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Call for questions: PLATYPUSES (Patreon)

Published:
2025-08-30 01:43:47
Imported:
2026-06

Content

What do I know about platypuses? They look like moles wearing duck masks. But I'm about to interview an Australian conservation biologist who monitors wild platypus populations and can tell what we really need to know about the egg-laying mammals. Leave your questions in the comments!

Deadline: Tuesday, September 2 at 5pm PST

Comments

Erica Bednarski

What is the deal with the eggs? How? Why? What?!!?

Ashley K.

What the heck are they? Where the heck are they?! That is all.

Mykenzie King

A platypus? Perry the platypus!???! You can call him agent P.

Maddy Julian

Why do they have poison barbs?? What type of toxin is it?

Colby Evans

My kid Chase asks - why are they bioluminescent?

PlanetSci_Lorraine

Thoughts on Perry the Platypus (Phineas and Ferb)? Also, they glow blue green under UV light??? For why?

Angela Schnepp

Ahhh! Plattys! First time question asker! What is their evolutionary track? Why are they venomous? And who are the most closely related to?

Cyntia B

I believe they are fairly ancient mammals? What do we know about other ancient mammals like them, extinct nowadays?

mossdreams

What is their evolutionary lineage?

Kate Timms

What is their evolutionary relationship to placentals and marsupials? Where do these silly eggy friends fit in?

Lauren Hurlburt

How did the find out they glow in black light? Was it an accident or an on purpose?

taylor

Important question: is Perry the Platypus from Phineas and Ferb an accurate portrayal of the platypus (besides the secret agent part)?

Monica Olvera

Why are they considered mammals and not avian or reptilian ?

Mollie

Why/ how do they glow green under UV light?

Suki Su

Are they related more to ducks or beavers?

Empress of Smallwood

Are they really bioluminescent? How did that evolve? What edge does that give them?

Cyntia B

Were monotremes more widely distributed, thousands of years ago?

Char Harrison

Why do they sweat milk? What is with their venomous spines? If not friend, why friend shaped? And my most serious question, what importance do they hold in Indigenous Australian culture? How endangered are they?

Allie Holcombe

My fiance wants to know - why are they called platypuses? And why do they have a bill?

Michael Timbrook

I have so many questions about bioluminescence!? Evolutionarily speaking why, and do they still need it? How much of their genome is shared with other animals with similar traits? How did venom evolve in mammals and are they the only mammals with that? Is Perry an accurate representation for the species?

Kayla

What’s up with the venom? Is it potent enough to kill a human?

Lisa Vehrs

What is the evolutionary advantage gained by glowing in black light?

CasualCatLady

How does their electroreception work? What part of the body is it coming from?

Brooklyn Lennes

Would love to hear about the common ancestor of platypuses and echidnas! Venom and why? Electroreception? Milk sweat glands?

S

Is it true they're just a combination of otter, duck, and beaver? Crazy they're the one of the only mammals to lay eggs!

Mouse Paxton

Why are they like that?? Like how did this evolve?? Why don't they look like any other mammal? Does a weirder animal exist??? Why do they just leak milk? Why don't they have nipples? Did they maintain the ability to lay eggs from some ancestor or did they re-evolve the ability to lay eggs? Thoughts on Perry the Platypus? Is there any reason he's blue or is it just fun cartoon design?

Allie Holcombe

Separate question from me: what are they like? How would you describe a platypus's personality?

Storm

how many species of platypus are there

RE

This is a Smologies question: Is it just the males that have poisonous spikes on the backs of their legs? I think they have prickles there.

T Noz

Never been Down Under to see one myself. Can’t ever remember seeing one in zoos in the States. Could they live in the wild somewhere in North America?

Alia Myers

What, why, and how are platypuses?

Rozelyn Hesby

From me: What happened evolutionarily that made them a mish mash of a bird (spurs, eggs & bills) & a mammal? From my 7yo Colin - what other animals are they most closely related to?

Alia Myers

And is it platypuses? Platypi? Platypods?

Zed Shirogane

What role do they serve in the ecosystem? With the fact they have a bill, a beaver like tail, venomous spurs, etc. Like what is the point of all these evolutionary traits, what lead them to having this niche that they occupy?

Ben Beardiac Fiore

First time question asker. Why do they seem to have so many unique features? What happened to all of their evolutionary cousins?

James Orsatti

Platypus milk contains a protein so powerful it might fight superbugs, is that true?! If so… are we looking at nature’s original probiotic smoothie, or did evolution just throw in a secret weapon because teats were too mainstream?

Storm

why did they evolve in australia with all their funky characteristics? like how is it all evolutionarily beneficial to lay eggs and sweat milk lol

Storm

where in australia do they live (asking as an australian who’s never seen one lol)

Alyssa Dogeagle

My 11 yo would like to know “why the massive bill?”

Kayla

Venom. Bioluminescence. Egg laying mammals. Are they just evolutions practical joke?

Chris Eff

Not to be weird but my friends and I want to know about their dicks. I probably don’t need to ask because it’s bound to come up in conversation.

