The platypus is an amazing animal that lives only in Australia, on the island of Tasmania. The outlandish miracle belongs to mammals, but, unlike other animals, it lays eggs like an ordinary bird. Platypuses are egg-laying mammals - rare species animals that have survived only on the Australian continent.

Discovery history

Strange creatures can boast unusual story their discoveries. The first description of the platypus was given by Australian pioneers in the early 18th century. For a long time science did not recognize the existence of platypuses and considered the mention of them an inept joke of the Australian inhabitants. Finally, at the end of the 18th century, scientists British university received from Australia a parcel with the fur of an unknown animal, similar to a beaver, with paws like those of otters, and with a nose like that of an ordinary domestic duck. Such a beak looked so ridiculous that scientists even shaved off the hair on the muzzle, believing that Australian pranksters sewed a duck nose to the skin of a beaver. Finding no seams, no traces of glue, pundits just threw up their hands. No one could understand where he lives or how the platypus breeds. Only a few years later, in 1799, the British naturalist J. Shaw proved the existence of this miracle and gave the first detailed description creature, which was later given the name "platypus". A photo of a bird animal can only be taken in Australia, because this is the only continent on which these exotic animals currently live.

Origin

The appearance of platypuses refers to those distant times when there were no modern continents. All land was united into one huge continent - Gondwana. It was then, 110 million years ago, that platypuses appeared in terrestrial ecosystems, taking the place of the recently extinct dinosaurs. Migrating, platypuses settled throughout the mainland, and after the collapse of Gondwana, they remained to live on a large stretch of the ex-continent, which was later called Australia. Due to the isolated location of their homeland, the animals have retained their original appearance even after millions of years. Different kinds platypuses at one time inhabited the expanses of the entire land, but only one species of these animals has come down to the present.

Classification

For a quarter of a century, the leading minds of Europe puzzled over how to classify the overseas beast. Of particular difficulty was the fact that the creature turned out to have a lot of signs that are found in birds, animals, and amphibians.

The platypus saves all fat reserves in the tail, and not under the hair on the body. Therefore, the tail of the beast is solid, heavy, able not only to stabilize the movement of the platypus in the water, but also serves as an excellent means of defense. The weight of the animal fluctuates around one and a half to two kilograms with a length of half a meter. Compare with a domestic cat, which, with the same dimensions, weighs much more. Animals do not have nipples, although they produce milk. The temperature of the bird animal is low, barely reaching 32 degrees Celsius. This is much lower than that of mammals. Among other things, platypuses have another striking feature in the literal sense. These animals can hit with poison, which makes them quite dangerous opponents. Like almost all reptiles, the platypus lays eggs. Platypuses have in common with snakes and lizards both the ability to produce poison and the arrangement of the limbs, like those of amphibians. Amazing walk of the platypus. He moves by bending his body like a reptile. After all, his paws do not grow from the bottom of the body, like birds or animals. The limbs of this either a bird or an animal are located on the sides of the body, like those of lizards, crocodiles or monitor lizards. High on the head of the animal are the eyes and ear holes. They can be found in depressions located on each side of the head. The auricles are absent, while diving, he closes his eyes and ears with a special skin fold.

mating games

Every year, platypuses hibernate, which lasts 5-10 short winter days. This is followed by a mating period. How the platypus breeds, scientists have found out relatively recently. It turns out that, like all major events in the life of these animals, the courtship process takes place in the water. The male bites the tail of the female he likes, after which the animals circle each other in the water for some time. They do not have permanent pairs, the children of the platypus remain only with the female, who herself is engaged in their cultivation and education.

Waiting for the cubs

A month after mating, the platypus digs a long deep hole, filling it with armfuls of wet leaves and brushwood. The female wears everything necessary, covering her paws and tucking her flat tail from below. When the shelter is ready future mom fits into the nest, and the entrance to the hole is covered with earth. In this nesting chamber, the platypus lays its eggs. The clutch usually contains two, rarely three small whitish eggs, which are glued together with a sticky substance. The female incubates the eggs for 10-14 days. The animal spends this time curled up in a ball on the masonry, hidden by wet leaves. At the same time, the female platypus can occasionally leave the hole in order to have a snack, clean itself and moisten the fur.

