It might seem the other way around, but there’s certainly more neat stuff than meets the eye about this underdog dweller of nature. The fellow’s name is platypus and we’re about to bring you a neat set of facts about him. More info below, courtesy of Listverse.
They’re venomous
Yup, the little dude packs a hefty amount of venom, primarily using it for self-defense. The poison can easily kill smaller animals and cause solid pain for full-grown humans.
People thought it was fake upon discovery
At the time platypus was discovered, the scientific community had this thing of stitching up fake animals by combining two or more existing species. It was basically old-school trolling. Anyhow, due to the platypus’ peculiar appearance, a lot of science folks thought it was a prank.
They have weird breasts
Being a mammal, platypus uses milk to feed its infants. However, the species doesn’t have classic breasts, but rather uses the so-called milk patches.
Their fur is very precious
Thick, waterproof and silky, the species’ skin is by all means high-quality, making platypus hunting a trend back in the easily 20th century. Luckily, the trend was cultivated and the species is generally safe these days.
They don’t have a stomach
Yup, you’ve read that right – platypus has no stomach. Although their ancestors had stomachs, the platypus is stomach-free, riddling the scientific world to this very day.
What’s the plural of platypus?
For quite some time, people have been debating the plural form of platypus. Initially, some stressed that the correct word is “platypi,” but it isn’t. Other note that since platypus is a Greek word, the correct form would be “platypodes.” Ultimately, “platypus” or “platypuses” has been acknowledged as the correct answer, although not everyone agrees.