Page 66 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

66 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

Duck-billed Platypus

The duckbill platypus is probably one of Australia’s oddest, native species.When

British scientists first saw a specimen of this amazing creature, with its beaver-
like tail, duck bill, flippers and fur, they believed that it was just an elaborate fake.

Poison
Platypuses are one of the
world’s few venomous
mammals. Only males carry the
poison,which is injected into
their victims through a hollow
‘spur’, positioned on the
animals’ ankle.

Eyes and ears
Ear slits lie just behind the eye.
However, platypuses don’t use
their vision or hearing to hunt.
Instead they use
‘electroreception’ and are
believed to be the only
mammals to do so.

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.