The Duck-Billed Platypus

Deep in the rivers and streams of Australia lives one of the strangest animals on Earth: the duck-billed platypus.

More specifically, this is the home of Sam, a furry creature with a duck bill, webbed feet, a beaver-like tail, and absolutely no idea what he is.

When Sam discovers a flyer for the Great Splash & Quack, he comes to a very reasonable conclusion: he must be a duck.

Determined to win the grand prize of unlimited freshwater shrimp, Sam enters the competition and quickly becomes the most confusing contestant in Splash & Quack history. He can't quack. He can't fly. But when it comes to swimming, diving, and finding hidden things underwater, Sam might just have a few surprises up his sleeve.

Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they explore the wonderfully weird world of the duck-billed platypus.

Kids will discover:

• How platypuses use a real-life "sixth sense" to hunt underwater
• Why male platypuses are one of the few venomous mammals on Earth
• How their amazing adaptations help them thrive in rivers and streams

Keep exploring:

• Download a duck-billed platypus coloring sheet
• Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod
• Find more resources or request an animal at wildandkindkids.com 

Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted:

• To hunt, the platypus uses its electric sixth sense (American Museum of Natural History) 
• Duck-Billed Platypus (National Geographic Kids) 
• Platypus Fact Sheet (Nature) 
• 10 fascinating platypus facts that will amazing you (WWF)

