Platypus Conservation status: Lower risk
Platypus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Monotremata Family: Ornithorhynchidae Genus: Ornithorhynchus Species: O. anatinus
Binomial name
Ornithorhynchus anatinus Shaw, 1799

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a small, semi-aquatic mammal endemic to the eastern part of Australia, and one of the four extant monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young (the other three are echidnas). It is the sole representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of fossilised relatives have been found, some of them also in the Ornithorhynchus genus. The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria Acoelomorpha Orthonectida Rhombozoa Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia    Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Families Kollikodontidae (extinct) Ornithorhynchidae - Platypus Tachyglossidae - Echidnas Steropodontidae (extinct) Monotremes are mammals that are best known for laying eggs, instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials and placental mammals (Eutheria). ... Genera Obdurodon (extinct) Ornithorhynchus Ornithorhyncidae is one of two families in the order Monotremata, and contains all species of platypus. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... George Kearsley Shaw. ... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... This article is about the ecological meaning of endemic. See also endemic (epidemiology). ... Families Kollikodontidae (extinct) Ornithorhynchidae - Platypus Tachyglossidae - Echidnas Steropodontidae (extinct) Monotremes (< monos, single + trema, hole; refers to the cloaca) are mammals that are best known for laying eggs, instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials and placental mammals (Eutheria). ... An average Whooping Crane egg is 102 mm long, and weighs 208 grams A baby tortoise emerges from a reptile egg. ... An echidna is any of several Australasian monotremes. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... Families Kollikodontidae (extinct) Ornithorhynchidae - Platypus Tachyglossidae - Echidnas Steropodontidae (extinct) Monotremes (< monos, single + trema, hole; refers to the cloaca) are mammals that are best known for laying eggs, instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials and placental mammals (Eutheria). ...

Especially in the northern hemisphere, the platypus is considered one of the strangest specimens of the animal kingdom: a venomous, egg-laying, duck-billed mammal. The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planets surface (or celestial sphere) that is north of the equator. ...

Physiology and anatomy

The platypus' metabolic rate is remarkably low compared to other mammals, with a body temperature averaging 32°C (90°F) rather than the 38°C (100.4°F) typical of placental mammals. The extent to which this is a characteristic of monotremes, as opposed to an adaptation on the part of the small number of surviving species to harsh environmental conditions, is uncertain. Santorio Santorio (1561-1636) in his steelyard balance, from Ars de statica medecina, first published 1614 Metabolism (from μεταβολισμος(metavallo), the Greek word for change), in the most general sense, is the ingestion and breakdown of complex compounds, coupled with the liberation of energy, and the consequent generation of waste... The degree Celsius (°C) is a unit of temperature named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius (1701–1744), who first proposed a similar system in 1742. ... Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after the German physicist Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736), who proposed it in 1724. ... Orders Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia Xenarthra Dermoptera: Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Placentalia and Eutheria are terms used to describe major groupings within the animal class of Mammalia. ...

The body and the broad, flat tail of the platypus are covered with brown fur. It has webbed feet and a large, rubbery snout that are more reminiscent of a duck's features than those of any known mammal. For alternative meanings, see Fur (disambiguation). ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Merginae Drake Mallard Duck is the common name for a number of types of bird in the family Anatidae. ...

Weight varies considerably between less than a kilogram (two pounds) and over two kilograms (just under four and one half pounds); with body length ranging from 30 to 40 cm (nearly 1' to 1'3[[inch|"]), and tail length from 10 to 15 cm (4" to 6") for males and 8 to 13 cm (3" to 5") for females. Males are around one-third larger than females. There is substantial variation in average size from one region to another, though oddly this pattern does not seem to follow any particular climatic rule. The international prototype, made of platinum-iridium, which is kept at the BIPM under conditions specified by the 1st CGPM in 1889. ... Officially the pound is the name for at least three different units of mass: The pound (avoirdupois). ... A centimetre (American spelling: centimeter, symbol: cm) is an SI unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ...

