The Zoospecies · habitats · children's zoo · care
Catalog · Mammalia · Monotremata · Ornithorhynchidae · Outback
Zoology of the ZooPl. CV

Platypus

Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Mammalia · Monotremata · Ornithorhynchidae
Fig. 1. Platypus
Fig. 2. Range
North AmericaSouth AmericaEuropeAfricaAsiaAustraliaAntarcticarange, sketched
Length or heightAbout 40-60 cm
WeightAbout 0.7-2.4 kg
FoodInsect larvae, shrimp, worms
LifespanAbout 12-20 years
SocietySolitary
Habitatfreshwater
RangeAustralia
Wild or tameWild

A mammal that lays eggs; males have venomous spurs.

Modern data

Status today

NTNear threatened status to verify
ConservationNear threatened.
Keeper's noteDaily checks of appetite, movement and behavior; enrichment that changes from day to day.
Kingdom · phylumAnimalia · Chordata
GenusOrnithorhynchus

Check the record: IUCN Red List · GBIF · ITIS

See it elsewhere in the museum

For classes

Lessons: The Mammal Hall: Where the rule breaksPreviewThe Mammal Hall: State the rulePreview

Watch it live

Platypus Cam
San Diego Zoo ↗
Platypus Cam
San Diego Zoo · Pacific time
Best viewing: Early morning or evening, Pacific time
If it is offline: more cams ↗

Picture gallery

Tap a picture to enlarge it. Every picture is public domain or openly licensed, credited below, and kept on our own server.

Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Frederick Polydore Nodder · Wikimedia Commons · CC0

Same order: Monotremata

Short-beaked echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus
LCLeast concern