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Aboriginal tribes of Australia thought a lot about how the platypus came into existence.

One myth tells of a female duck who lived with her kin by a river pond. They never wandered too far from their safe pond; for fear that a creature called a Water Devil would hunt them down.

Well, one day the duck decided to swim downstream where she found a nice riverbank. She needed a rest, and took a break on the grassy patch there. When a nearby water-rat heard a duck climbing onto his riverbed, the lonely water-rat came out of the water to check things out. The poor duck was then dragged by the water-rat into his lair, where he took advantage of her. Before she knew it, duck was ready to lay eggs. When they hatched, they resembled duck because they had webbed feet and bills, but also looked like their father, the water-rat, whose four feet, furry body and beady eyes they inherited. Thus, say the Aborigines, the platypus was created.

This unique creature is one of only three egg-laying mammals in existence. It inhabits the rivers, streams and lakes of eastern Australia, turning heads wherever it surfaces. The platypus has four webbed feet, which help the creature glide through the water with grace and agility. When they swim, they alternate strokes between the fore-paws only, whereas beavers, water-rats and otters uses all four paws for swimming. The webbing between their toes retracts when they dig or walk, but expand when they swim.

Its coat is extremely waterproof, consisting of an inner layer of fine hairs that serve as insulation by trapping air. The outer layer of its coat consists of longer flat-bladed hairs which help it withstand nearly freezing water conditions. They are able to see well above water, and spend their time hunting and foraging for freshwater shrimp, insect larvae, mollusks, fish eggs and frogs.

Perhaps one of the coolest things about the platypus is its unique bill. The bill is covered with thousands of electrosensitive pores that help it to detect its prey. In particular, the electric currents that are generated by its prey’s muscle movements! It even helps the platypus detect the subtle energy field that is produced when water flows over stationary objects.

Unfortunately, when the platypus’ natural habitat is threatened, its existence is also threatened. Because fresh water in Australia is scarce, the human population settles near the readily available sources. This is also the platypus’ home, and human interference makes life more difficult for our animal friend. Perhaps one day you will be able to spot a platypus on a grassy riverbank and wonder how it really did evolve into the unique creature that it is today.