The Insane Biology of: The Platypus

Platypuses are expert swimmers with ability hunting below water down to few key physiological features—webbed feet, watertight capabilities, staying submerged up to 2 minutes at time, nearly completely closing eyes when diving despite hunting prowess underwater.

Platypus bill is “primary hunting tool” enabling hunting with eyes completely closed because it’s “super sensitive in two key ways: mechanoreceptive and electroreceptive”—one of only three mammals with electroreception (others: Guiana dolphin, echidnas), possessing ~100,000 electro- and mechanoreceptors arranged in beautiful striped alternating pattern.

When platypuses first came to European scientists’ attention in 1798, not everyone was convinced creature was even real—some thought prankster mashed together separate animal parts creating fake (not uncommon occurrence at boom time of natural discovery). Creature with fur, bill, webbed feet, laying eggs, secreting venom confused anatomists: was this mammal, duck, furry reptile?

Platypuses are one of only two mammals laying eggs (other: echidna)—monotremes that split from mammalian lineage ~200 million years ago, never gaining internal pregnancy ability, never losing egg-laying ability, confusing European scientists in 1798 who thought it was fake animal mashup.

Male platypuses have spurs on back of hind feet connecting to venom glands in abdomen—while not deadly to humans, causes “pretty nasty side effects: nausea, cold sweats, lymph nodes swelling, and immediate excruciating pain that can’t be relieved through normal painkillers.”