An animal-lover who was lucky enough to spot a platypus near Brisbane, Australia, has shared the clues to look for if you want to see one of these rare monotremes (egg-laying mammals).
Digital creator Jolin Tan visited the platypus viewing platform in Maleny several times in the hope of seeing one of these peculiar animals.
Tan shared an adorable video of one of her sightings on Instagram. In the footage, the platypus can be seen swimming through the water before flapping its front foot – in what looks like a little wave – and disappearing below the surface.
Although these strange creatures are usually spotted at dusk and dawn, Tan has also seen some during the daytime, “doing their little zoomies and duck dives,” she says.
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Wildlife-lovers in Australia should look out for certain things if they’re hoping to see a platypus in Maleny, she says.
The first is bubbles. “The platypus often digs around the bottom of the lake to agitate the sediment as a form of foraging for aquatic invertebrates,” Tan explains. The second thing she looks out for is ripples in the water as the platypus repeatedly duck dives in the water.
Seeing platypuses in the water is an enchanting experience. These weird animals are only found in Australia and are categorised as ’Near Threatened’ by the IUCN Red List.
“Australia is seriously such an incredible place with all of this native wildlife,” says Tan.
Image and video credit: Credit: Jolin Tan (Jo) @Jovlogsss
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