Platypus - One Of The Few Mammals To Produce Venom

The platypus belongs to the group of primitive egg-laying mammals (only one of two mammals, the echidna is the other) called monotremes, found only in Australia, including Tasmania. It swims and dives, mainly in the morning and evening, in search of food such as shellfish, insect larvae and worms, along with bits of gravel and mud from the bottom. A platypus does not have teeth, so the bits of gravel help the platypus to "masticate" its meal. It is equipped for its aquatic life with soft, dense brown fur, a broad tail and webbed feet. Its eyes and ears are closed by skin flaps under water in order to prevent water from entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight seal. It relies on a well- developed sense of touch with its sensitive snout to locate prey.

The platypus is one of the few mammals to produce venom. Males have a pair of spurs on their back limbs which deliver a poison capable of bringing severe pain to humans. Platypuses live in burrows in river banks, where the females lay their eggs, which hatch in about 10 days. Females nurse their young for about three to four months until the babies are capable of swimming on their own.
Source: National Geographic