Modern platypus young have tribosphenic (three-cusped) molars, which are one of the hallmarks of mammals; adults are toothless. The platypus jaw is constructed somewhat differently from that of other mammals, and the jaw opening muscle is different. As in all true mammals, the tiny bones that conduct sound to the inner ear are fully incorporated into the skull, rather than lying in the jaw as in cynodonts and other pre-mammalian synapsids. However, the external opening of the ear still lies at the base of the jaw. The platypus has extra bones in the shoulder girdle, including an interclavicle, which is not found in other mammals. It also has a reptile-like gait, with legs that are on the sides of rather than underneath the body. The molar design that is considered one of the most important characteristics of mammals is a three-cusped shape called a tribosphenic molar. ... Molar 47 (left), molar 46 and premolar 45(right) Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. ... For other uses of the word jaws, see jaws (disambiguation). ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle is a contractile form of tissue. ... For an alternative meaning, see ear (botany). ... A Hippopotamuss skull A skull, or cranium, is a bony structure of vertebrates which serves as the general framework for a head. ... Cynodonta is the order that contains the most mammal-like of the non-mammalian therapsids, which are sometimes termed mammal-like reptiles. The most derived cynodonts are found within a taxon called Eucynodontia, which also contains the members of Mammalia. ... Groups Caseasauria Eupelycosauria    Sphenacodontia       Therapsida          (...mammals) Synapsids (fused arch), formerly known as mammal-like reptiles, are a group of amniotes (reptiles and all their ancestors) that developed one hole in their skull (temporal fenestra) behind each eye, about 320 million years ago (Ma) during the late Carboniferous. ... Orders  Crocodylia - Crocodilians  Rhynchocephalia - Tuataras  Squamata   Suborder Sauria - Lizards   Suborder Serpentes - Snakes Testudines - Turtles Superorder Dinosauria  Saurischia  Ornithischia The reptiles are a group of vertebrate animals. ...

The male platypus has venomous ankle spurs, used in vicious territorial battles and fights over mates. The poison is not lethal to humans but produces excruciating pain and swelling that may last for several months. The venom can be lethal to dogs and smaller domestic animals. Venom - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... According to the International Society for the Study of Pain, there are two different terms: pain and nociception. ... Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the innate cascade. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog is a canine carnivorous mammal that has been domesticated for at least 14,000 years and perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent evidence. ... This is a list of animals that have been domesticated by humans. ...

The male platypus reproductive structure is much like that of other mammals. One exception is that their testicles are inside their body, near their kidneys.

The female reproductive system, on the other hand, differs from other placental mammals. Their paired ovaries resemble those of birds and reptiles. Although the platypus has two separate ovaries, only the left one is functional. The other is primitive and underdeveloped, and does not produce eggs.

Reproduction

Courtship The platypus’ behavior before mating is complex but relatively undocumented. The breeding season is in the late winter to early spring, which in Australia is August to November. A male will mate with any number of females during this time, for the platypus does not form life-long mates. Few platypuses have been seen mating, but courtship has been recorded to involve the male chasing and circling the female and biting her tail. Platypus are usually solitary animals, but during courtship, bodily contact between the pair is increased. During mating, the male curls his tail beneath the female, and lays his chest on the female’s back. There have been about five different recorded courtship methods. The first involves the male resting on the water, and the female swimming over to him and resting her muzzle on his. The second included the female swimming to the male and rubbing his side. The third recorded the female swimming beneath the male upside down, while rubbing his abdomen. The fourth documented the female swimming underneath the male and surfacing behind him. Finally, the fifth recorded instance included the female and male circling one another in tight circles. Development/Gestation Platypuses lay small, leathery eggs similar to those of reptiles, which are slightly rounder than bird eggs. Females usually lay two eggs at a time, but sometimes they lay one egg or three, which are about 1and 1/7 cm in diameter. The incubation period is separated into three parts . In the first, the embryo has no functional organs and relies on the yolk sac for respiration. During the second, the fingers and toes appear, and in the last, the egg tooth appears.