Ashley Oki

Are all monotremes from a common ancestor or is this a case of convergent evolution? Or something else entirely?

glittertornado

A platypus? PERRY THE PLATYPUS!?! (Sorry, the needs must!)

Edward Rice

What sounds do they make?

Dave Brewer

What is the collective noun for a group of them?

Empress of Smallwood

I know the platypus is a keystone species in Australia. What's its equivalent keystone counterpart in other parts of the world? Beavers? Fish?

Iso Partee

How old are they on the evolutionary timeline ?? Who do their share common ancestors with?

Tori Baggot

Are they a mashup of a bunch of different lineages of animals like they appear to be visually, or are they truly an evolutionary outlier?

Sophia Ackerson

Why are they the only mammals that lay eggs?

Iso Partee

How fast can they swim? Are they cuddly? Would one make a good pet?

Jen A.

Could they mate with other animals? Have they? What does that look like? 🦆🦫🐲

Sam Werner

What is their most recent ancestor? Do they have any clear evolutionary cousins or siblings? Are there any particular conservation/ecological issues that adversely affect platypuses especially?

Sophia Ackerson

Do you love platypuses because of Phineas and Ferb?

Iso Partee

How dense is their fur? Is it similar to otter fur?

Kayla

It secretes milk from its SKIN?!

Nicky G

How does their venom work? Do they use it to defend, hunt, or both?

Kirsten

FTQA - What's their intelligence like? and behaviorally - are they social? do they make nests/dens? What are they doing in their lives??

Matt Hirschl

Are there any other creatures that come close to being such an evolutionary concoction like a platypus?

Hailee Kirby

Why do they lay eggs? Is it more beneficial for them evolutionary compared to live births?

Channon Koty

Is their reproductive system more like mammals, birds or reptiles? Do they have a vagina or a cloaca?

Aurora Cullen

I would love to hear about their evolutionary history! What did their ancestors look like?

haille ragusa

Are they REAAAAALLLLY mammals ??? cmon. they lay eggs sweat milk and have venom??? humans LOVE categories. i feel like saying a platypus is a mammal is putting a square peg in a round hole

Vera Axelrod

Why haven’t they spread out to more places? Did they used to have a bigger range?

Haley Vandewall

Who was the first person to see a platypus? Though platypuses are not exactly the chimeras of ancient myth, do platypuses appear in any other stories before Disney Channel made Perry the Platypus?

Ron Jimenez

Long time, first time. I work at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. As far as I know, we're the only place outside of Australia to see live platypuses. Why is it so rare for zoos in the rest of the world to have them?

clover.ausrine

What was God thinking making those? Like let's just throw things at the wall and see what sticks or??

Tony Vessels

Can you eat their eggs? ........are they good?

Tony Vessels

How do you track the population of a species that is so elusive?

Meaghan Ratcliffe

why and how are they venomous?? like that’s terrifying what does that mean???

Haley K.

Can we talk about them glowing under UV light please?? Like everything about them is already a big “wtf” and then we go and discover that….

Samuel Schaar

Are there any creatures in the fossil record earlier than the platypus that give clues as to the evolution towards such a crazy combination of attributes?

Ruben R

Is it true that they make great secret agents? aaaaand.... what would be there closest "relative" species?

Dani Kirby

How haven’t we done platypuses yet?!?!

Ranger France

Do we know why they evolved to have duck-like bills as mammals?

Matt Thompson

How did they evolve?! Why do they have duck bills?

Ranger France

what is the evolutionary benefit to them laying eggs rather than live birth like normal mammals

Ranger France

Given the common rules of what makes a mammal a mammal, are they ~reallyyy~ mammals? or did we just shove them into that category because they had nowhere else to go?

Erin White

What's their lifespan? How are they responding to climate change; please let them be okay Most importantly: what is it like to hold one? Are they soft?

Ranger France

Are they domesticable? Asking for me

Jess EyeballSurgeon

Whats up with their eyes? Tell me everything! I heard they have some special stuff happening.

Erin White

What do the little holes in their bills do?

Alyssa Ranker

What do they feel like? Husband: How did such a unique combination of traits persevere and be successful?

wicker bitch

Please tell me about the evolution of venom in mammals because what the actual fuck. That might be weirder than the egg thing

Crittertastic

Correct term for a baby platypus? I heard puggles once but I think that is echidnas?

Ranger France

I try to find common questions on google before commenting here, but a reddit headline read "platypus have no stomach" and gave no further explanation. WHAT???

Casey Daigle

How do they appear in cultural stories and myths? Observing raccoons taught us to wash our food, right? How have people through history made sense of these magnificent creatures?

Ranger France

I feel like every year there is a new weird discovery about platypi, is there anything that we know we DON'T know about them? e.g. we know the eels go somewhere to reproduce hidden so we don't know how they reproduce, but at least we know that we don't know that.

Amy

What is the name for a group of platypuses?

Jake and Ellie

Are there any platypus accuracies in Phineas and Ferb?

Jake and Ellie

Anyone ever tried to eat a platypus egg?

