The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia,including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna,it is one of the five extant species of monotremes,the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth. The unusual appearance of this egg-laying,duck-billed,beaver-tailed,otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it,with some considering it an elaborate hoax. taken from A hand-book to the marsupialia and monotremata by Richard Lydekker,published 1896 | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Biodiversity Heritage Library |
Taille de l’image : | 3900 px × 2628 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : |
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