About the Platypus:
'Duckbill' and 'Platypus' refer to a small aquatic monotreme which is only found in freshwater creeks and rivers of east and south-eastern Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia).
They have a broad bill, a furry body with a sturdy tail, and webbed feet. Their 'duck bill' is flexible, rubbery and feels like suede. It's often used to dig up food from the riverbed. A Platypus bill is also highly sensitive. Platypuses use electroreceptors on their bills to detect electrical signals given off by prey as it moves.
The Platypus is the only species in the family Ornithorhynchidae. The name Platypus comes from the Greek word for 'flat-footed' - they're very awkward on land, walking on their knuckles to protect the webbing of their feet.
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. Expert swimmers, they use these webbed feet to propel themselves and use their tails to steer through the water. Their dense, silky brown fur is both waterproof and insulating. Along with the fat reserves in their tails, their fur allows them to stay warm underwater.
Platypuses don't have nipples but they do suckle their young; milk is secreted through pores and licked off the mother's skin or fur. (The beak would make conventional suckling difficult.)
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has upgraded their status to 'Near Threatened'. Elusive by nature, there is a lack of reliable data about where and in what numbers they occur. They are protected by legislation in all of Australia's eastern states.

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