PLATYPUS

The word platypus is derived from Greek. Platys means broad and pous means foot. Many people call it duckbill because the animal has a bill that looks like a duckbill. It is native to Tasmania and southern and eastern Australia.

Appearance

Platypuses have flat tails and webbed feet. Their body length is 30 to 45 cm and covered with a thick, soft and woolly layer of fur. Their bills are for detecting prey and stirring up mud. Platypuses eyes and heads are small. They have no ears, but they can sense sounds and light.

Behavior

Duckbills are shy animals and are seldom observed, even in localities where they live. They are active only during the early morning and late evening. They are excellent swimmers and divers.

Habitat

Platypuses live in streams, rivers, and lakes. Female platypuses usually dig burrows in the banks of rivers or streams. The burrows are blocked with soil in several places to protect them from intruders and flooding. For their nest the females construct a bed of grass, leaves and woods. Males don’t stay in the burrow.

Breeding

The adult female usually lays two to four eggs. The young animals have no fur when they were born. The female uses its tail to hold the young to its abdomen.