Birth of platypuses

After two weeks of residence, a small platypus appears in the clutch. The baby breaks eggs with an egg tooth. After the baby comes out of the shell, this tooth falls off. After birth, the female platypus moves the cubs onto her abdomen. The platypus is a mammal, so the female feeds her cubs with milk. Platypuses do not have nipples, milk from the enlarged pores on the parent's stomach flows down the wool into special grooves, from where the cubs lick it. The mother occasionally goes outside to hunt and clean herself, while the entrance to the hole is clogged with earth.
For up to eight weeks, cubs need their mother's warmth and can freeze if left unattended for a long time.

At the eleventh week, the eyes of small platypuses open, after four months the babies grow up to 33 cm in length, grow hair and completely switch to adult food. A little later, they leave the hole and begin to lead an adult lifestyle. At the age of one year, the platypus becomes an adult sexually mature individual.

Platypuses in history

Before the appearance on the shores of Australia the first European settlers platypuses had practically no external enemies. But the amazing and valuable fur made them an object of trade for white people. Skins of platypuses, black-brown on the outside and gray on the inside, at one time were used to make fur coats and hats for European fashionistas. Yes, and the locals did not hesitate to shoot the platypus for their needs. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the decline in the number of these animals became rampant. The naturalists sounded the alarm, and the platypus joined the ranks. Australia began to create special reserves for amazing animals. Animals were taken under state protection. The problem was complicated by the fact that the places where the platypus lives must be protected from the presence of a person, since this animal is shy and sensitive. In addition, the mass distribution of rabbits on this continent deprived platypuses of their usual nesting places - eared aliens occupied their holes. Therefore, the government had to allocate huge areas, protected from third-party interference, in order to preserve and increase the population of platypuses. Such reserves have played a decisive role in preserving the population of these animals.

Platypuses in captivity

Attempts have been made to resettle this animal in zoos. In 1922, the first platypus arrived at the New York Zoo and lived in captivity for only 49 days. Because of their desire for silence and increased shyness, animals have not mastered zoos; in captivity, the platypus reluctantly lays eggs, offspring were only obtained a few times. No cases of domestication of these exotic animals by humans have been recorded. Platypuses were and remain wild and distinctive Australian Aborigines.

Platypus today

Now platypuses are not considered Tourists are happy to visit the places where the platypus lives. Travelers willingly publish photos of this animal in their stories about Australian tours. Bird animal images serve hallmark many Australian goods and manufacturing companies. Along with the kangaroo, the platypus has become a symbol of the Australian continent.

Long before white-skinned aliens arrived on the Australian continent, extraordinary creatures lived there half people, half monkeys, and next to them their relatives a whole family of totemic animals.

Approximately this is how the natives imagine the times that have gone into oblivion. From that time to the present day, animals have been preserved in Australia, which, it would seem, had long been supposed to turn into fossils.

Giant serpent and ostrich dinosaur

First of all, these are the colossal snakes of Central Australia: the wollunkwa and their relatives the mindi, or rainbow snakes. But the spellbound contemplation of this "rainbow" may be the last thing you see in your life. Fortunately, the reptile emits a nauseating odor that warns of its presence. Mindy is also credited with other misfortunes: it is believed that the snake carries an epidemic of syphilis.

These snakes live in the coastal strip and are almost unknown in the interior, where there is barely 500 millimeters of precipitation per year. For local tribes, giant snakes served as prototypes of fantastic creatures from numerous traditions and legends.

One of them is the legend of an evil yero, either a snake or an eel, which lives in some northwestern lakes. The throat of this creature is incredibly wide. According to the Australian aborigines, whirlpools can be born in it.

“On the Atherton Plateau in Queensland,” says G. Whitley, an ichthyologist at the Australian Museum, “there is a lake that I could not get the rowers of my boat to cross. They believed that some mythical animal lives in the depths of the lake.”

What is this animal? Probably, in the image of a fabulous snake, ideas about all the dangers that await a person floating over great depths on a light boat were embodied. This is a peculiar form of recording the experience of generations among the natives.

No less impressive are the legends about an animal named gauarge, an unusual animal that leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle. He drags to the bottom of everyone who dares to swim through his possessions. Remarkably, the Gauarge is described as an emu, but an emu without feathers!

If you ever get the chance to contemplate a plucked Australian ostrich, its carcass will look like Struthiomimus, one of the dinosaurs whose name means "which resembles an ostrich."

Many people believe that dinosaurs are necessarily huge monsters. However, among them were specimens no larger than a chicken. Between these dwarfs and the giant iguanodonts is Struthiomimus, an ostrich dinosaur that lived in the marshy coastal lowlands but also took refuge in the water.