Kimberly Ayers

First time question asker! How did they get that way??? The bill, the eggs, the poison. There’s truly nothing like them!

Dani Kirby

Why do we force them to be classified as mammals instead of recognizing that they don’t fit into our categorical system? Wouldn’t it be easier to let them be a new class of animal? I just want them to feel seen.

Payton Henderson

How many eggs will they lay in a season or year or baby cycle? whatever it’s called for these magnificent lads

Bennett Vanderbosch

If you were to classify them as if they were a new species, how do you think they'd be classified?

Katy

Are platypuses a non-binary mascot and if not, why not?

Emmett

My friend says they don’t have nipples. Do they have nipples?

Wendy Fick

What kind of toxin is in/on their spurs? Can they control the dose?

Lunarcrumpet

As an Australian who has seen platypuses in captivity and once a few tiny splashes and dark shape in a creek, I want to know how bad the population is faring and are they endangered? What is their biggest threat and how can we help?

Jenna U

I think I heard they glow in the dark. Why?????

Anna

(First timer) Why are there multiple species of echidnas but not platypuses? Were there any other species in the fossil record?

Ara Victor

trying to come up with a smart question that isn't just what the hell is up with all of that

g0ose0nTheLo0se

Does platypus share any etymological root with platitude?

g0ose0nTheLo0se

Not gonna google the question until after the episode in case Dadward chooses it 🤞

Erin Seyring

Why is it so difficult for platypuses to live in captivity?

Charlotte Parkinson

I understand that they have no teeth but grind food in their bill. How powerful are the bills? Crunch crunch strong?

Allison Clark

How recently did they evolve? They are so strange and unique, I can’t help but to wonder if it’s because they’re very new, very old, or a secret third option 😂 Any close relatives?

Allison Clark

I’d love an estimate of the # in the wild!

Felipe Jimenez

Right!? Would they still be classified as mammals with today’s technology?

Felipe Jimenez

Is it true that their bill has electrical sensitivity? Is it true that they use this sensors to navigate under water (with their eyes closed)? Is it true that their bills are soft instead of hard like ducks?

Deanna DePietro

ahhh ok I share the fascination with the venom claw? But also the seepage of milk through pores in the abdomen? I will go to the Safari Park in San Diego time and time again to see the platypuses because I am absolutely obsessed and know they’re difficult to keep in captivity…please learn us all. I am thrilled this episode is happening

Erin Johnston

What is their closest relative? They are so unique and adorable and mysterious, how did they evolve to be so?? P.s. my first Beanie Baby was Patti the Platypus!

Dani Kirby

I’ll bring it to the committee 😂

Alice Rubin

What ecosystem services do they provide? What is their purpose?

Sarah Bohn

Is there a good place to see them in the wild in an ethical way?

Alice Rubin

Are they social animals?

Denise Sanders

Why do they glow turquoise under black light?

Keerat Singh

After many years of watching phineas and ferb im very fond of Perry the platypus. Do platypi have any unique skills or habit that would explain his secret agent success?

Denise Sanders

What’s up with the sound they make? (cue Perry the Platypus )

Jacob Morvay

Who are there closest relatives?

winn

what is in the middle of the venn diagram between platypuses and beavers

Ara Victor

What do their bills and tails feel like to touch?

winn

what is in the middle of the venn diagram between platypuses and ducks

winn

who would win an a swim race: platypuses or flightless cormorants?

Jennifer Grogan

In terms of evolution... where did these guys come from? Why? How?! I'm willing to accept the duck bill as convergent evolution, but... man, there's just a lot of weird stuff going on at once here!

Jennifer Grogan

Whooaa, I did not know this! Definitely seconding this question.

Sienna

Electroreception; do they have it?!

Shante

(FTQA) What's with the mammel thing? How is there only one mammel species that evolved back into laying eggs- shouldn't more species have tried that?

Elyce

Why did they evolve to have venom?

Tessa Lew

have they been hunted for their fur? what is their conservation status? are they endangered?

BushWitch

As an Australian who lives in the bush, I've never seen one. Why so shy?

Erin Gunderson

Why is it that as a *albeit determined and well informed* tourist, I was able to see three in the wild in a week from a road or tram, and I only met one non-biologist Aussie that had ever seen a wild one?? (In Queensland.) Do Australians just not realize how fantastic the wildlife is???

D.J. Brenner

Do we have a feel for the evolutionary pressures that gave us the platypus, and why that hasn't produced related animals in the rest of the world?

Lexifer

What’s with the glow in the dark??

Nicole Kleinman

Does their bill serve a similar purpose to a ducks? Or is it more unique?

Dr. Lina Carpenter

How the hell did they even happen???? What's their closest evolutionary relative(s)? How long has the platypus species been in its current form? How long did it take people outside of Australia to believe platypus are real? Is the plural of platypus platypuses or platypi? Or is platypus singular *and* plural?

Kristina Jacob

Hi Ron I am a member BECAUSE this is the only zoo outside of Australia to have them. I visit quite often (not as often as would like) and would love to volunteer in the platypus exhibit one day.

