Its fur is waterproof and traps an insulating layer of air next to its skin. It can reduce blood flow to areas of its body that have no fur, particularly its tail, rear feet and bill. The platypus keeps its body temperature constant by controlling the heat produced from metabolism (all the chemical reactions that occur in the body). Although it has no teeth, the platypus uses grinding plates on the upper and lower surfaces of the jaw to chew its food. It helps the animal to find its way, to search for food and to pick up electrical discharges from its prey. The duck-like bill of the platypus is a flexible, soft and very sensitive organ. It has sharp vision over long distances, but because its eyes are towards the top of its head it cannot see objects directly under its nose. The platypus is a monotreme (like the echidna), which lays eggs, incubates them, and nurses its young when. The platypus has no outer ear lobe, and both its eyes and ears close when it dives. And even more unusual: this mammal lays eggs. When digging a burrow or moving on land, platypuses can fold away their webbed foot extensions. Truly a remarkable specimen, platypus can live, hunt, and thrive in both land and water. The forelegs push the animal through the water while the hind legs trail behind, acting as stability rudders. With their slightly flattened, streamlined body and short, stout legs, they are well-adapted for swimming. This fur ranges in colour from grey to dark brown. Under their long, coarse outer hair is a fine, dense underfur which is woolly in texture. Platypuses are dark brown on their backs and generally light brown on their bellies. The average male platypus is about 50 centimetres long (head to tail) while females measure about 43 centimetres. Note: In Prototheria, the ear is devoid of the pinna, the scrotum is absent in male, vagina and uterus are absent.The platypus and two species of echidna are the world's only monotremes, or egg-laying mammals.Ībout half the size of a household cat, adult males and females can differ greatly in size and weight. The second claw of each hind limb is longer and curved. Jaws are prolonged into the beak-like muzzle. Its mammalian traits include its fur, four-chambered heart, and nursing capacity. Distributed in eastern Australia and Tasmania, the platypus shares other characteristics with reptiles: eye structure, pectoral girdle structure, and a cloaca. Together with the four species of echidna, the Duck-billed Platypus is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead. Echidna is an insectivorous prototherian of Tasmania, Australia, and New Guinea. Platypus Egg KO-442 26.00 (Base Included) The platypus and the echidna are the only mammals to lay eggs. Chickens today have all three egg protein genes, humans have none, and the platypus has only one fully functional copy left. Females possess mammary glands, but teats or nipples are absent. While birds and reptiles rely on three genes that encode for major egg proteins, the platypus appears to have lost the majority of these genes roughly 130 million years ago. The animal has a broad bill or beak, teeth only in the young stage, flat tail, webbed and clawed digits. Platypus is a semi-aquatic prototherian found in Tasmania, Australia, lives in burrows on the banks of rivers and streams. They also nourish and take care of their young ones. Like mammals, monotremes are warm-blooded animals, their whole body is covered with fur to provide protection to their body. The platypus is a semi-marine animal, which means it spends nearly half of its life swimming and hunting in freshwater rivers, streams, and lakes. Thus this is termed as a reptilian feature. The platypus is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Though mammals, these Australian natives lay eggs and sport venomous spines on their rear legs. Like reptiles, they also lay eggs, have a cloaca, a single opening through which the urine, feces, sperms, or eggs passes out. The platypus is one of the planet’s strangest creatures on several counts. They are considered as primitive mammals with both mammalian and reptilian features. In addition to these features, they also possess some of the reptilian features as well. Echidna and platypus belong to the order of Monotremata of the class Mammalia. The most unique mammalian characteristics is the presence of milk-producing glands (mammary glands) by which the young ones are nourished. Hint: Echidna and platypus both belong to the class Mammalia.
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