When he first saw a platypus skin, 19th century naturalist George Shaw thought someone had stitched the feet and bill of a duck onto the torso of a furry mammal as a joke.
Platypuses’ webbed feed allow them to quickly glide through water. Moving on land, however, is a different story. Their legs are short, heavy, and splayed away from the body like a reptile’s. It takes 30 percent more energy for them to walk on land than other similarly sized terrestrial mammals.
Researchers must be careful to avoid the venomous spurs on male platypuses’ hind legs. While it isn’t lethal to humans, the venompoison dispensed from the spurs is said to be excruciating.
Platypuses store fat in their tails for when food is scarce. Female platypuses also use their tails to incubate their eggs against their warm bodies.