![]() Male platypuses are among the only mammals to produce venom, and the only ones known to use it to fight rivals. Placental mammals are believed to have lost these bones in evolution as this muscle arrangement stops the abdomen from expanding during the long pregancies that are characteristic of this group. They are believed to be involved in breathing and locomotion, stiffening the trunk. These are connected by muscles forwards to the spine and ribs, and backwards to the femur (the long bone at the top of the leg). Like marsupials – but unlike placental mammals like us – platypuses and echidnas have two large prongs of bone projecting forwards from their pelvis. The platypus’ epipubic bones, which are not found in placental mammals like us. The muscles and the way the bone rotates relate to the way that these animals dig and swim. Like the shoulder blade, the humerus is also extremely expanded for massive muscles to attach. Instead of moving back and forth like our arms, it can rotate. The way the humerus (the long bone in the upper arm) moves is also different in platypuses and echidnas than in other mammals. Again, it is more like a lizard shoulder than a mammal. ![]() If you ever see big plates of bone in a skeleton, that normally means that there are large muscles attached, and the platypus’ massive scapula is the attachment-site for large forelimb muscles that allow them to dig their burrows. The scapula (shoulder blade) is HUGE – as big as in any mammal I can think of (relative to body size). Platypus and echidna shoulder girdles are also unlike any other living mammal – they have bones and articulations that do not exist elsewhere in the mammalian class. The large scapula and humerus allow for massive digging muscles. Platypus limbs are held sideways out from their bodies, like a lizard. On the whole, platypuses are so well adapted that their skeletons have remained relatively unchanged since non-avian dinosaurs were around. By contrast all other mammals have straightened limbs which sit below their bodies. This is one of the features that the earliest mammals inherited from the reptilian ancestors they evolved from, and something that has never changed in the evolution of the platypus. One of the very many ways that platypus (and echidna) skeletons differ from every other living mammal is that they have bent elbows and knees, with their legs held out sideways from their bodies much like a lizard. Aside from their relatives the echidnas, and one species of dolphin, platypuses are the only mammals known to detect electricity.Īdult platypuses have no teeth (juveniles have five to six ( one is displayed in our Micrarium) but they are resorbed by the time they leave their burrows) – instead they mash their food up with horny pads inside the bill. This contains highly specialised receptors that can detect the miniscule electric impulses that are generated by the muscular contractions of their underwater invertebrate prey. These bony prongs are the scaffold which supports their extraordinary leathery bill. We can assume that poison is used for defense against predators, because of the circumstances it must be under to be toxic, and that venom can serve as both offense and defense.The front of a platypus’ skull resembles the pincers of an earwig. For instance, a scorpion, which delivers toxin through a stinger on the end of its tail, would be venomous, however, a pufferfish, which can be deadly if certain parts of it aren’t removed before consumption, is poisonous. Poisonous animals’ toxins only become harmful when consumed, while venom must be inserted into the blood stream, through something such as a fang or claw. Both poisonous and venomous animals have toxins but the difference is in how they are delivered. Before I dive into the subject, there are 14 known species of venomous mammals, according to Wilcox, including the Slow Loris, the White-Winged Vampire bat, and that one that I will feature, which you can glean from the name of this post.įirst off, I’ll distinguish the difference between poison and venom, because not everyone may be aware of it. Mammals have always been my favorite category of species on Earth, and I thought that it was interesting that using venom, an ability that insects and reptiles usually dominate, can also be deployed by certain mammals. Specifically, I was interested in the subcategory of venomous mammals. ![]() Over the past couple days, I’ve been reading a book called “Venomous” by Christie Wilcox, which, as the name suggests, is about venomous animals.
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