Sarah Chaney

Hope the ologist can talk about the poison gland thing - what type of poison or venom are we talking about? How is it delivered/injected?

Jeff Goodhartz

Where does the platypus fit in (or not fit in) on the mammal branch of the evolutionary tree of life?

Vulpes Macrotis

Hey there, do you as a platypus expert have any big thoughts or feelings about how unrelated platypuses are to other mammals? It's wild how we're the only two last living descendants of the synapsids, when reptiles got to keep so many branches of their family tree even after the Cretaceous extinction (the meteor that killed the dinosaurs). It's like if instead of just all the non-bird dinosaurs dying, the only reptiles left at all were lizards and that weird thing that lives in New Zealand and looks exactly like a lizard but isn't. Personally, I'm sad the only synapsids we'll ever see alive is restricted to just us two orders of mammals, but it's cool that we at least get to coexist with the weirdo platypuses and echidnas.

kyla mcdonal

HOW as a mammal are they bioluminescent and why is it that mostly mammals in Australia seem to have this(birds don’t count) what are y’all doing over there?!

Ruby Gordon

Hoowww? Why??? What is the suspected evolutionary evolution?

Dani Kirby

Have you seen the Aussie Question Everythng episode where someone talks about how animal types should only be: dog, cat, water, and bug? And why is he right that a platypus is a bug?

Jon Provance

What?! How?! Why?! Venom?!?! Their skulls are terrifying. Skin milk?! All the interrobange!

Guido

Have we ever found fossils of their ancestors? What were they like?

Marina D

Is their fur soft?

Noway Jose

Yes. This. Tell usss pleeaasseee

David Ruscalleda Gómez

Do they /really/ work as secret agents when no one's looking or is that only some of them?

Matt Ceccato

Carnivore, omnivore, or herbivore?

Amandaloveskurt

What is the proper plural? Platypuses? Platypi? Platy-people?

Nathan Curry

Hey Alie, FTQA here - How on Earth do they continue to exist? They seem like they are clumsy and just generally incapable

Amandaloveskurt

Why are they most weirdly adorable things ever?!?!?

Charlotte Fjelkegård

When you're a scientist, working with live wild platypuses, are they easy to handle or is it like pilling a cat/ringing a blue tit? A struggle or are they generally chill li'l dudes, confident in their ability to defend themselves with their venomous spurs?

Laura Houston

What is the Portuguese word for platypus and why is it so fun to say?

bird.talking

Are their tails similar to beaver tails - One central row of vertebrae surrounded by fat?

Andy Pepper

So what's the point of those venomous spurs males have? How serious is that venom? (Has the ologist ever been envenomated??? Is there antivenom?)

Andy Pepper

What's the biggest challenge when platypi are kept in captivity for study or rehab? I know the San Diego Zoo has to buy in live crayfish (yabbies!) constantly to feed their pair.

Andy Pepper

I can't decide if they're more similar to moles or penguins. 😄 Would love the ologist's thoughts on what bird they're most similar to, genetically, through convergent evolution, or both!

Timbo

Is their bill unique in that its mainly fleshy tissue (weirdest skull ever) with electromagnetic receptors in it? Has any other billed animal those receptors in it?

Timbo

Is their still no antidote to the painful venom of male platypus thorns?

Timbo

So they're are supposedly "sweating" out their milk from their belly skin. Are there no specialised tissues at all on the exterior? (except the glands)

Lisa Gorman

Why is venom in mammals so rare, and why do platypuses have it?

Lisa Gorman

How common are they in Australia, and how hard is it to see them in the wild?

Lisa Gorman

Have people ever found fossil evidence of other iterations of the platypus? How long have platypuses been around in their current form?

Tatyana Ali

Is it true that they don’t have stomachs?

Mandy Hobson

Why do they look so good in fedora’s?

Sonjabird

Is it a true bill, like in birds? Or just crazy big lips?

AJ

How do they communicate with each other (do they make noise)? What are their personalities like? What predators do they deal with in the wild? I second the question about what significance they might have in indigenous Australian culture! And most importantly: are they soft, and would they let me cuddle them? Would they enjoy it and be my new best friend?

Sarah Erdman

I was hoping this reference would be made

Alexis Culley

Who’s their closest living relative and were their more species at one point that have now gone extinct?

Classic.Tina

Why are they so adorable with such a fun name to say?

Katie Hammond

How long can they hold their breath?

Jade Greene

Why is their method of milk transfer so different? I know echidnas are similarish, but why didn’t they develop the nipple method like most other mammals? Why are they so cute? And why do you think there aren’t more animals who evolved the egg method? How many eggs do they lay at a time?

Leanna Shuster

Platypi - do they do much? How many of the platypi you've studied are named Perry and of those, how many are secret agents? Do they get annoyed that the entrance to their secret lair keeps changing? And on a perhaps slightly more serious note, how prominent is Phineas and Ferb in Australian pop culture and how (if at all) does this influence your conservation work?

Leanna Shuster

I was just scanning the questions and mentioned yours to my teenager who wasn't familiar with the word platitude. I defined it for her and she deftly replied "so it doesn't do much"! (Apologies if you're not a Phineas and Ferb fan to understand the ref.)

