Homework Help: Science: Biology: Monotremes

A monotreme is a very specific type of mammal. One of Australia’s monotremes is a platypus they are a bit different to usual mammals as they lay eggs. The shells are leathery and smooth and hatch in roughly ten days.

Mothers have no teats. Instead of having teats the milk dribbles through her skin on her belly, which is drunk by the small, bald young.

At dawn and dusk is when monotremes hunt for food. When diving a layer of skin covers their eyes and ears to protect them. So it is impossible to see or hear underwater, which leaves them relying on their noses.

On the muddy creekbeds is where the food is sensed with their sensitive bill. The catch is stashed is the cheek pouches to eat later.

Did you know that a platypus’s bill can bend, unlike a ducks bill?

In England when the first platypus arrival had taken place scientists stupidly conjured up the idea that the feet of a duck and the skin of a rabbit had been sewn together to fool people about it’s identity.

Fossils have indicated monotremes being on the earth around the same time as dinosaurs. So theses monotremes are pretty old!

There are only two types of monotremes both living in Australia. The echidna also known as the spiny anteater and the platypus. The platypus is only found in Australia, but the echidna is found in two places Australia and New Guinea. The echidnas visual characteristics are as follows long coat, sharp spikes and it will roll into a small ball if it feels threatened in any way. It has a long pink sticky tongue, which it uses to catch its food, which are insects.

Surprisingly enough the platypus is actually the only venomous mammal. Spurs on the hind legs of males are connected to poison glands in their thighs.

Homework Help: Science: Biology

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