The platypus lives in burrows beside river systems throughout Australia’s east coast and is easily one of the weirdest animals on the planet. Here are 4 interesting facts about the platypus we bet you didn't know!
Real Or Fake?
The platypus has a duckbill, a beaver’s tail, webbed feet, and digging claws. It sounds like an animal created in a child’s imagination. Its anatomy is so odd, that when it was first discovered in the late 1700s it was considered to be a fake!
It Is Poisonous
While the platypus may look cute, it’s actually regarded as one of Australia’s most venomous mammals. The platypus has lethal ankle spurs that secrete a protective poison. If a male platypus feels threatened, he can use these to stun or kill any potential threat. Females are born with ankle spurs as well, although they do not release venom. Luckily, the platypus' venom is not fatal to humans.
Egg-Ceptional
The female platypus is an unusual egg-laying mammal known as a monotreme. The female will go back to her burrow to lay the tiny eggs, which will hatch in about ten days. Because the female has no nipples, her offspring will nurse from the fur on her stomach.
Omni-breather
While the platypus can breathe oxygen, it prefers to spend most of its time in the water. Its' diet exists of insects, lava, shrimp, and other small aquatic animals.