
03/03/2025
With a duck-like bill, beaver-like tail, and the ability to lay eggs, the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) has… a lot going on. This mammal can be found in Australia, where it inhabits freshwater systems like rivers, creeks, and ponds. It can spend 12 hours a day in the water hunting for food. What’s on the menu? Insects, shellfish, and worms.
The platypus is one of the world’s only monotremes, a mammal that lays eggs and nurses its young. But avoid the urge to get too close—this critter is also venomous! Hollow spurs on the hind legs of male platypuses connect to a venom-secreting gland in their bodies. Its venom contains more than 80 different toxins. Though it isn’t fatal for humans, it can induce excruciating pain.
Photo: Dr. Philip Bethge, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons