THE IMPOSSIBLE MAMMAL

❃ Emerging from the waterways of eastern Australia, the duckbill platypus seems assembled from pieces of entirely different animals. Its broad, rubbery bill, dense brown fur, webbed feet, and powerful beaver-like tail create an unmistakable silhouette, while its unusual combination of features makes it one of nature’s most extraordinary mammals. Unlike most mammals, the platypus lays eggs, earning its place among the rare monotremes — an ancient branch of the mammalian family tree.

❃ Beneath the surface, the platypus relies on an extraordinary sense to find prey. Its bill is covered with thousands of sensitive receptors capable of detecting tiny electrical signals produced by the muscles and nerves of aquatic animals. With its eyes, ears, and nostrils closed underwater, it sweeps the riverbed for worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, and other small creatures, gathering them into cheek pouches before returning to the surface to feed.

❃ Platypuses spend much of their lives around freshwater streams, rivers, and ponds, where they construct sheltered burrows along the banks. They are most active around dusk and dawn, slipping almost silently through the water with their webbed feet and streamlined bodies. Males possess venomous spurs on their hind legs — a rare trait among mammals — adding yet another remarkable chapter to the story of this ancient and wonderfully strange survivor.