Wandering along the dry Australian land, this female platypus searches for fresh water. Over the past year, severe drought has reduced streams and rivers to mere trunks.
She barely survived and was unable to reproduce.
Could the next year bring a change in fortunes?
It's autumn and thick raindrops finally fall from the sky.
Within days, the platypus finds a river and begins hunting. His webbed feet carry him with him and his waterproof coat keeps the heat close to his body.
Underwater, she senses her surroundings with her duck-like bill, which is lined with about 40,000 electroreceptors.
his allows him to detect tiny electrical signals coming from the glass shrimp's nerves and muscles. She makes him a quick meal.
And once she climbs back to the ground to make a burrow, she rolls around in a lizard-like position, her limbs moving horizontally toward her spine.
Platypus has many characteristics.
As a monotreme, it is part of the oldest lineage of mammals alive today. As a result, it has an interesting mix of mammalian, avian and reptilian features, which is reflected in its genome.
For example, mammals usually have one pair of chromosomes that determines sex. But platypuses have five, which are more bird-like. Let's hope she succeeds in using them.
She regains her strength and, as winter turns to spring, it's time to mate. However, she cannot raise her young here.
Deforestation has started on the surrounding land due to which the river bank is disappearing. Instead, she travels upstream and lives in a clear, deep pool sheltered by a stream red gum tree.
Suddenly, a rustling blew the birds from below and a fox appeared.
These predators have threatened platypuses since they were introduced to Australia by white settlers in 1855.
Two men also occupy the territory and, soon, they begin to compete for her affections. Each has spurs on its hind legs that contain powerful snake-like venom.
One male will fight the other and swim with it for several weeks, occasionally biting its tail. Eventually, she reciprocates, and she swims in circles before working.
Male platypuses have a penis with eccentric features such as two heads and spines that aid in fertilization.
the next week, the female builds an elaborate bill adorned with a cozy nest. She plugs the entrance tunnels, making them appear as dead ends to potential predators.
Then, like a reptile or bird, she lays eggs through her cloaca, a single opening used for both reproduction and excretion. She incubates her eggs, and as the red gum tree blooms in the river, her offspring hatch.
Like other mammals, she feeds them with milk.
But unlike other mammals, it does not have nipples. Instead, her milk flows from the mammary glands to her belly, where her babies rub it off.
This accumulated milk invites bacteria, but the platypus also produces powerful antibacterial proteins, ensuring that its newborns are protected.
She takes care of them for four months—hunting, fending off foxes, and all the while repairing her bill. By the time his youngsters are ready for their debut, summer is winding down.
One evening, when the female platypus returns from hunting, she finds that a nest has already hatched on her own. A few days later, the other also leaves the borough.
Soon, his young are living completely independent lives. And eventually they will leave that part of the river to build their homes.
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