Males are around a third larger than females. Weights and Measures: Weight varies considerably between less than 1 kg (2.2 lb) to more than 2 kg (4.5 lb) its body length ranges from 30–40 cm (11-16 inches), and its tail length from 10–15 cm (4-6 inches) for males and 8–13 cm (3-5 inches) for females. The platypus snout is a sensory organ with an opening on the underside. The snout does not open like a bird's beak, with both the upper and lower parts of the beak separating to reveal its mouth. It has webbed feet and a large, rubbery snout that are more reminiscent of a duck's features than those of any known mammal. Like the Tasmanian Devil, the platypus uses the tail for fat storage. Just the Facts: The body and the broad, flat tail of the platypus are covered with brown fur that traps a layer of insulating air to keep the animal warm. The extent to which this is a characteristic of monotremes, as opposed to an adaptation on the part of the small number of surviving species to harsh environmental conditions, is uncertain. Not So Warm-blooded: The platypus's body temperature averages 32 ☌ (90 ☏) rather than the 38 ☌ (100 ☏) typical of placental mammals. The uniqueness of the platypus makes it a recognizable symbol of Australia (along with the kangaroo and koala) it is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20-cent coin. Although the world was perfect when God created it 6,000 years ago (Genesis 1:29-31), mankind’s sin caused the world to be cursed (Genesis 3), which is why platypuses use harmful venom today.Ĭurrently, the only place outside of Australia that houses platypuses is the San Diego Wildlife Park due to their difficulty to maintain under human care and Australia’s strict regulations about exporting their wildlife.The Platypus is an egg-laying, duck-billed mammal whose males have a venomous spur on the hind foot, baffled naturalists when it was first discovered. The spurs on their hind feet inject venom that is not deadly to humans but is very painful. Male platypuses are one of the very few venomous mammals. Perhaps it is used to communicate at night or to hide from predators. Platypus fur is also bioluminescent-it glows blue-green under ultraviolet light! Scientists are unsure why platypuses glow. Their double-layered coats trap air to keep them warm while diving. With up to 900 hairs per square millimeter, platypus fur is waterproof. Platypuses also lack stomachs-their gullets connect directly to their small intestines. Since adults don’t have teeth, they mash their food with plates in their bills. Food is stored in cheek pouches until they come to the surface to breathe. Webbing on their feet helps them swim, but it retracts on land to reveal claws useful for digging burrows. They swim with their eyes, ears, and nostrils closed, relying entirely on the sensors in their bills to find prey. Native to the freshwater habitats of Eastern Australia and a few surrounding islands, platypuses spend their days sleeping in burrows and their nights foraging underwater. Those bills are covered in specialized receptors that detect electrical signals, like those created by the movement of the aquatic invertebrates (animals without bones) they eat. Since baby platypuses have bird-like bills and cannot nurse, mothers ooze their milk into puddles for the babies to lap up. However, Christians see platypuses as evidence for a common designer-God!ĭespite laying soft, leathery eggs like reptiles, platypuses have hair and nurse their young with milk, so they are mammals. With a vast array of mammalian, avian, and reptilian features, they were difficult to classify and have stumped evolutionary scientists for years. When the first specimens were sent to Europe from Australia in the late 1700s, scientists thought it was a hoax. The peculiar platypus has perplexed people throughout history.
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