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Do they really sound like "nganganganganga" [insert Perry the Platypus sound here]?

Erin Dewberry

Is anything about Perry the Platypus accurate?

Arami Farias

What do they think of Perry the platypus, or should I say Agent P? What about in other media? I recently saw a platypus bear in ATLA

Leanna Shuster

What types of devices and instruments do you use in the field, and do you ever call them inators? Side question: have you ever had to fend off Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc. as you're carrying out your conversation research?

Kayaker Sue

Adding to this. I did not know! I wanted to ask if they are ever kept as pets. Are they affectionate to humans etc? Imagining one lying with its bill on my foot as I’m curled up listening to Ologies podcasts on a rainy day.

Benjamin Solotaire

Have they ever been worshipped or part of a pantheon?

Specs Owl

How did they get their name?

Alexandra Roth

I have heard that these adorable animals a) have vicious venomous spikes on their back legs, and b) are really, really dumb. True? How dumb? Dumber than a weasel? Dumber than a guinea pig?

Reese Perini

Are they really the only egg laying mammal? Why has this evolved so few times and why is it beneficial for the platypus? So excited for this one!

mish the fish

what's the evolutionary history of the platypus? how did it get its unique appearance?

Addie Cappello she her

Love the Australian wildlife!!! Can you please talk about their venom? I would love to understand more about all aspects of this. Thank you!!

Bridget Wall

Why do they glow under a UV light?

Tread Slowly

I'm interested in their evolutionary history. Considering many of their traits are uncommon in present day animals, were these selected for, or were they relatively common traits that have disappeared in other lineages?

Björn Fredberg

Do they EVER sit still? I've seen one in an aquarium but it was mostly a blur...

cheesemonger

what other similarly strange animals like them existed in the past? like they filled a niche at one point but eventually the platypus was the only one fit to stay around.

Björn Fredberg

Do they bask in the sun, and what do they do in their downtime?

Addison

why tail

Erica Periandri

What's the day to day life of a platypus like?

Erica Periandri

Do they have nests for the eggs? What's post-egg laying behavior like? (do they stay with the eggs? do they need to keep them warm? do they lay more than 1 egg at a time? do they care for their young similarly to other mammals?)

Erica Periandri

If you were to stumble across one in the wild, what would that be like? (are they timid? docile? defensive?)

a-dongle's-dongle

My son wants to know if it's possible that platypuses were created by a duck and a beaver falling in love ♥️🧐♥️

Stephanie

Why the mouth? What are they eating or why did the bill/beak/lips?? evolve that way?

Benevolent-ish

Why venom glands? Are they aggressive or is it to protect them from idiots that try to mess with them? What predator hunts the platypus? How long do the eggs incubate and how? Are they buried? What do the hatchlings look like and are they cared for or left to fend for themselves.

Gris

How similar and how different are platypuses and echidnas? Both are egg-laying mammals, but they look like they came from different galaxies! And is it true that in some places the platypus exhibit is called a ‘Platypusarium’? If so, that deserves a masters of naming award. Love the show!

Erin Bagley

What kind of parents are they? How do they raise their young?

Magda Kossowska

Would a platypus be my friend? And would they rather do a puzzle and drink tea together or like snort cocaine in a club bathroom?

Magda Kossowska

At what point did Westerners come across platypuses (platypi?), and did it totally mess up their taxonomy and understanding of evolution?

Kellie Due

How many Perry the Platypus references do you make regularly? Other people making references to you? P&ty!

Ridley

Do we know what their ancestors looked like, and what might have caused them to evolve this way?

Emmett M Wald

Lol I came here to ask almost the exact same thing. Do we have fossil evidence of any of their relatives?

Marissa Jacobsen

I heard they navigate with their bills. How does that even work?!

Ella Sugerman

Do they have cool mu domains that get sampled in their antibody repertoire like possums and other marsupials? With love from an antibody nerd

Tina

What is in their venom and why do they need to be venomous?

Katherine Landau

This!! Please ask about their milk glands, so fascinating. What can platypuses teach us about the first mammals?

Classic.Tina

Has anyone ever heard them use their bill like a kazoo? That would be incredible!

Clur 🌱

...has anyone tried their milk? What does it taste like? Someone had to ask

KeyLime Pi

I wonder this too! The captive platypuses I’ve seen at the San Diego Zoo were moving constantly. Is that a nervous behavior or just their nature?

KeyLime Pi

I’ve heard you’re the only facility outside of Australia that has been allowed to have them, because it’s generally prohibited to transport them elsewhere. Ologist, is that true?

linas rain

Why do they look like that?

linas rain

Why do they have venom? What's after these weird, fascinating creatures? If friend shaped why dangerous

Abigail Breckinridge

FTQA: My daughter Cecilia would like to know how a platypus gets its venom out?

Liz Smith

Are they actually venomous? Why? Harmful to humans?

