Watch the Video Click here to watch on YouTube Australia is home to some truly unique and unexpected creatures, but few are quite as strange and fascinating as the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus).

Platypus venom is not life-threatening to humans or other platypuses, but it can cause intense pain and swelling in the part of the body where someone is spurred.

The platypus is also one of the few living mammals that produce venom. Average Size Males have an average length of 20 inches, while females are smaller at 17 inches.

Platypus venom is used in competition between males during mating and possibly in defense against predators. Because of the solenodon’s rarity and because it lives in difficult-to-study areas, ...

A 1992 case report tells the story of a 57-year-old man in Australia who was struck by platypus venom while fishing in North Queensland, causing “immediate, sustained, and devastating” pain ...

Venom can be transferred in many ways, including through spines, stingers or claws. Unlike many venomous animals' teeth, which are hollow, shrews' teeth feature a groove along their sides, acting as a ...

2. Platypuses Are Venomous Mammals . Very few mammals are venomous. It's weird enough that the male platypus delivers venom, but that he does it through ankle spurs makes it even more curious.

Platypuses are one of the few venomous mammals. Males possess a horny spur on their ankles, which is connected to a venom gland in the upper leg. The venom can cause severe pain to humans.

You might know the platypus as Australia's iconic shy, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed, egg-laying mammal. Unfortunately, the odd animal is also struggling to survive. This is why ...

Male platypuses are venomous and have a hollow spur on each hind leg connected to a venom secreting gland, according to the World Wildlife Fund. While their venom is lethal, ...

An unnamed man faces a $288,500 fine for taking a platypus, a protected animal, ... In a statement, the police advised that the danger of a platypus included its venomous spurs and advised, ...

Platypus venom is entirely different from other venomous creatures. While more research is needed, scientists believe it contains specific proteins that target the nervous system. Heptapeptide 1 ...