Did you know platypus were considered a joke when they were first discovered? People thought they were being fooled with two animals sewn together; the platypus is so unique! There are many things to learn about these unique creatures, so here are five photos and interesting facts about the baby platypus.
#1: Platypus Puggles Can’t Swim
Adult platypuses can swim up to two and a half miles per hour! Would you believe that when they are born, they cannot swim at all? Although they may appear to have been born in water, baby platypuses are born incredibly fragile and cannot swim on their own.
They stay close to their mothers, who teach them everything they need to know to grow up and survive. This includes how to be fast swimmers. They have a tail like a Beaver which they use to show them around. Combine that with their fins and you have the perfect formula for fast swimming!
By the time baby platypuses reach about five months of age, they can swim and find food on their own.
#2: Male Platypus are Poisonous
There are only six poisonous mammals on the planet, and the male baby platypus just happens to be one. Male platypuses have a ‘stinger’ on the back of the hind legs that secrete their venom.
Previously, it was widely believed to be used as a defense against predators in the wild. However, we have found that they produce even more venom than normal around the mating season. That discovery has led many to believe that venom is meant to aid the males during the mating season.
#3: Platypus Babies Don’t Have Stomachs
Did you know cows have four stomachs? Or that the beaked whale has up to 9? It’s crazy to think of animals that have multiple stomachs when the baby platypus is born without one at all. Instead of the stuff they eat going down and going into their stomach, it goes straight into their gut.
Researchers have gone back and further on the reasoning behind the absence of a stomach. Still, the main conclusion is that the baby platypus has such a simplistic diet that evolution decided a stomach was not necessary.
#4: Baby Platypus Are Born With A Set Of Temporary Teeth
Female platypus dig a tunnel that will be used as a nursery for her young. They lays her eggs there and then on top they sleep while they are busy brooding. Like many babies who have to hatch from an egg, they are born with so-called egg teeth that help them escape their shell prison.
After being cooped up in their nursery with mom for about four months, they can finally come out and take their very first dive. Around these four months, these babies lose all their teeth and never get them back. Adult platypus actually use gravel, or small stones, which they scoop into their mouths to help them chew their food for them.
#5: Platypus are born bald
Baby platypus have made hair to keep their skin dry while spending most of their time in the water. It is said that a platypus can be in the water for hours and still have a completely dry coat when they reach land.
This couldn’t be more the opposite of platypus babies as they have no hair at all when they hatch. By the time they are ready to leave the tunnel their mother dug for them when they were about four months old, they have grown a full coat to protect their skin. Platypus fur even glows under a UV blacklight!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much do baby platypus weigh?
When a baby platypus is born, it is very small and fragile. Baby platypuses are about the size of a nickel when they first hatch, and they weigh anywhere from 50 to 80 grams. The babies are fragile and cannot swim well, so they stay with their mothers for protection for about 3 to 4 months.
What do baby platypuses eat?
Baby platypuses are unique in that they can lay eggs as oviparous animals and produce milk for their young like mammals do. Due to their unique nature, they do not have nipples to feed their babies. The new mothers will sweat the milk out, and baby platypuses will drink the milk that has collected in the grooves of mommy’s skin, and they will also suck the milk out of the hair she has.
Where do baby platypuses live?
Platypus generally live in fresh water and only live in one part of the world. Adult platypuses spend most of their time in the water, but they enjoy going to the riverbanks so they can dig tunnels and chambers in these tunnels on their own. Baby platypuses stay close to their mothers for the first 3 to 4 months of life to feed and protect them until they are strong enough to do this on their own. During that time, their mother teaches them to swim, find food, dig tunnels to live in and much more!
What are baby platypuses called?
Baby platypuses are called puggles. However, there are many people in a movement advocating a name change for the puggles. Platyups is the cute name members of this movement think should be officially changed, and for good reason!