Platypus can glow green and hunt prey with electricity – but can’t climb dams to find a mate. This is a problem. The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one of Earth’s unique creatures. It sports a ...

The story of two of the strangest animals on the planet just got a little stranger, thanks to clues revealed by a lone fossil specimen that scientists now say represents a long-extinct ancestor. The ...

Native to the rivers and freshwater creeks of eastern Australia, its venom is the lesser-known feature that sets the platypus ...

Few mammals rival the eccentricity of these venomous, egg-laying oddballs. Noel Kirkpatrick is an editor and writer based in Tacoma, Washington. He covers many topics, including animals, science, and ...

The platypus is one of Australia’s most beloved species—and, seemingly, one of its most resilient. Even as many of the continent’s native fauna declined or disappeared throughout the 20th century, the ...

The police had appealed for help after the platypus was spotted at a train station in Queensland. The animal was later released, but the authorities have been unable to find it. By Mike Ives A man in ...

The fur of the platypus glows under a blacklight—a finding that raises questions about its role in these strange mammals. Platypuses are biofluorescent, meaning their fur glows a bluish-green hue ...

Learn about the platypus, one of the world's weirdest mammals. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Platypuses (which is the correct ...

The platypus is imperiled by habitat loss, predation by feral cats, and now drought and wildfires wrought by climate change. By Helen Sullivan Photographs by David Maurice Smith SYDNEY, Australia — ...