The platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
At the back of the animal hall, there is an extremely curious animal with fur and a beak-shaped snout. The first specimens to arrive in Europe at the end of the 18th century were thought by scientists to be a taxidermist’s joke. It took a long time to discover the interesting biology of these animals in the Australian region.
The platypus is found in eastern Australia and Tasmania. They dig burrows into the banks of small lakes and rivers. The platypus is a mammal, but it features a leathery snout that resembles a duck’s bill. Adults have no teeth and chew their food with their horny lips. They eat crabs, insect larvae and worms, which they dive for in the water.
Another special feature is the males’ poison spur at ankle height on the hind foot. Poison is produced only during the mating season and is not fatal to humans, but it is very painful. The platypus is often termed a “living fossil”. As representatives of the primitive mammals (monotremes), they still lay eggs that are incubated for 10 days. As a hallmark of mammals, the females have mammary glands, but no longer have real teats. Instead, the hatched young lick the milk from a “milk patch”.
In addition to the platypus, a specimen of an Australian short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) can also be seen, which also belongs to the monotremes.
