The duck-billed platypus is a unique mammal, very unlike any other mammal. They make their homes in the freshwater creeks and rivers of Tasmania and the eastern and southeastern coasts of Australia. They grow to about 20 inches in length—15 inches of head and body and 5 inches of tail. Full grown they will weigh about three pounds. They are relatively long-lived, and live in the wild for an average of 12 years, 20 years in captivity. They are nocturnal, being most active from dusk to dawn, sleeping during the day.
Their thick fur is dark brown on top and tan on their bellies and repels water to keep them warm and dry even after hours of swimming. They have a soft, duck-like bill, and are similar to a beaver in that they have webbed feet, a paddle shaped tail, and spend much of their time in the water. However, unlike the beaver, they can only stay submerged in the water for a little over two minutes. They are excellent swimmers, using their front feet for propulsion and their back feet and tail for steering. When not swimming, the platypus retires to a short, straight resting burrow in the riverbank not far above water level, hidden in a tangle of roots. They sleep an average of 14 hours per day.
Their body resembles an otter. Both male and female are born with ankle spurs, but the male’s spurs located on the back of the ankles delivers a toxic venom comprised of molecules called defensin-like proteins, three of which are unique to the platypus. When stung by one of these spurs, a victim is effectively, and painfully, incapacitated. And while the venom might kill a small dog, it won’t actually kill a man, but it can be excruciatingly painful. Edema (fluid build-up in tissue) will rapidly develop around the wound and the pain can develop into a long-lasting hyperalgesia (heightened sensitivity to pain) that could persist for days or even months. The venom is only produced during mating season, so it is not to be a form of defense, but rather is used in competition with other males for mating rights. Interestingly, studies have found that the venom might be useful in the treatment of diabetes.
The platypus is considered a carnivore, eating insects, larvae, worms, shellfish, freshwater shrimp, and yabby (crayfish) found in the water. But what is fascinating is how it finds its food—a true miracle of God’s creation. When in the water, the platypus closes its eyes and ears, and flaps close over its nose, so it sees, hears, and smells nothing. Electroreceptors (which detect electric fields) are located in the skin of its bill with mechanoreceptors (which detect touch) uniformly distributed across the bill. These receptors detect the electrical impulse when muscular contractions cause a shrimp or yabby to move its tail. This is called electrolocation.
This mammal feeds from the bottom of the water bed. It scoops up the food along with bits of gravel and mud from the riverbed with its snout. All this material is stored in cheek pouches and mashed for swallowing. While the platypus is born with teeth, these fall out at a very early age, leaving horny plates behind upon which the gravel helps to grind up their food. The food is carried to the surface, where it is eaten. A platypus must eat 20% of its weight every day, so it spends most, if not all, of its time awake looking for food.
Unlike most mammals whose offspring are delivered by live birth, the platypus is a monotreme, a species of mammal that lays eggs. There are only five species of monotremes—the platypus, and the four species of echidnas. Mating occurs between June and October. Females have two ovaries, but only the left is functional. She lays one to three small, leathery eggs, similar to reptile eggs. The eggs develop in utero for about 28 days, and once laid, she will curl around them and they incubate externally about ten days more. Once hatched, the young platypus is blind, hairless, and extremely vulnerable. Being warm-blooded, the female feeds her young with milk. She does have mammary glands, but has no teats, so her milk is released through milk patches found in the pores of the skin in a manner very similar to sweating. She nurses in the burrow for three to four months, then the babies are ready to swim. They are considered fully mature by the age of two. There is no official term for the platypus young, but the terms platypup or puggle are often used unofficially.
The Aboriginal peoples used the platypus for food and fur until 1912 when it was prohibited by law.
As of 2019, with the exception of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in California, all platypus held in captivity are exhibited in Australian zoos. Syd the platypus was one of three mascots for the Sydney 2000 Olympics along with an echidna and a kookaburra. Expo Oz was the mascot for the World Expo 88, held in Brisbane in 1988. The platypus also has appeared on Australian postage stamps and currency.
What a sense of humor our God has in creating the duck-billed platypus which looks like a duck, a beaver, and an otter combined into one mammal!
Resources: Wikipedia.org/wiki/Playpus; science.jrank.org/pages/5344/Platypus; Incredible Creatures That Defy Evolution, part 1; The Dodo, Platypus Facts by Alina Bradford – Live Science Contributor August 04, 2014; kids.nationalgeographic/animals/mammals/facts/platypus