COMPARING ANIMAL TRAITS PLATYPUSES WEB FOOTED BILLED MAMMALS REBECCA E HIRSCH
INTRODUCTION MEET THE PLATYPUS With a splash a platypus dives into a river at night It glides through the dark water waving its bill from side to side in search of food For a long time the platypus puzzled scientists What kind of animal was it After years of study scientists learned the answer The platypus belongs to a group of animals called mammals Other animal groups include insects fish amphibians reptiles and birds For many years scientists were unsure whether the platypus fit into the mammal group
All mammals share certain traits Mammals are vertebrates animals with backbones They are warm blooded They have hair or fur on their bodies Female mammals make milk for their babies Platypuses have these traits But they also have traits that make them unique Platypuses can easily swim through dark water
