We’re starting a new feature today I’m calling Fun Fact Friday!
When you think of animals with painful stings, creatures like scorpions, bees, or jellyfish usually come to mind. But one of the most surprising—and painful—stings in the animal kingdom actually comes from the platypus.
That’s right. The male platypus is one of the few living mammals capable of producing venom. During mating season, specialized venom glands in their hind legs connect to hollow spurs, which they use as weapons against rival males. While platypus venom isn’t deadly to humans, it delivers a powerful sting that has been described as excruciating. Some victims report lingering pain that can last for days, weeks, or even months.
Life in the Water
Native to the freshwater rivers and lakes of eastern Australia, platypuses are mostly nocturnal, though they sometimes emerge at dusk in the summer or during the day in winter. They split their time between water and burrows dug into the riverbank, spending up to half the day swimming and hunting.
Their swimming style is unlike any other mammal’s: they paddle forward with alternating strokes of their front feet while using their webbed hind feet and tail to steer. As they hunt along the bottom of streams and lakes, platypuses rely on electrolocation—sensors in their soft bills that detect the electric signals of prey. With their eyes, ears, and nostrils closed underwater, this ability helps them find a menu of insect larvae, worms, shrimp, crayfish, and fish eggs.
These animals have big appetites, too. A platypus forages about 12 hours a day, eating the equivalent of 20% of its body weight daily. Food is often tucked into cheek pouches for snacking later.
An Extraordinary Mammal
Platypuses belong to a rare group of egg-laying mammals known as monotremes—only five species exist today. They stand out for their dense, waterproof fur, which rivals otters in insulation, and their surprising glow: under ultraviolet light, their coats shine in shades of cyan and green.
Males average about 20 inches long and weigh around 3.7 pounds, while females are slightly smaller. Their flat, beaver-like tails serve multiple purposes: storing nearly half their body fat for lean times and, for females, cradling eggs during incubation. Platypus babies are adorably known as “puggles” or “platypups,” while a group of platypuses is charmingly called a “paddle.”
From Curiosity to Icon
When European naturalists first examined a preserved platypus specimen in 1799, they thought it was a hoax stitched together from different animals. Since then, the platypus has become an icon of Australia, celebrated on stamps and currency and recognized as a living link in evolutionary biology. For Aboriginal peoples, the animal has long held cultural significance, though it was once hunted for its fur.
Today, platypuses are legally protected throughout Australia, but their numbers are declining due to habitat destruction. They are currently classified as near-threatened, with conservationists calling for stronger protections.
If you’d like to see one up close without traveling to Australia, the only platypuses in captivity outside the country live at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Beer and Eve, as they’re named, even have their own live-streaming “platypus cam” for fans around the world. See it here.