A worm wriggles on the bottom of the river. It hides under a pile of rocks. Near the riverbank, a web-footed hunter comes out of its den. It’s hungry. It dives into the water.
The worm can’t hide. The hunter picks up on its movements. It finds the worm easily and snaps it up.
This platypus dives down into the water.
This platypus finds a worm to eat.
This predator is a platypus. It is an unusual mammal. Its strange combination of features helps it survive in its environment.
Platypus Parenting
A platypus paddles to the riverbank. She uses her webbed front feet. On land, she waddles to her den. Deep inside her den, she digs a new chamber with her claws. There, she lays two small eggs. She warms them with her body.
Two weeks later, the eggs hatch. The bean-size babies are hairless and blind. They are also hungry. The mother platypus feeds them milk from folds in her skin. When they can swim and eat by themselves, they are ready for life on their own.
Platypuses live in burrows.
Platypus eggs are small.