![]() Being struck by a platypus’s spurs is no pleasant thing. The platypus has spurs on its hind feet, and for males, the spurs are loaded with venom. This little creature reminded me of a beaver as he swam around in the water.īut as cute and cuddly as the duck-billed platypus appears to be, I came to learn (not by experience but by listening to the zookeeper) that you don’t want to mess with this egg-laying mammal. They are mainly solitary creatures.I wouldn’t classify it as a bucket-list experience, but it was off-the-charts cool to see a duck-billed platypus up close a few years ago when my wife and I visited Tasmania. Platypuses may disappear in some areas due to predators. you notice that Platypus come and go from an area.spraying insecticides near rivers where they kill off food sources for Platypuses.using fishing nets or yabby traps in areas where Platypuses live.using chemicals and pesticides in your garden, as the run off caused by rains can enter waterways and badly affect native animals by causing algal blooms.tread carefully and be very quiet if you want to spot a Platypus during the early morning or late afternoon.fence off creek banks so livestock don’t damage them.protect Platypus habitats by revegetating eroded creek banks with suitable locally native plants – check with your local council or native nursery to find out which plants would be best for your area.leave burrows alone as the Platypus may be incubating eggs which are very fragile.Pollution – including detergents, fertilizers, pesticides and rubbish in their water. Poor habitats – where stream banks have been eroded and degraded, particularly by livestock. Predators – including foxes, cats and dogs. Somewhere to hide – such as around large woody debris like logs. Vegetation – such as plenty of water plants and plants overhanging the stream banks.Ĭleanliness – in the form of good water quality. Slow flowing water – such as in a series of pools and riffles.Ī bit of depth – including pools up to 1 to 2m deep, but no deeper than 5 m, with little sand accumulation. ![]() Keep your dogs on a leash if walking them near Platypus habitat.Clean up streams by removing broken bottles and rubbish.Plant native plants along the stream bank, it will protect the banks and provide areas to live.Don’t disturb Platypuses if you see them.Don’t use yabby traps to catch yabbies in freshwater streams.Platypuses are shy creatures and this is how you can protect them in your very own neighbourhood: If you sit quietly on a creek bank early in the morning or late afternoon you might just see one. They might live right under your nose in a creek or stream near you. They feed early in the morning or late in the afternoon, foraging in the creek-bed for their food. Occasionally Platypuses eat insects that fall into the water. Platypuses eat yabbies, fish, worms, water bugs and sometimes small frogs that live in the creeks and streams. Burrows can be hard to find as the entrances are often underwater or covered by overhanging stream bank vegetation. Platypuses dig two burrows a nesting and a resting burrow. The spur contains a poison that the Platypus uses to defend his territory from other males and enemies. Male Platypuses have a poisonous spur on the inside of their hind legs. An adult Platypus can be from 45 cm up to 60 cm in length and can weigh up to 2.7 kg. The Platypus is brown in colour and quite small. Platypuses are one of two animals in the world that are known as monotremes. This name comes from the Greek words platys meaning ‘broad and pous meaning ‘foot’. The Platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus) also known as the duck billed Platypus is an aquatic mammal. Platypuses are one of two animals in the world that are known as monotremes. ![]()
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