The Platypus

The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. While both male and female platypuses are born with ankle spurs, only the male has spurs which produce a cocktail of venom, composed largely of defensin-like proteins(DLPs), three of which are unique to the platypus. The platypus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting small streams and rivers over an extensive range from the cold highlands of Tasmania and the Australian Alps to the tropical rainforests of coastal Queensland as far north as the base of the Cape York Peninsula.