All articles tagged with #platypus
The platypus is the most venomous mammal, with males possessing a spur that delivers a painful venom, causing intense pain and potential tissue damage, though it is not lethal to humans. Its unique evolutionary path is a result of Australia's long isolation, leading to many distinctive species.
The article uncovers the true cause of Winston Churchill's dead platypus, revealing that high temperatures during transport likely caused his death, dispelling previous theories of submarine shell-shock, and details Australia's unique efforts at platypus diplomacy during and after WWII.
Scientists have uncovered how monotremes like platypuses determine sex through a hormone-based system involving the AMHY gene, a discovery that reveals a unique evolutionary pathway diverging from typical mammalian genetic mechanisms and shedding light on the deep history of sex chromosome evolution.
Scientists have discovered that the sex of monotremes like platypuses is determined by a modified version of the anti-Muellerian hormone gene (AMHY), which is unique among mammals and represents a 100-million-year-old evolutionary development, marking the first known case of a hormone-based sex determination system in mammals.
Four female platypuses were reintroduced into Australia's Royal National Park, just south of Sydney, after disappearing from the area for over 50 years. The relocation is a collaborative effort between the University of New South Wales, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, WWF-Australia, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The platypus is increasingly threatened by habitat destruction, river degradation, feral predators, and extreme weather events such as droughts and bushfires. Each platypus will be tracked for the next two years to better understand how to intervene and relocate the species in the event of drought, bushfire, or flood.
A man in Australia has been charged with stealing a platypus from its natural habitat and taking it on a train trip to show it off to people at a local shopping mall. The platypus was wrapped in a towel and shown to fellow commuters. The animal has not been located and its current condition is unknown. Platypuses are a threatened species facing extinction due to human activity, including land-clearing, dams, drought, bushfires, and climate change. The man has been charged with the "unlawful take and keep of a Platypus from the wild" and could face a maximum penalty of $431,250.
A man has been arrested in connection with the taking of a platypus from its natural habitat in Queensland, Australia. The man and a woman were caught on CCTV showing the animal to people on a train before taking it to a shopping center. The platypus was released into the Caboolture River, and its condition is unknown. Taking a platypus from the wild is illegal and can be dangerous for both the animal and the person involved. The man has been charged with taking a protected animal class 1 offense and restriction on keeping or using taken protected animal class 1 offense.
A man in Australia has been charged with animal protection offences after taking a platypus on a train ride and showing it to members of the public at a shopping center. The platypus was allegedly removed from a waterway in northern Queensland and its fate remains unknown after being released into the Caboolture River. Platypuses are a threatened species facing a silent extinction due to prolonged droughts, bushfires, a changing climate, and land clearing that have impacted their habitat and decreased their population.
A man has been charged with taking a platypus from its natural habitat in Morayfield, Australia, and showing it to members of the public in a nearby shopping mall. The platypus' current condition is unknown, and police have warned that it can become sick or die while out of its natural habitat. The man has been charged with taking a protected animal and a restriction on keeping or using a protected animal, and investigations are ongoing.
Police in Queensland, Australia are searching for a man who allegedly took a platypus from its natural environment and showed it off to fellow commuters on a train. The platypus is a "Near Threatened" species and may become sick or die if kept out of the wild. The man could face a maximum penalty of $431,250 for the unlawful take and keep of the animal. The platypus is one of only two mammals in the world that lay eggs and is venomous, but there have been no recorded deaths from platypus stings.
A man in Australia has been charged with animal protection offences after taking a platypus on a train ride and to a shopping centre. The man is accused of removing the platypus from a waterway in northern Queensland, which is illegal under conservation laws. The platypus was later released into the Caboolture River, but its condition is unknown. Platypuses are native to Australia's freshwater rivers and are part of a rare group of mammals that lay eggs.
An asteroid the size of 18 platypus is set to pass closer to Earth than the Moon on March 30, according to NASA's asteroid tracker. The asteroid, designated as 2023 FH7, is one of six asteroids passing Earth on that day. It is estimated to be around 11 meters in diameter and will pass a little over 164,000 kilometers away from Earth. Planetary defense scientists have been working on safeguarding Earth from asteroids, and NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission has shown that with enough time and planning, we can alter the trajectory of an asteroid.