The platypus is an unusual mammal with a beak like a duck and a tail like a beaver .

It lays eggs, but it has fur and it feeds its young with milk like other mammals.

The platypus is often called the duck-billed platypus because of the shape of its mouth, which looks like a duck’s bill.

The platypus grows upto about 75cm and weighs up to 2.5kg.

The platypus is found in Australia and Tasmania.

It lives by rivers and lakes, where it digs a burrow in the bank with its strong claws.

It sleeps in its burrow for most of the day and comes out to feed mainly at night, when it uses its flat bill to catch large numbers of insects and worms.

The male platypus has a poisonous spine on each of its back legs that he uses in fights during the breeding season. The poison in each spine is strong enough to kill a dog!

When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she makes a tunnel in the river bank upto 30m long. At the end of the tunnel she makes a nest from leaves to lay her eggs in. About 10 days after the eggs havebeen laid they hatch and baby platypus crawl out only measuring only 2cm! They then begin to feed on their mothers milk for the next 3 to 4 months. After this time they leave the burrow and learn to swim and find food for their adult life to begin.

Watch a video all about the curious platypus here!