![]() Still, genetic studies show that they evolved from platypus-like ancestors tens of millions of years ago, as Helgen explains. (Photo : Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)Įchidnas are only two million years old in the Australian fossil record. These fossilized monotremes, the earliest of their type, have only been discovered in southeast Australia, probably because they were so specialized to their polar niche that they couldn't have survived anyplace else.Īnother exciting discovery, according to Helgen, is the possible migration of echidnas from New Guinea to Australia.Īlso Read: Prehistoric Eagle: One of the OLDEST RAPTOR Species Found in South Australia Echidnas ![]() "Imagine it dipping its snout into moss and snow in search of food it can't see and hasn't touched yet." most likely had an electrosensitive mechanism for feeding on insects in the seasonally dark Early Cretaceous arctic woods," says Flannery, a well-known paleontologist who is credited with the discovery of more than 30 mammal species.Īccording to Flannery, this is a remarkable survival adaption for this small monotreme, which estimates its body mass to be at 40g - about the same as a slice of bread. Surprisingly, this chilly northern terrain nevertheless retained woods that could withstand at least three months of freezing darkness each year. While their young may be a bit easier to carry than that 200-pound baby elephant, platypus moms still deserve a round of applause for their nesting, dancing, and motherly instincts!īy Julia Tilford, contributor for Ripleys.According to the researchers, the oldest known monotreme, Teinolophos trusleri, lived 130 million years ago when south-eastern Australia was near the South Pole. They are considered fully grown at about a year old. After this, the babies are ready to leave their burrow and start looking for their own food. Nourished by their mother’s milk, the puggles will increase in weight by a factor of twenty over the first four months of their lives. Rather than having teats like most female mammals, the platypus instead oozes milk out of mammary glands under their skin like sweat. However, even the way they do that is weird. Usually it’s one or the other-many reptiles lay eggs, but do not produce milk and mammals produce milk, but (usually) do not lay eggs. Platypus moms are extra special in that they both lay eggs and produce milk. Baby platypuses, or puggles, require extra help from their mothers in order to grow. They also aren’t much bigger than jelly beans! Their tiny size is due to the lack of nourishment in the eggs themselves. When platypuses hatch, they are blind, deaf, and hairless-in other words, completely vulnerable. The incubation process can last six to ten days, depending on the individual platypus. To keep them warm, she creates a bit of a nest, curling around the eggs with her tail touching her bill. The female platypus typically lays two or three eggs. Not exactly father of the year, but we’re focusing on dear old mom today! At this point, the male platypus has moved on to find a new mate to “dance” with, maintaining no contact with the female, nor with the babies. Once the female is ready to lay her eggs, she will build a burrow in which to do so. This dance can happen up to six weeks before any mating actually occurs. An uninterested female will flee at the initial bite if she’s not ready to mate, but interested parties return the favor, biting onto the male’s tail as well.įrom here, the two participate in a bit of a courtship “dance.” They swim together, diving, and rolling through the water like a pair of synchronized swimmers. ![]() The male lets his potential mate know that he is interested by biting onto her tail. Wooing a female platypus can take quite a bit of time. ![]() However, their reckless fighting isn’t enough to win over a lady. Male platypuses use these spurs to fight one another for dominance during the mating season. The females’ spurs drop off as they grow, while the males’ spurs stay put and eventually become venomous. While all platypus babies are born with spurs on the back of their hind legs, they either use them or lose them as they mature.
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