This week’s bird of the week is just ducky. I mean it has a beak like a duck and lays eggs like a duck, and even swims somewhat like a duck what more do you want?
Indiana poet James Whitcomb riley (1849-1916) is likely responsible for the well-known truism: “When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck.” From this statement, the main issue for platypus identification is that it definitely doesn’t quack like a duck. Rather when it rarely speaks, the platypus makes an odd sort of growl that could not be mistaken for a quack.
Interestingly though, when the platypus was first unveiled to science, scientists thought it was an elaborate hoax, so improbable the combination of features appeared. When Dr. George Shaw received the first specimen to reach Britain in 1799, he started cutting it up, expecting to find stitches connecting the duck bill to the head. Shaw went on to name the species Platypus anatinus meaning “flat-footed” and “duck-like.”
However, it turned out the Genus Platypus was taken (a group of beetles had snagged it), so the name had to be changed to Ornithorhynchus anatinus which means “bird-like snout” and “duck-like.” Pretty ducky beast apparently! I got to see a very ducky performance by a platypus named Millsom at the Healseville Sanctuary near Melbourne last week – see excerpts below.
Platypus keeper Jessica Thomas called this quite possibly the worst platypus show ever because the platypus was not cooperating too much. He refused to fight with the fake light blue platypus and refused his favourite treats. Then when she went to activate the remote to release soap bubbles from the back of the amphitheater, for some reason that didn’t work at first either. Nevertheless, I found it a thoroughly enjoyable and educational show, and at least Millsom was in fine swimming form.
As keeper Thomas explained, the platypus is one of only two types of mammals in the egg-laying Monotreme, the other being the echidna. I got to see echidnas at the sanctuary too – as shown below. Platypi and echidnas are not birds, to be sure, but very spectacular and unique mammals!
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