As you may have noticed, the Jenks Society for Lost Museums has a fondness for one of nature’s most mysterious creatures. In fact, many early scientists studying the platypus, a duck-beaver-otter crossover, believed it to be a hoax. Early names for the platypus included watermole, duckbill, and duckmole.
Five Interesting Platypus Facts*:
1) The platypus is one of only two mammals to lay eggs (the other is the echidna).
2) Male platypuses have toxic spurs on their hind feet, making them one of few venomous mammals.
3) Because the platypus has no teeth, it scoops up gravel along with its bottom-dwelling prey and uses the gravel to “chew” its food.
4) A baby platypus hatches from its egg after just 10 days, and is roughly the size of a lima bean.
5) Due to their water-fairing lifestyle, platypuses are somewhat impermeable: when underwater, flaps of skin cover their eyes and ears and their nostrils have watertight seals.
*All facts gleaned from National Geographic’s platypus article, found here: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/platypus/
The Jenks Society Presents THE LOST MUSEUM 