Platypus

This explains its characteristic side-to-side head movement while hunting. In this way they hunt for prey underwater for 30 to 140 seconds at a time.

The Platypus is one of very few venomous mammals in the world. The spur on the male’s hind foot is connected to a venom-secreting gland. Recent research suggests that the spur is used in aggressive encounters between rival males.

For humans, the venom is non-fatal, but it can cause swelling, loss of muscle control and severe pain.

It’s little wonder that 19th Century European scientists found it difficult to believe the Platypus was real, and thought this half-beaver, half-bird to be an elaborate hoax.

Today the Platypus is celebrated as one of Australia’s most unusual and unique animals – it’s the state animal of New South Wales and proudly represented Australia in the 2000 Olympics as a mascot!

Taxonomically, it’s the only species in the family Ornithorhynchidae.

Like echidnas, platypuses don’t have teeth. Instead, they use a grinding plate to mash the gravel, soil and food slurry, scooped from the riverbed. They can eat an impressive amount of food in a night – up to 20% of their own body weight!

Females breed at 4 years. After burrowing deep into the riverbank, pregnant females lay one or two eggs. Here, curled up in protective chambers, they incubate their eggs between their tail and rump.

Bean-sized babies emerge from the egg after 10 days and are fed milk for about four months.

Platypuses don’t have nipples; instead milk is secreted through pores and licked off the mother’s skin or fur.

By the time the young are weaned off milk they can swim independently. While largely solitary, Platypuses don’t mind sharing their waterbody with other individuals.

They can live to 12 years old in the wild.

Threats to Platypus

Given their dependence on freshwater systems, habitat destruction and waterway pollution threaten this species.

Water extraction, dams and diversions to water flow have a big impact. Water quality and in-stream habitat (such as submerged logs) are critical so degradation of these elements is a threat.

Run-off from pasture (sediments and nutrient load) can degrade Platypus habitat.

Platypuses are eaten by snakes, water rats, birds of prey and occasionally crocodiles. It’s likely that foxes, dingoes and wild dogs kill Platypuses that venture on land. They were once hunted for their fur – pelts are both warm and waterproof.

What Bush Heritage is doing

Sit quietly by the water at our Liffey Valley, ‘Nameless’ Sylvan or Scottsdale reserves and you might spot this shy species. We look after their habitat by maintaining riparian vegetation (which filters run-off into waterways) and in-stream habitat (e.g. fallen logs, deep pools) and by managing stream-bank erosion.

This juvenile was rescued from a sinkhole at Black Rock Gorge, which is a little travelled and pristine section of the upper Murrumbidgee River … part of which forms the Scottsdale Reserve boundary. Unable to climb out, it was swimming ‘round and round’ and by the bedraggled looks of it, might have been there for a while!

On being hauled up, the little platy rested, exhausted in the rescuer’s hands, but to our delight after about 5 minutes started to preen itself. Twenty minutes later, its fur fluffed up like a mink coat on parade, it was larking about amongst the rocks!

Bush Heritage at Scottsdale is a key partner of the Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach (UMDR).