Sit quietly along the banks of the Dawson River at dusk or dawn and you may see rippling waters, as a sign of a foraging platypus diving down and digging through the riverbed, hunting for insect larvae, worms, freshwater shrimp and yabbies. The presents of platypus in our waterways indicates that these places provide a complex diverse environment needed for platypus to survive and grow their families.
What makes Platypus unique?
Platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, are nocturnal, egg laying, air breathing mammals called monotremes that are only found in the freshwater ecosystems of the east coast of Australia.
Feeding
The bills of platypus detect weak electrical currents created by the muscle movement of its prey, as it forages underwater with its eyes and nostrils closed. They scoop up food along with sand and gravel, storing the mixture in cheek pouches to eat later, often while floating on the water’s surface. Platypus use grinding plates instead of teeth to mash their food, which then goes directly into the intestine, as they do not have a stomach.
Breeding
Platypus are considered territorial and solitary, particularly adult males, which defend home ranges of roughly two kilometers using a venomous spur on their back feet. Female platypus may not breed until they are 4 years old, laying 1–2 eggs once a year.
In Queensland, baby platypus, called 'puggles', hatch in September and drink mothers’ milk until they are 6 months of age. When feeding their young female platypus need to eat over 100% of their body weight in food during the final stages of suckling their young. Fresh-faced juveniles emerge from nesting burrows for the first time in February, weighing as little as 400 grams.
Nesting
Both male and female platypus make "camping" burrows in riverbanks to rest, with only female platypus constructing complex nesting burrows in riverbanks to lay eggs and raise their young.
Nesting burrows can be up to 30 meters long, featuring multiple tunnels, chambers, and plugs to protect the young from predators and maintain a stable environment.
Did You Know?
- Male platypuses have a venomous spur on the back feet.
- Platypuses don't have any teeth. They crush up their food with bony plates in the bill.
- Their bills have electroreceptors that detect weak electrical currents created by prey
when it swims underwater.
- Platypuses breathe air, so they must surface every few minutes.
Where do platypus live?
Platypus are found in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds throughout eastern Australia and Tasmania. Spending up to half their day in the water feeding; platypus then retire to the safety of their creek bank burrows or bask on the creek bank. Platypuses are able to survive in suburban waterways in Brisbane and Melbourne, and in many other smaller towns within their range.
What do platypus eat?
A healthy appetite for worms, shrimp, insect larvae, and other small animals enables the platypus to eat up to a third of their body weight each day. Swimming with their eyes and ears shut platypus rely on electro-receptors in their sensitive bill to detect electrical currents in the water which helps to locate prey.”
Platypus Conservation
How can you help?
Say no to Opera House Yabby Traps
One of the greatest threats to platypus is the risk of drowning in yabby traps and entanglement in fishing line. Platypus breathe air, so they must resurface every few minutes. Enclosed funnel entry opera house traps put Platypus at extreme risk of drowning, the frantic search for a way out of a trap makes it unlikely that they will escape.
As a result, most states and territories have banned or restricted the use of opera house traps. Checking nets regularly will not prevent their drowning. Only use open top yabbie traps to ensure platypus stay present in our local waterways.
Threats to Survival
Drought, fire, land clearing, water quality, disrupted water flows, pollution, predators and damage to riverbanks impacts the habitat and quality of life of Dawson River platypus populations, placing them under stress and at risk of localised extinction. Natural enemies of the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas and introduced animals such as foxes, cats and dogs.
Protect and Restore Riverbank Vegetation
Riverbanks are essential Platypus housing, with plant diversity and density contributing to improved water quality and riverbank stability. By supporting habitat protection and restoration in the vegetated riparian zones of rivers on private and public waterways you can prevent soil erosion, improve water quality and care for platypus habitat.
Only Leave Footprints
Entanglement in human rubbish, particularly fishing line, discarded loops and rings of plastic, rubber or metal are the leading cause of platypus injuries and deaths. Clean up rubbish around waterways, especially ringed items such as drink packaging, rubber bands and hair ties. Never dispose of green waste along water ways as this act will kill off native plants, introduce weed species, add nutrient to water ways and encourage algal blooms.
MORE INFORMATION:
Community awareness programs - Platypus Watch
Platypus rescue, spotting and more - Australian Platypus Conservancy
Qld freshwater fishing regulation - Freshwater fishing gear rules and prohibited fishing methods