Baby platypuses are irresistibly cute. Their tiny bills, soft, fluffy fur, and awkward little flippers make them look like creatures from a child’s imagination. Endearing waddles and clumsy paddling only add to the cuteness overload. While babies of all animal species are adorable, the young platypuses in this Instagram post are next-level precious. Read on to learn more about this little monotreme (an egg-laying mammal)!
Piggles Are Beyond Cute
The platypus is an iconic and unique species.
©John Carnemolla/Shutterstock.com
A baby platypus is called a puggle, and we can’t think of a more adorable name! The platypus is one of Australia’s most iconic wildlife species. They are semi-aquatic and live in fresh water such as streams and lakes. Here, they use their bill, which is packed with sensory receptors, to navigate their environment. They feed on shellfish or insects at the bottom of the lake. Their paddle-shaped tail and sleek, waterproof fur are also perfectly adapted for their aquatic lifestyle. This fur locks in an insulating layer of air to keep their body temperature stable.
While most other mammals give birth to live young, platypuses lay eggs, incubate them, and nurse their young using milk-producing patches on their skin. Echidnas are the only other mammal to lay eggs. Between one and three eggs are laid in each breeding season, with an average of two. Eggs are laid in a nursery burrow, which has multiple chambers and entrances. They are incubated for around 10 days before they hatch. The puggles wean at between three and four months of age.
Not a Real Platypus
The fourth picture in the Instagram post is not a real animal. It does look cute, but it is a model. The eyes are too large, and it’s highly unlikely that a real platypus would pose like this. That particular image has circulated online for some time. Don’t be fooled!
