It looks like a carnival freak show it was clearly dealt a difficult hand. The species is classified as a near-threatened species by the IUCN, but a November 2020 report has recommended that it is upgraded to threatened species under the federal EPBC Act, due to habitat destruction and declining numbers in all states. Platypus Swimming, hunting and Feeding HQ The platypus looks a fair bit like a furry beaver with webbed feet, but also has the bill of a duck.

It is listed as an endangered species in South Australia and vulnerable in Victoria.

The platypus has been a legally protected species in all states where it occurs since 1912. Diet: Echidnas use their strong sense of smell to sniff out prey. 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. The echidna has the most in common with the duck-billed platypus. Until the early 20th century, humans hunted the platypus for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Without urgent action to address the extinction crisis, it won’t be a case of if the platypus becomes extinct, but when. Platypus are under threat from land-clearing, dams, development and climate change. 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. The Platypus, or Duck-billed platypus, is a unique Australian animal, rarely spotted in the wild. It is culturally significant to several Aboriginal peoples of Australia, who also used to hunt the animal for food. The unique features of the platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology, and a recognisable and iconic symbol of Australia. In 1799, the first scientists to examine a preserved platypus body judged it a fake, made of several animals sewn together. The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it. Fortunately, the Australian government put an end to this practice when it protected the species by law in the National Parks and Wildlife Act of 1974. A single fur coat would require more than 70 pelts. It's classified as 'near threatened' in the 2012 Action Plan for Australian Mammals (CSIRO). The duck-billed platypus was once hunted to near extinction due to its highly prized fur. Yet our 'duck-billed', egg-laying icon requires protection. Along with echidnas, platypus are part of an exceptional group of mammals which lay eggs, known as monotremes. It 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 platypus is a uniquely Australian species. Like other monotremes, it senses prey through electrolocation. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.

Duck billed platypus species