PLATYPUS
This site explores the beauty of the unexpected.
Unicorns vs Platypuses
Unicorns are fiction.
Platypuses are nature.
Platypuses are nature.
What looks strange…
might just be what’s real.
might just be what’s real.
Be the
[compiled 2025]
Filed under:
Monotremes,
Myth vs Nature
Monotremes,
Myth vs Nature
Collected from maps, stamps —
and oddities no biology book expected.
and oddities no biology book expected.
Field Notes:
about the PLATYPUS
11 FACTS
1
That’s why you’ll find it on coins, stamps — and in every kid’s book.
The platypus is
a national symbol
Platypus lives here And nowhere else
[1¢ Stamp]
[36¢ Stamp]
— Where the weirdness lives.
(field note #1)
(field note #1)
Distributionzone
[9d Stamp]
Fact #1
2
Bullion issue
Gold Series
1 Dollar (2008) — Platypus from the “Australian Animals” series
20 Cents (1967) — First coin with platypus and numeral
200 Dollars (Elizabeth II) — Gold bullion, 3rd portrait
1 Oz Silver (2010) — “Discover Australia” series
Australia,
In
coins traditionally
depict a platypus
Platypus: the most minted animal in Australia.
Fact #2
3
Some creatures never fit in. That’s why they survive.
Fact #3
The platypus shares genes with reptiles, birds and mammals.
These oviparous mammals got their name because of the hole that serves as both an anus and a genitourinary opening.
m.y.a
166
Platypuses separated
from other mammals
The platypus genome contains
85 chromosomes.
Scientists still don’t fully understand why.
The name ‘monotreme’ means ‘single opening’.
Platypuses lay eggs and have one opening for both waste and reproduction — like birds and reptiles.
6
5
4
7
uck
D
Fact #4,5,6,7
Genetically, it is a mixture of mammals, birds and reptiles
He hunts with his eyes closed — sensing movement and electricity, like a shark. Over 100,000 sensors in that soft beak.
nake
S
hark
B
S
eaver
What if evolution just had fun, once?
He lays eggs. He’s venomous. And he’s got sharp ankle spurs full of toxin. Snake vibes? Definitely.
That beak? All duck. But it’s soft, leathery, and packed with sensors.
Tail like a beaver. Stores fat like a camel. Warms eggs like an incubator.
Who was the platypus's parts supplier?
Not just a bill — a soft, sensor-packed radar. It reads movement, pulses, and electricity underwater.
That tail? Fat storage, egg warmer, survival kit — all in one flat, furry tool.
Males grow venomous ankle spurs. Platypus doesn't hiss — it stabs.
Eyes shut. Nose in the water. Over 100,000 sensors finding life in the dark.
8
U
ltraviolet
Fact #8
Its fur glows under ultraviolet light.
Not everything is meant to be seen.
This glow may help hide from UV-
sensitive predators — or serve as a secret signal.
sensitive predators — or serve as a secret signal.
Some creatures shine when nobody’s looking.
9
It
lays eggs
Even biology bends its rules sometimes.
Fact #9
Reptile? Mammal? Evolution just shrugged.
Platypus lays eggs. Tiny - smaller than a jellybean.
But it's still a mammal. It feeds its babies with milk.
But it's still a mammal. It feeds its babies with milk.
10
It concentrate the milk in the belly and then sweat it out
Fact #10
Milk from skin. No nipples.
Nature doesn’t care what you expect.
After 10 days, the cubs hatch from the eggs.
Then, for 3–4 months, the platypus feeds them — not through nipples, but through skin.
11
a stomach
It doesn't have
Forget chewing — the platypus uses pebbles stored in its cheeks to grind food.
Fact #11
It’s born with teeth. Then evolution says: "nah", and swaps them for keratin plates.
Its metabolism is in no hurry — slower than any other land mammal.
No stomach. Still enough to survive.
And the stomach? It never had one. Just a straight shot from throat to gut.
Clack!
MORE
facts
It looks like a duck’s beak — but it’s two U-shaped bones, covered in skin and wired for electricity.
Proof that evolution had a sense of humor.
MORE
facts
It looks like a duck’s beak — but it’s two U-shaped bones, covered in skin and wired for electricity.
Proof that evolution had a sense of humor.
2024 All rights reserved
Australia's pride.
Science's headache.
Nature's joke.
If this project made you smile, think, or slow down for a second — it did its job. Like the platypus, it may look strange — but it’s unforgettable.
I’m Alisiia, a designer who builds thoughtful, aesthetic websites with personality.
This site became a reflection of how I design: I observe deeply, mix the unexpected, and give form to things that seem odd at first glance… but leave a mark.
I didn’t set out to create a site about an animal. I wanted to create something unusual. A bit strange. Quietly clever. Like the platypus. In a world full of templates and sameness, I believe in ideas that stand out softly — not scream.
let’s connect:
instagram
About this project
This website uses cookies.
Cookies remember your actions and
preferences for a better online experience.
Cookies remember your actions and
preferences for a better online experience.