Platypuses scoop up food from the bottom of rivers and streams, along with bits of gravel and mud. However, they have tough pads in their bills made of keratin that they use to grind up their food. Platypuses are carnivores and bottom feeders that actually do eat crunchy things like shellfish and freshwater crustaceans, as well as worms and larvae. But without teeth, how do adult platypuses eat? As they age and grow into adulthood, platypuses lose their baby teeth. Baby platypuses, on the other hand, are actually born with teeth. More accurately, adult platypuses do not have any teeth. Platypuses Don’t Have Teeth Baby platypuses are born with teeth, but this is probably a leftover trait from their ancient ancestors. The only problem with not having a stomach, is that a platypus doesn’t have anywhere to store food-so it eats ALL DAY LONG! A platypus must consume nearly 30% of its own body weight, and often eats for 12 hours a day. The platypus, however, eats food that breaks down easily enough on its own, so it doesn’t really need a stomach for complex digestion. If you thought sweating milk was strange, what about eating without a stomach? Most animals have stomachs to break down the food they eat and make it easier to digest. Platypuses are mammals called monotremes. A Platypus Doesn’t Have a Stomach A platypus swimming in a Tasmanian creek. In fact, scientists believe that platypus milk could help in producing better antibiotics to fight many superbugs in humans! 3. It might sound a bit gross drinking your mother’s sweat, but platypus milk is surprisingly nutritious and filled with many powerful antibacterial proteins. Platypus babies suck the milk directly from their mother’s skin or from her fur. Essentially, a female platypus “sweats” out milk for her babies to drink. Instead, female platypuses secrete milk from the surface of their skin. I know, we just said that the platypus is a mammal, so it must have nipples or teats, right? Nope-even though they are mammals, platypuses do not have nipples! They still produce and secrete milk from mammary glands like other mammals, just without the nipples. 2. Platypuses Don’t Have Nipples Platypus babies drink milk directly from their mother’s hair and skin. When the baby platypuses hatch, they are much smaller than their mother-the adorably tiny babies are only as big as a lima bean! Platypus babies are completely helpless and must depend on their mother for several months until they can safely swim on their own. She holds her eggs close to her stomach with her large tail to keep them warm. A female typically lays only 1-3 eggs at a time and incubates them herself. They are still warm-blooded, but their core body temperature is slightly colder than other mammals.Īfter mating, a female platypus digs a burrow in the ground and lines it with leaves and packed soil. That’s right: it’s a mammal, but it lays eggs! Along with echidnas, platypuses are monotremes, a peculiar type of mammal that lays eggs. Our first incredible platypus fact is that the platypus is one of the only living species of mammals that lays eggs. Platypuses share a common skeletal structure with other mammals. Platypuses are Mammals that Lay Eggs Ornithorhynchus anatinus, a Platypus endemic of Australia. So, what is this extraordinary creature from down under? Here are some incredible facts about the platypus! 1. Unless you live in Australia, however, chances are you have never seen a platypus before. As bizarre as it may look, however, this unique animal is definitely real. With a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver, fur like an otter, reptilian-like stingers, and webbed feet with sharp claws, the platypus certainly does resemble a mythological chimera. It’s hard to blame their initial skepticism. Even when a taxidermy platypus was physically displayed in front of them, many well-respected scientists wondered if someone had just stitched various pieces of other animals together as a hoax. When Europeans first heard the startling news of a newly discovered creature called the “platypus,” most of them thought it was just a joke. What on earth is a Platypus? Even its name seems strange, though not nearly as strange as the animal it belongs to. ↓ Continue Reading To See This Amazing Video
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