OceaniaNear threatened
Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
One of the only mammals that lays eggs. It hunts in rivers with its eyes, ears and nose shut.
- Weight
- Up to 2.4 kg
- Size
- 50 cm long
- Lifespan
- Up to 17 years
- Top speed
- Swims about 1 m/s
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Mammal group
- Monotreme
How heavy is that?
About 6% of a 40 kg kid
Where it lives
Three things to know
- Its bill senses electricity from moving prey.
- Males have a venomous spur on their back legs.
- Its fur glows under ultraviolet light.
Compare with…
- Weight
- Platypus2.4 kgA 10-year-old kid40 kgThe kid weighs about 17× as much as the platypus
- Size
- Platypus50 cmA 10-year-old kid1.4 mThe kid is about 2.8× as big as the platypus
- Top speed
- Platypus3.6 km/hA 10-year-old kid20 km/hThe kid is about 6× as fast as the platypus
- Lifespan
- Platypus17 yrsA 10-year-old kid80 yrsThe kid can live about 5× as long as the platypus
Food chain
- Tiny algaeProducer
- Freshwater shrimp
PlatypusThis animal