It can be assumed that the natives met or preserved in legends the memory of encounters with a living dinosaur. In any case, it is more useful to treat the Gauarga legend with attention than with contempt.

Dwarf that devours children

It is quite easy to find an explanation for the old Australian legend of the mocking-man who is not taken by death. Now zoologists are well aware that this is none other than the bird Dacelo gigas, nicknamed Martin the hunter. The night calls of this bird still instill fear in the locals.

One of these "nightmarish" creatures has long been considered yara maya-vho. Aborigines claim that this is a small toothless man, similar to a frog. It lives on palm trees and has suckers on its fingers. They say that with these suction cups he sticks around the body of a child who is under a tree, and does not let go until he sucks all the blood out of him.

It is surprising that zoologists could not identify this creature for so long. After all, apart from the bloodthirsty disposition, there is so much information about the animal that it is as easy for a zoologist to recognize it as it is for a peasant to guess a riddle: who runs on two legs, is covered with feathers and shouts to a crow?

There is no doubt that the mysterious Yara is none other than the ghost tarsier (Tarsius spectrum). This is a small furry animal with a flat face and huge eyes. It can be considered the most mysterious of all primates.

Being among the branches, he can take a stand on his hind legs. His appearance is so reminiscent of a human that the English anatomist Wood-Jones and his Dutch colleague A. Hubrecht considered him the closest creature to man! Of course, this is an exaggeration, but the animal has outstanding, unique qualities.

He is only twelve to twenty centimeters tall. Huge eyes are widened to enhance night vision, at the tips of long fingers thickening with suction cups. The foot of the tarsier is so long (hence the name of the animal) that, unlike other primates, it is forced to rely only on its toes when walking. But the tarsier jumps beautifully, while resembling a hairy frog, but its jumps are much easier. The weight of only about 140 grams allows him to make two-meter jumps, while ascending sixty centimeters! Of course, the tarsier is far from toothless, but when it opens its V-shaped mouth, rather sinister, it seems that it has no teeth.

Tarsier is the only primate that can be considered fully carnivorous. He sometimes tastes fruits, but the main food is insects, lizards, birds and even small mammals. For them, the tarsier is a bloodthirsty robber.

If we add to the described properties of the tarsier its nocturnal lifestyle, then we can understand why this rare animal has become the subject of all kinds of superstitions.

There is only one reason that prevented zoologists from seeing ghost tarsiers in Yara. It is that the latter is not found in Australia. It is found only in the Malay Archipelago: in Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and several Philippine Islands.

Previously, tarsiers were distributed much more widely than at present. In the deposits of the beginning of the Tertiary period, these strange "little men" are found throughout Europe and North America. But today in Australia there are no placental mammals in the wild, except, of course, those brought by man, that is, rats, dingoes and others.

Once upon a time, mammals with a placenta displaced marsupials all over the planet, but could not penetrate the "watershed", that is, the invisible line that zoologists drew between Bali and Lombok, and to the north between Borneo and Sulawesi. In short, they failed to reach either New Guinea or Australia, where marsupials thrived in complete safety before human invasion.

This is why it is almost unbelievable that tarsier could live in Australia. Perhaps unraveling the mystery of this animal will help shed light on the problem of the origin of the Australian tribes, which has been worrying anthropologists for so long. It can be assumed that the legends about the Yara came to the mainland from the islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Sulawesi, were passed down from generation to generation and have survived to this day.

It is undeniable that the tiny tarsier, completely harmless to humans, keeps at bay not only Australia, but the entire Malay region. In addition, it seems to me likely that the same animal gave rise to the legend of the "forest demon", common in the Philippines.

"Animals on Bird Legs"

Astonishing as the animals of Oceanian folklore may be, a real boom in fantastic tales came after the arrival on the Australian continent of a white man so disposed to all sorts of fables. We hasten to add that most of the rumors had real grounds.

When in the early 17th century, brave Dutch sailors began to explore the Australian seas in search of rich and fertile islands, they had to land on the shores of a seemingly endless land, which they called New Holland out of nostalgic feelings.

In this country, they said, lives a big beast, like a man, with a long tail and a small head, like a goat. His hind legs are like those of a bird, and he can jump on them like a frog. In 1640 the first scientific description animal, accompanied by a fantastic pattern.

