The Platypus, are furry and
secrete milk, but show many reptilian features in the skeleton, so
they may represent an intermediate stage between reptiles and
mammals.
The eggs are incubated by the
female in an underground nest and the young are nourished by milk
that exudes from diffuse mammary glands. There are no teats.
Specialized features include the
leathery and very sensitive duck-like bill, the flattened tail, and
webbed feet. The webbing on the front feet extends beyond the claws,
but it is folded back when the animal is on land.
The male has a poison spur on each
hind-foot, but it is not known how or when the poison is used.
Platypuses are aquatic and feed on fresh-water crustaceans, insects,
fish, and amphibians. There are found in eastern Australia and
Tasmania
