The “platypus” is indeed a weird, strange creature but / and … it IS real…. But when Europeans first encountered the odd-looking platypus, it became the centre of scientific debate: was it real or just an elaborate hoax?
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) has a puzzling array of features. Not only does it have that iconic duck bill, it lays eggs like a bird or reptile but feeds milk to its young like a mammal.
Males also have a pair of venomous spurs on their hind feet, but they don’t use them for traditional attack or defence.
Watch the Museum’s venom evolution expert, Dr Ronald Jenner, explore the toxic tactics of the platypus.
Very Strange creature – Ripley’s Believe it or not
George Shaw, keeper of the natural history collections at the British Museum (which were to later become the Natural History Museum), accepted the platypus as a real animal. In 1799 he was the first to scientifically describe it, assigning it the species name Platypus anatinus, meaning flat-footed duck.
- Platypuses are venomous. …
- They use electroreception . …
- Platypuses lay eggs. …
- Platypuses are cute – their babies are even cuter.( Sources : NHM London ; Ripleys Believe It or Not )
