Facts about Platypus: Information on Platypus Habitat

Australian Platypus:

The platypus is a duck-billed, egg-laying, venomous mammal. With the tail of a beaver and the feet of an otter, this creature has always baffled and intrigued naturalists. The venom of the mammal lies in a spur on the hind foot. The venom has the ability to cause severe pain and swelling. Today, the mammal is an important part of evolutionary biology and an Australian icon. It not only appears as a mascot, alongside other Australian animals, at a number of national events, but is also flaunted on the Australian 20 cent coin. The mammal was extensively hunted, in the early 20th century, for its fur; but it is now recognized as an endangered species and protected throughout Australia. The mammal is being preserved via dedicated breeding programs. It is highly vulnerable to increase in pollution levels.

What Do Platypus Eat?

The platypus displays a sense of electroreception. They detect their prey via electric fields that are generated around muscular contractions. The electroreceptors in the rostro-caudal rows within the bill and the mechanoreceptors are uniformly distributed. These receptors create a somatotopic map of varying signal strength, depending on the distance at which the prey is. Platypus feeds by digging into the stream beds for annelid worms and insect larvae. It also feeds on freshwater shrimps, and crayfish. The prey is kept within the cheek-pouches till the mammal reaches a 'feeding surface'. Platypus' eat up to 20% of their own body weight each day.

Information on Platypus Habitat:

The Platypus inhabits streams and rivers. It is sighted within the highlands of Tasmania, the Australian Alps, Queensland's tropical rainforests and as far north of the region, as Cape York Peninsula. Extinction in South Australia and the Murray-Darling Basin has been attributed to declining quality of water, increased environmental pollutants, extensive deforestation and random irrigation schemes. Platypus population is threatened by natural predators like goannas, snakes, owls, hawks, eagles, crocodiles and red foxes.

Adaptations:

The males are usually larger than the females; however, there is a variation in average size that has been observed between regions. Other than the region, they are also known to differ in size due to environmental factors such as human encroachment and a gradual adaptation to deteriorating environmental conditions. Today, the baby platypus' are born with three-cusped molars. They lose these during the transition, immediately after leaving the burrow. Research reveals that adults have keratinised pads within the jaw. Its movements are more reptilian, with legs on the sides of the body.

Platypus Facts:

• The platypus has a body and tail that are covered with brown fur. This dense coat protects the animal from extreme cold, by trapping insulated air. The main function of the tail is to store fat reserves, just like the Tasmanian Devil and many species of fat-tailed sheep. It has duck-like webbed feet and a rubbery snout. The feet are deigned to swim when in water and the webs fold backward when the mammal walks on land. Its nostrils are located on the snout, as are the eyes and ears.
  
  
• Male and female platypus have ankle spurs. However, only males produce a venom, comprising mainly defensin-like proteins produced by the immune system. Platypus venom is produced in the crural glands. The venom of the platypus is known to kill smaller animals, including dogs. The venom causes excruciating pain and temporary incapacitation in humans. The development and spread of edema around the wound agitates the condition. Research has attributed the pain to hyperalgesia that is long lasting, extending at times to several months.
  
  
• Platypus procreates in a single breeding season. The species follows a polygynous mating system, between June and October each year. Females mature sexually in their second year. The female, after mating, creates a burrow to safeguard the eggs from tides, predators and to maintain the required humidity and temperature. The burrow is softened with folded leaves as bedding material that can be easily tucked beneath the female's curled tail.
  
  
• The platypus is nocturnal, as well as crepuscular. It is an excellent swimmer and is most distinguished by the absence of visible ears. The species is also endothermic. It can maintain a body temperature of approximately 32°C, even in waters that are as cold as 5°C.
  
  
• Platypuses are threatened by fungus Mucor amphibiorum that causes the onslaught of the disease called Mucormycosis. The mammal develops skin lesions on the backs, tails and legs. Death mostly occurs due to secondary infection, since the animal is unable to maintain the required body temperature and feed well.