#Blue platypus skin#
#Blue platypus Patch#

When platypuses find something interesting, like insect larvae, they scoop it up in their bills, store it in their cheek pouches and swim to the surface. As they swim, they detect food along the muddy bottom of the river, stream, pond or lake using only their sensitive bills, since the animals actually close their eyes, ears and nostrils while foraging underwater, according to the Australian Museum. They hunt for their food in the water where they live. Platypuses are carnivorous, which means they eat meat but not plants. (Image credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation.) Diet Platypuses' waterproof, thick fur keeps them warm in chilly weather, and their big tails store extra fat for energy, according to the Australian Platypus Conservatory. They have been found in plateaus, lowlands, tropical rainforests, and the cold mountains of Tasmania and the Australian Alps. Though they exist on only one side of one continent, platypuses weather many climatic extremes. Platypuses also take shelter under rock ledges, roots and debris, according to the Australian Platypus Conservatory. They can stay underwater for only 30 to 140 seconds, the Australian Museum notes.ĭuring the day, they hide out in burrows on the shore, where earthen tunnels open up into oval-shaped underground chambers, according to the San Diego Zoo. The animals spend about 10 to 12 hours a night in the water, hunting for food they are most active during nighttime and dusk, because they are nocturnal. Platypuses occupy freshwater systems - including river basins, lakes, ponds and streams - throughout their habitat range. The creatures can also be found on Tasmania and King Island, as well as on Kangaroo Island, where platypuses were introduced by humans in the early 1900s. Platypuses live in Australia in a range that extends from western Victoria to about as far north as Cooktown in Queensland, meaning they occupy a large stretch of the east and southeast coast of the country, according to the Australian Platypus Conservatory. In humans, the pain from a platypus sting can be treated with nerve blockers, which block specific nerve cells from sending signals to the brain. This venom is not lethal to platypuses or humans, but it causes swelling and excruciating pain, and it can disrupt wound healing and the function of cell membranes, she noted. The venom itself contains a cocktail of more than a dozen proteins that belong to three major classes of toxins, op den Brouw wrote. To inject its venom, a male wraps its legs around its victim and drives the spurs through the animal's flesh, according to op den Brouw. The venom glands of adult males fluctuate in size throughout the year, reaching their maximum size during breeding season, when males use their venom to compete for mates. Young females also have these spurs, but they lose them in the first year of life. Male platypuses carry venom glands, located near their pelvises, that connect to hollow spurs on their hind legs, according to a blog written by Bianca op den Brouw, a toxinologist at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

#Blue platypus skin#

The skin of the bill holds tens of thousands of sensory receptors that help the platypus navigate underwater and detect movement of potential food, such as shrimp, according to the Australian Platypus Conservatory. The bill of a platypus resembles that of a duck and has a smooth texture that feels like suede. The animals walk on their knuckles to protect the webbing, according to a 2001 report in the Journal of Experimental Biology. When platypuses are on land, their webbing retracts, making the claws more pronounced, according to National Geographic. Scientists are still investigating this question.Ī platypus's front feet have extra skin that acts like a paddle when the animal is swimming. It's possible that this biofluorescence helps reduce the animals' visibility to predators, but the eerie glow may serve little or no ecological function. Under ultraviolet light, however, platypuses' drab brown fur glows green and blue, Live Science previously reported.

#Blue platypus Patch#

Most of the fur is dark brown, except for a patch of lighter fur near each eye and lighter-colored fur on the underside. Platypuses have dense, thick fur that helps them stay warm underwater.