18th century Europeans thought it was a
hoax when they first saw drawings of the
peculiar creature but make no mistake
this oddball animals no joke it’s a
one-of-a-kind altering species combining
three animals in one and it goes from
cute to killer in an instant
at first glance they make no sense
from their plump furry tails to their
broad-billed muzzles the platypus is
about the size of a beaver but all
comparisons and their even its name is
deceiving in Greek Plata’s means flat
and puss means foot but this strange
waddle errs no flatfoot its paws are
webbed it’s one of only a few creatures
that combines traits from birds reptiles
and mammals have freshwater platypus
lives in only two places on the entire
planet eastern Australia and here
Tasmania the platypus is actually a
throwback the last surviving mammal and
the genus Ornithorhynchus meaning duck
like snout this family of hodgepodge
hybrids roamed the earth and millions of
years ago yet what makes the platypus
truly incredible is how it remakes
itself transforming from swimmer to
sprinter bird impostor to mammal and
back again
but it’s most terrifying transformation
is from docile to deadly at first glance
the platypus seems mild-mannered this
non aggressive hunter actually closes
its eyes while searching for food using
its broadbill like a homing device the
soft skins snout has special sensor
organs that send out feeler signals
similar to radar picking up vibrations
from nearby worms and shrimp but the
platypus can become a surprise attacker
its hidden weapons sharp Spurs located
above the heels of its hind legs both
sexes have these Spurs at birth yet
females shed theirs at three months this
difference reveals the spurs primary
purpose male to male combat males use
their lethal daggers most frequently
during mating season fending off rivals
and showing their dominance
these dueling weapons make them one of
the only venomous mammals on earth the
spur works like a hypodermic needle
injecting a lethal cocktail of over 25
compounds from a toxic land inside the
animal’s upper thigh the sting is
excruciating in seconds it causes
bleeding and burning victims like dogs
and cats die
hoax when they first saw drawings of the
peculiar creature but make no mistake
this oddball animals no joke it’s a
one-of-a-kind altering species combining
three animals in one and it goes from
cute to killer in an instant
at first glance they make no sense
from their plump furry tails to their
broad-billed muzzles the platypus is
about the size of a beaver but all
comparisons and their even its name is
deceiving in Greek Plata’s means flat
and puss means foot but this strange
waddle errs no flatfoot its paws are
webbed it’s one of only a few creatures
that combines traits from birds reptiles
and mammals have freshwater platypus
lives in only two places on the entire
planet eastern Australia and here
Tasmania the platypus is actually a
throwback the last surviving mammal and
the genus Ornithorhynchus meaning duck
like snout this family of hodgepodge
hybrids roamed the earth and millions of
years ago yet what makes the platypus
truly incredible is how it remakes
itself transforming from swimmer to
sprinter bird impostor to mammal and
back again
but it’s most terrifying transformation
is from docile to deadly at first glance
the platypus seems mild-mannered this
non aggressive hunter actually closes
its eyes while searching for food using
its broadbill like a homing device the
soft skins snout has special sensor
organs that send out feeler signals
similar to radar picking up vibrations
from nearby worms and shrimp but the
platypus can become a surprise attacker
its hidden weapons sharp Spurs located
above the heels of its hind legs both
sexes have these Spurs at birth yet
females shed theirs at three months this
difference reveals the spurs primary
purpose male to male combat males use
their lethal daggers most frequently
during mating season fending off rivals
and showing their dominance
these dueling weapons make them one of
the only venomous mammals on earth the
spur works like a hypodermic needle
injecting a lethal cocktail of over 25
compounds from a toxic land inside the
animal’s upper thigh the sting is
excruciating in seconds it causes
bleeding and burning victims like dogs
and cats die
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