The platypus is
probably one of Australia's shyest animals; in disturbed areas this animal
has become nocturnal. Most people are only privileged enough to catch a
brief glimpse of this elusive animal.
 Size:
Head & body length: 370 mm
Tail Length: 130 mm
Weight:
1300 g
Identification:
A ducked bill and
webbed feet make the platypus a very distinctive animal. The males posess
a venemous spur underneath the right hind leg.
Call/Song:
Found
all along the eastern seaboard, but only in areas that have suitable bodies
of fresh water.
Habitat:
Freshwater (and sometimes brackish) streams, some dams and lakes.
Movement:
Active at dawn, dusk and all day if it is overcast.
Feeding:The
bill is used to disturb the creek bed in search of food.
Breeding/Nesting:
Builds a burrow just above water level amongst tree roots. The entrance
is about the size of a hen egg. |
Photo: Queensland DEH
|
Other Common Names: None
Status: Common but vulnerable.
Distribution:
Abundance:
Common
Cayley, N. W. & Strahan, R.(1987)
What
Mammal Is That?, Angus & Robertson Publishers, Australia.
Strahan, R.(ed.) (1983) The Australian
Museum Complete Book of Australian Mammals, Angus & Robertson Publishers,
Australia.
Queensland Museum
(1995) Wildlife of Greater Brisbane, Queensland Museum, Brisbane.
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