Platypus: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the platypus lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Group	Platypus & echidnas
Status	Near threatened (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	Oceania
Class	Mammal
Order	Monotremata
Family	Ornithorhynchidae

Where does the platypus live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the platypus in 1 country or territory across Oceania. Wikidata lists it as endemic to Australia.

Australia

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the platypus endangered?

The platypus’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Near threatened” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the platypus?

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a mammal in the order Monotremata and the family Ornithorhynchidae, genus Ornithorhynchus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the platypus

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative of the family Ornithorhynchidae and genus Ornithorhynchus, though a number of related species appear in the fossil record. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Like other monotremes, the platypus has a sense of electrolocation, which it uses to detect prey in water while its eyes, ears and nostrils are closed. It is one of the few species of venomous mammals, as the male platypus has a spur on each hind foot that delivers an extremely painful venom.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Platypus (revision 1376973599), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q15343 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).