What on earth is a platypus? Even its name seems strange. When Europeans first heard the startling news of a newly discovered creature called the “platypus,” most of them thought it was just a joke.

The platypus is one of the most unique animals in the world. It’s a mammal, but it lays eggs. It has webbed feet, a beaver-like tail, and an otter-like snout and bill that helps it locate food ...

Few mammals rival the eccentricity of these venomous, egg-laying oddballs. Noel Kirkpatrick is an editor and writer based in Tacoma, Washington. He covers many topics, including animals, science, and ...

Did you know that platypuses were thought to be a hoax when they were first discovered? People thought they were being tricked by a specimen that was two animals sewn together. This demonstrates just ...

Most humans probably think very little of the platypus — if at all. But this strange Australian mammal, with its webbed feet and beaver-like tail, is actually a treasure trove of genetic information.

The so-called prehistoric platypus certainly didn't look intelligent. Its little head was strangely out of proportion with its large body and its tiny eyes probably couldn't see much. But despite this ...

Jars of tiny platypus and echidna specimens, collected in the late 1800s by the scientist William Caldwell, have been discovered in the stores of Cambridge's University Museum of Zoology. Jars of tiny ...