"The Platypus burrows in the banks of rivers, choosing generally a spot where the water is deep and sluggish, and the bank precipitous and covered with reeds or overhung by trees. Considerably beneath the level of the stream's surface is the main entrance to a narrow passage which leads directly into the bank, bearing away from the river (at a right angle to it) and gradually rising above its highest watermark. At a distance of some few yards from the river's edge this passage branches into two others, which, describing each a circular course to the right and left, unite again in the nest itself, which is a roomy excavation, lined with leaves and moss, and situated seldom more than twelve yards from the water, or less than two feet beneath the surface of the earth. Several of their nests were, with considerable labour and difficulty, discovered."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Lieut. Maule, "Habits and economy of the Ornithorhynchus", Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (1832), pp. 145–146
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Platypus
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Platypus
8 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Platypus →
Related Quotes
"Of all the Mammalia yet known it seems the most extra-ordinary in its conformation; exhibiting the perfect resemblanc…"
"Although the settlement had now been established within a month of ten years, yet little had been added to the stock …"
"It is well known that the specimens of this extraordinary animal first brought to Europe were considered by many as i…"
"During part of June and July I spent many hours daily in the water, hunting everywhere for the eggs of Ceratodus. Tow…"
"Close by the reserve flowed the River Yarra, in which the Platypus abounds, the “Water Mole,” as it is called here, o…"
"I like the duck-billed platypus Because it is anomalous. I like the way it raises its family Partly birdly, partly ma…"
"I have spent the last week as a nearly full-time reader of platypusology."
"The geographic location of origin can be inferred from the geographic distribution of certain alleles or lineages as …"
"We identified a total of 362 extant megafauna species. We found that 70% of megafauna species with sufficient informa…"
"Zoos worldwide are visited by great numbers of people, and many of these visitors prefer to see large, rare mammals, …"