Taxidermy Duck-billed Platypus
Log #5714
Latin: Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Size: Measures approx. 46cm x 63cm x 23cm
Description: A Victorian taxidermy Platypus. Large mature male. In light oak, three sided glass case amongst attractive naturalistic setting.
The Platypus is the sole living representative of its genus, though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record. When the platypus was first encountered by Europeans in 1798, a pelt and sketch were sent back to Great Britain by Captain John Hunter, the second Governor of New South Wales. British scientists' initial hunch was that the attributes were a hoax. George Shaw, who produced the first description of the animal in the Naturalist's Miscellany in 1799, stated it was impossible not to entertain doubts as to its genuine nature, and Robert Knox believed it might have been produced by some Asian taxidermist. It was thought that somebody had sewn a duck's beak onto the body of a beaver-like animal. Shaw even took a pair of scissors to the dried skin to check for stitches. When the platypus was later encountered by European naturalists, they were divided over whether the female laid eggs. This was not confirmed until 1884, when W. H. Caldwell was sent to Australia, where, after extensive searching assisted by a team of 150 Aborigines, he managed to discover a few eggs. Mindful of the high cost per word, Caldwell famously but tersely wired London, "Monotremes oviparous, ovum meroblastic." That is, monotremes lay eggs, and the eggs are similar to those of reptiles in that only part of the egg divides as it develops. Platypus are one of the few venomous mammals and males have a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans.
The unique features of the platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and a recognisable and iconic symbol of Australia.