The platypus may well be the world's most unusual mammal. Its characteristic bill — a large, rubbery snout — is actually a sensory organ. The skin of the bill is lined with electroreceptors, which can sense the electrical fields generated by muscular contractions. By comparing differences in signal strength from one side of its bill to the other, it can zero in on the source of these fields. This would explain why it turns the platypus head from side to side while hunting.

The platypus is a voracious eater, hunting for an average of 12 hours a day. It feeds on annelid worms, insect larvae, freshwater shrimp and yabbies. It catches its prey while swimming and by digging into the riverbed with its bill. It stores its prey in cheek pouches and eats only after surfacing. A semi-aquatic animal, it inhabits streams and rivers across a wide range of habitats. Its webbed front feet propel this excellent swimmer forward, while its webbed hind feet and tail help to steer. When not hunting, it rests in a short, straight burrow along the riverbank.

The platypus is one of only a few venomous mammals. The male has a spur on each of its hind feet that's connected by a thin duct to a venomous gland. The venom may be used in defense or during the mating period to establish dominance. It's powerful enough to kill small animals but is not fatal to humans, although it causes very severe pain.

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