Christine Wenzel

Did the popularity of Perry the Platypus from the kids tv show Phineas and Ferb have any positive (e.g., increase in conservation interest) or negative (e.g., increase in trafficking for illegal pets) impacts on platypuses? Also,how do they feel about Perry the Platypus as a representation in media? Additionally, saw one live for the first time while visiting Australia and was shocked at how small they are! Do they have predators, and if so, what? Similarly, are they omnivores, herbivores, or carnivores?

Leanna Shuster

Can you recognize individual platypi in the field? Is it harder when they're not wearing their secret agent hats?

Jessica C

thank you for not calling it a "duck billed platypus" <3

TheCole

Just, how? What were the evolutionary advantages that led to an animal that is so unique.

Kali Holder

What sort of health concerns/diseases are common issues for these cuties in the wild or in zoos/rescues/human care?

Elie Zwiebel

My partner heard something about mother platypi abandoning their young at an early stage. Is it true that mama platypi hate their progeny? If so, what is the evolutionary value of this?

Rachel Guthrie

Did the show Phineas and Ferb, featuring Perry the Platypus, increase public interest in platypuses?

Meg Shooter

How close are we to getting them on the IUCN Red list? Do the recent findings of drugs and pfas in platypus help to get them on the list?

Obilot

what’s the deal with platypus venom?! what biological process creates it? and when and how was it finally learned that platypuses HAVE venom?

Amanda Metcalf

Why are they so boopable? Also, are male platypuses territorial just during mating season, or year round? Also, how fast can they move on land vs water

Kailey Bell

FTQA! Why do they glow under UV light?

GhoulNextDoor

How fast are they? Do they spend most of their time in or out of the water? And are their coats waterproof even though they look so fluffy?

GhoulNextDoor

What are their family and social structures like? And generally their temperament towards each other and other species?

GhoulNextDoor

How do they spend their time in the wild? Between feeding, fighting, chilling, socializing, or other platypus behaviors?

GhoulNextDoor

Do they make fun sounds and what do they smell like?

Kim C

Puggles! Who came up with that term? They've been fascinating forever, but I remember coming across a video some years ago of baby platypuses swimming around in a tank, with people in the tank - it made me happy to watch. For the life of me I can't find it now, but it was from a rescue or conservancy or something in Australia, and became a bucket list item; but is that okay? For the puggles that is; health-wise, etc.? 'cause I'd still love to do it.

Andrew McVay

What other regions of the world have suitable habitat for a platypus? Are the conditions in Australia so unique that the platypus has been isolated to there?

Kim

They glow under UV light! Why?

Small white dog

No questions. Just VERY EXCITED! Thank you Alie and platypusologist.

Zyz

What in the world did they evolve from!! Have they stayed unchanged for millions of years? Or were the early platypuses (platypi?) very different to what we have now? Where did that beak come from in a mammal!!

Julie Stephens

The only other monotreme I know of is an echidna. What makes up a monotreme and why do they appear so different to my untrained eyes? One is a fluffy little beaver duck possum and the other looks like a rock with tooth picks coming out of it with a tiny little beak.

Ettegoom

They what?!?!

Ettegoom

I remember hearing somewhere that although they produce milk, they don't have nipples, it kind've just leaks out of their armpits or something!?? Is this true? Or did I just hallucinate this?

Ettegoom

Also, what are your thoughts on Terry Pratchett's explanation for how the platypus arose (in the DiscWorld - the last continent)

Pseudonym Jones IV

Back in the 1980s Scientific American had a TV show (with Alan Alda), and one of the episodes was about the noble platypus. I learned most of the facts I know about that most delightful of critters from that episode, but what I really wish I could find was the singularly derpy music they played whenever they showed one swimming around. Also, what's up with the males having the poison spurs? Don't women usually get the buffed up weapons?

SoManyQuestions

Were platypus-like animals once more common, or were they always the beloved weirdos of the animal world?

SoManyQuestions

I think the National Zoo in DC had them 20+ years ago but now I’m second guessing my childhood memories - were there once other places in the US to see them?

SoManyQuestions

Can the Ologist please tell us more about their role as a keystone species and what they’re doing in their ecosystem that’s special?

Claire Gebben

What niche role do they play in their ecosystem. Looking at them my brain immediately equates them to beavers but since they are carnivores they likely have a very different impact on their habitat. Has there been noticable changes in biodiversity with their decline?

SoManyQuestions

Seconding the question on how Indigenous Australians perceive the platypus - is it considered special or different, or is it not unusual when your culture grows up with them?

Claire Gebben

Asking for a friend! How did we get the name platypus?? More relevant, we'd love to know how the electroreceptors in their bill really works and if there are other species with something similar.

Lauren R

The 11 YO wants to know if only the males have the poisonous spurs & what they're for.

Tortellini Hot

(First Time Question Asker!) What does it look like when platypuses interact with other animals (outside of predator/prey interaction). Are they, like, buds with anyone?

Kristina Jacob

Eve and Birra at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are always swimming, hunting for prey, grooming, etc!

Dawnaechello

and has anyone made cheese out of it?