A century later, Captain James Cook, stopping near the mainland to repair a ship that had hit a reef, took the opportunity to visit the mysterious land. He penetrated deep into the territory in the area of ​​Trinity Bay. On July 9, 1770, two of his crew, one of whom was the famous naturalist Joseph Banks, went hunting to replenish their stocks of meat. As Cook later related, they walked several miles and met four "those same animals on bird legs." Banks set his greyhound after them, but she quickly fell behind - the thick grass, through which the animals easily jumped, prevented her from running.

Soon, Cook learned that the natives call the jumper a kangaroo. However, this name was never found later in any of the Australian dialects ...

The information received from such an educated and meticulous person in the reports as James Cook was not in doubt, therefore, twenty years later the word "kangaroo" was already used as a scientific name in books on zoology.

But most of all, Cook was surprised that jumpers carry babies with them in a pocket on their stomach.

A striking feature of the animal world of Australia soon became clear: all mammals living on the mainland had the same pockets for their young.

Mammals that lay eggs

But the scientific world was waiting for even more unexpected surprises. In 1797, an animal named "water mole" was discovered in the southern part of New Gaul. In fact, this strange animal was more like an otter. He had flippers on his feet. But if the membranes between the fingers can be assumed in a mammal, then what could European zoologists say about the presence of a duck's beak in him!

A stuffed animal of the first platypus, examined by members of the Royal Zoological Society, was found to be a fake.

The fact is that animal samples coming from the East were sometimes so skillfully faked by the Chinese that scientists have long been accustomed to "sensational" fakes and looked skeptically at any surprise. How many times have travelers brought to Europe the mummies of sirens who, according to legend, live somewhere in the Indian Ocean! In fact, they were made from the torso and head of a monkey, the paws of a bird, and the tail of a fish. The "water mole", consisting of both parts of the body of a bird and a mammal, and this seemed certain belonged to skillful fakes.

Meanwhile, the skin of the animal was subjected to a thorough analysis by Dr. George Shaw, who did not find any traces of glue or other attachment of parts on it. He recognized the remains of the animal as real and in 1799 gave his first scientific description. So the unusual animal got the name Ornithoryn-chus paradoxus, which means "a beast with duck paws and a beak."

But it wasn't enough to give unusual creature scientific name. It was also necessary to find a place for him in the taxonomy of the animal world.

Since the animal was covered with hair, no one doubted that we are talking about a mammal. The German zoologist John Friedrich Blumenbach decided to attribute it to the edentulous , as a rule, they included all animals that did not fit into the classification.

In 1802, two specimens of platypuses arrived in England in alcohol form. One of the animals was a female, but upon closer inspection, no mammary glands were found in her! In addition to such an incredible property, the "water moles" had an anus and a genital passage combined, like birds and reptiles.

In the end, the English anatomist Home proposed to separate platypuses into a separate classification, where another animal, discovered in Australia, was soon assigned: an echidna, whose elongated muzzle also resembles a beak.

The matter became even more confused when rumors began to arrive from Australia that the platypus was laying eggs. This fact confirmed the opinion of Lamarck, according to which monotremes are the ancestors of mammals and are close in many ways to birds and reptiles.

In 1824, another surprise: the German scientist Meckel discovered mammary glands in a platypus! But an animal that lays eggs cannot have mammary glands! Nevertheless, they were. In 1832, the Australian naturalist Lieutenant Mole established that the mammary glands of the platypus produce milk. Only in 1884 was a real method of reproduction and rearing of the offspring of platypuses established. So surprisingly scientific world found an animal that simultaneously lays eggs and feeds its young with milk.

Once again, the rule was confirmed: "impossible" animals can exist in nature.

Bunyip

Who is he bunyip?

Until now, the bunyip has served as a symbol of everything mysterious and terrible that the imagination of a colonist who found himself on an unfamiliar mainland could only imagine.

It seems to me that the word "bunyip" in the language of the natives meant everything that could not be explained with the help of familiar concepts. Similar to our word "demon".

It can be assumed that when asked by white people which of the unknown animals committed this or that atrocity, the Australians answered that this was the work of the bunyip or that he crossed their path.

It is strange that this mystical creature, endowed with such powerful abilities, was embodied in the image of not only a specific, but also a rather ordinary animal. True, unknown to science.

The first mention of it refers to 1801. The French mineralogist Charles Bailly, a member of the expedition of Nicolas Bodin, together with his companions left the bay, which they named after their ship, in order to go as far as possible into the unfamiliar mainland. Suddenly they heard from the reeds of the Swan River a devilish roar, more terrible than the roar of an angry bull. In a panic, the colonists fled to the shore, deciding that in the swamps of the new continent incredible size monster.

