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Post by Charity on Apr 22, 2006 8:47:30 GMT -5
The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a small, half-aquatic mammal endemic to the eastern part of Australia, and one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young (the other four are echidnas). It is the sole representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of fossilised relatives have been found, some of them also in the Ornithorhynchus genus. A venomous, egg-laying, duck-billed mammal, the platypus baffled the naturalists when it was first discovered. The evolution of the ambiguous creature is still a subject of research. The uniqueness of the platypus makes it a recognizable symbol of Australia (along with the kangaroo and koala); the platypus is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20-cent coin. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platypus
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