Animalia > Chordata > Mammalia > Monotremata > Ornithorhynchidae > Ornithorhynchus > Ornithorhynchus anatinus
 

Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Platypus; duck-billed platypus)

Wikipedia Abstract

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) 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 and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.
View Wikipedia Record: Ornithorhynchus anatinus

EDGE Analysis

The notion of the duck-billed platypus possessing a bird-like horny bill originated from examinations of dried specimens. The bill is actually soft, moist and leathery and also highly sensitive. The platypus is the most evolutionary distinct mammal alive today. It is the only representative of an entire family of mammals dating back to the Cretaceous period (146-65.5 millian years ago), and one of only five species in the order Monotremata. Monotremes differ from all other mammals in that they lay eggs covered by a shell that hatch outside the mother?s body. Monotremes are also unique in that they have only a single passage, the cloaca, for both excretion and reproduction.
Uniqueness Scale: Similiar (0) 
46
 Unique (100)
Uniqueness & Vulnerability Scale: Similiar & Secure (0) 
58
 Unique & Vulnerable (100)
ED Score: 88.97
EDGE Score: 4.5
View EDGE Record: Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Attributes

Adult Weight [2]  2.76 lbs (1.25 kg)
Female Maturity [2]  1 year 6 months
Male Maturity [2]  1 year 6 months
Diet [1]  Carnivore
Gestation [2]  17 days
Litter Size [2]  2
Maximum Longevity [2]  23 years
Nocturnal [1]  Yes
Water Biome [1]  Lakes and Ponds, Rivers and Streams
Weaning [2]  3 months 16 days

Ecoregions

Name Countries Ecozone Biome Species Report Map Climate Land
Use
Australian Alps montane grasslands Australia Australasia Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Brigalow tropical savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Eastern Australian temperate forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Einasleigh upland savanna Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Mount Lofty woodlands Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Naracoorte woodlands Australia Australasia Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Queensland tropical rain forests Australia Australasia Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests  
Southeast Australia temperate forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Southeast Australia temperate savanna Australia Australasia Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands
Tasmanian Central Highland forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Tasmanian temperate forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Tasmanian temperate rain forests Australia Australasia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests

Protected Areas

Name IUCN Category Area acres Location Species Website Map Climate Land Use
Bald Rock National Park II 21998 New South Wales, Australia
Crater Lakes National Park II 2320 Queensland, Australia
Croajingolong National Park II 217067 Victoria, Australia
Flinders Chase National Park II 81245 South Australia, Australia
Girraween National Park II 28978 Queensland, Australia
Grampians National Park II 416373 Victoria, Australia
Kosciuszko National Park II 1705480 New South Wales, Australia
Lamington National Park II 50970 Queensland, Australia
Lavinia Nature Reserve State Reserve II 17390 Tasmania, Australia    
Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area Ramsar Site   Queensland, Australia
Southwest National Park II 1531400 Tasmania, Australia

Emblem of

New South Wales

Consumers

Parasitized by 
Cercopithifilaria johnstoni <Unverified Name>[3]
Maritrema ornithorhynchi <Unverified Name>[3]
Mehlisia ornithorhynchi <Unverified Name>[3]
Moreauia mirabilis[3]
Pygiopsylla hoplia[4]
Pygiopsylla zethi[4]
Spirometra erinacei <Unverified Name>[3]
Tasmanema mundaynema <Unverified Name>[3]
Theileria ornithorhynchi <Unverified Name>[5]
Trypanosoma binneyi <Unverified Name>[5]

Institutions (Zoos, etc.)

    Maps
Institution Infraspecies / Breed 
Australia Zoo
Healesville Sanctuary
Melbourne Zoo
Taronga Zoo

Range Map

Link to Map
Australia;

External References

Photos

Citations

Species recognized by Groves C.P., 28-Nov-2006, ITIS Global: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System in Catalog of Life 2011
Attributes / relations provided by ♦ 1Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 01, 2010 at animaldiversity.org ♦ 2de Magalhaes, J. P., and Costa, J. (2009) A database of vertebrate longevity records and their relation to other life-history traits. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22(8):1770-1774 ♦ 3Gibson, D. I., Bray, R. A., & Harris, E. A. (Compilers) (2005). Host-Parasite Database of the Natural History Museum, London ♦ 4International Flea Database ♦ 5Species Interactions of Australia Database, Atlas of Living Australia, Version ala-csv-2012-11-19
Ecoregions provided by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). WildFinder: Online database of species distributions, ver. 01.06 gis.wwfus.org/wildfinder
Protected Areas provided by Biological Inventories of the World's Protected Areas in cooperation between the Information Center for the Environment at the University of California, Davis and numerous collaborators.
Images provided by Wikimedia Commons licensed under a Creative Commons License
Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
EDGE analysis provided by EDGE of Existence programme, Zoological Society of London
Range map provided by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), Conservation International & NatureServe.
Weather provided by NOAA METAR Data Access
Institution information provided by International Species Information System - May 2011