It is said that God created the platypus from ownerless materials: combined webbed duck legs, cock spurs, beaver tail and otter fur. In a word, the chimera turned out to be glorious.
Of course the platypus lives in Australia, even a 20 cent coin decorates with itself.
When did the platypus appear?
The ancestors of the platypus appeared on the earth about a hundred million years ago - in an era when animals already began to feed the young with milk, but continued to lay eggs from old memory. The body length of the male platypus reaches 70 centimeters, the females are slightly smaller in size. The fur is thick, velvety, silvery brown on top, light underneath. The wide soft beak feels like rubber to the touch: the nose and lips are “made” of such material in other animals.
Platypus lifestyle
Platypuses are nocturnal. They settle in earthen burrows near water bodies: warm flat rivers, mountain streams, lakes and lagoons. Only in salt water never swim. When diving, the eyes and ears of the platypus are closed with special leathery folds, so that the animal sees almost nothing and does not hear. At the same time, it is quite tolerably oriented under water due to the many nerve endings on its beak and the ability to electropole - reading electrical signals coming from the prey. A massive flat tail also helps swim.
What eats a platypus?
With their beaks, the platypuses plow the muddy bottom and catch all kinds of edible little things: worms, crustaceans, snails, tadpoles, even algae.Caught dishes are hidden in special bags behind the cheeks, so that, having emerged to the surface and complacently rumbling, enjoy the meal to the fullest. He eats a platypus a lot: he can eat as much as he weighs per day. Moreover, it collects fat in the tail - for a rainy day. Adult platypus have no teeth, they grind food with horny jaws, and sometimes they use gravel specially deposited in cheek pouches.
The front legs of the platypus are comfortable in every way: the membranes between the fingers serve for swimming, the claws help to dig the ground. Platypuses walk on land, resting on their knuckles, so as not to damage the membranes. The hind legs of the males are equipped with poisonous spurs connected to a special gland on the thigh. During the mating season, this construction produces a dangerous poisonous substance that can kill a small animal, and provide a person with an unpleasant sensation.
Hibernation and reproduction
In August, the platypuses hibernate, after which they expect a time of love. The female prepares a special hole and usually lays two eggs in a soft dull white shell. In a nest enclosed by a clay wall, the female warms future offspring with the warmth of her body. After a couple of weeks, the babies are born, but a few months remain blind and completely helpless. Lying on a bed of leaves, they eat mother's milk, licking it directly from the hair: the female platypus does not have nipples.
Although the enemies of the platypus are few in nature, at the beginning of the 20th century these animals were on the verge of extinction: their luxurious fur became a bait for poachers.Fortunately, today platypus hunting is completely prohibited, and the amazing beast, a miracle of nature and a symbol of Australia, is safe.
