Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Duck-Billed Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)


Duck-Billed Platypus

This is one of the peculiar animal. It looks like a combination of domesticated pets, a duck and an otter. This looks cute in its appearance but dangerous. The reason is the Duck-Billed Platypus has sharp spurs on its hindmost legs that it uses to inject venom. The venom rarely proves fatal to a person unless an allergic reaction is caused however it is agonizingly hurting.


Description:

It has a flat, streamlined body. They have a muzzle shaped like the bill of a duck, webbed feet, and a tail like the beaver. The bill is not much hard like a bird. That is an elongated muzzle enclosed with a fibrous skin. The platypus is primarily nocturnal.




Color:
The bills as well as the feet of a platypus are black and the fur is normally in dark brown color.

Feeding:
For food Platypus use to dive underwater for up to 1.5 minutes and search for food. It stores the in cheek pouches. While on surfacing it eats it, when searching for its food, the platypus is relying solely on its electrically sensitive bill to find food. The platypus eats insect larvae as well as freshwater shrimp, bivalve mollusks, frogs and fish eggs.



Swimming:
It is a strong swimmer but even not very fast. It swims by alternating movements of its front feet only. When it comes out of the water, the webbing folds between its toes. The tail of it ,is used to store fat.

Habitat:

Eastern Australia (freshwater streams and rivers).
Platypus lives in burrows that they dig along the banks of streams and rivers that they use as a food source.


Predators:
Hawks, eagles, owls, crocodiles, water-rats, pythons, goannas, foxes, dogs, and cats .


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