Transcript

0:00

Welcome to Wild and Kind Kids, everyone. Today, we're gonna open with kind of a version of animal charades. So I'm gonna shout out an animal and I want you to move like it wherever you are. Let's just get a little bit silly. Okay, let's waddle like a duck. Okay, some noisy charades here. Okay, let's swim like an otter. Otter swimming, swimming. Okay, very noisy otters over here. Now let's dig like a groundhog. Dig it, dig it, dig it, dig it, dig it to the edge. Okay, now I want you to close your eyes and move your head from side to side. Let's imagine we're a shark underwater looking for food. Side to side. Yes. All right. Lincoln and Lizay have never played charades where they had to be totally silent, as you can tell. Now, you might have thought you were pretending to be four different animals, but actually, in the end, you were moving like one animal. Don't worry. Scientists were totally confused too. Let's get learning. I'm Carrie, and I grew up on a zoo. I'm Lincoln. I'm Eliza. And we're wild about animals. Welcome to the Wild and Kind Kids Podcast. Hi, Lincoln and Eliza. Hi, Mom. Y'all, we have a great animal today. It was suggested by one of our listeners, Elijah from Bakersfield, California. Hi, Elijah. Hi, Elijah, Elijah. Your name sounds like my name. Eliza. Elijah? Yes. Now, Elijah's animal, let me just put it like this. It kind of looks like a bunch of animals walked into a mad scientist's lab and came out as one animal. It has a bill like a duck, feet maybe like a pelican, a tail kind of like a beaver, a defense system that would make a cobra say, whoa. And even though it's a mammal, it lays eggs. What? I know. It's the duck-billed platypus. The duck-billed platypus lives in Eastern Australia and on the island of Tasmania, where it spends lots of time in rivers, streams, freshwater creeks, and billabongs. Billabongs are like Australian watering holes. They're not very big. Most platypuses are about as long as a house cat, although part of that length is their big paddle-shaped tail. Males are 15 to 25 inches long, and females are 15 to 22 inches long. They have thick brown fur that keeps them warm in chilly water, giant webbed feet for swimming, and of course, that famous bill that looks a little bit like a duck's. Honestly, if you saw one in the wild, you might think someone made it up, but they are very real. Lincoln and Eliza, what else can you tell us about the duck-billed platypus? They look cute and cuddly, but they come with a stink. Yes. Male duck-billed platypuses are venomous. And this is super rare in the mammal world. They have these spurs. Imagine a thorny spike that are on their back feet that connect to a little gland in their bodies which holds the venom. And they can use it to deliver a painful shock. Now, it doesn't kill humans, but people describe it as excruciatingly painful. The good news, they've really just been observed using it to compete with other males. All right, tell me another one, guys. They lay eggs, but they're a mammal. Indeed. And this is another rarity in the mammal world. Mama platypuses lay one to two eggs at a time. For about 10 days, they curl their tail around those eggs to keep them warm. And when they hatch, the babies are about the size of a lima bean. Adorable. What else you got, y'all? The living, weaving glow sticks. It's wild. Fun, clazy, flack, y'all. Ha! Okay, let me explain this because it is wild. Now, first, you need to understand what a UV light is. It's a special kind of light that operates almost like special magical glasses. Because when you shine it on things, it reveals colors that our eyes cannot see, especially in the daytime. And scientists have put platypus under a UV light. Why? I'm not totally sure. But what it revealed is that they glow blue-green. And no one really knows why. It might help them camouflage in moonlight or be something else entirely. We don't know why it happens, only that it does. Wild. Alright, what else, y'all? Give me one more. They can stay underwater for hours. Therefore keeps them water dry. Yes, the duck-billed platypus was made for being underwater. They love to scoop up animals from the bottoms of rivers and lakes. They're carnivores, which means they get a lot of their diet from other animals. They love to eat things like worms, shrimp, mayflies, crayfish, and mussels. And to do that, they dive deep into the water and scoop their food up from the bottom. They might dive down for a minute or so, but spend up to 12 hours a day in the water. Their thick fur is designed to actually repel water. To imagine this, think of a really good rain jacket. When the water hits it, it beads up into a little ball and rolls off. And that's what happens with the platypus's fur. Water just beads up and rolls off, keeping their bodies warm and dry underneath. Okay, y'all. I think it's time to meet one up close. It's time for our story of the day. It was a bright and humid morning as the sun peeked through the eucalyptus trees along the hacking river in the Royal National Park of New South Wales, Australia. A wallaby leapt through the bush, flattening reeds as it bounded past. A laughing kookaburra's famous call cut through the air. A black cockatoo screeched from the treetops like it had urgent news to share. And waddling beneath all of it was Sam the platypus. Sam was short, furry, he had a bill, webbed feet, and a tail that looked like it had been borrowed from a beaver. And this particular morning, Sam was in an unusually good mood. Tucked beneath one arm was a bright yellow flyer that