Katie King

How closely are they related to echidnas and why are monotremes so different from everything else (or are there closer mammal relatives that I don't know about)? Were there other 'in-between species' that occured that were more similar to regular mammals, or are they from a long divergent lineage and they have just been doing their own thing all along?

Katie King

How many of their weird/wonderful traits (ie. venom, milk, eggs, uv-glowing fur, sensors in their bill) have been observed in previous evolutionary iterations, and how many are unique to playapuses (platapodi?) as we see them today? Were there any other strange traits lost along the way?

Katie King

I know a lot of the incredible species that are found in Australia are because it has been separate from other land masses for so long, but are there any species elsewhere that are related to the platypus (I'm thinking like how hippos and whales share a common ancestor)? What would be their closest non-monotreme relative? Closest non-Australian relative? Are there any?

Marisa

This show is like the Platypus of the Podcast world, something so special it’s loveable authentically in it’s weird, funny and adorable. Can’t wait for this one^^

Lee Wang

What do their bills feel like? Are they rubbery?

Hannah E

Have we found any uses for platypus venom? Other than defending platypi (platypuses?)?

Ninja Squirrel

Speaking of their spurs, how toxic is their venom?

mossdreams

Do they have any senses besides the 5 main senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, taste?

Kristina Jacob

Alie! THIS is the episode, the moment I have been waiting for. Thank you! I have informally studied the platypus for decades and finally got to meet them in person when they came to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 2019. I went to Australia a few months ago to be with them in their native country, and had up close and personal encounters. Thank you so much for this episode, for bringing this mysterious creature to your audience. Conservation efforts are tough, so little is known about them, as we are learning more, they are facing more threats from human activity and are disappearing. Wishing you a wonderful conversation! Have lots of suggestions/material if you need resources preparing, I am more than happy to help! And yes, I have questions to add! Just want to say…thank you!!! From a crazy platypus lady, or platy witch. Whichever you prefer 😜

Kristina Jacob

FTQA! Question about platypus feet! Platypuses are great climbers-why? How do they use their claws in those adorable webs? Also, what is the correct term for platypus feet?

Kristina Jacob

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the USA is the only place outside of Australia to have platypuses. How can we get the world to understand the plight of the platypus and how the platypus is an environmental indicator for this planet?

Dorit

Electroreception!!

Kristina Jacob

How can someone listening not from Australia make a difference for the platypus?

Milla Arklay

I have heard that they glow in the dark under a black light which was discovered by bored scientists in COVID. Is fact or fiction? If fact, why on earth do they do that?

Milla Arklay

Were they ever hunted for food/their coat? Wild Krats were chased by an egg hunter in an episode :)

Jeanette-o-saur

Are they soft? Is their fur like beaver fur? Do scientists get to snuggle them or will they get stabbed with poison foot spurs? How do they catch platypus, incidentally? Are they chill? Aggressive? Hard to trap? Do they have to be tranquilized for measurements etc?

Matt Schmidt

Oh boy, monotremes!! OK, I understand that a joint study between Aussie and U.S. universities (sorry I forgot which ones) recently concluded that mammals evolved from Australia. Does that mean that monotremes are some kind of evolutionary link between us and reptiles or are they simply just a different kind of mammal, like marsupials?

Matt Schmidt

I just read an article about 2 weeks ago telling the story about how they tried to take them back to Britain. Spoiler alert, it didn’t go well. It was meant to be a present for Winston Churchill. Apparently they can’t make the journey and they aren’t 100% sure why. They need very specific temperatures and don’t adapt well. I believe the article said they have only been bred once in captivity in the San Diego zoo. Best to protect and leave them in their environment. I had the pleasure of seeing them in the wild out in the bush west of Townsville. Amazing, beautiful, shy animal.

Marisa L

Is there an evolutionary advantage for laying eggs instead of live birth for a mammal? Laying eggs seems more risky and more susceptible to predation than live birth. Also do newborn platypuses get their first nutrients from the egg yolk or do they get milk from the mom?

protect_trans_lives

We know the cultural impact of Perry the Platypus, has there been an ecological one? Has Perry helped spread awareness these creatures exist? Curious about this.

protect_trans_lives

I hope this is real. Also Covid is still an ongoing pandemic do you mean in lockdown/the beginning of the pandemic?

protect_trans_lives

are there are technologies similar to platypus’ electroreception?

Mallory Avery

I am an American living in Australia, and I have gotten to see many cool Australian animals in the wild. Platypuses (platypi?) are on my to-be-seen list. Any suggestions of where to see them in the wild, how to find where they will likely be, etc., particularly in Victoria?

Matt Schmidt

They aren’t. Echidnas do as well.

Alice Rubin

Why do they have a eyelid slits/folds that extends so far behind their eyeballs?

Milla Arklay

During the lockdowns I think!Thanks for reminding me that it is still an ongoing issue, I forget to check my privilege sometimes

Jessica C

Could be interesting to delve into the etymology/naming actually... why specify a duck bill? Did people think they might eventually find an eagle or stork billed one?