Parental Investment Outside the mating season , platypuses live in simple burrows in the ground. After mating, though, the female constructs a deeper, more elaborate burrow, while the male takes no part in caring for its young, and retreats to its yearlong burrow. The new nesting burrow that females dig may be as long as 85 feet. The burrow’s entrance is about one foot above the water. The female softens the ground in the burrow with dead, folded, wet leaves. After the eggs hatch, the mother only leaves the burrow for short periods of time to feed and wet her fur. When the mother leaves her young, she plugs the entrance with soil to protect her offspring. After laying her eggs, the female curls around them The newly hatched platypuses are vulnerable, blind, and nude, and are fed by the mother’s milk. Although she does not have nipples, the milk is released through pores in her abdomen. There are grooves on her abdomen that form pools of milk, allowing the young platypuses to lap up the milk. The offspring are suckled for three to four months after they have hatched. They leave the burrow when they are seventeen weeks old.

Platypus venom

Venom is produced in the crural glands of the male during the breeding season and is aggressively inflicted through a calcaneous spur on each hind limb. Because the venom appears to have a different function from venoms produced by non-mammalian species, it may contain peptides or molecules whose principal effects are non-life threatening but nevertheless may seriously impair the victim. That this could be the case is evident from the symptoms of platypus envenomation. Venom - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Peptides (from the Greek πεπτος, digestable), are the family of molecules formed from the linking, in a defined order, of various amino acids. ... In science, a molecule is the smallest particle of a pure chemical substance that still retains its chemical composition and properties. ...

In humans the most remarkable symptom is immediate and excruciating pain. Edema rapidly develops around the wound and gradually spreads throughout the affected limb. Information obtained from case histories and anecdotal evidence indicates that the pain develops into a long-lasting hyperalgesia that persists for days or even months. Edema ( BE: oedema, formerly known as dropsy) is swelling of any organ or tissue due to accumulation of excess fluid. ... A wound is a physical trauma where the skin is torn, cut or punctured. ... A limb (from the Old English lim) is a jointed appendage of the human or animal body; a large or main branch of a tree; a representative, branch or member of a group or organization. ... Case studies involve a particular method of research. ... Anecdotal evidence is evidence stemming from a single, often unreliable source which is used in an argument as if it had been scientifically or statistically proven. ... Hyperalgesia is an extreme sensitivity to pain, normally caused by damage to nociceptors in the bodys soft tissues. ...

Ecology and behaviour

The platypus is nocturnal and semi-aquatic, inhabiting small streams and rivers over an extensive range from the cold highlands of Tasmania and the Australian Alps to the tropical rainforests of coastal Queensland as far north as the base of the Cape York Peninsula. Inland, its distribution is not well known: it is extinct in South Australia (bar an introduced population on Kangaroo Island) and is no longer found in the main part of the Murray-Darling Basin, probably because of the declining water quality brought about by extensive land clearing and irrigation schemes. Along the coastal river systems, its distribution is unpredictable; it appears to be absent from some relatively healthy rivers, and yet maintains a presence in others that are quite degraded (the lower Maribyrnong, for example). A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... The term aquatic refers to water and can be either a noun or an adjective. ... Running Stream The primary meaning of stream is a body of water, confined within a bed and banks and having a detectable current. ... For the Second World War frigate class, see River class frigate The Murray River in Australia A waterfall on the Ova da Fedoz, Switzerland A river is a large natural waterway. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... The Australian Alps viewed from Mount Buffalo The Australian Alps is a general term for the highest mountain ranges in south-eastern Australia. ... Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical rain forests, are a tropical and subtropical biome. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... Cape York Peninsula, far north Queensland, Australia. ... Motto: United for the Common Wealth Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Governor Premier Const. ... Kangaroo Island is Australias third largest island - after Tasmania and Melville Island. ... Semi-arid grazing country near Burra Creek, South Australia The Murray-Darling Basin drains one-seventh of Australia and is by far the most significant agricultural area on that continent. ... The Maribyrnong River rises about 50 km north of Melbourne Victoria (Australia). ...

The platypus is an excellent swimmer and spends much of its time in the water. When swimming they are distinguished from other Australian mammals by the absence of visible ears. It keeps its eyes tightly shut when swimming, relying completely on its other senses. All four feet of the platypus are webbed. When it swims, it propels itself by paddling with the front two feet. The tail and hind feet assist in steering but not propulsion.

