What Is A Platypus? 10 Facts about the Platypus!

Let's talk about one of the weirdest, strangest, and most fascinating creatures on planet Earth. I suspect you don't know much about the creature we will feature in this video. In fact, this creature is so strange, many believed it wasn't even real. A hoax, little did they know. Let's talk about the platypus. What do you know about platypuses? Well, you're like most people, you know little to nothing about platypuses. That's okay, we're here to change that. Let's start at the beginning. What is a platypus, and why is it such a fun word to say? Go ahead, try it. A platypus has the bill of a duck, has a tail like a beaver, webbed feet, lays eggs, and has fur like an otter. Phew, that's a lot to digest. Sounds like a duck, a beaver, a reptile, and an otter had some violent collision and a platypus came out. Yes, a platypus is a bit strange. Who are we kidding? A platypus is really strange. Here are the 10 things you didn't know about a platypus. If you did know, just be cool and play along. Number 10, they have a bill like a duck. Let's start with that duck-like bill. It actually comes in handy. Platypuses do most of their hunting underwater. While they're under, they close their eyes and ears. Yes, they can actually close their ears. The bill senses other animals or prey. Speaking of the bill, it's kind of like soft leather and has receptors that pick up electrical signals by animals when they move. Then they use their bill to bring their prey above the surface. This helps them find worms and sometimes shrimp to feast on. They also have spacious cheeks and wait until they come above the surface to eat. They were born with teeth but lose them a short time later. Can you imagine a baby born with a full set of teeth and then they go away? For platypuses though, no teeth, no problem. They have little grinders in their mouth that crush and grind their food. Sounds delicious. Number nine, the platypus and the stomach. We mentioned how strange platypuses are. What if I told you that they don't have a stomach? Can I tell you something? Platypuses don't have a stomach. I know, I know, your mind is blown, right? Most animals, and humans for that matter, need a stomach. Do you know why? Bonus points if you know what a stomach does. The stomach breaks down food so we, and animals that have a stomach, can digest it. The reason a platypus doesn't have a stomach is because a platypus doesn't need a stomach. The food they eat is very easy to break down. The problem with that is there is no place to store the food so they eat all day long. What a life. Fact is, they need to eat almost 30% of their body weight every day just to survive. They eat at least 12 hours a day. That is crazy. Number eight, they have a fat tail. All giggles and tail shaming aside, it's actually a sign that a platypus is healthy. If you want to give a platypus a health check, simply squeeze its tail. Although I wouldn't do that for your own health. I'll get to that a little bit later. Remember, they don't have a stomach, so where do they store their fat? In their fat tail, of course. Platypuses need a fat tail so they can navigate through waters. The lady platypuses use their tail for something else too. That's next. Number seven, platypuses lay eggs. That's where they come from. Now, I can't comment on the whole which came first debate, the platypus or the egg, because honestly, I don't know. I wasn't there. Female platypuses use their tail to store eggs. They need a sturdy nest, and that's what a fat tail provides. Number six, platypuses live in one place. Have you ever seen a real-life platypus? Unless you've been to Eastern Australia, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say no. No, you haven't. Do you know why? Because that's the only place to find them. And since that's the only place to find them, do you think they have an Australian accent, mate? If they do, I bet it's better than mine. Where can you find them? They live in streams and small rivers within Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. I wonder if they know the Tasmanian devil. Number five, platypuses can hurt you. Remember back to fact eight when I said to check the health of a platypus, one must squeeze its tail, and then I said, that's not a good idea for your health. Well, here's why. They can hurt you. They are poisonous, but only the male platypuses. They have a poisonous spine, not on their backs, but on the back of their legs. They can prick and kill attackers. Now, there's no record of a platypus ever killing a human, but they have been known to kill dogs, so keep Fido away. Number four, platypuses are mammals. Platypuses are certainly tough to classify, and here's why. Let's go back to the beginning. They have a duck-like bill, a beaver-like tail, fur like an otter, and webbed feet. So they're a bird, right? Not so fast, my friends. Don't forget, the females lay eggs, and the males are poisonous, so that makes them reptiles then. Nope, they're mammals, a mammal that lays eggs. Yes, a platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal that lays eggs. Clear as crystal, right? Right. Number three, platypuses don't have nipples. Of course platypuses have nipples, they're mammals. Nope, they don't. Here's something gross but fascinating about platypuses. Since there are no nipples, milk for their young has to come from somewhere. Well, kind of. When a platypus is young, it drinks its nourishment from its mom's pores. Like they lick up their mama's sweat. Okay, maybe more gross than fascinating. Number two, a young platypus is called a cub. These platypuses sure are confusing. They're similar to birds, reptiles, and beavers, so why wouldn't their young be the same name as a baby bear or a baby big cat? Yes, a young platypus is called a cub. Number one, a platypus usually lives to be about 12 years old. We know who platypuses eat, worms and sometimes shrimp, but who eats a platypus? Their major predators are snakes, water rats, hawks, eagles, owls, and sometimes even crocodiles. We hope you've enjoyed this video on one of the weirdest looking and constructed animals on this great earth. It's no wonder many originally thought that a platypus was a hoax, but now we all know that platypuses are real and they're spectacular.