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#San diego zoo platypus skin#

Griffiths has extensive experience studying platypuses in the wild, including conducting field surveys of platypus abundance and health. He is also deeply involved in cesar australia’s community engagement initiatives, such as platypusSPOT, a citizen science project. Senior Wildlife Ecologist Josh Griffiths leads cesar australia’s platypus ecology research team, including field studies to monitor platypus abundance, distribution, and population recovery, as well as ecological genetics. Thank you to Josh Griffiths for providing expert content review of this fact sheet.

Few platypuses in zoos currently, two reside at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, all others in Australian collections.

Difficult to keep and breed in managed care settings.

Thick fur provides exceptional insulation against cold water (better than that for polar bears and beavers) thick fur makes platypuses prone to heat stress when out of the water.

Adult males have venomous spurs-likely to defend mates and territory from rival males (unusual adaptation among venomous animals).

Properties of platypus milk may protect hatchlings against infections.

#San diego zoo platypus skin#

Females lack nipples milk exuded through skin patches.Often forage 10 to 12 hours per day longer in some locations and seasons.Hunt by detecting minute electric fields of prey with sensitive bill.In managed care: typically 6-15 up to 25 years In the wild: typically 7-14 years up to 21 years Many individuals begin breeding later.ġ-3 eggs per breeding season 2 eggs most common Physical maturity reached at two years of age. Infrequently, crocodiles and large native fish. Red fox, domestic and feral dogs, cats, Tasmanian devil, raptors (e.g., wedge-tailed eagle). Also, shrimp, crayfish, and swimming insects. Mainly bottom-dwelling insects (especially larvae). Rear limbs act as rudders while swimming. Use powerful forelimbs for swimming and burrowing. Possibly numbers in the thousands or tens of thousands (roughly 30,000 to 300,000). Considered common within its range but populations undergone large declines since 1890s. Introduced to western Kangaroo Island.įreshwater streams, lakes, pools, and associated wetland/riverine (riparian) zones Native to eastern mainland Australia, Tasmania, and King Island. Thick fur that provides insulation against cold water while swimming. Head-body Length (tip of bill to tip of tail) Species: Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw, 1799) – platypus, duck-billed platypus Genus: Ornithorhynchus (Blumenbach, 1800) Order: Monotremata (Bonaparte, 1837) - monotremes (egg-laying mammals)įamily: Ornithorhynchidae (Gray, 1825 sensu Burnett, 1830) All rights reserved.Ĭlass: Mammalia (Linnaeus, 1758) - mammals