The platypus is a carnivore. It feeds on worms and insect larvae, freshwater shrimps, and yabbies (freshwater crayfish) that it digs out of the riverbed with its snout or catches while swimming. Its bill is very sensitive, allowing it to hunt its food without using sight. It is one of the few mammals known to have a sense of electroception: it locates its prey in part by detecting their body electricity. Its electroception is the most sensitive of any mammal. This is discussed in more detail below. Carnivores are animals that eat a diet consisting mostly of meat. ... A worm is an elongated soft-bodied invertebrate animal. ... A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Superfamilies Alpheoidea Atyoidea Bresilioidea Campylonotoidea Crangonoidea Galatheacaridoidea Nematocarcinoidea Oplophoroidea Palaemonoidea Pandaloidea Pasiphaeoidea Physetocaridoidea Procaridoidea Processoidea Psalidopodoidea Stylodactyloidea True shrimp are small, swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. ... The word crayfish or crawfish can mean:- Sea crayfish, also called spiny lobster. ... Electroreception, sometimes written as electroception, is the biological ability to receive and make use of electrical impulses. ...

When not in the water, the platypus retires to a short, straight burrow of oval cross-section, nearly always in the riverbank not far above water level, and often hidden under a protective tangle of roots. For breeding, the female digs much larger and more elaborate burrows, up to 20 m long and blocked with plugs at intervals. She fills the nest at the end of the tunnel with reeds for bedding material. Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ... The metre (American spelling: meter), symbol: m, is the basic unit of distance (or of length, in the parlance of the physical sciences) in the International System of Units. ...

As a monotreme, the platypus does not give birth to live young but instead lays eggs in its burrow. During the mating season, the female builds a nest of leaves and grass at the end of her burrow, located in the banks of streams. Before laying her eggs, she blocks the entrances to the burrow with dirt. Female platypuses lay one to three eggs at a time. The eggs are retained in the body for some time before they are laid and cared for actively by the parent. When the eggs hatch after an incubation period of roughly ten days, the small hairless babies cling to the mother. Like other mammals, the mother produces milk for the young. The platypus does not have nipples, but excretes the milk through pores in her skin. The young suckle milk off the mother's belly while she lies on her back. The word incubate in the context of birds refers to the development of the chick (embryo) within the egg and the constant temperature required for the development of it over a specific period. ... A glass of milk Milk most often means the nutrient fluid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals. ... ... A pore, in general, is some form of opening, usually very small. ...

Electrolocation in the platypus

In the platypus, electroreceptors are located in rostro-caudal rows in the skin of the bill, while mechanoreceptors are uniformly distributed across the bill. The electrosensory area of the cerebral cortex is contained within the tactile somatosensory area, and some cortical cells receive input from both electroreceptors and mechanoreceptors, suggesting a close association between the tactile and electric senses. The platypus can determine the direction of an electric source, perhaps by comparing differences in signal strength across the sheet of electroreceptors. This would explain the animal's characteristic side-to-side motion of its head while hunting. The cortical convergence of electrosensory and tactile inputs suggests a mechanism for determining the distance of prey items which, when they move, emit both electrical signals and mechanical pressure pulses, which would also allow for computation of distance from the difference in time of arrival of the two signals. In biochemistry, a receptor is a protein on the cell membrane or within the cytoplasm that binds to a specific factor (a ligand), such as a neurotransmitter, hormone, or other substance, and initiates the cellular response to the ligand. ... Location of the Cerebral cortex Slice of the Cerebral cortex, ca. ...

The platypus feeds by digging in the bottom of streams with the bill. In this situation, the electroreceptors could also be used to distinguish animate and inanimate objects in this situation (where the mechanoreceptors would be continuously stimulated). Much of this is speculation, and there is still much to be learned about electroreception in the platypus and its fellow monotreme, the echidna. Species Genus Tachyglossus    T. aculeatus Genus Zaglossus        Z. bruijnii    Z. hacketti (extinct)    Z. robustus (extinct) Echidnas are the only surviving monotremes apart from the Platypus. ...