he had found tacked to a eucalyptus tree with a sharp thorn. Sam had already read it twenty three times. At the very top, in giant letters it said The Great Splash and Quack Hacking's annual duck games. Swimming, diving, duck challenges. And then at the bottom it read Grand Prize Unlimited Freshwater Shrimp. Sam stopped walking and read that last part again. Unlimited, he whispered. Then a third time. He just knew that he was Sam. And the animal drawn on the flyer looked reasonably similar. It had a bill. Sam had a bill. It had webbed feet. Sam had webbed feet. It appeared to enjoy swimming. Sam very much enjoyed swimming. And while the picture was a little blurry around the tail area, Sam felt confident that any differences were probably artistic choices. So, said Sam, carefully folding the flyer beneath his arm. It would appear that I am a duck. Excellent. He waddled a little further. And that means I can participate. And with that, he continued toward the river, repeating under his breath, Unlimited shrimp for life. Unlimited shrimp for life. Unlimited shrimp for life. A few minutes later, Sam arrived at the river. And what a sight it was. Colorful banners fluttered between the tree trunks. A band of frogs played an enthusiastic, if somewhat off-key, welcome song. A group of wallabies snacked on the riverbanks. And a sugar glider watched the action through a pair of tiny binoculars. And everywhere Sam looked, there were ducks. Big ducks, little ducks, ducks floating, ducks waddling, ducks chatting with other ducks about duck things. One duck waddled past carrying a sign that read, registration. Sam started to doubt himself, and then he shook it off. After all, he had a bill, he had webbed feet, and most importantly, unlimited shrimp for life, he reminded himself. He marched confidently toward the registration table. Behind it sat a very serious duck wearing spectacles. Name, please? asked the duck. Sam. The duck scribbled something onto a clipboard. Species? Sam blinked. Sorry? Species repeated the duck. What kind of duck are you? Sam looked down at himself. Then he looked at the duck. Back at himself? And then at the duck. Excellent question. The duck lowered her spectacles. You don't know? No one's ever asked before. The duck sighed. Can I hear you quack? Sam tried. What came out sounded a little bit like a sneeze mixed with a kazoo. The duck made a note on the clipboard. Can you fly? No. Another note. Do you enjoy swimming? Sam's eyes widened. Oh very much. The duck paused. Interesting. Can you dive? Sam grinned. Oh absolutely. The duck scratched out several notes, and Sam's shoulders slumped. Well, you better get ready. The river dive starts soon. Sam gasped. The shrimp dream was still alive. He took his place for the river dive. The goal was to leap from a log and be the first creature to grab a pebble from the river bottom. The duck announcer flapped his wings. Divers ready? The ducks lined up. Sam lined up too. The whistle blew. Shh. One duck dove, then another, then another. Sam launched himself into the water and immediately felt at home. Because while Sam was only an okay waddler, he was an excellent swimmer. His webbed feet stretched like paddles. With each stroke he glided farther into the water. Down down, down. Soon the sounds of the crowd disappeared. The river became cool and quiet. Sam smiled. This was his favorite place to be. He closed his ears, his nostrils, and even his eyes. This would be a terrible strategy for most animals, but Sam wasn't worried. He swept his bill gently from side to side, left, right, left, right. The river bottom was full of tiny signals, and Sam's bill could detect them. Though Sam had never really thought about it before, to him it was just normal. He found a shrimp, a worm, three pebbles, two more pebbles, and he completely forgot that this was supposed to be a race. When his head finally popped out of the water, the crowd gasped. The ducks had already finished. They were starting to wonder if Sam was lost. But Sam surfaced, holding not one pebble. Not two, but six. The crowd erupted. The judge stared. Why did you bring six? Sam looked at the pebbles. Oh. And then he looked at the river. And then back at the judge. I got distracted. The judge slowly wrote something on his clipboard. Very, very slowly. The next event was the quacking competition. This one did not go quite as well. Each duck stepped forward and delivered an impressive quack. Quack. Quack. Quack quack quack. The crowd cheered. Then it was Sam's turn. Sam cleared his throat. The crowd blinked. Sam tried again. The judges awarded Sam zero points. The third event was flying. Sam chose to sit that one out because, you know, gravity. By lunchtime, Sam had become the most confusing competitor in the history of the splash and quack. The ducks couldn't stop talking about him. He can't quack. He can't fly. He doesn't even have feathers. But did you see that dive? Just then the announcer duck rang a bell. Clang, clang, clang. Attention competitors The crowd gathered. It is time for the final event. Everyone gasped. The final event was legendary. The river challenge. Competitors would race downstream, swim through a maze of reeds, dive beneath a floating log, and retrieve a hidden golden shell. First one back wins. Sam's heart nearly leapt out of his fur. Swimming? Diving? Finding things underwater? Finally, an event that made sense. Remember the shrimp, remember the shrimp, remember the shrimp, remember the shrimp, remember the shrimp. The whistle blew, the competitors exploded into