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id="menu-item-12240" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12240"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/pumps-pipes-culverts-and-the-platypus/">Culverts & pipes</a></li> <li id="menu-item-12241" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12241"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/litter-and-the-platypus/">Litter</a></li> <li id="menu-item-12234" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12234"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/angling-and-the-platypus/">Angling</a></li> <li id="menu-item-12231" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12231"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-deaths-in-nets-and-traps/">Dangerous nets & traps</a></li> <li id="menu-item-12238" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12238"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-predators-and-disease/">Predators & disease</a></li> <li id="menu-item-12232" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12232"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/wildfire-and-the-platypus/">Wildfire</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-6285" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-6285"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/management-guidelines-2/">Platypus Management Guidelines</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-6286" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6286"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/maintaining-a-suitable-flow-regime-in-managed-river-systems/">Streamflow</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6291" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6291"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/water-quality-and-sediment-contaminants/">Water quality</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6288" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6288"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/protecting-and-improving-bank-habitats/">Bank habitats</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6289" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6289"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/instream-woody-habitat-logs-and-branches/">Instream wood</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6290" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6290"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/managing-stormwater-drainage/">Stormwater drainage</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6287" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6287"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-drought-refuges/">Drought refuges</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6295" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6295"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/culverts-pipes-and-grilles/">Culverts & pipes</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6297" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6297"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/weir-walls-and-fishways/">Weirs & fishways</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6296" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6296"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/walking-tracks-viewing-platforms-bridges-and-street-lighting/">Paths & lights</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6293" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6293"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/use-of-heavy-machinery-in-and-near-waterways/">Use of heavy equipment</a></li> <li id="menu-item-6298" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-6298"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/pumps-and-small-scale-hydropower-generators/">Pumps & generators</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-11698" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-11698"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-biology/">Platypus Biology</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-11651" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11651"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-vital-statistics/">Vital statistics</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11652" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11652"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-fur-colour-and-general-features/">General features and fur colour</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11653" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11653"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/the-platypus-bill-push-rods-and-electroreception/">The bill and its senses</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11654" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11654"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-vision-and-hearing/">Vision and hearing</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11655" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11655"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-body-temperature/">Body temperature</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11656" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11656"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-venom-and-spurs/">Venom and spurs</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11657" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11657"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-genetics-and-dispersal/">Genetics and dispersal</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11658" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11658"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-sleep-and-dreaming/">Sleep and dreaming</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-1999" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page current-menu-ancestor current-menu-parent current_page_parent current_page_ancestor menu-item-has-children menu-item-1999"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/ecology-behaviour/">Platypus Ecology & Behaviour</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-11666" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11666"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-foraging-behaviour/">Foraging behaviour</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11667" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page current-menu-item page_item page-item-11445 current_page_item menu-item-11667"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-diet-and-food-consumption/" aria-current="page">Diet and food consumption</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11668" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11668"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-home-range-movements-and-dispersal/">Home range and movements</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11669" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11669"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-burrows/">Burrows</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11670" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11670"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-reproduction/">Reproduction</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11671" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11671"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-courtship-mating-and-nest-building/">Courtship, mating