Field biology of the platypus

The field biology of the platypus was first studied by a number of expatriate biologists who visited the Australian colonies to collect specimens in the 1800s. Their work was followed in the early to mid-1900s by a group of resident natural historians and later by an increasing number of academic biologists. All of these workers contributed significantly to the current understanding of the field biology of this unique Australian species. The platypus occupies much the same general distribution as it did prior to European occupation of Australia, except for its loss from the state of South Australia. However, local changes and fragmentation of distribution due to human modification of its habitat are documented. The species currently inhabits eastern Australia from around Cooktown in the north to Tasmania in the south. Although not found in the west-flowing rivers of northern Queensland, it inhabits the upper reaches of rivers flowing to the west and north of the dividing ranges in the south of the state and in New South Wales and Victoria. Its current and historical abundance, however, is less well known and it has probably declined in numbers, although still being considered as common over most of its current range. The species was extensively hunted for its fur until around the turn of the 20th century. The platypus is mostly nocturnal in its foraging activities, being predominantly an opportunistic carnivore of benthic invertebrates. The species is endothermic, maintaining its low body temperature (32°C), even while foraging for hours in water below 5°C. Its major habitat requirements include both riverine and riparian features which maintain a supply of benthic prey species and consolidated banks into which resting and nesting burrows can be excavated. The species exhibits a single breeding season, with mating occurring in late Winter or Spring and young first emerging into the water after 3-4 months of nurture by the lactating females in the nesting burrows. Natural history observations, mark and recapture studies and preliminary investigations of population genetics indicate the possibility of resident and transient members of populations and suggest a polygynous mating system. Recent field studies have largely confirmed and extended the work of the early biologists and natural historians. A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of organisms. ... Events and Trends Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). ... Events and Trends Technology Lawrence Hargrave makes the first stable wing design for a heavier-than-air aircraft Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first documented flight in a powered heavier-than-air aircraft Mass production of automobile Wide popularity of home phonograph Panama Canal is built by the United... In marine geology and biology, benthos are the organisms and habitats of the sea floor; in freshwater biology they are the organisms and habitats of the bottoms of lakes, rivers, and creeks. ... Endothermic can mean: in chemistry, a type of process that absorbs heat from its surroundings. ... Categories: Geographical term stubs ... Riparian areas or zones are the areas of vegetation directly separating land from water and immediately adjacent land that is frequently inundated, or, in other words, the floodways of streams. ... The word Prey can refer to several things: In biology, the term prey refers to an animal that is sought, captured, and eaten by a predator in an act called predation. ... Reproduction is the creation of one thing as a copy of, product of, or replacement for a similar thing, e. ... In many parts of the world, winter is associated with snow. ... Spring is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... A breastfeeding infant Breastfeeding is the practice of a woman feeding an infant (or sometimes a toddler or a young child) with milk produced from her mammary glands, usually directly from the nipples. ... The term polygyny (Greek: poly many, gynaika woman) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology. ...

Scientific history

A nineteenth-century illustration of a platypus

When the platypus was first discovered by Europeans in the late 1700s, a pelt was sent back to Britain for examination by the scientific community. The British scientists were at first convinced that the seemingly odd collection of physical attributes must be a hoax, produced by some Asian taxidermist. It was thought that somebody had sewn a duck's beak onto the body of a beaver-like animal. Scientists were also divided over whether the female platypus laid eggs, until this was later confirmed in Australia. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Events and Trends The Bonneville Slide blocks the Columbia River near the site of present-day Cascade Locks, Oregon with a land bridge 200 feet high. ... A pelt is the skin of a (generally) wild animal. ... The scientific community consists of the interactions and relationships of scientists. ... A hoax is an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real. ... World map showing location of Asia A satellite composite image of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of the continent of Eurasia, defined by subtracting the European peninsula from Eurasia. ... Taxidermy (Greek for the arrangement of the skin) is the art of mounting or reproducing animals for display or study. ...

Much of the world was introduced to the platypus in 1939 when National Geographic magazine published an article on the platypus and the efforts to study and raise it in captivity. This is a very difficult task, and only a few young have been successfully raised since — notably at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria. 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The National Geographic Society was founded in the USA on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ... Healesville Sanctuary is a zoo specializing in native Australian animals. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Nickname: Garden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ...

