This site is to be used to record platypus sightings by putting your sightings in to comments

Monday, February 22, 2010

platypus sightings

Please leave platypus sightings in the comment section on this post thank you. Any money from the adds from this site will go to helping platypus

dead platypus

Tuesday, February 23, 2010


platypus info

Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Platypus
The Platypus
The platypus is found in eastern Australia. They live aside freshwater rivers or lakes, and create burrows for shelter and protection. They are active mainly at nighttime hours, and use their webbed feet for swimming. When swimming the platypus has its eyes shut. They swim underwater for 2 minutes, before returning to the surface for oxygen. They can however stay underwater for up to 10 minutes, and due to their natural buoyancy, they need to be underneath another object to do this.
The Platypus has a wooly furred coat and range from 30cm to 45cms in length and the tail about 10 to 15 cms. The wooly furred coat actually has three different layers. The first layer keeps the animal warm, by trapping air, the second layer which provides an insulating coat for the animal, and lastly the third layer of long flat hairs to detect objects close by. These creatures weight on average between 1 to 2.4 kilograms. They have an average lifespan of 12 years.
This lifespan may be shortly diminished, as the platypuses biggest threats are snakes, goannas, rats and foxes. Another big threat to the platypus is man, via waterway pollution or land clearing.
Platypuses feed on insect larvae, worms or other freshwater insects. They do so mainly at night, by the use of their bill. They turn up mud on the bottom of the lake or river, and with the help of their electroreceptors located on the bill, find many insects and freshwater insects. They store their findings in special pouches behind their bill, and are consumed upon returning to the surface.
Amazing Fact: Platypuses can consume their own body weight in food in a 24 hour period!
Male platypus are larger than the female. They reproduct by mating which occurs once a year, between June - October. The female lays between 2 - 4 eggs and incubates these for a two week period. When a young platypus is born, they feed from milk from the mother. The mother secretes this milk from large glands under the skin, the young platypus feed from this milk which ends up on the mothers fur.
If you thought this was a cute and cuddly Australian animal, well, you are only half correct. The male platypi have a hollow spur about 15 milimetres in length on the inside of both hind legs. This in turn is connected to a venom gland, and the platypus uses this spur to defend itself against predators. 
Amazing Fact: The male platypus has venom strong enough to can kill a small dog, or cause excruciating pain among humans.
Since only the male platypus has this venomous spur, and the gland peaks during mating season, many suggest it is normally used in aggressive encounters between other male platypus.
A baby platypus is not called a puggle, which seems to be a common misconception. There is no official name for a baby platypus, but a common suggested name is "platypup".

Monday, February 22, 2010


dead Platypus

Two dead platypus found in a fish trap about 100 meters downstream from the cleared river bank.

This is the river bank cleared of vegetation this was done in the breeding season.

I was going to put the photo up of the platypus that had been mauled to death by domestic dogs but it was just too graphic to display even for me.

Going to let this go I'm not.

 
second thoughts here it is. The photo doesn't show the teeth marks and the entrails and the dismembered legs 
click the photo to enlarge

Monday, January 18, 2010


do as you like as the government has no money to fight cases like this

Please make a comment as this be used as a petition. cheers Stewart
It appears the government has no money to fight cases like this. So to all the little creachers,  I say sorry I tried for you. You are on your own.The best thing you can do is die in the water and poison the humans as this will effect a result in the future for the ones who might make it. Best of luck little guys. :-(  .The rest of the story is a recap of a previous post. 
From this 


To this in three days
 The trees that have been removed are red river gum fig trees gum trees shrubs include Lilly pilly along with willow and other noxious weeds. I have made complaints about platypus getting killed and white tip river rats as well by wild dogs. I have also mentioned that there is Spotted Quoll in the area. There is echidna in the area as I have photographed them as well. Ring tail possums and normal possums abound.I was only there for two days and did not get to see if the bat colony has been removed as well, which I think it has. National parks won't do any thing as it is not a national park I know this as I have contacted them before, but it is common ground owned by the government. The common ground owned by the government is in a terrible state with black willow normal willow and black berries rife along with other noxious weeds.The third photo shows that some of the ground is an island.See previous post below environment disasters..see also barrages .

It appears the government has no money to fight cases like this. So to all the little creachers,  I say sorry I tried for you. You are on your own.The best thing you can do is die in the water and poison the humans as this will effect a result in the future for the ones who might make it.

Murrumbidgee river vandalism at Gundagai

From this

To this in three days
I am disturbed by the clearing of the river banks one kilometer up from the old wooden Albert bridge at  Gundagai. The trees that have been removed are red river gum fig trees gum trees shrubs include Lilly pilly along with willow and other noxious weeds. I have made complaints about platypus getting killed and white tip river rats as well by wild dogs. I have also mentioned that there is Spotted Quoll in the area. There is echidna in the area as I have photographed them as well. Ring tail possums and normal possums abound.I was only there for two days and did not get to see if the bat colony has been removed as well, which I think it has. National parks won't do any thing as it is not a national park I know this as I have contacted them before, but it is probably common ground owned by the government. The common ground owned by the government is in a terrible state with black willow normal willow and black berries rife along with other noxious weeds.The third photo shows that some of the ground is an island.See previous post below environment disasters..


If you would like send an email to information@water.nsw.gov.au
and state how you feel about this type of thing.Or email one or all of the below,
Australian National Registry of Emissions Units registry-contact@climatechange.gov.au
Communications and Stakeholder Relations communications@climatechange.gov.au
Emissions Intensive Trade exposed Industry Assistance EITE@climatechange.gov.au
Freedom of information co-ordinator (FOI) FOI_contact_officer@climatechange.gov.au
Greenhouse Friendly™ Team greenhousefriendly@climatechange.gov.au
Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Office (GERO) reporting@climatechange.gov.au
Government Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (GGER) gger.help@environment.gov.au
International Forest Carbon Initiative ifci@climatechange.gov.au
National Authority for the Clean Development
Mechanism and Joint Implementation
DNA: DNA@climatechange.gov.au
DFP: DFP@climatechange.gov.au

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