The Aussie Platypus….A what?

Hey Yo!!….From the Fella from Down Unda.

Man this steemit is hard work. First I flop with the Koalas not being bears and then I am botted for copying for the Sydney Harbour Bridge….Well I am learning and eager to push on and survive as a Steemian.....Long way to go yet.

Now......Have you ever heard of an animal called the Platypus? This is a peculiar animal native to the land down under, Australia. The platypus actually belongs to the smallest order of mammals in the whole world. The only other member of this premier club is another Australian animal in the echidna (This will be for another post).

The Platypus is a mammal, the only mammal to lays eggs also known as menotremes. The Platypus is found in Eastern Australia and makes burrows in the banks of rivers and creeks. Semi aquatic in its nature, the Platypus inhabits extended range of weather conditions from cold highlands to Tropical Rainforests. The Platypus extends on the Eastern Coast of Australia from Tasmania, through to Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The Platypus lives to an average age of seventeen years old.

The appearance of the platypus is unique to say the least. The otter footed (and webbed), beaver tailed and duck billed. It is a strange looking creature which makes it so beautiful. (FUN FACT: Did you know that when the Platypus was first discovered at around 1799 that it was judged as a hoax animal with body parts of different animals sewn together).

The Platypus is a carnivore and hunts for the smallest of prey such as insect larvae, tadpoles (baby frogs), fish and shellfish. The Platypus digs out the bed of the river and with its snout and uses its cheeks as pouches to carry prey to the surface where it feeds. The Platypus eats about twenty percent of its body weight each day which is spend by twelve hours hunting on average per day. The Platypus emit a low growl like sound when disturbed. The Platypus swim gracefully as they paddle with their front webbed feet and steer themselves with their hind legs and tail.

The male Platypus possesses a spur located at its hind foot that delivers enough venom (yes venom) to cause excruciating pain to an adult human but not deadly. The Platypus body temperature is around the 32 C (90 F) which is lower than the typical mammal. The female Platypus although possessing the spurs as well cannot deliver venom.

The Australian Platypus is a national symbol which resembles on the face of the twenty cent coin (pictured) in Australia. The Platypus is also the emblem of the state of New South Wales.
Mating for the Platypus occurs between June and October. Females become sexually mature after two years and has a pair of ovaries with only the left one functional. The Platypus lays one – three eggs similar looking to those of reptiles after twenty-eight days inside the female and then once laid are incubating for a ten day period. Once the young have hatched it is up to the mother to care for them as the father leaves after mating for a year-long sleep. New hatchlings are born blind and with no hair at all (Naked like us). Feeding milk to her young is a process where milk is released through the pores of the skin as the Platypus lacks teats.