Later, researcher Hamilton Hume confirmed the existence of a water monster, but curiously, his evidence refers to an area located on the opposite side of Australia. In Lake Bathurst, he observed an animal that looked like both a manatee and a hippopotamus. Scientists of the Australian Philosophical Society immediately promised the researcher to reimburse all expenses if he manages to get the carcass of this animal. But Hume couldn't do it.

Rumors of this kind came from different points continent, especially from the southeastern regions.

Lieutenant W. Breton wrote: “They say that a species of seal with supernatural power lives in Lake George.”

By the middle of the 19th century, the legend of the bunyip was firmly established throughout the mainland. Who did not care about the mysterious beast, and what miracles were not attributed to him! In 1846, near one of the tributaries of the Murray, which separates Victoria from Southern New Gaul, a fragment of a skull was found, which was sent to the naturalist W. S. Maclay as the "head of a bunyip." The scientist concluded that the skull belonged to a foal. In London, a specialist in the field of comparative anatomy, Professor Richard Owen, got acquainted with the sample, who decided that in front of him was a fragment of a cow's skull.

One of the experts was wrong, and since the animal was never identified, it can be assumed that both were wrong. Unfortunately, valuable evidence has mysteriously disappeared.

In 1848, a dark-colored animal with a head resembling that of a kangaroo was seen on the Emeralia River. He had Long neck, dense growth on the head and a huge mouth. According to local residents, it was a bunyip that was waiting in the water for another victim.

In 1872, on Burrumbit Lake, a large animal approached the boat, so that all its passengers rushed to the other side in fear and almost capsized into the water. The beast has been described as a water dog. His head was round and devoid of ears.

In 1875, near Dalby in Queensland, a creature resembling a seal was seen poking out of the water. It had a double but not symmetrical tail fin.

In addition, some water monster was registered in Tasmania, that is, outside the Australian continent.

Construction of Waddaman Dam and all kinds of changes natural conditions, caused by the construction of the Great Lake Power Plant, did not get rid of the ubiquitous water demon. His appearance was noted here until recently.

Common seal or new marsupial?

With so much evidence of a dog-headed, flattened-eared, short-haired, pinniped in the water, it's hard not to speculate about the existence of some kind of freshwater seal.

Many species of pinnipeds live along the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. For example, sea dog (Otaria), sea leopard (Leptonyx), sea ​​Elephant(Mirounga). But can these animals climb deep into the mainland?

Theoretically, they can. After all, there is a species of seal that is never found in the seas. In addition, it has been established that seals sometimes penetrate deep into Australia along the Murray and its tributary Darling. Dr. Charles Fenner mentions a case in which a seal was killed at Conargo, near Southern Nova Gaul, 1,450 kilometers from the mouth of the river. Shoalhaven in 1870 was shot down sea ​​leopard, in the stomach of which an adult platypus was found, which made G. Whitley remark: “The bunyip swallowed the bunyip!”

Thus, it has been established that pinnipeds can travel considerable distances in fresh water. Perhaps they could also make short passages by land. It is noteworthy in this regard that most often the appearance of the water demon is recorded in the southeast, that is, in the territories of the basins of the two largest rivers Australia.

As for the heart-rending cries coming from the reeds, they could not belong to the pinniped, but to the bittern (Botaurus poiciloptius). By the way, it is her voice that she owes local name Murray Bull.

However, the appearance of a water demon is timed to coincide with places that, with all the desire, no pinniped could reach. Therefore, Australian scientists prefer more original hypotheses.

“It is supposed,” Whitley writes, “that we are talking about a marsupial animal that has survived to this day, similar to an otter.”

Why shouldn't our demon be an aquatic marsupial? And are Aboriginal legends connected with the recent existence of Diprotodon, which is believed to have inhabited the rivers, swamps and lakes of the mainland?

Rabbits the size of a rhinoceros

Gold diggers scattered across sandy deserts western plateau and thorny bushes of the central lowland - practically unexplored areas - met large animals that looked like rabbits.