Seeing a platypus in the wild is more a matter of luck and of patience than of difficulty. They tend to dislike populated areas, spend almost all their time underground or under water, and are primarily nocturnal. However, they are not especially uncommon, and in suitable areas most keen anglers or birdwatchers see a platypus feeding quietly along a riverbank every year or two. This article is about good and bad fortune. ... Patience is the ability and willingness to wait a long time or to carry out a task that takes a long time, especially one that is by itself not heavy, but boring. ... A Long Island fisherman cleans his nets A fisherman in central Chile A fisherman is a person who engages in the activity of fishing. ... Birding or birdwatching is a hobby concerned with the observation and study of birds (the study proper is termed American origin; birdwatching is (or more correctly, was) the commonly-used word in Great Britain and Ireland and by non-birders in the United States. ...

The platypus was hunted for its fur, but now does not appear to be in immediate danger of extinction. It is variously classified as secure but faces future threat or common but vulnerable, mainly because the species is sensitive to water pollution. In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... Water pollution has many sources and characteristics. ...

The platypus in mammalian evolution

The platypus and other monotremes were very poorly understood for many years, and to this day some of the 19th century myths that grew up around them endure, particularly in the northern hemisphere. It is still sometimes thought, for example, that the monotremes are "inferior" or quasi-reptilian, and that they are the distant ancestor of the "superior" placental mammals. It is now known that modern monotremes are the survivors of an early branching of the mammal tree; a later branching is thought to have led to the marsupial and placental groups. The oldest fossils of monotremes (Teinolophos and Steropodon) are closely related to the modern platypus. A fossil relative of the platypus has been found in Argentina, indicating that monotremes may have reached South America from Australia, while the two continents were joined via Antarctica. In summary, the platypus is one of the closest relatives of ancestral mammals, but not itself a link in the chain of mammalian evolution. It is a branch quite separate from any other known one. Some people think that the platypus is more closely related to marsupials than it is to the spiny anteaters (Tachyglossidae). Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Urban legends are a kind of folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ... The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planets surface (or celestial sphere) that is north of the equator. ... Orders Superorder Ameridelphia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Superorder Australidelphia Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Family Thylacinidae (extinct) Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ... Orders Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia Xenarthra Dermoptera: Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Placentalia and Eutheria are terms used to describe major groupings within the animal class of Mammalia. ... Binomial name Teinolophos trusleri Teinolophos trusleri was a prehistoric monotreme, or egg-laying mammal. ... Binomial name Steropodon galmani Steropodon was a prehistoric monotreme, or egg-laying mammal that lived during the middle Albian era, in the Lower Cretaceous period. ... Charles Darwin, the father of modern evolutionary theory In the life sciences, evolution is a change in the traits of living organisms over generations, including the emergence of new species. ...

Sex chromosomes

In 2004 researchers at the Australian National University discovered the platypus has ten sex chromosomes, compared to two (XY) found in most other mammals. The chromosome system features characteristics found in mammals, but also those found in the WZ system of birds. This news has further pronounced the individuality of platypuses amongst the animal kingdom, and a target for further research into evolutionary links between mammals, birds and reptiles. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Australian National University (ANU), is a university located in Canberra, the national capital of Australia. ... A sex-determination system is a biological system that determines the development of sexual characteristics in an organism. ... Figure 1: Chromosome. ...

Captive breeding

The platypus has proven itself extremely difficult to breed in captivity: Only four successful breeding occasions have been recorded.

The leading person in these efforts was David Fleay who established a platypussary — a simulated stream in a tank — at the Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria and had a successful breeding in 1943. Healesville repeated its successes in 1998 and in 2000 with a similar stream tank. Taronga Zoo in Sydney had success in 2003 with twins being bred. [1] (http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s988946.htm) (In 1972, David Fleay also found a dead baby about 50 days old, presumably bred, at his wildlife park at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, Queensland. [2]  (http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/david_fleay_wildlife_park/50_years_wild/david_fleays_achievements/)) David Howells Fleay (6 January 1907 Ballarat, Victoria _ 7 August 1993) was an Australian naturalist who pioneered the captive breeding of endangered species, and was the first person to captive breed the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). ... Healesville Sanctuary is a zoo specializing in native Australian animals. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Nickname: Garden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Stub | Zoos | Sydney ... Sydneys skyline with the Opera House on the left Sydney is the capital city of the Australian state of New South Wales and Australias largest and oldest city, founded in 1788. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Burleigh Heads is a suburb of the Gold Coast. ... Glitz and palm trees The Gold Coast is a coastal region approximately 70 kilometres south of Brisbane, Australia that, over the past 50 years, has coalesced from a collection of scattered villages into a city of approximately 480,000 people - currently Australias seventh largest city - and Australias largest... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ...

