Top 13 Fascinating Facts About the Platypus

The platypus has a relatively long lifespan. In captivity, it can live up to 20 years, while in the wild, it typically lives no longer than 12 years. Scientists believe the platypus is the oldest living relative of modern mammals. Studies suggest it appeared on Earth more than 112 million years ago, even before dinosaurs went extinct.

While much is still unknown about its ancient ancestors, fossil evidence indicates that early platypuses likely resembled their modern counterparts. It's thought that prehistoric platypuses tried to adapt to life on land but, unable to cope with the harsh conditions, returned to the water to forage for food.

The platypus has a short tail that serves as a fat storage for winter, although it doesn't hibernate. It also uses its tail for steering in the water. Despite having short legs, they are strong and equipped with webbed feet that are perfect for swimming. On land, the webs retract, allowing the platypus to use its claws for digging.

The platypus's bill is soft and extremely sensitive, with numerous nerve cells. It can also make sounds. The average body length is about 61 cm for males and 46 cm for females. The platypus has a long, flattened body covered in short, smooth brown fur. This waterproof coat helps them survive underwater for up to 12 hours a day, even in near-freezing temperatures.

The platypus can dive underwater for about a minute. While submerged, it shuts its eyes and seals both its nostrils and ears, preventing any water from entering. Despite being in this 'sensory blackout' state, the platypus can still hunt and swim effectively. It uses two types of sensory receptors on its bill: one detects objects by touch, while the other senses electrical signals. The platypus can detect weak electrical fields generated by the movements of small prey, as well as the currents created when water flows over stationary objects.

On land, the platypus relies on its sharp eyesight to navigate, capable of seeing at a distance. However, it has a blind spot: due to the placement of its eyes, it cannot see what is directly beneath its bill.

The platypus has no teeth. Instead of chewing its food, it crushes it using horny plates in its bill and grinds it together with sand and pebbles. After catching its prey, it stores the food in special cheek pouches beneath its bill. When it surfaces, the platypus brings the food to its mouth, where the 'grinding plates' inside the bill mash it up.

Platypuses are nocturnal, with the highest activity occurring at dawn and dusk. They forage for small animals in the mud at the bottom of rivers and lakes, feeding on a variety of prey including invertebrates, small fish, fish eggs, frogs, tadpoles, and more. In just one day, a platypus can consume up to half its body weight in food.

Male platypuses have a spur, similar to a large claw, located on the inside of each ankle. They can use these spurs like fangs, injecting venom that can kill small animals and cause intense pain to humans if it pierces the skin. On the positive side, scientists believe this venom could one day be used as a treatment for diabetes.

The venom of the platypus appears to serve a different function compared to non-mammalian species. While it is not lethal to humans, it can cause significant harm. Only male platypuses possess venom, and the potency increases during the breeding season, making the spurs a weapon in the competition for mates.

Recent research has revealed that the platypus can glow in the dark. In normal light, its fur appears brown, blending in with other mammals. However, when observed under ultraviolet light, scientists were astonished to find that the platypus's fur emits a green and blue glow. This bioluminescence is an incredibly rare phenomenon in mammals, especially among egg-laying species.

When the platypus dives underwater to forage, its senses like sight, smell, and hearing are effectively turned off. Even its tiny ears are sealed away in a groove along with its eyes. So, how does the platypus navigate its environment? No worries—its bill is so sensitive that it can detect food by sensing sound waves, movements, and electric fields they generate.

The platypus has a relatively low reproductive rate compared to other animals. For every two female platypuses, only one will lay eggs. During the breeding season, the female isolates herself in underground burrows to lay her eggs.

The female typically lays 2-3 eggs between August and October. The eggs are deposited in burrows up to 20 meters deep. She incubates the eggs for 12-14 days, using her belly and tail to warm them in a nest made of grass and leaves. Once the eggs hatch, the newborns are only about 1.25 cm long. The mother will care for her young for 3 to 4 months, until they are capable of swimming.

