đĻĢ
Ten Sex Chromosomes
While humans have 2 sex chromosomes (XX or XY), platypuses have 10 â the most complex sex determination system known in mammals.
Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
One of nature's strangest animals, the platypus has equally strange reproductive biology.
Vital Stats
đˇī¸ TypeMonotreme (egg-laying mammal)
đ Found InEastern Australia and Tasmania â freshwater streams and rivers
đ Size40-60cm including tail, 0.7-2.4kg
âŗ Lifespan12-17 years in wild
đ Sexual MaturityMales: 4 years | Females: 2 years
đ Mating SystemPolygynous â males compete with venomous spurs
đ
Mating SeasonJune - October
𤰠Gestation28 days (eggs incubate 10 more days)
đļ Offspring1-3 leathery eggs per clutch
đ Penis Size4 cm
âąī¸ Sex Duration15 minutes
đŦ Notable AnatomyMales have venomous ankle spurs used in mating fights; one of only two mammals that lay eggs
âī¸ Sexual DimorphismMales larger with venomous spurs