Joe

This and do they exhibit a mammalian dive reflex when they dive looking for a tasty snack? Many thanks from another aquatic mammal ~ NoBubblesNoTroubles

Gabija Šimaitytė

1. What do we know about their evolutionary lineages? How did their closest relative species look, living or extinct? I.e. how did they arrive at being as weird as they are??? 2. How did platypi being an actual real animal affect the (at the time of western discovery) booming scene of taxidermy hoaxes?

Mermanda4Real

What are some possible evolutionary reasons for the biofluorescence? How does that trait help them in the wild?

A softly boiled egg

How does them being an egg laying mammal impact how we classify animals? (I know they probably should absolutely not be pets but has the expert ever cuddled one??)

Bee

From an evolutionary standpoint: what the French toast, man?

Gavy

How different is their milk from other mammals’ milk? And do conservationists ever need to care for orphaned platypuses? Would they be bottle fed or just lap milk up from a damp, oozing cloth or something?

Paul Gladis

If a duck, a beaver and an otter all accused the platypus of identity theft, which one would actually have the strongest case in court?

Regina Muth

How did this animal even happen? How did we get here? How did they initially get into pop culture and become a thing people love?

Ara Victor

From my dad: How do Platypuses secrete milk for puggles (babies)? What is the platypus diet? How do platypuses digest food?

Classic.Tina

So if they make milk and lay eggs, can one make custard?

Kris Burnell

My understanding is only males have a poisonous spur. Is this true? If so, then what are the hypothses as to its function? One would assume some sort of sexual selection, but I'd love to hear more!

Ashton McCall

1. Have there been any notable platypuses in history or any fun stories involving people interacting with one? 2. Are there any species-specific diseases or pathogens that can affect these wondrous animals? Hopefully not!

who_let_the_lucy_goose_loose

How does electrolocation work for platypuses? Can it truly be considered a sixth sense, or does it fit under feel? Are there anyways in which humans can/have used this technology in other areas? Secondly, what is the plural of platypus? Is it platypussses? Or just platypus still, or something else?

Courtney Horowitz

From my Smologite - "Are they considered apex predators?" From me - "From a conservation perspective, why don't more zoos have them?" Also, very much looking forward to hearing what the proper plural is. Fingers crossed it's "platypudes"!

Dave Langlinais

My Question: Who's the dog that volunteered to do the platypus impression, and how much peanut butter did it take? :)

Kieran H

I feel like I barely know anything about platypuses! What biological niche do they fill??

Kieran H

Are there different species of platypus or is there only one?

Kieran H

Tell me about the babies!! How many? How long do they incubate for? How long until they mature and make their way into the big wide platypus world?

Kristina Jacob

There is a fantastic series called Behind the Scenes at the Zoo on NatGeo. They did an episode from Taronga Zoo about packing Eve and Birra to ship them to San Diego. Then there is an episode from the SD Safari Park about receiving the shipment and getting them acclimated to the habitat. All of the challenges on both ends! I highly recommend watching both.

Megan Younce

My main question is just... how? (Also just to say they're so weird and cute and I can't wait to learn more about them)

Tommy McElrath

Why are they the perfect secret agents (e.g. Perry the Platypus)?

BECNIMI

Why is Perry the platypus blue?

julia_loves_fun_facts

-How accurate is the noise Perry the Platypus makes? -Do they really hunt using electrolocation? How does that work? Do they have an electrical organ? -Their bill is so big compared to their body, what are they hiding in there? What does it feel like? -How many subtypes of platypus are there? -I've seen them swim and it looks kinda slow and awkward, was it just the few I saw, or are they not very strong swimmers??

erin farley

If you have time looking at some of the First Nations stories on how the platypus came to be

Doug Foster

1) Are the genes involved in the production of a bill in the platypus related to the genes involved in producing a bill in a duck? 2) Who was the first European to describe a platypus? 3) Did/do Native Australians think the platypus was/is a little unusual?

Kristina Jacob

Check out Dr. Jessica Thomas - her team worked on this discovery

Platipussi

What would you suggest to people who want to observe them in nature? I was jumping around a creek on Kangaroo Island after the lovely people working there promised we had a good chance to see platypi - But no luck :/

Beverly Sobelman

My 97-year-old mom (who has seen them in the wild in Australia!) wants to know how they take care of their babies!

Beverly Sobelman

RIght? My sister lives in Malanda (N Queensland) and has them in the creek on her property. I've visited a few times but never really got a good look.

Geriberi

Where do they fall on the evolutionary tree? What’s their closest relative? And how?!

Jan Myers

I'm pretty sure I know the answer to: are they good pets? But I've wanted a platypus since I made a report in third grade. Looking forward to all the new info!

Between Dumplings

Is it platypi [octopus; octopi]? Are they endangered? For whom are they prey? What do they prey on? Where found? How long have they been around...I guess I know next to nothing! What was the evolutionary advantage of a mammal laying eggs? Why only these guys?

Kristina Jacob

Amazing!!! I went looking for them in a preserve in Melbourne but didn’t see them.

Marian Doane

As a biologist, I'd like to meet one. Take me with you if you go.

Kristina Jacob

Hi there! Is the an ETA for when this episode is available?