Platypus

JamesB

JamesB

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
just been having a look at the mighty platypus

does any zoos outside of australia keep this rare animal?
 
"Mighty"? It's an unique and interesting species, but I wouldn't call a 40cm-something animal "mighty"-unless it's a giant leech or another what was called here a "creepy-crawlie". ;)

As far as I know, none is currently kept outside Australia in a zoo.

BTW: for such questions, the "Which zoo(s) keep(s)"-thread would be just the perfect place to post them.
 
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I think maybe New York zoo had them many years ago, I seem to remember a US zoo having them a long time back
 
What about breeding the "mighty" platypus? Is it just Healesville and perhaps Taronga? Have other zoos found success in recent years?
 
All in all there were only four occasion that alive Platypuses were transported outside from Australia: three times to Bronx Zoo, New York (1922, 1947, 1958) and one occasion to the UK, at the request of Churchill. This individual was never arrived, died on the journey.
Otherwise one zoologist of Heidelberg once wrote that Budapest Zoo kept one Platypus between 1913-1919, but this is certainly a mistake, this animal actually was a Western long-beaked echidna.
 
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Churchill decided in the middle of the war that he wanted a platypus in England for some reason. The poor thing made the sea journey almost the entire way, then was killed by the sounds of depth charges in the English Channel. It ended its days stuffed on Churchill's desk apparently
 
well thanks for the info on the "mighty" platypus

i only called it mighty platypus because it is so interesting!
 
I've seen Platypus at Taronga Zoo, Melbourne Zoo and Sydney Aquarium... Taronga's exhibit was the best IMO...
 
I've seen platypus at the 3 locations that NZ Jeremy mentioned, plus Healesville Sanctuary just outside of Melbourne. Healesville has arguably the best platypus exhibit in the world, because their indoor habitat is dark and sheltered for the animals and the large tank allows for excellent viewing opportunities. There is a second platypus enclosure outside, the famous and somewhat garish "platypusary". The habitat looks bizarre but is effective, and it is the largest exhibit of its kind. I seem to remember lizards, turtles and fish in an adjacent pool, and there are plenty of rocks and rippling trickles of water all around the center island.
 
I saw my first and only platypus at the Sydney aquarium in 1999, and was surprised at how active they were in their excellent enclosure next to the entrance.

Can anyone tell us what has happened to the puggles born in Healesville and Taronga?
 
Lone Pine don't currently have platypus. There are some at David Fleay Wildlife Park, and Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre in Queensland, and the Australian Reptile Park.
 
ZooPro said:
Lone Pine don't currently have platypus. There are some at David Fleay Wildlife Park, and Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre in Queensland, and the Australian Reptile Park.
Click to expand...

Cheers for that, I was about due for a visit to Fleays soon :cool:
 
snowleopard's right, Healesville has to have the best platypus house anywhere I reckon. I don't like the outside pool at all though
 
I believe Healesville, Taronga Zoo, Melbourne Zoo, Sydney Aquarium & Australian Reptile Park are the only places within Australia. Taronga Zoo has the best Platypussery... It also has a few in the Platypus Pools within the large walkthrough multi-exhibit Australian Aviary. The Australian Reptile Park has some breeding pools yet I believe they have had no sucsess yet they also lost a couple in there main building fire a few years ago along with numerous over species of reptiles & amphibians ect... Does anyone know where large wild populations are found they are listed as common yet i have never heard of any large populations?
 
Chlidonias said:
Churchill decided in the middle of the war that he wanted a platypus in England for some reason. The poor thing made the sea journey almost the entire way, then was killed by the sounds of depth charges in the English Channel. It ended its days stuffed on Churchill's desk apparently
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It was not in the English Channel when it died it was off the the North Wales coast going into Liverpool,the reason it was sent this way was because it was believed to be safer to send it via Liverpool then risk losing the animal to a U-boat in the English Channel.
 
Healesville's exhibit is beautiful IMO. It is under two golden egg shaped domes with the front part cut out for viewing(no glass or anything.) There are lots of ferns and grasses in plant beds around two central pools; the first pool is smaller and shallower and the second is quite big and very deep with fish in it, as well as water dragons and long-neck turtles. All the tunnels at the back of the exhibit are labelled for the male and female nests. It recentley became the first place in the world to breed second generation captive platypus's(I don't know plural word for platypus is.)
 
PAT said:
Healesville's exhibit is beautiful IMO. It is under two golden egg shaped domes with the front part cut out for viewing(no glass or anything.) There are lots of ferns and grasses in plant beds around two central pools; the first pool is smaller and shallower and the second is quite big and very deep with fish in it, as well as water dragons and long-neck turtles. All the tunnels at the back of the exhibit are labelled for the male and female nests. It recentley became the first place in the world to breed second generation captive platypus's(I don't know plural word for platypus is.)
Click to expand...

Sounds great! I don't suppose you have any photos do you?
 
zoogiraffe said:
It was not in the English Channel when it died it was off the the North Wales coast going into Liverpool,the reason it was sent this way was because it was believed to be safer to send it via Liverpool then risk losing the animal to a U-boat in the English Channel.
Click to expand...

OK thanks. It was from memory so my brain must be on the fritz
 
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