| Scientific Name : |
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Ornithorhynchus anatinus |
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| Common Name : |
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Platypus |
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| Description : |
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One of the most unusual of all mammals, the platypus grows to about 500mm. The body is coated with thick velvety brown fur on the upper parts, greyish on the undersurface. The tail is broad and flattened (somewhat like a beaver's). The jaws extend in a leathery beak, shaped like a duck's bill, with the nostrils towars the outer end. The eye is in a deep furrow in the head and there is no visible ear. The feet are strongly adapted for swimming, with webbing between the toes on all 4 feet. The adult male has a poison spur on the ankle of the hind feet. The female lays 1 to 3 eggs in a deep burrow, which hatch after about 10 days. |
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| Habitat : |
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Freshwater lakes and dams, creeks and rivers. |
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| Distribution : |
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The east coast of Australia from northern Queensland to the extreme south-east of South Australia and Tasmania. In Victoria, mostly in the southern half of the state, but also found along the Murray. Not easily seen in the Park, but there have been numerous sightings over the years in Billys Creek. |
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| Family : |
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Ornithorhynchidae |
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