Here’s a clear, kid-friendly explanation of how platypuses reproduce and care for their young.
What is a platypus?
A platypus is a very special mammal known as a monotreme. Unlike most mammals, it lays eggs and then raises its babies in a burrow near rivers in eastern Australia.
Egg-laying reproduction
After mating, the female platypus lays 1–3 leathery eggs. She curls around the eggs in a burrow to keep them warm, much like a bird incubates eggs. The eggs hatch after about 10 days.
From hatchling to puggle
Baby platypuses are called puggles. When they hatch, they are small and do not yet look like a full-grown platypus. They stay in the mother’s burrow, getting food and warmth from her.
Nourishing the young without nipples
Platypus mothers do not have nipples. They secrete milk from mammary glands, and the milk pools on the skin or fur. The puggles lick or suck the milk as it oozes out, growing strong until they can swim and hunt on their own.
Time in the burrow and fun facts
- Male platypuses have a venomous spur on their hind legs; females do not.
- Platypuses are one of the few mammals that lay eggs.
- The young usually stay with the mother for several months before becoming independent.
Key idea: Platypuses are unique egg-laying mammals that raise their young in burrows and feed them with milk without nipples.
Step-by-step quick guide
- Platypuses are monotremes; females lay eggs after mating.
- She lays 1–3 leathery eggs and curls around them to keep warm for about 10 days.
- Eggs hatch into tiny puggles.
- Milk is secreted; no nipples; milk pools on skin/fur; puggles feed as they lick it.
- Puggles leave the burrow after several months and begin to swim and forage.