- Other names: Duck-billed platypus
- Country reported: Australia
The platypus (Wikipedia; Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a species of semiaquatic monotreme found in Australia.
When the first pelts of the platypus were sent back to England by colonists in 1798, they were widely believed to be hoaxes, made by sewing a ducks beak onto the body of a beaver-like animal. Zoologist George Shaw took a pair of scissors to a dried skin to try to search for stitches.