It’s a
mammal
The platypus lives
in and around rivers
in eastern Australia
and Tasmania. The male
has a spur on the hind
foot that can secrete poison.
Big jumper
The kangaroo can jump
so far that it is difficult
to catch one. Their
numbers have grown
many times in the absence
of predators in Australia,
where they live.
Odd Mammals
Most mammals share certain characteristics. The majority
of mammals give birth to live young and look after them,
and most of them (apart from some sea mammals)
have four limbs and live on land. But there are some
exceptions, such as platypuses, anteaters and bats.
QDo any mammals lay eggs?
A The duck-billed platypus and the spiny
anteater lay eggs. They are found in Australia,
Tasmania and New Guinea. They were among
the first mammals on Earth. Apart from
laying eggs, they are similar to other
mammals. They are warm-blooded, have hair
and produce milk to feed their young. But
neither anteaters nor platypuses have any
teeth. They have snouts that look like beaks.
QWhy do some mammals like kangaroos
carry their babies in a pouch on their bellies?
A Kangaroo babies are born early, before
they have finished developing. When the baby
is born, it climbs into its mother’s pouch
where it remains for several weeks until it
is strong enough to move about on its own.
The baby may remain in the pouch for more
than a year, climbing out to play more and
more often. Apart from kangaroos, koalas,
possum and wombats also carry their
babies in a pouch. All the mammals that
do this are known as marsupials.
Q How are bats able to fly?
A The front legs of bats act as wings. Each
leg has four long fingers to support the wing.
The wings have a double layer of skin
stretched between the finger bones and
attached to the side of the body and to the
hind legs. Bats have three pairs of flight
muscles, attached to the upper arms and
chest, that give them the power to fly.
Odd Mammals
55
Following its echo
Bats use a special sense of vibration, called
echolocation, to find food and to navigate.
They emit sounds that bounce back as echoes after
striking an object. Bats can identify the direction,
distance, speed, and sometimes, even the size of an
object by listening to this echo.
This special technique helps them to find food
and avoid obstacles in the dark.
Try these too…
South America
(112–113), Australia
and Oceania (114–115),
Europe (116–117),
Africa (118–119),
Asia (120–121)
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