The platypus is a mammal that lives only in Australia.  Their beaver tails and their otter feet make them good swimmers.  They scoop up worms and shellfish in the streams with their wide, flat snouts.  The claws on their feet help them to walk and dig.  They dig burrows along the streams.

Unlike other mammals, the platypus lays eggs.  The female uses grass and leaves to make a nest in the burrow.  Then they block the opening with dirt.  They lay two or three eggs.  After ten days, the babies hatch.  They drink milk for four months.

the adult platypuses are very small.  They are less than two feet long and their weight is less than five pounds.  their thick, brown fur makes them look bigger.  Hunters used to kill platypuses for their fur.  No it is illegal to kill a platypus.