Such reports were received so regularly that finally interested scientists, among whom was the famous Australian naturalist Ambrose Pratt. He was the first to ask himself the question: are the three-meter rabbits diprotodons, huge marsupials that were considered extinct? After all, before they large quantities met on the Nullarbor Plain, until the intensified drought turned a large part of the mainland into a desert. The found skulls reached a length of one meter. Was even reconstructed appearance diprotodon. These extinct marsupials are credited with the manners of the tapir: they had to lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle among the lush vegetation that covered the mainland at the end of the last epoch of glaciation, that is, from twelve to thirty thousand years ago. The drought, which devastated vast territories like leprosy, drove out the diprotodons from the mainland.

Of course, the huge herbivore initially found its home in drought-resistant oases. As they dried up, herds of diprotodons went to the next source of water.

In 1953, Professor Reuben Stirton of the University of California discovered a genuine diprotodon graveyard in northwestern Australia, containing between five hundred and a thousand perfectly preserved skeletons. It is believed that a herd of these animals gathered on the site of a recently dried lake, covered with a crust hardened in the sun. Under the weight of the herd, the crust could not stand it, and many animals got stuck in wet silt.

Even if they completely disappeared several millennia ago, the first Australian Aborigines must have found them.

Van Yennep believes that the oral transmission of information cannot last any long, while rumors about animals that are described as similar to diprotodons continue to circulate among the natives.

After all, Australia was not without water at all. Otherwise, the fate of the "giant rabbits" would have befallen other herbivores, and at the same time the predators that fed on them. A sufficient number of lakes, streams and swamps remained on the mainland, near which, like other representatives of the Australian fauna, diprotodons could continue to exist.

Despite relatively frequent sightings, Australian hunters chasing feral Asiatic buffalo across the steppes fail to get hold of the supposed diprotodons. According to them, animals have an incredible ability to suddenly disappear from their eyes, leaving only a cloud of dust in place...

Bernard Euvelmans
Translated from French by Pavel Trannua

Everyone knows from school curriculum about mammals. Did you know that an egg-laying mammal is a separate species of animal that lives only on the territory of one continent - Australia? Let's take a look at this special kind animals in more detail.

Discovery of oviparous

For a long time, the existence of animals unique in their kind that breed by incubating eggs was not known. The first message about these creatures came to Europe in the 17th century. At this time, the skin of a marvelous creature with a beak, covered with wool, was brought from Australia. It was a platypus. The alcoholized copy was brought only 100 years later. The fact is that platypuses practically do not tolerate captivity. It is very difficult for them to create conditions during transportation. Therefore, observations of them were carried out only in the natural environment.

Following the discovery of the platypus, news came of another creature with a beak, only now it is covered with needles. This is an echidna. For a long time, scientists argued about which class to classify these two creatures. And they came to the conclusion that the platypus and echidna should be placed in a separate detachment. This is how the detachment One-pass, or cloacal, appeared.

Amazing platypus

A unique creature of its kind, leading a nocturnal lifestyle. The platypus is distributed only in Australia and Tasmania. The animal lives half in the water, that is, it builds holes with access to the water and to land, and also feeds in the water. A creature of small size - up to 40 centimeters. It has, as already mentioned, a duck nose, but at the same time it is soft and covered with skin. Only in appearance it is very similar to a duck. There is also a 15 cm tail, similar to a beaver's tail. The paws are webbed, but at the same time they do not prevent the platypus from walking on the ground and digging holes perfectly.

Since the genitourinary system and intestines exit the animal into one hole, or cloaca, it was attributed to separate species- Cloacal. It is interesting that the platypus, unlike ordinary mammals, swims with the help of its front paws, and the hind legs serve as a rudder. Among other things, let's pay attention to how it reproduces.

Platypus breeding

Interesting fact: before breeding, animals fall into a 10-day hibernation, and only after that does it begin mating season. It lasts almost the entire autumn, from August to November. Platypuses mate in the water, and after a two-week period, the female lays an average of 2 eggs. Males do not participate in the later life of offspring.

The female builds a special hole (up to 15 meters long) with a nest at the end of the tunnel. Lines it with raw leaves and stems to maintain a certain humidity so that the eggs do not dry out. Interestingly, for protection, she also builds a barrier wall 15 centimeters thick.