Name

The scientific name Ornithorhynchus is derived from ορνιθορυνχος (ornithorhynkhos), which literally means "bird nose" in Greek, and anatinus means "duck". The common name is derived from the Greek words platus (flat) and pous (foot), meaning "flat foot" and was originally given to it as a Linnaean genus name, but it was discovered to already belong to the wood-boring ambrosia beetle (genus Platypus). The correct plural of platypus is platypuses (or sometimes platypus) and not platypi, as is sometimes heard. Australian Aborigines call the platypus by many names including mallangong, boondaburra, and tambreet. Early British settlers called it by many names as well, such as watermole, duckbill, and duckmole. The name platypus is often prefixed with the adjective "duck-billed" to form duck-billed platypus, despite there being only one species of platypus. Linnaean taxonomy is a system of classification widely used in the biological sciences. ... See genus (mathematics) for the use of the term in mathematics. ... American beetle, the Ambrosia Beetle, belonging to the family of Scolytidae, which derives its name from its curious cultivation of a succulent fungus, called ambrosia. ... Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ... Settlers are people who have travelled of their own choice, from the land of their birth to live in new lands or colonies. ...

See also

• Australian fauna
• Australian mammals
• Mammal
• Monotreme

Australia is unusual because the animal population evolved largely out of contact with the other continents. ... Australia is unusual because the animal population evolved largely out of contact with the other continents. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Families Kollikodontidae (extinct) Ornithorhynchidae - Platypus Tachyglossidae - Echidnas Steropodontidae (extinct) Monotremes (< monos, single + trema, hole; refers to the cloaca) are mammals that are best known for laying eggs, instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials and placental mammals (Eutheria). ...

References and links

Wikimedia Commons has more media related to:

Ornithorhynchidae

• Burrell, H. The Platypus. Adelaide: Rigby, 1974.
• Griffiths, Mervyn. The Biology of the Monotremes. Academic Press, 1978.
• Strahan, R. The Mammals of Australia. New South Wales: Reed Books, 1995.
• Nature abstract on sex chromosome discovery (http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v432/n7019/abs/nature03021_fs.html)
• Australian Platypus Conservancy Fact File (http://www.totalretail.com/platypus)
• PBS.org (http://www.pbs.org/kratts/world/aust/plat/)
• Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Water, and Environment (http://www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/BHAN-53573T?open)
• Augee, Michael L. Platypus. World Book Encyclopedia. 2001 ed.
• Michael Hutch, Melissa C. McDade, eds. 'Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia; Volume 12. ---- Detroit: Gale, 2004

''''Platypus was also the name of a progressive metal supergroup side-project featuring John Myung (of Dream Theater), Derek Sherinian (former Dream Theater member), Ty Tabor (of King's X), and Rod Morgenstein.en:Platypus File links The following pages link to this file: Abu Dhabi Abraham Lincoln Australia Adolf Hitler Animation Andorra Alaska Anatomy Asia Albert Einstein Asterales Automobile Aircraft Alexander Graham Bell Apple Computer American Civil War Ancient Egypt Asteraceae Alps Arches National Park Aarhus Almond Caesar Augustus Acacia Acropolis Acupuncture Amaranth Alexander... The Wikimedia Commons is (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free images, sound and other multimedia files. ... The cover of Dream Theaters Metropolis, Pt. ... In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe music groups comprising members of great proficiency who had already achieved fame or respect in other groups or as individual artists. ... John Ro Myung is the bassist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. ... Dream Theater: (left to right) John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, James LaBrie, Jordan Rudess and John Myung Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed by three students at the Berklee College of Music in the mid 1980s. ... Derek Sherinian is a keyboardist from Los Angeles, California. ... Dream Theater: (left to right) John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, James LaBrie, Jordan Rudess and John Myung Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed by three students at the Berklee College of Music in the mid 1980s. ... Kings X is a soulful heavy metal band that has its beginnings in 1980 in Springfield, Missouri as The Edge, performing mostly cover tunes in the Missouri bar and club circuit. ...