Adopt a Platypus
Adopt a Platypus and become a Zoo Parent to help protect these iconic Australian animals in the wild for future generations.
Platypus
Scientific nameOrnithorhynchus anatinus
Conservation status (IUCN)
Near Threatened
The platypus (badang in Sydney First Language) is the animal emblem of Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the state of New South Wales. This secretive and elusive monotreme has inhabited the freshwater streams, rivers, and lakes of eastern Australia and Tasmania for thousands of years.
Sydney
Dubbo
Visitor tips for Sydney
See a Platypus in nguwing nura – Nocturnal House or in the Blue Mountains Bushwalk.
Good times to visit - nguwing nura
10:00am
Fun facts about Platypus
10-15yrs
is the average lifespan of a platypus in the wild, although some have lived up to 30 years in zoos.
East Coast of mainland Australia
is where Platypuses are predominantly found, including Tasmania. They are also occasionally found in South Australia.
2kg
is the maximum weight of a male platypus, with females weighing up to 1.5 kg.
Breeding season
is from early August to late October. Gestation is 16+/- days and incubation of the egg is 10-11 days.
Aquatic invertebrates
make up most of the platypus diet, including insect larvae, shrimp, swimming beetles, water bugs, tadpoles, worms, freshwater pea mussels, and snails.
43-50cm
is the approximate height of an adult platypus.
10-15yrs
is the average lifespan of a platypus in the wild, although some have lived up to 30 years in zoos.
East Coast of mainland Australia
is where Platypuses are predominantly found, including Tasmania. They are also occasionally found in South Australia.
2kg
is the maximum weight of a male platypus, with females weighing up to 1.5 kg.
Breeding season
is from early August to late October. Gestation is 16+/- days and incubation of the egg is 10-11 days.
Aquatic invertebrates
make up most of the platypus diet, including insect larvae, shrimp, swimming beetles, water bugs, tadpoles, worms, freshwater pea mussels, and snails.
43-50cm
is the approximate height of an adult platypus.
Did you know?
We bet you didn't know these facts about the Platypus.
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Adapted for adventure
Platypus have webbed feet for swimming, but fold up the webbing when on land, using its claws for walking.
An electric sense
Platypuses use electroreceptors on their bill to detect electrical signals.
Venom alert
Platypuses are among the few venomous mammals in the world.
Snack storage
Platypus store their food in their cheek-pouches.
Species management programs
Taronga contributes to an Australasian Species Management Program and/or international breeding program for this species. This helps maintain healthy and resilient zoo-based animal populations by preserving genetic diversity, supporting animal husbandry knowledge, and ensuring exceptional animal welfare, safeguarding the species for the future.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Near Threatened
Platypus Conservation
The Platypus plays an important role in the food web and ecology of Australian freshwater ecosystems. Taronga has made a conservation commitment to the Platypus and we are working hard to protect them in the wild. New knowledge of impacts of threatening processes on Platypus populations across Australia has been generated through Australian Research Council Linkage grants and other programs. Taronga also supports partnerships for Platypus habitat restoration and alternatives to reduce the capture of Platypus through yabby trapping. A joint research project with UNSW, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is progressing research in defining triggers for emergency rescue interventions in the wild. Our teams are researching best-practice genetic and reproductive management of assurance populations, in managed and wild settings, for integrating translocation decision-making into the conservation management of the platypus. Continuing to develop our platypus breeding program to better understand this incredibly secretive and elusive species is a challenge we eagerly accept.
Phenomenal Platypus
The Platypus is the animal emblem of Taronga Conservation Society Australia and the state of NSW. It has swum the fresh waters of eastern Australia and Tasmania for thousands of years, but remains a secretive and elusive creature. Wildlife Queensland research suggests that in Queensland there is not one continuous population, but at least three discontinuous populations.
The amphibious Platypus is a monotreme and one of the most unusual creatures on Earth. Monotremes are a unique group of mammals that lay soft-shelled eggs. The only other monotremes are echidnas.
Monotremes are thought to be the most primitive of all mammals. A 122-million-year-old fossil from southeastern Australia, shows that in the middle of the dinosaur era, platypuses already existed! They are specialised mammals, with duckbills and complex adaptations to water life.
Webbed feet are the ideal adaptation for swimming in the water. When the platypus is moving on land it folds up the webbing under its toes and uses its claws for walking and burrowing.
Platypuses use electroreceptors on their bill to detect electrical signals given off by prey moving through the water. These electroreceptors allow them to ‘see’ while foraging for food underwater.
Platypuses are among the few venomous mammals in the world. Males have a spur on the back of their hind feet that is connected to a venom-secreting gland. More venom is secreted during mating season, leading researchers to think that the spurs and venom help males compete for mates. When it comes to securing a mate, the biggest and toughest male wins.
The predominant threat to Platypus on the mainland is reduction in stream and river flows due to extraction of water for agricultural, domestic and industrial supplies and dams. Deteriorating water quality is also adversely affecting its habitat, particularly from household chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers that enter a waterway through storm run-off after being poured onto the ground or into a gutter.
Accidental drowning in nets and traps set for fish and crustaceans has the potential to impact Platypus distribution and abundance in all parts of its range, especially in small streams where populations may be critically small.
Bank erosion and clearing has a huge impact on the habitat of the Platypus, as they need substantial vegetation to support the delicate balance of their habitats. The trees provide shade, oxygenate the water, provide food for the aquatic invertebrates that the platypus eat as well as burrowing areas around tree roots. Stabilisation and revegetation of banks will increase the habitat of the Platypus.
Taronga releases rescued Platypuses back into the wild
Taronga teamed up with UNSW to rescue Platypus from harsh, dry conditions at Tidinbilla Nature Reserve and reintroduced them to the wild once creeks were at a stable level. Watch on to hear the full story!
Reduce, reuse and save river species
When you choose reusable items and say no to single-use plastic, it makes a world of difference to wildlife.
Adopt a Platypus
The Platypus is one of the world’s most unusual mammals, living in rivers and streams in eastern Australia, but pollution, dams, and habitat damage are putting pressure on this unique species.
Fact sheets for kids
Discover educational resources for kindergarten to year 6.
Proud to support the Platypus!
Connoisseur is donating 10c for every Connoisseur sold at both Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo directly to the Platypus.
Be sure to purchase a Connoisseur Ice Cream during your visit to Taronga to show your support of this iconic Aussie animal!
