Platypus
Hello! my faithful reader, this time I will describe a unique animal that called Platypus.
Hello! my faithful reader, this time I will describe a unique animal that called Platypus.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/p/platypus/
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a
semiaquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Many
people call platypus duckbill because this animal has a bill like duckbill.
Platypus can also called as watermole or duckmole. The Scientific Classification of Platypus is
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Monotremata
Family : Ornithorhynchidae
Genus : Ornithorhynchus Blumenbach, 1800
Species : O. anatinus
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Monotremata
Family : Ornithorhynchidae
Genus : Ornithorhynchus Blumenbach, 1800
Species : O. anatinus
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/platypus/#ap-duck-billed-platypus.jpg
Platypus has a flat tail and webbed feet. Its weight varies considerably from 0.7 to 2.4 kg, with males being larger than females. Males average 50 cm in total length, while females average 43 cm. Its body covered with a thick, and woolly layer of fur. The platypus has an average body temperature of about 32°C (90°F) rather than the 37°C (99°F).
The platypus is a carnivore: it feeds on annelid worms, insect larvae, freshwater shrimp, and freshwater yabby that it digs out of the riverbed with its snout or catches while swimming. It uses cheek-pouches to carry prey to the surface, where it is eaten. The platypus needs to eat about 20% of its own weight each day, which requires it to spend an average of 12 hours daily looking for food.
Its bill is detecting prey and stirring up mud. Usually it ate crustaceans. Platypus' eyes and head are small. Its eyes contains double cones, which most mammals do not have. It has no ears but has ability to sense sound and lights. Platypus lives in streams, rivers, and lakes.
Life cycle
Life Cycle Of A Platypus A very unusual animal
1st Stage
Platypus spends 10 days in an egg, incubating in his mother.
Platypus spends 10 days in an egg, incubating in his mother.
2nd Stage
When they hatch they will be blind deaf and hairless.
When they hatch they will be blind deaf and hairless.
3rd Stage
When their about 4 months old they will leave the burrow for the first time.
When their about 4 months old they will leave the burrow for the first time.
4th Stage
At two years old Platypus' will be ready to Mate They can live up to 17 years in captivity They can live up to 11 years in the wild
At two years old Platypus' will be ready to Mate They can live up to 17 years in captivity They can live up to 11 years in the wild
http://study.com/academy/lesson/life-cycle-of-a-platypus-lesson-for-kids.html
Platypus is a mammal, although it has some different characteristic with other mammal. It gives births with laying her eggs, but it still has a pair of milk gland. Although possessing mammary glands, the platypus lacks teats. Instead, milk is released through pores in the skin. Females seal themselves inside one of the burrow's chambers to lay their eggs. A mother typically produces one or two eggs and keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail. The eggs hatch in about ten days, but platypus infants are the size of lima beans and totally helpless. Females nurse their young for three to four months until the babies can swim on their own.
The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate hoax. It is one of the few species of venomous mammals: the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognisable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of its 20-cent coin. The platypus is the animal emblem of the state of New South Wales.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/platypus/#ap-duck-billed-platypus.jpg
Platypuses hunt underwater, where they swim gracefully by paddling
with their front webbed feet and steering with their hind feet and
beaverlike tail. Folds of skin cover their eyes and ears to prevent
water from entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight seal. In
this posture, a platypus can remain submerged for a minute or two and
employ its sensitive bill to find food.
These Australian mammals are bottom feeders. They scoop up insects
and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel
and mud from the bottom. All this material is stored in cheek pouches
and, at the surface, mashed for consumption. Platypuses do not have
teeth, so the bits of gravel help them to “chew” their meal.
On land, platypuses move a bit more awkwardly. However, the webbing
on their feet retracts to expose individual nails and allow the
creatures to run. Platypuses use their nails and feet to construct dirt
burrows at the water's edge
Female platypus usually dig burrows in the streams or river banks. The burrows are blocked with soil to protect it from intruders and flooding. In the other hand, male platypus does not need any burrow to stay.
You can also view this video to know more about the platypus
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