What can America do to get Australia to give us a platypus?

[DavidBrown]

One evergreen discussion topic here is the history of platypuses in zoos. As far as anyone seems to be able to tell the last platypus in America (and outside of Australia) was at the Bronx Zoo in the 1950s.

Americans may be divided on tax policy, the role we should be playing in world affairs, and what constitutes religious freedom, but I think it's safe to assume that we all agree that America really wants a platypus, or preferably, platypi (or platypuses or whatever the correct plural is).

The problem is that our friends down under will not share their bounty of platypuses. How can we best convince them to give us one?

 

[Ituri]

One evergreen discussion topic here is the history of platypuses in zoos. As far as anyone seems to be able to tell the last platypus in America (and outside of Australia) was at the Bronx Zoo in the 1950s.

Americans may be divided on tax policy, the role we should be playing in world affairs, and what constitutes religious freedom, but I think it's safe to assume that we all agree that America really wants a platypus, or preferably, platypi (or platypuses or whatever the correct plural is).

The problem is that our friends down under will not share their bounty of platypuses. How can we best convince them to give us one?

Platypeople?

 

[PAT]

I think you'd be more likely to get some if you dump the celebrities here and threaten to only take them back accompanied by a platypus each. I'd even be willing to send a few numbats and Tasmanian devils over if it meant not putting up with the likes of Lindsay Lohan.

 

[zooboy28]

I would say the method most likely to be succesful (bar military action which would probably not be viewed favourably) would be to pay for a platypus. I genuinely believe that if America offered a sizeable "donation", probably in the multiple millions, you could secure one (even if only on a loan basis). If you offered millions and certain animals to bolster Australasian breeding groups (some Indian rhino, bongo, etc) then you would make everyone happy

Also, this really bugs me and this seems an appropriate place to bring it up (although it hasn't arisen here yet), why do people call them "duck-billed platypus"? There is only one kind of platypus, so what is the point of the prefix? If there was another taxa (chicken-beaked?) I would understand, but theres not so I think everyone should just call them platypus.

 

[Pygathrix]

Actually there is a beetle called Platypus, which was named first, hence the monotreme's scientific name had to be different.

 

[Hix]

They are called that because no other mammal has a bill like a duck. The latin name Ornithorhynchus anatinus means litterally "bird-nose duck-like"

They're ours, and you can't have any. So there.



Hix

 

[Chlidonias]

Also, this really bugs me and this seems an appropriate place to bring it up (although it hasn't arisen here yet), why do people call them "duck-billed platypus"? There is only one kind of platypus, so what is the point of the prefix? If there was another taxa (chicken-beaked?) I would understand, but theres not so I think everyone should just call them platypus.

same. It bugs me when people call them "duck-billed platypus', but it severely irks me when otherwise competent animal nuts call them that. As you say, there is no reason for the prefix.

Actually there is a beetle called Platypus, which was named first, hence the monotreme's scientific name had to be different.

that does not "actually" answer zooboy28's question, which was not about their generic name. (I'm not sure if you were answering it, or just making an observation. If the latter, then let me add the other interesting quirk of monotreme nomenclature, namely that the echidna also had to have its generic name changed to Tachyglossus because Echidna had already been used for a genus of moray eels. Poor monotremes! The funny thing is that both platypus and echidna retained their original generic names as their common English names.)

 

[Ituri]

same. It bugs me when people call them "duck-billed platypus', but it severely irks me when otherwise competent animal nuts call them that. As you say, there is no reason for the prefix.


that does not "actually" answer zooboy28's question, which was not about their generic name. (I'm not sure if you were answering it, or just making an observation. If the latter, then let me add the other interesting quirk of monotreme nomenclature, namely that the echidna also had to have its generic name changed to Tachyglossus because Echidna had already been used for a genus of moray eels. Poor monotremes! The funny thing is that both platypus and echidna retained their original generic names as their common English names.)

Perhaps to differentiate it from any of the extinct species of platypus? No, nevermind, that's stupid too. I officially am joining the "Why do people call them duck-billed platypus?" camp.

 

[Ituri]

They are called that because no other mammal has a bill like a duck. The latin name Ornithorhynchus anatinus means litterally "bird-nose duck-like"

There ours, and you can't have any. So there.



Hix

Well with that reasoning why aren't they called Venomous Spur Platypus?

 

[zooboy28]

Well with that reasoning why aren't they called Venomous Spur Platypus?

Indeed Ituri!

