can you eat platypus eggs
In this brief guide we will answer the question “can you eat platypus eggs”. In addition to that, we will discuss what a platypus is, where to find them, its diet, and more.
Can you eat platypus eggs?
No. platypus eggs are not good for human consumption. They can be quite poisonous. In addition to that platypuses are a protected species which makes killing them illegal.
What is a platypus?
The platypus is an animal that can only be found in Eastern Australia. It is also a semiaquatic mammal that is one of the only five species of egg-laying mammals. These mammals are also called monotremes. These monotremes can sense prey through electrolocation, which is generating electrical fields and identifying electrical stimuli. The platypus is also a venomous animal.
Platypus generally grows to become 38 to 60 cm in length. Their males are usually larger than their females. They have a flat streamlined body that has adapted to spend time in the water. Their fur is dense and waterproof making the platypus well insulated. Webbing on its front feet helps the platypus propel through the water while the back feet act as rudders and breaks.
They have a tail that is paddlelike, which helps the platypus maintain balance while they are swimming. The platypus has a bill that is covered by soft and sensitive skin on the outside. Platypuses do not have teeth. Instead, they have developed flat pads of hardened gum tissue.
Male platypuses have a spur on each of their ankles. This spur is connected with a venom gland that is located in their thighs. Platypus uses this spur in defense. The venom from the spur can kill small animals and cause intense pain in humans.
Female platypuses build nursery burrows when they are close to laying eggs. They normally lay two leathery eggs each time. The gestation period is around a month and the incubation period is up to 10 days. The female incubates the egg by curling itself around it.
The hatchlings use an egg tooth and a caruncle to break out of the egg. The platypus female has special mammary hairs that produce milk for the young. Both male and female platypuses become independent after three to four months and are fully grown in 12 to 18 months.
Where can you find platypuses?
As previously mentioned platypuses can only be found in Eastern Australia. You will find them in Tasmania, the Australian Alps, and the lowlands close to the sea. They are present in both eastward and westward flowing river systems in these areas. But they are absent in the northern areas such as Queensland.
Platypuses usually fare alone. There are two main activities platypuses have; feeding and resting. They usually feed in rivers, streams, and lakes. They rest in burrows that they dig on river banks.
Platypus can swim in seawater but its electrolocation only works in freshwater. So it can only feed in freshwater. Platypuses are most active during dawn and dusk. However, they may be active during the day given that there are favorable conditions. Since platypuses can maintain a constant body temperature of around 32 degrees celsius, they can spend extended periods in water with very low temperatures.
What does a platypus eat?
Platypuses generally need to eat about one-fifth of their own weight. So it would have to keep hunting for food most of its active time. They eat insects and crustaceans found by searching the gravel at the bottom of rivers and lakes. It also eats fish eggs and small fish as well. Another common food of platypus is bottom-dwelling larvae and nymphs of insects (eg. Caddisflies, Mayflies, Dragonflies, Stoneflies, mosquitos, and many other types of flies).
Platypuses store these inside their bill and consume them once they are out of water. Platypuses do not have teeth. So the bit of gravel that is collected along with their food helps them “chew” the food.
What will happen if you eat platypus eggs?
The female platypus lays two eggs at a time. Each egg is around 11mm in diameter. So, if you are thinking of eating platypus eggs, you will need to find a lot of them to prepare a meal with them. This next chapter will tell you what our opinion is regarding the consumption of platypus eggs.
Platypus eggs are already fertilized when they lay them. So they will have a fetal platypus inside. Since platypus meat is poisonous, it stands to reason that platypus eggs are also going to be poisonous. However, whether the platypus eggs are poisonous or not, you cannot kill them for meat or for any other reason as they are a protected species.
If you’d like more details about platypuses, you can find them here.
Conclusion
In this brief guide we have answered the question “can you eat platypus eggs”. In addition to that, we have discussed what a platypus is, where to find them, its diet, and more.
