And because its front feet are fully webbed, the platypus has to walk on its knuckles to protect the webbing from getting tangled up in obstacles. But have you ever seen a platypus walk? It’s pretty weird! Instead of walking like most animals with their legs directly beneath their body, the platypus moves its four legs from the sides of its body, sort of like a lizard. With its webbed feet, the platypus is a total swimming and diving machine. Webbed feet for swimming but an awkward walk on land The intestines of the platypus are quite long and complex, which allows for a more efficient breakdown of the food. From there, it passes through the esophagus and into the intestines, where it is further broken down and nutrients are absorbed. When a platypus eats, the food is ground up by special plates in its mouth and mixed with saliva. Instead, it digests its food in its intestines. Unlike most animals, the platypus doesn’t really have a true stomach like most other mammals. They’re definitely not the type of animals to set an alarm and rush out the door in the morning! 6. However, the platypuses can be active during the day too, from hanging out in their burrows to swimming around and scouring for food or looking for a mating partner. The common platypus is usually sleeping during the day so it can clock when nighttime hits. It’s kind of like a built-in metal detector that they use to find their food, you could say it’s the ultimate hunting tool! The platypus can also use electroreception to navigate through murky water and avoid obstacles.
The platypus has electroreceptors in its bill that let it pick up on electric signals produced by its prey’s muscles. The cloaca, the one-stop-shop for all their business, is located at the base of the platypus’s tail. Monotremes, like the platypus and echidnas, have this kind of system where everything comes out of the same place. Platypuses have cloacas, a single opening in their body that they use for peeing, pooping, making babies, and laying eggs. While it won’t kill ya, it’ll definitely hurt like crazy and cause some major swelling. Female platypuses also have spurs, but they don’t produce venom. The venom is mainly used by male platypuses during mating season to fight off other males and impress females. The guys in the platypus world have venomous spurs on their hind legs.
So get this, instead of giving birth to live young, the platypus lays eggs! The weirdest part about this ‘routine’ is the fact that up until 1884 this was not a known thing. Oh, and did we mention that it lays eggs? Follow along to learn more about the strange and wonderful world of the duck billed platypus and check out some weird platypus facts that are interesting, fun and even strange! 1. I mean, seriously – it’s got a bill like a duck, webbed feet like an otter, and venomous spurs like a snake. It’s like nature took a bunch of random animal parts and mashed them together to create this funky creature. There’s no doubt about it, the platypus is one of the weirdest animals out there.
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