 

[Chlidonias]

Perhaps to differentiate it from any of the extinct species of platypus? No, nevermind, that's stupid too. I officially am joining the "Why do people call them duck-billed platypus?" camp.

the known extinct species were all extremely similar in general appearance to the extant species, so not a good distinguishing point I'm afraid.

 

[Hix]

Well with that reasoning why aren't they called Venomous Spur Platypus?

Because the venomous spur was not an obvious feature (and if the first animals examined in England were females....)

As I said, 200 odd years ago a mammal with a ducks beak was a real oddity, hence the descriptive name. And it seems to have stuck.

It doesn't irk me half as much as Koala Bear.



Hix

 

[Pygathrix]

same. It bugs me when people call them "duck-billed platypus', but it severely irks me when otherwise competent animal nuts call them that. As you say, there is no reason for the prefix.


that does not "actually" answer zooboy28's question, which was not about their generic name. (I'm not sure if you were answering it, or just making an observation. If the latter, then let me add the other interesting quirk of monotreme nomenclature, namely that the echidna also had to have its generic name changed to Tachyglossus because Echidna had already been used for a genus of moray eels. Poor monotremes! The funny thing is that both platypus and echidna retained their original generic names as their common English names.)

Actually my point was that there is another creature called platypus and therefore confusion can be avoided by calling it the duck-billed platypus which refers to one animal alone. However, I prefer the simpler form as in reality there is unlikely to be confusion.

To get back to the poll, what about finding some sort of American quasi royalty (eg president's child) and marrying it to an Australian? That worked for the Danes and their Tasmanian devils. I don't think that there is a market for multimillion dollar monotremes, as much as I love them.

 

[Chlidonias]

Actually my point was that there is another creature called platypus and therefore confusion can be avoided by calling it the duck-billed platypus which refers to one animal alone. However, I prefer the simpler form as in reality there is unlikely to be confusion.

apart from entomologists and nomenclatural nerds like us, how many people have even heard of platypus beetles (which are, in any case, generally called "platypus beetles" for the exact reason that the platypus [mammal] is the well-known one)? Affixing "duck-billed" to the front of the mammal's name doesn't really affect that.

 

[Rhinopithecus]

Another way would be to introduce platypus to New Zealand (who noone thought about that 100 years ago!) and then it would be easy to export them before they would be shot as a vermin!

 

[Arizona Docent]

...The problem is that our friends down under will not share their bounty of platypuses...

Is there really a bounty? I thought only one or two Aussie zoos have them on display and they are difficult to maintain in captivity?

 

[OrangePerson]

It doesn't irk me half as much as Koala Bear.

We were recently in the US and I noticed the brand of the baby changing table in the toilets was called a Koala Bear. I thought "I bet that really irks Australians" and noticed subsequently they were just called "Koala" so I assumed a lot of irked Aussies had made their feelings clear.

 

[zooboy28]

Is there really a bounty? I thought only one or two Aussie zoos have them on display and they are difficult to maintain in captivity?

There were 24 in 8 ZAA zoos at the start of 2012, which is certainly a higher number than many other species, but still relatively low (not a bounty - but David Brown might have been referring to wild numbers).

I think maintaining individuals in captivity has been largely successful, but not the breeding of them (sporadic at best, except maybe at Healesville?).

 

[ThylacineAlive]

As said before, there's no reason to call a Platypus a "Duck-Billed Platypus" although it doesn't irk me as much as it does some of you. I do get irked when people call Koalas, Koala Bears as you guys have said already. I also get irked when people call the Thylacine a Tasmanian Wolf but really as much as the Tasmanian Tiger name. I think it's because I figure most people should be smart enough to know that a Thylacine is not a Tiger but many might confuse it for a wolf or some other kind of canine so that's what irks me. I prefer Thylacines above all other names, though.

I think we should send our unwanted celebs to Australia and refuse to take them back until we get Leopard Seals, Dugongs, Tasmanian Devils, Numbat, Ghost Bats, Platypus, Tiger Quoll, Murray Cod, most native rareties, and not until they find a real, live Thylacine.

 

[nanoboy]

As I said on another thread somewhere, I think America can get a platypus if a powerful politician made the request. Obama has been planning to visit Oz for a couple years - it is safe to assume that he HAS to visit in 2013. When he does, if he did a trip to Taronga say, and fell in love with the platypus and asked for one to be sent to America, I am pretty sure that Gillard would make it happen.

We do everything to lick America's boots here, so please write to your Congressman to get platypuses in America.