Let’s consider the platypus: an animal unlike any other. It is so striking in appearance that when the first platypus specimenwas sent from its native Australia to Great Britain in the 1700s, the British scientists who received it were shocked. In fact, they initially believed that someone was playing an elaborate joke. One look at a platypus would quickly make anyone understand why these scientists felt this way. With its large bill, webbed feet, and bushy tail, the platypus looks part duck, part otter, and part squirrel. However, look a little closer, and you’ll find that the platypus’s unique appearance is far fromits only interesting characteristic.
First, regarding its status as a mammal: Unlike most other mammals, platypuses do not give birth to live offspring. Instead, they lay eggs, an attributethey share with reptiles and birds, as opposed totheir mammalian counterparts.
