what is platypus?

Answer 1

a strange animal with a duck bill

Answer 2

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia and Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.

The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20-cent coin.

Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.

Answer 3

It's a monotreme, it's a mammal that lays eggs, the platypus and the echidna are the only mammals known to lay eggs. It is indigenous to Australia and is one of the few mammals known to be venomous - the male has a spur in its hind limb that can cause extreme pain to humans and death to smaller animals.

The platypus' full name is the duck-billed platypus as its front end resembles a duck's bill, but it's bill is not hard like a ducks, rather it is a sensory organ.

Answer 4

the platypus is an egg laying mammal, A MONOTREME.
the only other egg laying mammal is the echidna.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platypus

the platypus is native to australia and lives in fresh water .
It needs to breath air so must rise to the top of the water ( ie unlike fish it can not breath in water).

When the platypus are young they have poisoness spurs on their back legs, as the females mature their spurs fall off and the males retain theirs . the reason why they retain the spur is to fight off other males during mating season .

the platypus is an extremely shy animal and many aussies have never seen one in the wild.. Healesville Sanctuary is one place you can see them .
http://www.zoo.org.au/healesville/

when a stuffed platypus was sent back to england ( not long after the europeans came here) people thought that the animal was infact a hoax... the Bill of a duck the tail of a beaver and the body of an Otter were though to have all been sewn together to create the animal


EDIT ...

IT IS ONE OF TWO EGG LAYING MAMMALS .. people keep forgetting about the echidna http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna

Answer 5

The platypus is an aquatic monotreme living in rivers and lakes in eastern Australia. It lays eggs, as do the two echidnas - the short-beaked echidna found all over Australia and the long-beaked found in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Platypuses nest in long burrows with an underwater entrance.

They have a beak which is something similar to a duck's to look at but very different. It is soft and highly sensitive and is used by the platypus to finds its food. It eats insect larvae and crustaceans it finds in stream beds.

They have been successfully bred in captivity.

Answer 6

It is an animal, indigenous to Australia, unique because it is the only mammal that lays eggs. Once the young hatch, they drink milk from the mother. The animal is also characterised by having a duckbill mouth. The body is somewhat similar to a small beaver / otter. The platypus lives on both land and water and feeds on a variety of aqautic organisms and insects.

Answer 7

Platypus and Echidina are classified as Prototherians(monotremata). They are the earliest Mammals evolved from reptilia like ancestors. They provide strong evolutionary evidance that early Mammals have evolved from reptilia-----as they have retained some reptilian characters like oviparity etc. So, they have mixture of reptilian & mammalian characteristics. Evolutionarists have benefitted with this animal in tracing down the evolution of early mammals and also with its biogeographical distribution.

Answer 8

a platypus is a mammal which lives in water..

it is duck- billed, meaning its bill is the same as the duck's..

its body is covered with hair..

it is found only in Australia...

Answer 9

platypus is the only mamal that lays eggs.it has both bird like and mammilian features.this animal is the evolutin link between birds and mammals.

Answer 10

it is an Australian mammal it has a flat tail like a beaver and a ducks bill it lays eggs but feeds milk to it's young and can live in water and land, it has short brown fur.