Platypuses have few predators in the wild, because they mainly hunt underwater and live in hidden shelters, from tropical north regions to the sub-alpine areas of southern Australia.
The introduction of red foxes as a predator for rabbits may have had some impact on platypus numbers on the mainland. Feral cats are another platypus predator, but the platypus's principal enemies are humans. Humans used to hunt them for their fur, but they are now protected. The danger is now not from hunting, but from destruction of their environment. Also, the use of fishing nets in freshwater creeks and rivers resulted in large numbers being drowned, but this practice has been banned. So, technically, man is not the platypus's predator because he does not eat it, but he is a threat to the platypus. The platypuses were and are affected by man but not eaten by him.
Natural predators of the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles. On occasion, large freshwater eels (which may be twice the length of a platypus) have been thought to take platypuses.
Platypuses have few predators in the wild, because they mainly hunt underwater and live in hidden shelters, from tropical north regions to the sub-alpine areas of southern Australia.
The introduction of red foxes as a predator for rabbits may have had some impact on platypus numbers on the mainland. Feral cats are another platypus predator, but the platypus's principal enemies are humans. Humans used to hunt them for their fur, but they are now protected. The danger is now not from hunting, but from destruction of their environment. Also, the use of fishing nets in freshwater creeks and rivers resulted in large numbers being drowned, but this practice has been banned. So, technically, man is not the platypus's predator because he does not eat it, but he is a threat to the platypus. The platypuses were and are affected by man but not eaten by him.
Natural predators of the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles. On occasion, large freshwater eels (which may be twice the length of a platypus) have been thought to take platypuses.
Platypuses have few enemies in the wild, because they mainly hunt underwater and live in hidden shelters, from tropical north regions to the sub-alpine areas of southern Australia.
The introduction of red foxes as a predator for rabbits may have had some impact on platypus numbers on the mainland. Feral cats are another platypus predator, but the platypus's principal enemies are humans. Humans used to hunt them for their fur, but they are now protected. The danger is now not from hunting, but from destruction of their environment. Also, the use of fishing nets in freshwater creeks and rivers resulted in large numbers being drowned, but this practice has been banned. So, technically, man is not the platypus's predator because he does not eat it, but he is a threat to the platypus. The platypuses were and are affected by man but not eaten by him.
Natural predators of the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles. On occasion, large eels have been thought to take platypuses, which may be only half the length of a freshwater eel.
Another threat to the platypus is flooding. Young platypuses may be washed out of their burrows when floodwaters come, and few of these survive.
Tasmanian platypuses are subject to platypus fungal disease, or Mucormycosis. This fungal disease causes ugly skin lesions or ulcers to develop on various parts of the platypus's body, including their backs, tails and legs. These lesions become quite large, and are ultimately fatal. Death comes from secondary infection, and from the fact that the platypus's ability to maintain body temperature and forage efficiently for food is affected. It's not yet known how the disease spreads from platypus to platypus, but the mainland creatures are not affected.
The biggest threat to the platypus comes from Man. Humans used to hunt them for their fur, but they are now protected. The danger is now not from hunting, but from destruction of their environment. Also, the use of fishing nets in freshwater creeks and rivers resulted in large numbers being drowned, but this practice has been banned.
The introduction of red foxes as a predator for rabbits may have had some impact on platypus numbers on the mainland, so foxes are regarded as a threat. Feral cats are another threat, but the platypus's principal threat comes from humans.
Natural threats to the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles. On occasion, large eels have been thought to take platypuses, which may be only half the length of a freshwater eel.
Another threat to the platypus is flooding. Young platypuses may be washed out of their burrows when floodwaters come, and few of these survive.
Tasmanian platypuses are subject to platypus fungal disease, which is called Mucormycosis. This fungal disease causes ugly skin lesions or ulcers to develop on various parts of the platypus's body, including their backs, tails and legs. These lesions become quite large, and are ultimately fatal. Death comes from secondary infection, and from the fact that the platypus's ability to maintain body temperature and forage efficiently for food is affected. It's not yet known how the disease spreads from platypus to platypus, but the mainland creatures are not affected.
Platypuses have few natural enemies in the wild, because they mainly hunt underwater and live in hidden shelters.
Natural predators of the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles.
