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The platypus is a monotreme. That is, it is an egg laying mammal. The only other monotremes are echidnas.

Early scientists were amazed at the sight of the platypus. It has a thick covering of waterproof fur. Like many other water animals, the platypus has webbed feet. It also has a broad, flat tail which it uses in the water.

An adult male weighs about 1720 grams while the smaller female weighs in at about 930 grams. One difference between the male and the female of the species is that the male has a poisonous spur at the back of its hind feet.

The platypus is mainly nocturnal. It feeds mainly at night and sleeps in its burrow on the water's edge during the daylight hours.

Breeding season begins in winter (July- September) when the pairs mate. The eggs are born soon after and they hatch after a week or two. The young marsupials live in the burrow and live off their mother's milk for 3-4 months. They emerge from their parents' burrow in late summer.

The bill of a platypus is very interesting. It is quite soft and very sensitive. The bill looks like a duck's bill. When feeding, the platypus has its eyes close. It waves its bill from side to side along the bed of a stream or river. The bill can sense any small electrical activity which might come from a worm, a yabbie or any other small animal.

Platypuses live in lakes, streams and rivers of eastern Australia from Queensland to Tasmania. They eat freshwater crustaceans like yabbies as well as water insects and other small water animals.

Dangers to platypuses are mainly people made. They include pollution of waterways, damming of river systems and fishing nets. However, they appear to be quite common within their range.