PlatypusSince it first became known to European scientists and naturalists in 1798, the platypus has been the subject of controversy, interest and absolute wonder. Found only in Australia, the platypus is a mammal that lays eggs but, like other mammals, it has fur and suckles its young on milk. Many early biologists who visited the British colonies in Australia, including Charles Darwin, went out of their way to observe this remarkable animal. In Australia today the species is considered to be an icon, but one that many Australians have never seen in the wild. This book presents established factual information about the platypus and examines the most recent research findings, along with some of the colourful history of the investigation of its biology. |
Contents
1 Introduction | 1 |
2 Breeding biology | 13 |
3 Spurs and venom glands | 41 |
4 The sensory world of the platypus | 51 |
5 Energetics diving and foraging | 63 |
6 Ecology | 81 |
7 Ancestry and evolution | 99 |
platypuses and people | 107 |
9 Questions answers and misconceptions | 131 |
| 145 | |
| 157 | |
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Common terms and phrases
activities adult animals appear Australia banks bill blood body bones bottom brain breeding breeding season captivity changes Chapter close Colour Conservancy considerable distribution diving drought early echidna effects eggs emerging feeding female Figure fish flood flows foraging fossil freshwater glands habitat hand home ranges human increased indicates individuals involved juvenile known lactating Lake late least less living male mammals marked material mating metres milk million monotremes months moving natural nesting burrow nestlings nets normally observed occupied occur Ornithorhynchus Ornithorhynchus anatinus period platy platypus pools population possible presence prey probably produced recent recorded reported result seen sense sensory shows similar South Wales species spur Stage streams structure suggested surface swimming tail Tasmania temperature traps upper Shoalhaven River urogenital sinus venom wild winter young