Animal of the week!
Hey all and welcome again to Cherry's 17th edition of
"Animal of the week". Here again are a few breif facts on this week's
animal.
This week's animal...The Platypus
The platypus is well known for it's strange looks and it's ability to
lay eggs. It is a mammal that belongs to the mammal family
Ornithorhynchidae.It is one of two animals that form the order
Monotremata (egg-laying mammals), the other being Australia's spiny
anteater, the echidna.
It is found in Tasmania and eastern and southern Australia.
The name platypus
is derived from the Greek platys meaning "broad" and pous meaning
"foot," a reference to the animal's webbed feet. The platypus, also
known as the duckbill, watermole, or duckmole, is a shy, reclusive
animal that lives near lakes and streams.
The platypus has a squat body, short splayed legs, webbed
feet, and a flat beaverlike tail. The body is about 14 inches (36
centimeters) long, and the tail is roughly 5 inches (13 centimeters)
in length. The body and tail are covered with a soft, dense layer of
fur that varies in color from yellowish to dark brown. The adult male
is slightly larger than the female.
The male platypus has hollow spurs (located in it's claws) connected to
venom glands on the ankle of each hind leg. The poison, while not fatal
to humans, can be quite painful. The spurs are used in combat when
males fight to protect their territory and to determine which of them
will mate with the females.
The platypus is an excellent
swimmer and diver and is able to stay submerged for up to five minutes.
The eyes and openings to the inner ears lie on each side of the head
in a furrow that can be closed when the platypus is under water. Since
there are no external ears, the animal can neither see nor hear when
submerged. It must depend on its rubbery, sensitive snout to uncover
insects, worms, and shellfish in the muddy bottoms of lakes or streams.
The breeding season is from July to October.
The female digs a burrow deep into the
bank and builds a nest in which to lay from one to three white,
soft-shelled eggs. After an incubation period of about ten to 12 days,
the young are born blind and hairless. The female has
no nipples; instead, milk oozes through slits in her abdomen where it
is licked up by the young. Weaning occurs about four months after
hatching. The young platypus matures at about 2 1/2 years and has a
life span of ten years or more.
The platypus's only natural enemies
are large fish and, perhaps, snakes. At one time, the animal was
hunted for its rich pelt, but it is now protected by law.
from Compton's Concise Encyclopedia
Copyright (c) 1995 Compton's NewMedia, Inc.