The introduction of red foxes as a predator for rabbits may have had some impact on platypus numbers on the mainland. Feral cats are another platypus predator, but the platypus's principal enemies are humans. Humans used to hunt them for their fur, but they are now protected. The danger is now not from hunting, but from destruction of their environment. Also, the use of fishing nets in freshwater creeks and rivers resulted in large numbers being drowned, but this practice has been banned. So, technically, man is not the platypus's predator because he does not eat it, but he is a threat to the platypus, and therefore, sometimes an enemy. The platypuses were and are affected by man but not eaten by him.
Yes, although platypuses have few predators in the wild, because they mainly hunt underwater and live in hidden shelters, from tropical north regions to the sub-alpine areas of southern Australia.
The introduction of red foxes as a predator for rabbits may have had some impact on platypus numbers on the mainland. Feral cats are another platypus predator, but the platypus's principal enemies are humans. Humans used to hunt them for their fur, but they are now protected. The danger is now not from hunting, but from destruction of their environment. Also, the use of fishing nets in freshwater creeks and rivers resulted in large numbers being drowned, but this practice has been banned. So, technically, man is not the platypus's predator because he does not eat it, but he is a threat to the platypus. The platypuses were and are affected by man but not eaten by him.
Natural predators of the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles. On occasion, large freshwater eels (which may be twice the length of a platypus) have been thought to take platypuses.
Platypuses have few natural enemies in the wild, because they mainly hunt underwater and live in hidden shelters.
Natural predators of the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles.
Platypuses are carnivores and so they are predators; they eat small water animals such as aquatic insect larvae, fresh water shrimp, annelid worms, yabbies and crayfish.
Lizards such as goannas are the most likely predators of platypus eggs.
Australia is ideal for the platypus because there are few natural predators. Apart from pythons, most predators of the platypus are introduced species.
The only thing a female platypus can do to protect herself from platypus is to use her effective hiding strategies. The entrance to a platypus's burrow is disguised by tree roots or overhanging riverbanks, and a breeding female will create several earthen plugs along the length of her burrow to deter predators.
It isn't. The platypus has few natural predators in Australia. Natural predators of the platypus may include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. This is no more than the average number of predators for any secondary consumer. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles. On occasion, large freshwater eels (which may be twice the length of a platypus) have been thought to take platypuses.
Pythons and goannas eat platypus eggs. The female platypus will actually place earthen plugs along the length of her burrow before the chamber which holds the eggs, in order to deter such predators.
Pythons and goannas eat platypus eggs. The female platypus will actually place earthen plugs along the length of her burrow before the chamber which holds the eggs, in order to deter such predators.
The male platypus has a poison spur in its hind legs which can kill small animals, and injure ones larger than itself.
The female platypus has no special features to protect itself from predators. The male, however, has a venonous spur on its hind leg. This spur is capable of injecting a powerful venom that causes agonising, paralysing pain to larger animals, and kills small animals.
The platypus is both predator and prey. While it is true that platypuses have few predators in the wild, because they mainly hunt underwater and live in hidden shelters, their greatest danger comes from introduced animals. Natural predators of the platypus include snakes, water rats, goannas, spotted quolls, eels, hawks, owls and eagles. In the north of its range, dingoes are another predator. Lower platypus numbers in far northern Australia are possibly due to predation by crocodiles. On occasion, large eels (which may be twice the length of a platypus) have been thought to take platypuses. The introduction of red foxes as a predator for rabbits may have had some impact on platypus numbers on the mainland. Feral cats are another platypus predator, but the platypus's principal enemies are humans.
The platypus has limited defence available, but will certainly defend its young in whatever way it can. When the mother leaves the chamber to find food, she leaves a "plug" of twigs and leaves in the entrance to deter would-be predators.
One of the reasons why platypuses are found only in Australia is likely to be because of the lack of predators in Australia. Introduced predators such as foxes and environmental changes brought by Man have caused more damage to the platypus population than the few native predators. With the exception of Antarctica, which remains largely uninhabitable, Australia was the last continent to be settled by Europeans, so the platypus has been able to thrive here.
Yes. Tasmanian devils are both predators and scavengers. Among other things, they hunt mammals up to the size of a wallaby. As the platypus is quite a small mammal, it could certainly be killed and eaten by a Tasmanian devil.