Platypus
The Platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus is a mammal, and with the echidna it belongs to the group of monotremes. It is a solitary animal and is mostly nocturnal, hiding in a burrow in the day and feeding at night.
The platypus is a carnivore (meat eater) and eats freshwater invertebrates such as snail, insects and sometimes frogs and small fish. Platypus’ hunt underwater and can stay under for one to two minutes leaving them with enough time to find food, which they then eat at the surface of the water. They get their meals by scooping up food in their bill from the bottom a water source, as part of this they end up picking bits of gravel and mud, which help platypus’ to chew their meals, as they do not have teeth.
These monotremes only live in coastal eastern Australia and Tasmania in freshwater creeks, rivers and lakes, though it has adapted to other climates such as tropical rainforests. When out of the water the platypus spends time in a burrow just above the water level. These are usually in banks or under the gathering of tree roots.
When keeping platypus’ in a zoo a certain enclosure is needed. It must have a large water source that is somewhat similar to a creek, river or lake like in their natural habitat. Also there must be small rocks or something similar because, interestingly, platypuses don’t have teeth so these help them chew their food. It also makes life for them, more like in the wild making it easier to release them in the future.
