1/17/2024 0 Comments Platypus feet venom stingerA male platypus has the pattern XYXYXYXYXY, while a female has ten Xs. Unlike all other mammals, which have two sex chromosomes (X and Y XX for females, XY for males, with rare exceptions), the platypus has ten. (By Jason Edwards, via: How Stuff Works )Īnd speaking of breeding, reproduction in platypuses isn’t exactly ‘mammal standard’, either. Why your dog and your platypus shouldn’t play together. One of only a very few venomous mammals, the male’s venom production increases during the breeding season, suggesting its purpose may lie in competition with other males. While it isn’t enough to take out a human, it does cause severe, incapacitating pain whose after-effects can last for months. Male platypuses have a spur on each hind foot which is filled with a venom powerful enough to kill a large dog. Eat freshwater crustaceans, worms, and insect larvaeīesides looking like it was assembled from spare parts? We’ve all seen pictures of platypuses (yes, “platypuses”, not “platypi”) before, and everyone knows what total oddities they are: the duck-like bill, the beaver-esque tail, the fact that they lay eggs, despite being mammals but behind these weird traits lie… even more weird traits! So let’s take a moment to appreciate the lesser-known eccentricities of the platypus, shall we?įirst off, these cuddly looking freaks are actually dangerous.Body temperature of 32 degrees Celcius five degrees lower than placental mammals.Males average 50cm (20”) long, females 43cm (17”).
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