, goannas, hawks, owls, eagles, and crocodiles. The Aboriginal people in Australia were known to hunt the platypus for food and they were also once hunted by other humans for their fur, but since then, they have become a protected species. Although the not officially an endangered species yet, they are considered a near-threatened species. Many of the species was lost during the devastating bush fires that took place in Australia during the years 2019 and 2020.

The platypus is equipped with a spur on its hind foot to use in defence, though only the male platypus can produce a venom which is excreted from the spur when attacked. The venom consists of defensin-like proteins that could kill small animals like dogs or cats, but is not fatal to humans, although it can cause excruciating pain.

The platypus is the only mammal known to lay eggs as opposed to live birth. Mating season generally occurs during the months of June and October. Males of the species are known to have several mates during this time. The females become sexually mature during their second year and continue to breed for up to nine years.

Ground burrows, where a platypus would normally rest, are normally located approximately twelve inches above water level. When a nesting burrow is required, the female will tunnel her way into the ground and create an ornately constructed burrow that could be up to sixty-five-feet in length and is blocked at several intervals with dirt plugs to protect her offspring from rising water and predators.

A nest of damp leaves and reeds are placed at the end of the tunnel, and after the eggs are laid, the mother curls her body around them for warmth. Normally there are no more than one to three eggs laid at one time. The eggs themselves are round, and have a leathery feel to them, like reptile eggs.

After ten days, the eggs will hatch, and the hairless wonders will join the world. At birth, the young are born with three teeth (one premolar and two molars), but they lose them by the time they leave the breeding burrow, and the teeth are replaced with pads which are used to grind their food. For the first three to four months, the offspring are suckled by their mother. After five weeks, the mother spends more time away from the nest, trying to ween her young. After four months of being underground, the mother leads her young out into the world. The male platypus has little to do in the raising of the young.

The average adult male is around twenty inches long, where the females are normally about seventeen inches long. From birth to adulthood, platypi weigh between one pound and five pounds, five ounces.

Although the platypus is native to Eastern Australia, it has been spotted throughout the continent as well as a species in Tasmania. There have also been several attempts to breed and raise these creatures in captivity, though not many locations around the world have had much success.

You can find a picture of the platypus on the Australian twenty-cent coin as well as on the emblem representing the state of New South Wales.

Some say that they are nature’s mistake and others say that they are the result of a cruel science experiment, but in my opinion, the platypus is what we all need to try and be; unique and carefree despite of our physical appearances.