The Amazing Platypus
by Warren Krug (January-February, 1999)
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It certainly is one of the most amazing animals God has placed
on this planet - the platypus or duckbill. At first glance this
Australian creature might look just like the type of animal
evolutionists are searching for - a living animal in transition
from one species to another.
WHAT IS IT?
The platypus is classified as a mammal because it has a thick
covering of waterproof hair over its body - dark brown on its
back and yellowish on its underside. The female, which is
much smaller than the male, provides milk for her young. The milk oozes out from large glands under her skin;
since she has no real nipples, her young suck up the milk from off her fur. Also, like other mammals, the
platypus is a warm-blooded animal.
But what about that ducklike bill? It is soft, flat and rubbery and sensitive to the touch. The platypus uses it to
search for food and get around when it is under water. The blue-gray bill contains two nostrils which allow it to
breathe when the rest of the animal is submerged. Another birdlike feature is the webbed feet - the front feet are
formed like large paddles to help propel the platypus through the water while the webbed hind feet are used for
steering or braking.
The female platypus lays eggs, usually two but sometimes up to four. These eggs though are soft and leathery,
like those of a reptile. The mother incubates these eggs against her abdomen by clasping them with her tail.
Also, like some reptiles, the male platypus has a venom gland that produces a very strong toxin which he uses
against predators. The gland is connected to a hollow, horny spur located inside the male’s hind leg ankles. The
toxin is strong enough to kill a dog or cause terrible pain in humans. Other reptilian features include the the
cervical ribs and the opening the platypus uses for both reproduction and elimination of wastes.
IMPLICATIONS
So, what is the platypus? Is it a reptile evolving into a mammal or vice versa? Is it a bird evolving into a reptile or
vice versa? Is it a mammal evolving into a bird or vice versa?
God may be using the platypus to show the evolutionists their folly. He seems to be telling them, “Look, here is a
creature you’ve been looking for. But you decide which one of six directions you want to take this animal.”
Actually, we are not aware of anyone actually trying to use the platypus as evidence of evolution although
evolutionary paleontologists would probably have a field day with it were it found only in fossil form.
We can assume the platypus has always looked like a platypus - it just happens to have features that resemble
those of three different classes. It shows that God is able to design creatures that don’t have to fit neatly into
any manmade system of classification.
MORE INTERESTING FACTS
The platypus is found only along the eastern coast of Australia, more common in the south than the north where
crocodiles are a threat.
It belongs to the order Monotremata which has only two other members - the long-beaked echidna and the short-
beaked echidna.
The platypus lives in burrows which can often become very complex. The entrances to the burrows are
frequently underwater.
When the first platypus specimens arrived in England, scientists there thought they were an elaborate hoax.
The platypus is about half the size of a household cat, averaging about 20 inches in length (male) or 17 inches
(female). The average weight is almost 4 pounds (males) and about 2 pounds (females).
An adult platypus has no teeth, but the young have poorly developed molars which come out as they mature.
Each day the platypus eats half its own weight in worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, vegetation, etc., all eaten
underwater. LSI
