Sunday, March 25, 2012

Predatory Behavior





The platypus predatory behavior consumes about 12 hours of their lives everyday due to their need to eat an estimated twenty percent of their body weight in food each day (that’s a lot!). In order to achieve this, the platypus must spent the majority of its day hunting for food. As I mentioned in a previous post, the platypus is a carnivore and its main prey are shrimps, worms, crayfish, fish eggs, mollusks, and larvae. The platypus catches its prey while on a dive under the water. Platypus either catch their prey while they are swimming or actively dig their prey up from under the riverbed. Once caught, the platypus stores its prey inside its cheeks while it swims back up to the surface to actually consume the food.  As for what predators the platypus themselves have to watch out for, it is a rather lengthy list that includes birds (like hawks and eagles), wild cats and dogs, crocodiles, and foxes. The main predator of the platypus, however, sadly used to be humans.  Before they were protected by laws set in place as conservation measures, humans used to hunt the platypus for their unique fur that is warm and soft yet also water resistant. Unfortunately humans are still a danger to the platypus because of our destruction of their natural environment and especially our unsafe use of fishing nets in freshwater locations (they drown in the nets that are left behind). While the use of nets in freshwater bodies has been officially band it is still practiced by insensitive fishermen today and therefore still poses a risk to our beautiful platypus friends.  

PLATYPUS CATCHES A YABBY VIDEO!:

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Orphaned baby platypup rescued!


A baby platypus does not have an official name, although some people incorrectly call them “puggles.” A cute name I came across for describing baby platypus is “platypup” but this is not an officially accepted term for the adorable little creatures. At the beginning of February this year one such platypup, in fact a poor orphaned platypup, was found in saltwater (platypus live in freshwater) and was taken in by the Healesville Sanctuary in Australia- the world’s leading expert in caring for platypus. The poor orphaned platypus was in critical condition when it arrived but has since been nursed to health by the loving platypus care takers at the sanctuary. LOOK HOW CUTE SHE IS! 


You can read more about the story and the Healesville Sanctuary at: http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2011/02/a-handful-of-baby-platypus.html

Monday, March 12, 2012

Reproductive Behavior




Platypus have some of the most interesting reproductive behavior- from their mating rituals to their special nesting burrow to the fact that the mother lays eggs yet is still considered a mammal.  The typical platypus-mating season is considered to be from August to October. The male platypus does not develop the ability to reproduce until they are two years of age, and it is around this age that the females begin breeding as well. During this time, the male and female platypus engage in a very lengthy and unique mating ritual. Before this happens, the males sometimes fight each other for the opportunity to mate with the female, using the poisonous spurs on their hind legs to fight each other off. Once the male has secured a female mate, the two swim in circles while the male holds on to the female’s tale to keep them connected. Afterwards, they mate in the water (not on land!). The actual copulation process involves the male platypus coming up behind the female and placing his tail underneath the female to facilitate connection.

Platypus have two distinct type of burrows, one of which is called the “nesting burrow.” This burrow is built completely by the female and is added to with wet materials (like leaves) by the female throughout the nesting process to keep the eggs from drying out. The female platypus lays her eggs approximately 2-4 weeks after copulation and usually lays between one and three eggs at a time. Similar to the way birds sit on their eggs, the female platypus holds her eggs under her with her big fat filled tail being used to keep them close. This warmth allows the eggs to hatch in only 10 days! Interestingly, the platypus-mating season is really the only time of the year that the platypus is not a solitary animal.

A PLATYPUS LOVE STORY!!!!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PLnpCRuEQ0