Only after preparatory work she lays her eggs in the nest. The platypus incubates eggs by curling up around them. After 10 days, babies are born, naked and blind, like all mammals. The female feeds the babies with milk, which flows from the pores directly through the fur into the grooves and accumulates in them. Babies lick milk and thus feed. Feeding lasts about 4 months, and then the kids learn to get food on their own. It was the method of reproduction that gave this species the name "egg-laying mammal".

extraordinary echidna

Echidna is also an egg-laying mammal. This is a land creature of small size, reaching up to 40 centimeters. It also lives in Australia, Tasmania and the islands of New Guinea. In appearance, this animal looks like a hedgehog, but with a long narrow beak, not exceeding 7.5 centimeters. Interestingly, the echidna has no teeth, and it catches prey with the help of a long sticky tongue.

The body of the echidna is covered on the back and sides with spines, which were formed from coarse wool. Wool covers the belly, head and paws is fully adapted for a certain type of food. It feeds on termites, ants and small insects. She leads a daytime lifestyle, although it is not easy to find her. The fact is that she has a low body temperature, up to 32 degrees, and this does not allow her to endure a decrease or increase in temperature. environment. In this case, the echidna becomes lethargic and rests under trees or hibernates.

Echidna breeding method

Echidna is an egg-laying mammal, but it was only possible to prove this in early XXI century. interesting mating games echidna. There are up to 10 males per female. When she decides she's ready to mate, she lays down on her back. At the same time, males dig a trench around it and begin to fight for supremacy. The one who turned out to be stronger copulates with the female.

Pregnancy lasts up to 28 days and ends with the appearance of one egg, which the female moves to the brood fold. It is still not clear how the female moves the egg into the bag, but after 10 days the baby appears. The cub comes into the world incompletely formed.

Young

The birth of such a baby is very similar to the birth of young marsupials. They also pass their final development in the mother's pouch and leave her as adults, ready for independent life. An interesting fact: marsupials are also common only in Australia.

How does the baby echidna appear? He is blind and naked, his hind limbs are not developed, his eyes are covered with a leathery film, and fingers are formed only on the front paws. It takes a baby 4 hours to get to milk. Interestingly, in the mother's pouch there are 100-150 pores that secrete milk through special hairs. The kid just needs to get to them.

The baby is in the mother's pouch for about 2 months. He gains weight very quickly due to nutritious milk. Echidna's milk is the only one that has pink color due to the large amount of iron in it. Feeding continues up to 6.5 months. After the young growth learns to get food on its own.

prochidna

Prochidna is another egg-laying mammal. This creature is much larger than its counterparts. The habitat is the north of New Guinea and the islands of Indonesia. The size of the prochidna is impressive, up to 80 centimeters, while its weight is up to 10 kilograms. It looks like a echidna, but the beak is much longer and the needles are much shorter. She lives in mountainous areas and feeds mostly on worms. The structure of the oral cavity of the prochidna is interesting: her tongue has teeth, and with the help of it she is able not only to chew food, but, as has been noted, even to turn over stones.

This species is the least studied, as it lives in the mountains. But at the same time, it was noticed that the animal does not lose mobility in any weather, does not hibernate and is able to regulate the temperature. own body. Reproduction of egg-laying mammals, to which the prochidna belongs, occurs in the same way as in the other two species. She hatches only one egg, which is placed in a bag on her stomach, and feeds the cub with milk.

Comparative characteristics

Now let's look at the types of mammals that live on the Australian continent. So, what is the difference between oviparous, marsupial and placental mammals? To begin with, it must be said that all mammals feed their offspring with milk. But the birth of babies has huge differences.

Oviparous animals have one common feature. They lay eggs like birds and incubate them for a certain amount of time. After the birth of the offspring, the mother's body produces milk, which the babies eat. It should be noted that the cubs do not suck milk, but lick it from the grooves on the female's stomach. The absence of nipples distinguishes oviparous from other mammals.

They have a pouch, hence their name. The pouch is located on the abdomen of females. A newborn baby, having reached it, finds a nipple and, as it were, hangs on it. The fact is that babies are born unformed and spend several more months in their mother's pouch until they are fully developed. It must be said that oviparous and marsupial mammals are similar in this respect. Echidna and prochidna babies are also born underdeveloped and placed in a kind of brood fold.

What about placental mammals? Their babies are born fully formed due to the presence of a placenta in the uterus. Due to it, the process of nutrition and development of the cub takes place. The majority of animals are placental.

Such a variety of species exists on one continent.

