Mammals are identical to the animals which are giving birth. The examples are horses, cows, lions, dogs and so on. The features of their bodies enable them to deliver and nurse their babies.
However, do you know that there are some mammals that are laying eggs? It might be surprising, but the fact is egg-laying mammals exist.
Mammals are
identical to the animals which are giving birth. The examples are horses, cows,
lions, dogs and so on. The features of their bodies enable them to deliver and
nurse their babies. However, do you know that there are some mammals that are
laying eggs? It might be surprising, but the fact is egg-laying mammals exist.
Monotremes, the scientific term for a group of animals which are mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth. This group of mammals is mainly found in Australia and New Guinea.
The special characteristics of this monotremes are: they have single orifice for urination, defecation and reproduction. They lactate too, just like other mammals, but they lack nipples, so instead of excreting milk through nipples, they do it through mammary glands by the opening of the skin.
There are
only two groups of egg-laying mammals based on their habitat: platypus, which
is mainly found in freshwater and echidnas that are mainly found on land. Let’s
take a closer look on these egg-laying mammals that really exist!
Ornithorhynchus anatinus, or is more popular as platypus, is
an egg-laying mammal that looks odd. Its broad bill (just like a duck), tail
and webbed feet make platypus becoming an odd-looking mammal.
Male and female platypuses have some differences. Male platypuses have larger body than the female ones. Besides, the males have venomous spur on each hind limb, while the females don’t.
The length is also different, male platypuses are mostly about 20 inches long while the females are 17 inches long. Both adults can weigh up to 5.3 pounds.
Platypuses lives mainly in Eastern Australia, including Tasmania. They live along streams and rivers. Regarding to the mammals which live in water, look at these 8 Earth’s aquatic mammals.
They can live in diverse climate, from cold mountains to tropical rain forests. If you visit Australia, you may see these animals to see in Australia.
Platypuses are
animal-eaters or carnivores. They mainly feed on worms, insect larvae, crayfish
and shrimps during dawn, dusk and night. While they dive, they will close their
eyes, ears and nose and move their bills from one side to another just like
hammerhead shark.
As egg-laying mammals, they lay eggs to reproduce. They mate once each year, especially during June and October. Other than this time, platypuses are actually solitary, they live on their own in a burrow.
After mating, the male comes back to its burrow while the female dig a deeper burrow to protect its eggs and young. She usually lines the burrow with leaves and grass and lays around 1-3 eggs in a burrow. She usually curls around her eggs to incubate them.
It takes
around 10 days for the eggs to hatch. After it is hatched, the hairless and
blind young will drink milk from the pores in the mother’s skin. They will be
nursed for around 4 months before coming out from the burrow.
A platypus lives for about 11 years in the wild, while in captivity their age might reach 17 years old. Check some longest living animals are incredible. They can live up to hundred years!
The second group of egg-laying animal that exist is echidna. Unlike platypus, echidna lives mainly on land. Similar to platypus, echidna is also a solitary animal, though it is also willing to share its home range with others.
Echidna is active during the day, but it will spend less time during warmer months to avoid heat. Their body temperature is around 32 Celsius and they have slow metabolism system. According to National Geographic, this is the reason why echidna can live up to 50 years old.
Echidna also loves to do hibernation during colder months in their burrows. Regarding to their diet, echidna only eat termites, ants and other invertebrates as they don’t have any teeth.
They also love to consume beetle larvae. They have strong claws that enable them to open logs to find termites. The time between July and August is the breeding time for echidna.
The male will usually come to mate with the females during hibernation. The male will mate while the female sleeps. When the female wakes up, she will find out that she is pregnant.
The females usually lay one egg at a time. The egg will go into a pouch on her stomach to be incubated. It takes around 7 to 10 days for the eggs to hatch.
These two animals are very unique as they are mammals that can lay eggs, unlike other mammals which are normally giving birth. Unfortunately, the population of these two unique egg-laying mammals are declining.
We need to conserve the population of these two egg-laying mammals by reducing the illegal hunting and preserving their natural habitats. As a responsible human, you need to be aware of these endangered animals, just like endangered primates in the world and animals extinction in the 20th century.