Platypus and Echidnas (Monotremes)

Prototherian Mammals

The monotremes are mammals that are characterised by:

  • laying eggs
  • reptile-like front limbs which extend outwards
  • a cloace


There are two families of monotremes left in the world namely the Ornithorhynchidae (platypus) and Tahcyglossidae (echidnas). There's only one species of platypus but two species of echidna.


Food


The food or diet of platypuses mainly consist of aquatic insect larvae/nymphs, aquatic worms and earth worms, shrimps and yabbies (freshwater crayfish), frogs and small fish. The echnidas feed on land using their powerful front claws to dig up ants, termites, earthworms beetle larvae, caterpillars, spiders and even adult dung beetles. Often echidnas are stung by bull ants and the echidna will roll around trying to dislodge them. The long beaked echidna lives mainly on earth worms.

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