You might be surprised, but these animals are venomous: astonishing facts about platypuses.

This animal is unusual in every aspect: even the name "platypus" seems rather peculiar. When Europeans first heard the astonishing news about this recently discovered creature, most likely, many thought it was just a joke. Even when the platypus was physically demonstrated to people, many wondered if someone had stitched together various parts of other animals as a prank. However, the odd appearance of this fauna representative, with its almost bird-like bill, is just the beginning of its peculiarities.

The platypus is not just a strange creature; it is, in fact, quite an intimidating one. It lays eggs, uses venom when threatened, can dig holes with its spurred paws, and steers underwater with its tail like a beaver. And yes – there are no teeth inside its soft bill! Platypuses are native to Australia and are also a symbol of the country: you can find this little creature on the reverse side of a 20-cent coin.

The first genuine encounter with this extraordinary representative of the animal kingdom occurred by the end of the 18th century. English scientists, who were the first to see the hide of this unknown creature, long believed it to be a result of taxidermy – at that time, exhibitions of curiosities were already gaining traction. But even after confirming that they were facing a real creature, a perfectly logical question arose: to which class of animals does the platypus belong?

And rightly so. This animal simultaneously possesses traits of birds (it has a cloaca and incubates its eggs), reptiles (its secret weapon is venom), and mammals (it feeds its young with milk). Due to its atypical appearance, the creature received the scientific name "ornithorhynchus," while in popular culture, it is nicknamed the "water mole." It took zoologists 30 years to agree on which animals the platypus belongs to.

So, is the platypus a bird or an animal? Today, the research community classifies this species as a member of the class of mammals. It has a small body and an elongated head. Fat reserves are "stored" in its tail. The webbed feet have membranes that spread out while swimming. The platypus can retract these membranes to switch to digging. The front limbs are significantly stronger – these are the limbs the mammal uses for swimming.

The hind limbs serve as a rudder. Although the platypus is classified as a mammal, it walks like reptiles, spreading its legs out to the sides of its body. The animal's main feature – its bill – is not found in any other members of this class. Unlike a bird's bill, the platypus's bill is soft and covered in skin. It has so many nerve endings that the creature can sense not only smells but also the electric fields of nearby living entities.

This ability aids it in underwater hunting, where it does not rely on sight or hearing at all. The platypus grinds its captured food between special plates, as the milk teeth of the young wear down quite quickly. By the way, the platypus is a venomous animal. The venom is found in the spurs located on the hind limbs. Only males use these during the breeding season to scare off competitors. Female platypuses lose these venomous spurs at sexual maturity at one year of age.

In Australia, platypuses can kill a wild dingo or another small creature. The venom is not dangerous to humans but is extremely painful. Swelling can persist for several months. Sometimes, even strong painkillers cannot alleviate the pain – some doctors resort to peripheral nerve neuropathy, which involves injecting medication directly into the bundle of nerve fibers.

Moreover, the platypus is the only creature that secretes milk through its skin. What other animal has such features? These creatures do not have nipples, and milk is released through special pores on the abdomen. It runs down the fur and collects in special depressions, from which the young platypus licks it up. Meanwhile, the young hatch from eggs, much like chicks, and live in nests for about six months after birth.

Males of the platypus are relatively large mammals of the monotreme order:

Females of the platypus are much smaller:

The platypus is a group of animals that inhabit Tasmania, Eastern Australia, and Kangaroo Island in the southern region. These mammals also occupy the Australian plains and the mountainous areas of the Alps. The primary condition is warm river water, between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius. This is because platypuses have an extremely low metabolic rate. Their body temperature is only 32 degrees, which they can maintain underwater for a couple of hours.

Discovered skeletal parts of the platypus's ancestor were found in South America – likely, the animals were forced to migrate due to severe pollution of water bodies and changes in water temperature. The fragmented habitat of platypuses is linked to their shyness and sensitivity to any natural changes, even the most minor.

For instance, they can be displaced by rabbits digging burrows too close to platypus nests. Australians have created special reserves with a system of shelters to restore the population of these animals. However, the platypus has not managed to adapt to life in zoos; the record for such a relocation is just over a month.

Surprisingly, the platypus is a nocturnal creature that is also not easy to spot. Their lifespan ranges from 10 to 15 years. They settle near small bodies of water: rivers or ponds, where the water temperature is at least 25 degrees. Their homes are burrows – they can reach ten meters in length and have two branches. One entrance is underwater, allowing the platypus to swim out and hunt immediately, while the other is hidden in low vegetation or positioned close to the root system of a tree.

Platypuses are mammals that carve narrow tunnels with their powerful claws. When the creature returns home from hunting, liquid from its fur is squeezed out when it comes into contact with the narrow walls of the tunnel. Platypuses are not known to live in family groups, so when the offspring grow up, they prefer to remain alone in their burrow.

The platypus belongs to the group of animals that forage for food both in water and on land. Their bill acts as a locator, with electroreceptors detecting the movements of frogs or crustaceans. They easily extract the latter from beneath rocks using their duck-like bill. The diet of platypuses includes:

They spend a significant portion of their lives sleeping – up to 14 hours a day. The platypus sometimes enters a state of torpor, which can last up to two weeks. This behavior is typical for individuals before the breeding season. They gather strength and restore energy: the low metabolic rate forces platypuses to spend most of their lives in a semi-sleeping state.

The platypus does not process its catch