The
platypus is arguably one of the most distinct animals on the planet.
Here are a few things you might not have known about this quirky
creature.
1. They Have No Stomach.
They’re not the only ones to forgo an acid-producing part of the gut. Platypuses (–podes and –pi are technically also correct, but much rarer in use), spiny echidnas, and nearly a quarter of living fishes all have a
gullet that connects directly to their intestines.
These animals not only lost the physical feature of a stomach, but also
the genes required to produce one over the millennia—meaning they’re
unlikely to ever go back to having one.
2. Their Bill Gives Them a Sixth Sense.
A platypus’s bill is comprised of thousands of cells that can detect
the electric fields generated by all living things. It’s so sensitive
that the platypus can hunt with its eyes, ears, and nose all closed,
relying entirely on the
bill’s electrolocation.
3. They Used to Be Giant.
This seems to be the case with a lot of modern animals—the ancient
animals were oversized monster versions of what we have now. And
platypuses are no different. In 2013, based on the discovery of a single
tooth,
researchers identified a prehistoric platypus that was over 3 feet long—double the size of the modern animal.
4. Monotreme means "Single Hole" in Greek.
Platypuses are one of only five species of extant monotremes—just
them and four species of echidna—which split from the rest of the
mammals 166 million years ago. These egg-laying mammals get their name
from the hole that serves as both anus and urino-genital opening. In
2008,
scientists deciphered
the entire DNA of the duck-billed platypus in a study involving more
than 100 scientists from eight countries and found that, in accordance
with the animal’s appearance, the platypus genome includes genes derived
from the disparate worlds of reptiles, birds, and mammals.
5. They Nurse Without Nipples.
Although platypuses are born out of leathery eggs, the babies nurse
like mammals from their mother. Female platypuses, however, don’t have
nipples. Instead, the
milk oozes out of mammary gland ducts on their abdomen and babies drink up by sucking it out of their mother’s fur.
6. The Males Have Venomous Spurs.
Platypuses are one of just a few venomous mammals—one of their more
reptilian characteristics. But unlike snakes, a platypus’s venom isn’t
in his teeth. Instead, males have a
hollow spur on each hind leg
from which venom is dispensed—but only sometimes. Although the spur
itself sticks around, the venom gland to which it is connected is
seasonally-activated and only produces venom during the mating season,
indicating that its use is for fending off competing males.
7. They Have Retractable Webbing.
Although they can only stay submerged for a few minutes—they
are
mammals, after all—platypuses are much better suited to scooting around
in water than they are on land. Much like an otter, they prune their
thick coat to add air bubbles that act as insulation in the cool rivers
where they hunt. Out on land, the short, splayed limbs of a platypus
require it to exert
30 percent more energy
to move around as compared to a terrestrial mammal of similar size. All
that said, they do have one particular adaptation to ease their
terrestrial travel. The webbing between their front claws—a boon when
paddling through streams—
retracts when the platypus ambles up the riverbank to expose sharp claws.
8. Scientists Thought The First Known Platypus Was a Hoax.
When the first platypus specimen was sent back to England from
Australia in the late 18th century, the scientists who examined it
thought that someone was playing a trick on them. "It naturally excites
the idea of some deceptive preparation by artificial means,"
English zoologist George Shaw wrote in
the first scientific description of the platypus, published in 1799.
That said, one of the most remarkable and weird aspects of the
platypus—its ability to lay eggs—wasn’t discovered for another 100
years.
9. They Use Gravel As Makeshift Teeth ...
Platypuses don’t have teeth inside their bill, which makes it
difficult to chew some of their favorite foods—but they have worked out a
pretty ingenious solution. Along with worms, insects, shellfish, and
whatever else these bottom-feeders scoop up to make a meal out of, the
platypus also picks up gravel from the riverbed. The platypus packs the
whole lot into pouches in his cheek to carry it up to the surface where
he munches away, using the bits of gravel as makeshift teeth to break up
some of the tougher food.
10. ... And Their Tails For All Sorts of Things.
Unlike beavers, which have very visually similar tails, platypuses
don't use their tails to slap the water in warning, or even to propel
them through the water. Most of the time,
the primary function
of the platypus tail is just to store up to half of the animal's body
fat in case of a food shortage. The bristle-like fur on the upper side
of the tail also makes it useful in pushing away dirt while digging a
burrow or gathering leaves to make a nest. A female platypus also uses
her tail to hold incubating eggs against her warm body.