and nest-building</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11672" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11672"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-communication/">Communication</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11673" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11673"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-mortality-factors/">Mortality factors</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-2003" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-2003"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/evolution-names/">Names & Evolution</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-11638" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11638"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-names-including-whats-the-plural-of-platypus/">Names (including “What’s the plural of platypus?”)</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11640" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11640"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/the-platypuss-fossil-history/">Fossil history</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11641" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11641"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/echidnas-the-other-modern-monotremes/">Echidnas – the other modern monotremes</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-2001" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-2001"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/distribution-numbers/">Platypus Status</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-12577" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12577"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/conservation-status/">Platypus conservation status</a></li> <li id="menu-item-12578" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12578"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/distribution/">Platypus distribution</a></li> <li id="menu-item-12576" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12576"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/population-size-and-density/">Platypus abundance</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-1998" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-1998"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/faqs/">FAQs & Myths</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-12574" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12574"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/some-platypus-faqs/">Some platypus FAQs</a></li> <li id="menu-item-12575" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-12575"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-myths/">Some platypus myths</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-11819" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-11819"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/rakali-master/">Rakali</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-11774" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11774"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/rakali-size-and-general-features/">Size and general features</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11793" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11793"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/rakali-distribution-and-habitats/">Distribution and habitats</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11770" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11770"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/rakali-names-and-origin/">Names and origin</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11785" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11785"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/rakali-spatial-use-and-shelter-sites/">Spatial use and shelter sites</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11779" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11779"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/rakali-diet-and-foraging-behaviour/">Diet and foraging behaviour</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11782" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11782"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/rakali-reproduction/">Reproduction</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11789" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11789"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/rakali-conservation-status-and-concerns/">Rakali conservation status</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11791" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11791"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/coexistence-of-rakali-and-platypus/">Coexistence of rakali and platypus</a></li> </ul> </li> <li id="menu-item-19" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-privacy-policy menu-item-19"><a rel="privacy-policy" href="https://platypus.asn.au/about/">About the Conservancy</a></li> <li id="menu-item-21" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-21"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/apc-newsletter/">APC Newsletter</a></li> <li id="menu-item-10930" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-10930"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/report-a-sighting/">Report a Sighting</a></li> <li id="menu-item-13134" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-13134"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/how-you-can-help/">Donate or Make Bequest</a> <ul class="sub-menu"> <li id="menu-item-11145" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11145"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/donate-by-bank-transfer/">Donate by bank transfer</a></li> <li id="menu-item-11141" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-11141"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/donate-by-visa-mastercard/">Donate by Visa/Mastercard</a></li> <li id="menu-item-14252" class="menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-14252"><a href="https://platypus.asn.au/make-a-bequest/">Make a Bequest</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul></div> </nav> </div> </header> <div id="content" class="site-content"> <div id="primary" class="content-area"> <main id="main" class="site-main" role="main"> <article id="post-11445" class="post-11445 page type-page status-publish hentry"> <header class="entry-header"> <h2 class="entry-title">Platypus diet and food consumption</h2> </header> <div class="entry-content"> <div class="featured-image"> </div> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f412bb8ab5acce81f0855bc588e84ed0">The platypus diet is typically dominated by various bottom-dwelling (or “benthic”) aquatic insects such as caddis fly and mayfly larvae, water bugs, water beetles, dragonfly and damselfly larvae, and larval midges and blackflies. Other prey items include freshwater shrimps, snails, “pea shell” mussels, seed-shrimps (or ostracods) and worms (Faragher et al. 1979; Grant 1982; McLachlan-Troup et al. 2010; Marchant and Grant 2015; Hawke et al. 2022). The best available evidence suggests that the platypus is a fairly non-selective feeder that eats virtually whatever small invertebrates it encounters (Marchant and Grant 2015). Although freshwater crayfish (or “yabbies”) are often listed as an important platypus food source on many websites, crayfish DNA was rarely detected in a platypus dietary study conducted in New South Wales and Victoria based on DNA metabarcoding of cheek pouch contents (Hawke et al. 2022). However, small burrowing crayfish have been found to be an important part of the platypus diet in a Tasmanian lake (Munks et al. 2000), and trout eggs were often consumed along the Thredbo River when fish were spawning in winter (Grant 1982). The bits of algae occasionally found in platypus cheek pouches are believed to be ingested accidentally rather than as food (Faragher et al. 1979; Grant 1982).