![]() But that changes when mating season comes along. Platypus tend to be shy and mainly nocturnal and are primarily interested in hunting the river bottom for shrimp, crayfish, and insect larvae. If a person makes a male platypus feel threatened, particularly during mating season, the p latypus can be dangerous and may produce his secret weapon and viciously drive his spurs into his provoker. Ancient platypus fossils suggest that ancestors of modern-day platypuses may have been approximately twice as big in comparison. Platypus that live in colder climates tend to be larger than those that live in warmer climates. Female adult platypuses tend to be smaller than males, averaging approximately 17 inches in length. Importantly, they are one of the few mammals that are able to deliver poisonous venom when feeling threatened or battling with another male platypus when seeking a mate.Ī male adult platypus is on average 20 inches long, including their approximately 5-inch tail, and about 3 pounds. ![]() Although female monotremes do not have nipples, they produce milk for their young that is released through pores in the skin.Īs noted above, platypus have flat bills, webbed feet, paddle-like tails, and slick, glossy, furry bodies. Known as puggles, baby platypus that are born from eggs also suckle their mother following their hatching. Rather, they lay eggs as did their amniote ancestors-vertebrates that underwent embryonic development within the innermost membrane (called an amnion), including reptiles, birds, and some mammals. Platypus are endemic to rivers in eastern Australia and are monotremes, meaning that unlike most mammals, they do not give live birth. The venomous barbs can deliver a poison that is thought to be able to kill small animals and produce severe swelling and excruciating pain in humans. The male platypus uses the venom against predators or when competing against other males when seeking mates. Male platypus essentially have a secret weapon: spurs on the back of their hind legs connecting to a gland (known as a crural gland) that secretes venom. Notably, they are one of the few mammals that are venomous and are also illegal as pets. Can you have a platypus as a pet?Īlthough many may find them cute due to their flat bills and webbed feet reminiscent of ducks, paddle-like tails like beavers, and their glossy, furry bodies as seen in otters, you should not pursue to have a platypus as a pet as they can actually be extremely dangerous animals. In fact, according to the BBC, when a platypus was first brought from Australia to Britain, most who viewed the animal didn’t believe that it was real but that it was actually two animals sewn together. While we're refreshing ourselves with reality, it's worth exploring just how weird these creatures really are, with a strange attribute that could turn out to be a big deal for human health.Platypus, which are endemic to eastern Australia, are semiaquatic, egg-laying mammals that are intriguing and highly unusual animals with a truly unique appearance. r5ITGfT079- DoggerX, Tarnished Hunter February 16, 2020 They look like a marshmallow flew into a speeding truck and grew a bill. That's a sculpture, this is a real baby platypus. Heck, it hasn't even been that long since the last time the world got fooled by a fake Baby Platypus.įor reference, this is what a real baby platypus looks like: The fact that it went viral is just another reminder of how easily mistruths, hoaxes, and distortions can spread on social media. Nonetheless, misinterpreted it was, as the little idol rippled across the internet. "What I actually had in mind was an invented fantasy species of 'stone platypus', I never considered how it might be misinterpreted." "The description of the piece on my ArtStation post clearly says, it's just the title that turned out to be misleading – 'Stone Platypus Baby'," Matić-Kuriljov told IFLScience. ![]() In addition to lots of exceptional paintings, Matić-Kuriljov also enjoys sculpting with a plastic-like material - the polymer clay Super Sculpey. You can also check out the artist's rather adorable Baby Walrus, although the artist himself acknowledges that Baby Platypus is "probably the cutest thing I ever made". You can view a couple of other images of Baby Platypus here on the ArtStation website, although we still think the original viral photo showcases Baby Platypus's best side. Not by parents, but by human hands.īehold! #BabyPlatypus! /kobPBWIyKb- Jeff Rueckgauer □□ (Blue Check) February 13, 2020Īs many commenters were quick to point out after the image went viral, Baby Platypus is actually a small sculpture made by Serbian fantasy artist Vladimir Matić-Kuriljov. It was never born, and those adorably squinty little eyes do not actually see.īaby Platypus was made. There's only one problem, but unlike Baby Platypus, it's a big one: Baby Platypus isn't alive. ![]()
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