Platypus
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ID#17
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Classification: mammal
Endangered status: least concern Habitat: streams, rivers, and other freshwater bodies of water The platypus has brown fur covering its whole body except for its duck-like bill, and webbed feet. Their bills are dark in color, and are soft and rubbery. They are about 12-18 inches long; with a beaver-like tail that is 4-6 inches long. They weigh about 1-4½ pounds. Platypuses are very solitary creatures that spend most of their days swimming, foraging for food and sleeping in their burrows. They are not nocturnal animals, and they eat crayfish, some aquatic worms, and other small aquatic creatures. They are probably the mammal that needs the most food relative to their weight. They have an enormous appetite, and feed early morning and late evening. When platypuses mate, the male grabs the female’s tail and they slowly swim in circles. Their breeding season lasts from July to November, and they have a gestation period of about 27 days. They lay 1-3 eggs, and breed up to 2 times a year. Some interesting facts about the platypus are that the adult males have a venomous spur coming out of their heels that can be harmful to even humans. Another cool fact is platypuses are one of the only three mammals that lay eggs, and their milk is pink. Lastly, rabbits could have wiped out the platypus population when they were brought to Australia, because they dig tunnels and mess up the soil for platypus breeding because they need undisturbed soil. |