  • The platypus (lat. Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a waterfowl mammal of the monotreme order that lives in Australia.
  • Australian mammal that looks like a bird in both nose and egg laying
  • Mammal from monotremes
  • Mammal, lives in Australia, lays eggs
  • Mammal of the monotreme order, the only species in the family. Body length up to 45 cm, tail up to 15 cm. Paws with membranes.
  • egg-laying mammal
  • The only venomous mammal in the world
  • Australian mammal of the cloaca order
  • Laying mammal
  • Australian egg-laying mammal
  • An Australian animal that lays eggs but carries its young in a pouch and nurses

    • BLASTOCYST

    • (blastoderm vesicle) stage of development of mammals and humans in the process of crushing a fertilized egg
    • Stage of development of mammals and humans in the process of crushing a fertilized egg

      • Knuckles the Echidna (ナックルズ・ザ・エキドゥナ Nakkuruzu za Ekiduna) is a character in the video game, television show, and comic book series Sonic the Hedgehog.
      • Spiny marsupial that lays eggs
      • A small Australian cloacal oviparous mammal with a snout stretched forward, covered with needles and wool.
      • The mammal with the lowest blood temperature
      • Marsupial, body covered with spines, lays eggs
      • Australian Beast, an egg-laying mammal covered in spines
      • Australia's venomous snake
      • Poisonous snake
      • Poisonous Australian snake of the asp family
      • Australian venomous snake
      • Venomous snake (obsolete)

The fauna of Australia is unique, there are no monkeys, you will not meet ruminants and thick-skinned mammals. The continent is dominated by marsupials, the only representative of wild dogs in the world, a turtle with a long neck like a giraffe, and many other amazing creatures.

  1. Echidna

This small animal, covered with needles, with a long proboscis nose, is the only representative of the echidna genus. Echidna is a marsupial, but only she and the platypus lay eggs, which makes them even more unique. It's amazing how an echidna bears offspring. The female lays a pea-sized egg and then places it in a pouch on her belly. How she does this is still unknown, after 10 days a cub hatches in a bag.

  1. Kangaroo

Who doesn't know a kangaroo!? Everyone knows the kangaroo. An amazing Australian animal with large, muscular legs and a strong, long tail. Kangaroo is the only one large animal, which uses jumping as a way to get around. In nature, there are only 3 types of kangaroos: western and eastern gray, western red. Other species are wallabies, quoka and kangaroo rats - relatives.

  1. Koala

The koala is a herbivorous marsupial related to wombats. For a long time she was considered a bear, but she has nothing to do with bears. The koala feeds exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and shoots; it has no competition in gastronomy. Other animals bypass the plant with a high content of toxic phenolic compounds and hydrocyanic acid. Unique microflora digestive tract allows the koala to neutralize poisons.

  1. Wombat

The wombat belongs to the family of two-crested marsupials. Quite large, reaches a weight of 40 kg. Wombats live in burrows dug by them and feed on plant foods. Rear end their bodies are extremely hard due to thick skin, bones and cartilage. Something like a shield, protects the animal when attacked from behind.

  1. Dingo

The pedigree of the dingo is full of mysteries. According to recent research, this dog cannot be native to Australia. Scientists believe that the first settlers from Asia brought it to the continent about 4,000 years ago. Secondary feral dogs found in rich nature Australia has everything you need to survive: plenty of game and complete absence competitors.

  1. Platypus

After the discovery of platypuses, for another 27 years, scientists did not know which class the animals belonged to. But a German biologist discovered they had mammary glands, and platypuses were classified as mammals. Every year, platypuses go into hibernation, which lasts -10 days, and after that the mating season begins. By the way, the platypus beak is soft and covered with skin, and not hard as many believe.

  1. Possum

Not to be confused with possums! One of the most interesting possums is the sugar flying or pygmy marsupial flying squirrel. Because of the habitat of the animal, it is also called the Australian marsupial flying squirrel. But the possum looks like a squirrel only in part.

  1. bilby

He is a rabbit bandicoot - another representative marsupials from sunny Australia. Bandicoots have become rare and are heavily guarded. They feed on insects and larvae, various roots, bulbs, small lizards, seeds and mushrooms.

  1. Australian snake-necked turtle

This turtle hides its head under the shell not as usual, pulling it in, but laying it on the side. grows up to 30 cm. Against the background of the dark color of the head and shell, the golden-yellow iris of the eyes stands out brightly.

  1. Marsupial anteater or nambat

Unlike most marsupials, the females of this animal do not have a bag. After 2 weeks of pregnancy, the babies have to cling to the thick fur on the mother's belly. At the nambats short life, low fecundity, tender offspring and many enemies, so their range is seriously reduced. These are marsupials without a bag.