Duck Billed Platypus Skeleton
$681.00
The Platypus is an egg-laying Monotreme that has a duck-like bill, webbed feet and a large flattened tail. Native to Australia, this aquatic mammal eats crayfish, earth worms, frogs, and small fish.
- Description
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Description
Duck Billed Platypus Skeleton Replica measures 17.1 inches. Duck Billed Platypus Skeleton is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in the USA. Our precise skeleton can be used as a teaching tool, museum skeleton exhibit, home décor skeleton, or office décor skeleton. Please note: Platypus skeletons does not come with acrylic stand.
The Duck billed platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus, sometimes referred to as Platypus, is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania.
The Duck billed platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus is the sole living representative of its family Ornithorhynchidae and genus Ornithorhynchus, though a number of related species appear in the fossil record.
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. Like other monotremes, it senses prey through electrolocation.
The Duck billed platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus is one of the few species of venomous mammals, as the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans.
The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, and the first scientists to examine a preserved platypus body in 1799 judged it a fake, made of several animals sewn together.
The unique features of the duck billed platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus 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 features on the reverse of the Australian twenty-cent coin, and the platypus is the animal emblem of the state of New South Wales.
Until the early 20th century humans hunted the duck billed platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus 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.
Platypus Facts:
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Monotremata
Family: Ornithorhynchidae
Genus: Ornithorhynchus
Species: O. anatinus
Binomial name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Conservatoin status: Near Threatened
Shop More Museum Quality Platypus Skulls in Platypus Skull Store
Additional information
| Weight | 35 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 17.1 in |
| Platypus Day - First Saturday in March | The first Saturday in March is Platypus Day. A day to celebrate what is probably the strangest mammal on earth. |