Unlike most mammals, the mother platypus lacks teats. Instead, milk is secreted by large glands beneath her skin and flows from two areas resembling nipples. The babies suckle from these spots, licking the milk from her belly fur. This milk is rich in iron, containing up to 60 times more iron than cow's milk. The young platypus continues nursing for 4-5 months, staying in the burrow until they are about 17 weeks old, when they are ready to leave the nest and begin swimming.

While most animals have a stomach for digesting food, the platypus, much like the hedgehog, lacks one. Instead of a stomach, it has a direct connection from its throat to the intestines. This unique digestive system allows the platypus to process its food without the need for a stomach.

The platypus features prominently in the Dreamtime stories of Australia's Indigenous people. Some tribes even believe it is a hybrid of a duck and a water rat.

For many Indigenous communities, the platypus is a totem animal. The Wadi Wadi people, who live along the Murray River, consider the platypus their totem. Given the cultural significance of the platypus, it is highly revered and protected by these communities.

The platypus also serves as a symbol of Australian identity. During World War II, live platypuses were gifted to allies to strengthen relations and boost morale. The platypus has appeared as a mascot for several international events, including Platypus Syd, one of the three mascots for the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics (along with Millie the Echidna and Olly the Dacelo), Platypus Expo Oz, the mascot for the 1988 World Expo in Brisbane, and Platypus Hexley, the mascot for the Darwin OS.

The platypus is a small, timid creature with a sleek body designed for swimming. Its head and body are streamlined like a flat board, allowing it to glide through the water with ease. The head is a dark brown color, almost black, while its belly is a creamy white. Its dense, water-resistant fur keeps it warm and dry even after hours of swimming. The most remarkable feature of the platypus is its bill, which resembles that of a duck but is softer and covered with thousands of sensory receptors, enabling it to detect prey.

As a warm-blooded animal, the platypus maintains a body temperature of around 32°C, even while foraging in waters colder than 5°C.

Only male platypuses possess venom, located in spurs on their hind legs. They use this venom as a defense mechanism against predators.

The platypus has a streamlined body with a broad, flat tail covered by thick brown fur that can even fluoresce under certain conditions. Between its fur layers, an insulating air pocket keeps it warm. Its fur is water-resistant, with a texture similar to that of a mole's fur. The platypus uses its tail to store fat, a trait shared by some other species like the Tasmanian devil. The webbing between its front toes is larger than that of its back feet, folding in when it walks on land.

Its long bill and lower jaw are covered with soft skin, forming the platypus' unique bill. Its nostrils are located on the upper side of the bill, while the eyes and ears are hidden in a groove just behind. When swimming, this groove seals shut. The platypus can make a low grunt when disturbed and may produce other sounds in captivity.

Platypuses typically weigh between 0.7 to 2.4 kg, with males being larger than females. Males average 50 cm in length, while females measure about 43 cm. The average size of a platypus can vary significantly by region, with no clear correlation to climate patterns. This difference may be influenced by factors such as diet or habitat loss caused by human activity.

The platypus spends most of its time alone, sleeping, and eating. Its diet mainly consists of insects, larvae, crustaceans, and worms, along with small stones and gravel found at the bottoms of rivers and lakes. Lacking teeth, the platypus uses these small stones to help crush and grind its food.

Typically, the platypus dives underwater for around 30 seconds or more, then surfaces to rest for 10 to 20 seconds before diving again.

It is also an excellent swimmer, spending a great deal of time hunting for food underwater. Despite having four webbed feet, it only uses its front feet and tail while swimming. It paddles with its front webbed feet like oars, and its tail also plays a key role in propulsion. While swimming, the platypus' skin folds over its eyes and ears, and its ear flaps close to prevent water from entering.

Since the platypus feeds on high-calorie crustaceans, it typically eats just once a day. It averages around 14 hours of sleep daily.