It can reduce blood flow to areas of its body that have no fur, particularly its tail, rear feet and bill. The platypus keeps its body temperature constant by controlling the heat produced from metabolism (all the chemical reactions that occur in the body). Although it has no teeth, the platypus uses grinding plates on the upper and lower surfaces of the jaw to chew its food. It helps the animal to find its way, to search for food and to pick up electrical discharges from its prey. The duck-like bill of the platypus is a flexible, soft and very sensitive organ. It has sharp vision over long distances, but because its eyes are towards the top of its head it cannot see objects directly under its nose. The platypus has no outer ear lobe, and both its eyes and ears close when it dives.

When digging a burrow or moving on land, platypuses can fold away their webbed foot extensions. The forelegs push the animal through the water while the hind legs trail behind, acting as stability rudders. For instance, within the crustacean group alone, they consume a wide array of species including shrimps, crayfish, and yabbies. With their slightly flattened, streamlined body and short, stout legs, they are well-adapted for swimming. While the mainstay of a platypus’s diet consists of crustaceans, insects, larvae, and small fish, there’s more to their menu than these categories suggest. This fur ranges in colour from grey to dark brown. Under their long, coarse outer hair is a fine, dense underfur which is woolly in texture. Platypuses are dark brown on their backs and generally light brown on their bellies. The average male platypus is about 50 centimetres long (head to tail) while females measure about 43 centimetres. The platypus and two species of echidna are the world's only monotremes, or egg-laying mammals.Ībout half the size of a household cat, adult males and females can differ greatly in size and weight.

Puggles platypus