Endangered Species: Platypus

A Christiansburg Elementary Project
Submitted by Jennifer at Christiansburg Elementary School
Christiansburg, VA, U.S.A.

Platypus
Platypus

Photographer Unknown
Why Study This Topic? What Was Already Known Search for Information Description of Plant or Animal Habitat Requirements
Adaptations Reasons for Endangerment Restoration Actions What Was Learned Conclusions from Research

Why Study This Topic?

  1. I would like to find out what it eats?
  2. I would like to know if it's a female or a male?
  3. I would like to know if they are endangered?
  4. I want like to know how many babies can be born at the sametime?
  5. I would like to know want kind of shelter they have?

What Was Already Known

  I know that the platypus eats yabbies, worms, incests, and fish eggs. They look like a duck with web feet. They like to lay on there backs out in the sun. Then lay in mud to cool off. Many years ago hunters killed platypus for there fur.

Search for Information

  There are three sources of things on platypus and they are the Internet, Animal World, and The New Book of Knowledge. The last one had a lot of interesting information in the story called "The Platypus."

Description of Plant or Animal

  The platypus weigh's about 700gms. A male weighs about 2kg. It has a duck-like beak and it's big too. The platypus is all brown with webbed feet, and it has a big duck beak.
 
 

Habitat Requirements

  The platypus eats a huge amount of food. It usuaslly feeds in the early hours of the day and at night. The platypus eats worms, fish eggs, and insects. It's favorite food is fly larvae. It swims along the bottom of the water to catch all it's food. The platypus is found all over the eastern part of Australia. It lives in burrows, streams, ponds, and rivers.

Adaptations

  The male platypus has sharp poison spurs on its ankels, and uses them to kill other animals. The spurs cause severe pains. They can also kill small animals. They have long blunt claws to catch their food.

Reasons for Endangerment

  Many years ago, hunters killed the platypus for it's fur. If too many hunters kill platypus in large numbers they will be extinct. Also, if too many rivers and creeks get dammed up with concrete the platypus will be extinct. I feel mad because the people who make buildings are putting concrete over the platypus' shelter or home.

Restoration Actions

  There was a time when the platypus was endangered. Then the government stepped in to stop the workers from building on top of the platypus burrows. The government also stepped in to keep man from killing the animal for its fur. Now, the government has passed new laws that further protect the platypus.

What Was Learned

  I learned many interesting things about the platypus. People used to call the odd creature a water mole. I lso learned that the platypus was first recorded in 1797. I learned that the duck billed platypus was the strongest mammal.

Conclusions From Research

  **

Bibliography

The New Book Of Knowledge [1994] "Platypus and the Spiney Anteater," Grolier Inc., Danbury, Connecticut, pages 331-332.
Encyclopedia of the Animal World: Platypus (1972). Elsvier International Projects Ltd., London, pages 1439-1440.
http://www.nmnh.si.edu,cgi-bin/wdb/msw/names/query/1106
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Christiansburg Elementary
Last updated on March 12, 1997