motion. Sam dove beneath the surface, and the world became quiet again. His eyes closed, his ears closed, his nostrils closed. He swept his bill through the water. Left right left right signals danced through the mud below. And soon the shell hidden beneath a tangle of roots. Sam grabbed it and turned toward home. But then he heard something. A tiny sound. A frightened peep. He followed it. Wedged beneath a fallen branch was a duckling. The little duck had become trapped. Oh dear. The duckling looked ready to cry. The finish line crowd was cheering somewhere upstream. The prize was waiting. Unlimited shrimp. Unlimited shrimp. Sam thought about it for approximately one second. And then he began digging. Because platypuses are excellent diggers. He dug beneath the branch. He pushed. He wiggled. He shoved. And the branch rolled aside. The duckling paddled free. Thank you, said the duckling. Together they swam back toward the finish line. By the time Sam arrived, another duck had already won. The judges placed a shiny ribbon around her neck as the crowd cheered. Meanwhile, Sam climbed onto the riverbank, dripping wet and carrying both the golden shell and the rescued duckling. He set the duckling down gently, and it started yelling at once. He saved me. Everyone turned to look at Sam. The duckling would not stop. I was stuck and he saved me. Suddenly, everyone was talking at once. The judges whispered. The champion duck whispered. The announcer duck whispered. Even the frog stopped playing so they could listen. Finally, the head judge stepped forward. We have an announcement. The riverbank grew quiet. Daisy is the winner of this year's splash and quack. The crowd cheered. Daisy bowed. But the judge smiled. We have also decided to create a brand new award. The crowd gasped. Award? The judge nodded. For extraordinary swimming. The crowd cheered. For extraordinary diving. More cheering. For finding the golden shell. Even more cheering. And for rescuing a duckling. The loudest cheer of all. The judge lifted a gleaming golden ribbon. Sam, we are proud to present the very first Golden Bill Award. Sam's bill dropped open. My own award? Your own award. The judge carefully placed the ribbon around his neck. Sam stared at it and then grinned. I knew I was an impressive duck. The crowd burst out laughing. The judge chuckled. Sam, you're not a duck. Sam blinked. I'm not? No. The judge pointed at his tail. Too much tail. Then his fur. Too much fur. Then his feet. Far too much swimming. The crowd laughed again. Are you sure? I have a bill and webbed feet. I'm very sure. What am I then? The judge smiled. You're a platypus. Sam thought about this. A platypus duck? The judge smiled. Just a platypus. Platypus? It sounded nice. Sam thought it over. But wait, can a platypus get unlimited shrimps? The judges looked at one another and smiled. And then nodded. Absolutely. A giant cart of shrimp suddenly appeared. Sam smiled. Excellent. That was the day Sam learned that he was a platypus. Which was kind of amazing. But not nearly as amazing as unlimited shrimp. Alright, y'all. As always, our story is grounded in real animal science. Sam may have been a made-up platypus, but many of the things he did in our story are things that real platypuses do every day. Remember how he was so good at the diving competition? That's because platypuses are made for living in water. They are part of Adaptation Nation. Their front feet are big and webbed, almost like built-in swim fins. They use those feet to paddle through rivers and streams, while their tail and back feet help them steer. But the really amazing part happens underwater. When a platypus dives, it closes its eyes, its ears, and even its nostrils. Which begs the question, how do they find food like that? Well, they have a sixth sense. Their bill is packed with special sensors that can detect tiny electrical signals made by other animals. They have like 40,000 of these sensors. And as they sweep their bill back and forth, it detects things like insect larva, worms, shrimp, and other small creatures hiding in the mud. These signals help platypuses figure out where their next meal is hiding, even in muddy water. Scientists call this electro reception. I call it one amazing adaptation. Before we go, it's time for your commission. This week, we're encouraging you to become a liver protector. Platypuses need clean rivers to find food and raise their babies. With a grown-up's permission, you can help keep waterways healthy. If there's a creek, a river, or a lake near your house, you can safely pick up, let's say, five pieces of litter with your grown-up's help. But honestly, picking up any litter can help, because trash on the ground can easily be washed into waterways after the rain. You can also tell someone one amazing thing that you learned about platypuses and encourage them to be a river protector. Every little action helps. That's right. We'll see you next week. This podcast is produced by John, also known as Lincoln and Eliza's dad. If you're enjoying these adventures, please subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Leave us a review and tell your friends. Check out the show notes to find a coloring sheet for today's creature. And explore more episodes at wildandkindkids.com. To show us your coloring sheet or request an animal for a future story, contact us at wild and kindkidspod at gmail.com. You can also find us on Instagram at Wild and Kind Kids Pod. Thanks for exploring with us, friends. Until next time. Keep your hearts kind and your curiosity wild.