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Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Identification:
Body length 370 mm, tail length 130 mm. Luxuriously dense fur; tan brown above, lighter gold-brown on belly. Flattened, duck-like bill; webbed feet. Male has venom-delivering spur on hind foot.
Habitat and Range:
Freshwater (occasionally brackish) streams, some dams and lakes. Common in outer Brisbane, but secretive and seldom seen. Coastal Australia from Cooktown, Qld, to Vic. and throughout Tas.
Notes:
When swimming, Platypus looks similar to the Water Rat but lacks visible ears and a white-tipped tail. Active at dawn and dusk, or, all day if overcast. Eats mostly larval and adult aquatic invertebrates. Breeds July-August; its 2 eggs hatch after 10 days incubation; young are weaned at 3-4 months.
Threats:
Set fishing nets, dogs, foxes, chemical pollution, dredging, dams.
Traces:
An elliptical burrow entrance (75 mm X 100-125 mm) just above water level and among tree roots.
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