Interesting Facts
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- The Platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record .
- The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying , duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.
- Until the early 20th century it was hunted for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range . Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution , it is not under any immediate threat .
Common Names
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Common Names in English:
Duck-Billed Platypus, Duckbill Platypus, Platypus
Description
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Habitat
Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,397 meters (0 to 4,583 feet).[1]
Taxonomy
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- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
()
- (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Phylum:
Chordata
()
- Bateson, 1885
- Chordates
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
()
- Cuvier, 1812
- Vertebrates
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
()
- Auct.
- Jawed Vertebrates
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
()
- Goodrich, 1930
- Class:
Mammalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Mammals
- Subclass:
Prototheria
()
- Gill, 1872
- Order:
Platypoda
()
- (Gill, 1872) Mckenna, in Stucky & Mckenna, in Benton, Ed., 1993
- Family:
Ornithorhynchidae
()
- (Gray, 1825) Burnett, 1830
- Genus:
Ornithorhynchus
()
- Blumenbach, 1800
- Specific name:
anatinus
- (Shaw, 1799)
- Scientific name: - Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw, 1799)
- Specific name:
anatinus
- (Shaw, 1799)
- Genus:
Ornithorhynchus
(
- Family:
Ornithorhynchidae
(
- Order:
Platypoda
(
- Subclass:
Prototheria
(
- Class:
Mammalia
(
- Superclass:
Tetrapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Gnathostomata
(
- Subphylum:
Vertebrata
(
- Phylum:
Chordata
(
- Infrakingdom:
Chordonia
(
- Branch:
Deuterostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 28-Nov-2006
Similar Species
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Members of the genus Ornithorhynchus
There are approximately 2 species in this genus:
O. anatinus (Duck-Billed Platypus) · O. anatinus anatinus (Duck-Billed Platypus)
More Info
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- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
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- A catalogue of the collection of mammals in the Field Columbian Museum. Chicago: Field Columbian Museum, 1907. ENG url p. 1.
- A popular zoology / by J. Dorman Steele and J.W.P. Jenks. New York: A.S. Barnes & Company, c 1887. ENG url p. 316.
- A text-book of zoology, by T. Jeffery Parker and William A. Haswell With illustrations. London, Macmillan and co., limited;1897. ENG url p. 465, p. 547.
- A text-book of zoology, by the late T. Jeffery Parker and William A. Haswell London, Macmillian and co., limited, 1921. ENG url p. 561, p. 702.
- Advanced biology / by Frank M. Wheat and Elizabeth T. Fitzpatrick. New York; American Book Company, [c1929] ENG url p. 513.
- An introduction to the osteology of the mammalia / by William Henry Flower. London: Macmillan, 1885. ENG url p. 89.
- Anatomische Hefte, München [etc.]J.F. Bergmann. GER url p. 21.
- Animal biology / by Robert H. Wolcott New York; McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1933. ENG url p. 412.
- Animal biology, by Lorande Loss Woodruff... New YorkThe Macmillan company[c1938] ENG url p. 127.
- Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Wien, Naturhistorisches Museum [etc.] GER url p. 10.
- Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, -1965. ENG url p. 641, p. 641, p. 809, p. 809.
- Archiv für Naturgeschichte. Berlin: Nicolai, 1835- GER url p. 116, p. 372, p. 6, p. 6.
- Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: BM(NH) url p. 129, p. 173, p. 35.
- Catalogue of Australian mammals, with introductory notes on general mammalogy, by J. Douglas Ogilby. Sydney, Australian Museum; printed by order of the Trustees, 1892. ENG url p. 2.
- Catalogue of Mammalia in the Indian Museum, Calcutta / by John Anderson, Superintendent of the Indian Museum. Calcutta, 1881-1891. ENG url p. 27, p. 349, p. 350.
- Catalogue of scientific papers, 1800-1900. Compiled by the Royal Society of London. London, C.J. Clay and Sons, 1867-1902 [etc.] Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1914-25. ENG url p. 463, p. 967.
- Colin P. Groves: Status: Common but vulnerable to local extinction
- College zoology, by Robert W. Hegner. New York, The Macmillan company, 1912. ENG url p. 646.
- Fertilization. London, Methuen;[1956] ENG url p. 106.
- Festschrift herrn professor dr. J. A. Palmén zu seinem 60. geburtstage am 7. november 1905 gewidmet von schülern und kollegen. Helsingfors[Aktiebolaget handelstryckeriet]1905-07. GER url p. 18, p. 61, p. 62, p. 63, p. 9.
- Field Museum news. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, [1930-1943] ENG url p. 2.
- General function of the gall bladder from the evolutionary standpoint, by Frank W. Gorham and Andrew Conway Ivy. Chicago, 1938. ENG url p. 187.
- General zoology / by H. L. Wieman. New York; McGraw-Hill book company, inc., 1938. ENG url p. 454.
- Natural science. London: Macmillan & Co., [1892-1899] ENG url p. 7.
- Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau: wöchentliche Berichte über die Fortschritte auf dem Gesammtgebiete der Naturwissenschaften. Braunschweig: Druck und verlag von Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn, 1886- GER url p. 179, p. 91.
- Nowak, R.M. (ed.) 1999. Walkers Mammals of the World. Sixth edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London.
- Nowak, Ronald M. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World, vol. 1, 5th ed. The Johns Hopkins UniversityPress. Baltimore and London. 1629. ISBN: 0-8018-3970-X.
- Papers and proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania. Hobart, Tasmania, The Society. ENG url p. 109.
- Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. [Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia] ENG url p. 369, p. 569.
- Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. Sydney, Linnean Society of New South Wales. ENG url p. 334, p. 690, p. 727, p. 737, p. 849.
- Textbook of zoology / by George Edwin Potter. St. Louis: Mosby, 1947. ENG url p. 617, p. 939.
- The Victorian naturalist. [Melbourne]Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. ENG url p. 180, p. 72.
- Transactions of the American Philosophical Society Philadelphia: The Society, 1771- ENG url p. 297.
- Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. 1993. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2nd ed., 3rd printing. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, DC, USA. xviii + 1207. ISBN: 1-56098-217-9.
- Zoologische Jahrbücher. Jena [Germany]: G. Fischer, GER url p. 940.
- Zoologischer Anzeiger. Jena, VEB Gustav Fischer Verlag. GER url p. 507, p. 87.
Notes
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Contributors
- Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group 1996. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 20, 2008.
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 26, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 16 providers.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 26, 2007:
- Field Museum, Mammal specimens
- Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Vertebrate specimens
- Marine Science Institute, UCSB, Paleobiology Database
- OZCAM
- Provider, Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums
- Royal Ontario Museum, Mammal specimens
- University of Kansas Biodiversity Research Center, Mammal Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- , Mammal specimens
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2480055
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-552524
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13815622
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 552524
- IUCN ID: 40488
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 137299
Footnotes
- Mean = 327.750 meters (1,075.295 feet), Standard Deviation = 339.080 based on 207 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
