Talk:Platypus

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Platypus is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so.

This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on April 4, 2004.

Article milestones
Date	Process	Result
January 19, 2004	Refreshing brilliant prose	Kept
August 15, 2006	Featured article review	Demoted
October 26, 2006	Peer review	Reviewed
November 2, 2006	Featured article candidate	Promoted
Current status: Featured article

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Biofluorescence

Biofluorescence in the platypus was recently disproved by this article: https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-platypus-hoax-that-tricked-the-world-but-illuminated-a-different-animal-wonder-20240701-p5jq5m.html 155.93.137.169 (talk) 18:39, 2 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Well, not exactly "disproven" - the study that the piece refers to [1] is actually rather cagey about the issue, and only makes very general cautionary statements about the potential effects of preservatives on luminescence. It doesn't even refer to that specific item/report in this respect. I suppose one could add something like "although it has been suggested that this may have been affected by preservatives used on the tested museum specimen (ref)", but nothing stronger, absent more in-depth coverage. --Elmidae (talk · contribs) 07:16, 3 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Lifespan

Hi, I can't edit this page, but the information on lifespan seems out of date. This article currently says: In captivity, platypuses have survived to 17 years of age, and wild specimens have been recaptured when 11 years old. A 2024 study has new info on their longevity: the oldest wild platypus found has been 24, and the oldest in captivity is 30 years old as of writing (birthday in October). For someone's editing consideration! --71.126.43.203 (talk) 14:02, 8 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

You're right. Those figures were out of date. I have update them. HiLo48 (talk) 03:25, 9 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Featured picture scheduled for POTD

Hello! This is to let editors know that File:Duck-billed platypus_(Ornithorhynchus_anatinus)_Scottsdale.jpg, a featured picture used in this article, has been selected as the English Wikipedia's picture of the day (POTD) for September 27, 2024. A preview of the POTD is displayed below and can be edited at Template:POTD/2024-09-27. For the greater benefit of readers, any potential improvements or maintenance that could benefit the quality of this article should be done before its scheduled appearance on the Main Page. If you have any concerns, please place a message at Wikipedia talk:Picture of the day. Thank you! — Amakuru (talk) 18:03, 21 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It is the sole living representative of the family Ornithorhynchidae and, together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotreme – mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Like other monotremes, the platypus senses prey in cloudy water through electrolocation. The male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers an extremely painful venom, making it one of the few species of venomous mammals. This platypus was photographed swimming in a creek near Scottsdale in Tasmania.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

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Inaccurate wording

"Like other monotremes, the platypus senses prey in cloudy water through electrolocation" - given that the other monotremes are echidnas, which live in woodlands eating ants and termites, it seems highly unlikely that they sense prey in cloudy water at all.

Presumably what was meant was something like "Like other monotremes, the platypus has a sense of electrolocation, which it uses to sense prey in cloudy water"

86.19.192.41 (talk) 16:29, 27 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]