Platypus Facts: The Animal Scientists Thought Was a Hoax
These platypus facts sound made up, and that's exactly what the first scientists thought. When a specimen reached Britain in the late 1790s, some suspected someone had sewn a duck's bill onto a beaver-like animal. Naturalist George Shaw reportedly took scissors to it to check for stitches.
Quick Facts
- Species: Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
- Group: Monotreme: a mammal that lays eggs
- Where: Eastern Australia, including Tasmania
- Venom: Males have a spur on each hind foot
- Bonus: Its fur glows cyan and green under UV light
A Mammal That Lays Eggs
The platypus is a monotreme, one of very few mammals that lay eggs. After the young hatch, they feed on their mother's milk. But female platypuses have no teats. The milk comes through the skin and the young lap it up.
No Real Stomach
The platypus lacks a functional stomach, because it's missing the genes needed to make the digestive enzymes a stomach uses.
Hunting With Its Eyes Shut
Underwater, a platypus closes its eyes, ears and nostrils. It finds prey using electrolocation, sensing tiny electric fields from animals' muscles with its bill.
Is the Platypus Venomous?
Males are. Each hind foot has a spur that can deliver an extremely painful venom. It isn't known to be deadly to people, but the pain can be severe.
It Glows Under UV Light
In 2020, scientists reported that platypus fur glows cyan and green under ultraviolet light. Nobody is sure why. One idea is that it helps hide them from animals that can see UV light.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the platypus a mammal?
Yes. It's a monotreme, a mammal that lays eggs and feeds its young milk.
Is a platypus venomous?
Males have a venomous spur on each hind foot. The venom is extremely painful but not known to kill people.
Why did scientists think the platypus was fake?
Its duck-like bill on a furry body looked stitched together, and George Shaw reportedly checked the first specimen for stitches.
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Sources
- Wikipedia: Platypus: hoax suspicion, monotremes, no teats, no stomach, venom, electrolocation
- Anich et al. (2020), Mammalia: Biofluorescence in the Platypus: glowing fur
- PBS Nature: Platypus: species background
- Wikipedia: Monotreme: egg-laying mammals
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Cover photo: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.