Platypus

A platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal native to eastern Australia and Tasmania. It is one of only five species of monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, and is known for its unique combination of features from different animals, including a duck-like bill, beaver-like tail, and otter-like body.

The platypus has a streamlined body covered in thick, waterproof brown fur. Its most distinctive feature is its soft, rubbery, duck-like bill, which is a highly sensitive sensory organ used to locate prey underwater. It has webbed front feet for swimming and a broad, flat tail that acts as a rudder. Male platypuses have a sharp, venomous spur on their hind legs, which they use for defense during mating season.

Platypuses live in freshwater rivers and streams. They are most active at dawn and dusk, when they forage for food on the riverbed. They are carnivores, and their diet consists of insects, larvae, freshwater shrimp, and worms, which they detect using electroreceptors in their bill.

As a monotreme, the platypus reproduces by laying eggs. The female builds a special burrow for nesting, where she lays one or two leathery eggs. After the eggs hatch, the young, or puggles, feed on milk secreted from mammary glands on the mother's skin, as platypuses do not have nipples.