Platypus, (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), a small amphibious Australian mammal noted

for its odd combination of primitive features and special adaptations, especially the flat,
almost comical bill that early observers thought was that of a duck sewn onto the body
of a mammal. Adding to its distinctive appearance are conspicuous white patches
of fur under the eyes. The fur on the rest of the body is dark to light brown above, with
lighter fur on the underside.

platypus
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) eating a worm underwater.

platypus
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) swimming underwater.
The platypus is common in waterways of eastern Australia, where it generally feeds on
bottom-dwelling invertebrates but also takes an occasional frog, fish, or insect at the
water’s surface. This shy creature forages most actively from dusk to dawn, sheltering
during the day in burrows dug into stream banks. It is exquisitely adapted for its aquatic
lifestyle, having a flattened torpedo-like body, dense waterproof fur, and strong front
limbs used for swimming as well as digging. Even the head is streamlined, each ear
being housed in a groove together with a small eye. The senses of sight, smell,
and hearing are essentially shut down while the platypus is submerged to feed, but it
possesses a unique electromechanical system of electroreceptors and touch receptors
that allow it to navigate perfectly underwater. Similar electroreceptors are also present
in echidnas, which, together with the platypus, make up the mammalian
order Monotremata, a unique group with an exceptionally ancient history.
Natural history

platypus
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) swimming on the surface of the water.
Platypuses are generally solitary, spending their lives either feeding along the bottoms
of rivers, streams, and lakes or resting in burrows dug into the banks. They are
extremely energetic, feeding almost continuously while in the water, shoveling through
streambed debris with their flat bills as they hunt for larval insects and
freshwater crustaceans (a favourite food). The platypus uses its sophisticated
electromechanical system to detect minute electrical signals given off by the muscles of
its prey. After feeding, it retires to its burrow, the entrance of which is large enough to
admit only the platypus and serves to squeeze excess moisture from the fur.

The platypus is found in terrain ranging from the high country of Tasmania and
the Australian Alps to lowland areas close to the sea. Although it has on occasion been
seen swimming in salt water, the platypus must feed in fresh water, where its electrical
navigation system is operative. The platypus is present in all eastern Australian states in
both eastward- and westward-flowing river systems, but it is absent from far
northern Queensland and, unlike its relatives, the echidnas, does not appear to have
colonized the island of New Guinea.

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Generally most active around dawn and dusk (crepuscular), platypuses can also be
active during the day depending on the season, cloud cover, stream productivity, and
even individual preference. Platypuses are not known to hibernate. However, they have
an unusually low body temperature for mammals (about 32 °C [90 °F]). Studies have
shown that they can maintain a constant body temperature even after extended periods
in water with temperatures as low as 4 °C (39 °F), a fact that puts to rest the belief that
monotremes cannot regulate their body temperature.
Form and function
Platypuses range in length f