platypus
Also known as Ornithorhynchus anatinus, duckbill, watermole, duckmole, duck-billed platypus, duckbill platypus
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative of its family Ornithorhynchidae and genus Ornithorhynchus, though a number of related species appear in the fossil record. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Like other monotremes, the platypus has a sense of electrolocation, which it uses to detect prey
AI overview
The platypus is an unusual egg-laying mammal found in eastern Australia that has a duck-like bill and lives partly in water. It matters scientifically because it's the only living member of its family and represents one of just five surviving monotremes—a rare group of mammals that lay eggs instead of bearing live young.
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Species
Near ThreatenedChordata
PHYLUM
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
鴨嘴獸（學名：Ornithorhynchus anatinus；英语：Platypus，偶称Duck-billed platypus）是單孔目鴨嘴獸科鴨嘴獸屬（Ornithorhynchus）的唯一一种動物。鴨嘴獸是少有的卵生哺乳動物，棲地在澳大利亞東部地區和塔斯馬尼亞州。當其的標本被送到博物館時，奇怪的外觀使得當時歐洲的生物分類學家認為這是人为設計出來捉弄人的物種。鴨嘴獸是為數不多的有毒哺乳類動物，雄性鴨嘴獸的後肢有尖刺，可分泌有毒物質。此外也是少數擁有电磁感應的哺乳动物。鴨嘴獸的獨特性使牠成為演化生物學研究的重要對象。 鴨嘴獸已成為澳大利亞的象徵，常作為全國性活動的吉祥物。直到20世纪初，牠們仍因为人类对毛皮需求而被獵殺。雖然圈養計劃失敗與及鴨嘴獸易受環境污染影響，但是在人工保护下，牠们目前还未走向灭绝。 目录 1 命名 2 形态 3 习性 3.1 毒液 3.2 電磁感應 3.3 繁殖 4 進化 5 文化 6 参考文献 7 外部连接 命名 1798年新南威尔士总督约翰·亨特将鸭嘴兽的皮毛和素描寄回英国之后，欧洲人才首次知道鸭嘴兽的存在[2]。但当时英国科学家认为这只是一个恶作剧[3]，虽然乔治·肖1799年在《Naturalist's Miscellany》中正式描述了鸭嘴兽，但他本人也有所怀疑[4]，罗伯特·诺克斯认为这些皮毛不过是亚洲动物标本剥制师的作品[3]，其“鸭嘴”可能是后来缝上去的，而毛皮本身则来自海狸一类的动物，乔治·肖还特意检查过毛皮上是否有缝线[5]。 其英语俗名“platypus”来自古希腊语πλατύπους（拉丁转写为platupous），意思是“平足的”[6]，词根为πλατύς（platus，即“扁平的、宽的”）[7]和πούς（pous，脚）[8][9]。肖最初给它定的学名是Platypus anatinus。但是后因属名“Platypus”已被长小蠹属占用[10]，于是1800年約翰·弗里德里希·布盧門巴赫改之为Ornithorhynchus paradoxus[11]，最终按命名先到先得的原则更为Ornithorhynchus anatinus[10]。属名来自古希腊语ορνιθόρυγχος（ornithorhynkhos），意思是“鸟嘴”，而种加词则来自拉丁语，意思是“鸭子一样的”。 形态 長成的鴨嘴獸體體重0.7～2.4公斤（1.5～5.3英磅）。雄鸭嘴兽比雌性大，雄性体长平均50厘米（20英寸），而雌性则为 43厘米（17英寸），不同地区间体型差异也有较大变化[12]。其体温在32 °C（90 °F）左右[13][14][15]。由於沒有明顯的奶頭，剛孵化的鴨嘴獸須尋找母獸腹部泌乳孔吸吮乳汁維生。与袋獾一样，其粗大的尾巴可用来存储脂肪[16]。約4個月哺乳期後獨立生活，2歲半為成年。 习性 一只浮在水中的鸭嘴兽
via GBIF · IUCN
Research
927 papersArticle
18 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy and naming
- Description
- Senses
- Venom
- Distribution and habitat
- Ecology and behaviour
- Reproduction
- Evolution
- Genome
- Conservation
- Sanctuaries and captivity
- Human interactions
- Usage
- Cultural references
- See also
- Footnotes
- Citations
- External links
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative of its family Ornithorhynchidae and genus Ornithorhynchus, though a number of related species appear in the fossil record. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Like other monotremes, the platypus has a sense of electrolocation, which it uses to detect prey in water while its eyes, ears and nostrils are closed. It is one of the few species of venomous mammals, as the male platypus has a spur on each hind foot that delivers an extremely painful venom.
The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed mammal at first baffled European naturalists. In 1799, the first scientists to examine a preserved platypus body judged it a fake made of several animals sewn together. The unique features of the platypus make it important in the study of evolutionary biology, and a recognisable and iconic symbol of Australia. It is culturally significant to several Aboriginal peoples, who also used to hunt it for food, and has appeared on stamps and currency.
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Connections
Categories
Electroreceptive animalsExtant Pliocene first appearancesIUCN Red List near threatened speciesMammal genera with one living speciesMammals described in 1799Mammals of New South WalesMammals of QueenslandMammals of South AustraliaMammals of TasmaniaMammals of Victoria (state)OrnithorhynchidaeQuaternary animals of Australia