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SPECIES PROFILE

Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

Ornithorhynchus

IUCN STATUS

Near Threatened

Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) — Eastern Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and parts of South Australia

CONSERVATION STATUS

Near Threatened

CLASS

Mammalia

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE

Eastern Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and parts of South Australia

DIET

Carnivorous

HABITAT

Freshwater rivers and streams with banks for burrowing

🔬 Classification

PHYLUM

Chordata

CLASS

Mammalia

ORDER

Monotremata

FAMILY

Ornithorhynchidae

GENUS

Ornithorhynchus

📋 Description

SIZE

Males up to 50 cm long, including the tail; females slightly smaller. Males can weigh up to 2.7 kg, females less

COLORATION

Dark brown fur with a lighter underbelly; males have venomous spurs on hind legs

ADAPTATIONS

Bill for electroreception to locate prey, webbed feet, and a beaver-like tail

🌿 Ecology

HABITAT

Freshwater rivers and streams with banks for burrowing

DIET

Carnivorous

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Eastern Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and parts of South Australia

REPRODUCTION

Lays eggs (ovo-viviparous), with a gestation period of about 21 days; young hatch after 10 days and are fed with milk secreted from skin patches

DIET DETAILS

Feeds on aquatic insects, larvae, crustaceans, and small fish

⚠️ Threats & Conservation

PRIMARY THREATS

Habitat destruction, pollution, loss of river health, and predation by introduced species like foxes

💡 Interesting Facts

1

Electroreceptive Divers: Platypuses use electroreception in Yarra River, detecting 50 shrimp daily with their bills, diving 30 seconds in 50 cm bodies. Their 100,000 population faces pollution, with 20% of rivers degraded, though protected parks aid survival.

2

Venomous Monotremes: Males’ venomous spurs deliver painful stings in Eungella’s streams, their egg-laying unique among mammals in Manning River. Conservation restores 100 km of riverbanks yearly, ensuring their role as insect predators, with females laying 10 eggs over a lifetime.

🔭 Sighting Guide

📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT

Yarra River in Victoria near Warburton and Healesville has quiet stretches for platypus sightings at dawn or dusk

Eungella National Park in Queensland near Mackay features Broken River for platypus sightings

Manning River in New South Wales has upper reaches near Wingham and Barrington Tops for platypus sightings

🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT

April-October. Cooler months make platypuses more active in rivers for foraging.

🎯 SIGHTING TIPS

Visit quiet riverbanks at dawn to spot platypuses swimming.