What on earth is a platypus? Even its name seems strange. When Europeans first heard the startling news of a newly discovered creature called the “platypus,” most of them thought it was just a joke.

The platypus is one of the most unique animals in the world. It’s a mammal, but it lays eggs. It has webbed feet, a beaver-like tail, and an otter-like snout and bill that helps it locate food ...

Adult males measure 15.7 to 24.8 inches long from the tip of their bill to the tip of their tail and weigh 1.7 to 6.6 pounds. Females are smaller than males, measuring 14.5 to 21.6 inches in length ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Australia’s famed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one funky ...

The fur of the platypus glows under a blacklight—a finding that raises questions about its role in these strange mammals. Platypuses are biofluorescent, meaning their fur glows a bluish-green hue ...

The so-called prehistoric platypus certainly didn't look intelligent. Its little head was strangely out of proportion with its large body and its tiny eyes probably couldn't see much. But despite this ...

What other secrets are they hiding? By Cara Giaimo When last we checked on the platypus, it was confounding our expectations of mammals with its webbed feet, duck-like bill and laying of eggs. More ...

Platypuses' nocturnal nature made researchers suspect they might glow under ultraviolet light. Mammalia 2020; 10.1515/mammalia-2020-0027 Disney Channel may not have been far off with when they colored ...

A new report finds platypus numbers are declining in Australia, prompting the authors of the report to call for the species to be listed as endangered. Stuart Cohen One of Australia’s most adored ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. A Frankensteinian mashup of a platypus, a stegosaurus, and a marine ...