</p> <figure data-carousel-extra='{"blog_id":1,"permalink":"https:\/\/platypus.asn.au\/platypus-diet-and-food-consumption\/"}' class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="230" height="170" data-attachment-id="1937" data-permalink="https://platypus.asn.au/ecology-behaviour/immatureodocoenagrionidae2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/immatureodocoenagrionidae2.jpg?fit=230%2C170&ssl=1" data-orig-size="230,170" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="immatureodocoenagrionidae2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/immatureodocoenagrionidae2.jpg?fit=230%2C170&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/immatureodocoenagrionidae2.jpg?fit=230%2C170&ssl=1" data-id="1937" class="wp-image-1937" src="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/immatureodocoenagrionidae2.jpg?resize=230%2C170&ssl=1" alt="The platypus diet mainly consists of bottom-dwelling invertebrates, such as this mayfly larva. " /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="142" height="120" data-attachment-id="1936" data-permalink="https://platypus.asn.au/ecology-behaviour/atalaphlebiaephleptophlebii2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/atalaphlebiaephleptophlebii2.jpg?fit=142%2C120&ssl=1" data-orig-size="142,120" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="atalaphlebiaephleptophlebii2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/atalaphlebiaephleptophlebii2.jpg?fit=142%2C120&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/atalaphlebiaephleptophlebii2.jpg?fit=142%2C120&ssl=1" data-id="1936" class="wp-image-1936" src="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/atalaphlebiaephleptophlebii2.jpg?resize=142%2C120&ssl=1" alt="Mayfly larvae are often eaten as part of the platypus diet." /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="283" height="210" data-attachment-id="1935" data-permalink="https://platypus.asn.au/ecology-behaviour/anisocentropuslatfasciatric2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/anisocentropuslatfasciatric2.jpg?fit=283%2C210&ssl=1" data-orig-size="283,210" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="anisocentropuslatfasciatric2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/anisocentropuslatfasciatric2.jpg?fit=283%2C210&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/anisocentropuslatfasciatric2.jpg?fit=283%2C210&ssl=1" data-id="1935" class="wp-image-1935" src="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/anisocentropuslatfasciatric2.jpg?resize=283%2C210&ssl=1" alt="Caddis fly larvae, as shown here, are an important platypus food group" /></figure> </figure> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7a6e12ddd7a4a9372add43a278f72b6a">The platypus’s ability to prey on fish or other vertebrates is restricted by its lack of true teeth as an adult. A young platypus is equipped with a set of shallow-rooted premolar and molar teeth located at the back of the bill, but these fall out around the time that a juvenile begins to eat solid prey. The teeth are replaced by rough grinding pads which grow continuously to offset natural wear – a very handy feature given that abrasive material such as sand may often enter the platypus’s mouth accidentally when prey items are snapped up from the bottom (Grant 1989).</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-large is-resized"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="748" height="489" data-attachment-id="11451" data-permalink="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-diet-and-food-consumption/plat-eating-elver-0-peter-broomhall-2022-may/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May.jpg?fit=1193%2C781&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1193,781" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"APC","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1653915027","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May.jpg?fit=300%2C196&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May.jpg?fit=748%2C489&ssl=1" class="wp-image-11451" style="width: 368px; height: auto;" src="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May.jpg?resize=748%2C489&ssl=1" alt="A platypus eating a baby eel (or elver) " srcset="https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May.jpg?resize=1024%2C670&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May.jpg?resize=300%2C196&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May.jpg?resize=768%2C503&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/platypus.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/plat-eating-elver-0-Peter-Broomhall-2022-May.jpg?w=1193&ssl=1 1193w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 748px) 100vw, 748px" /></figure></div> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-826ac5880e3b0ef1df3284c84bec8baf">Remains of a small frog (which may have been eaten as carrion) have been recovered from a platypus cheek pouch in the upper Shoalhaven River in New South Wales (Faragher et al. 1979; Grant 1982), and elvers (young eels) may be killed and eaten when they are migrating in great numbers up a river (as shown at left). Platypus have also been known to dine on small goldfish after killing them in captivity (Krueger et al. 1992). </p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-23a77de497916bca5bc0498ea5679fb4">Reflecting the fact that the platypus diet consists of small, soft-bodied prey items that are masticated quite finely even before they are swallowed, the platypus’s stomach is small and lacks the ability to secrete digestive enzymes or hydrochloric acid (Harrop and Hume 1980; Ordoñez et al. 2008). However, the platypus’s stomach does contain Brunner’s glands, which produce a mucus-rich secretion to help lubricate the intestinal walls and assist efficient nutrient uptake there (Krause 1971).</p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-40ed564960a00f1c0a7b001434d28c0c">Because the platypus is a relatively small, warm-blooded animal, it needs a lot of food to serve as fuel. Studies in captivity have shown that animals must consume the daily equivalent of around 15-28% (Krueger et al. 1992) or up to 21% (Thomas et al. 2017) of their body weight to maintain good physical condition. Similarly, the average daily food intake of animals occupying a Tasmanian lake has been estimated to be 19% of body mass (Munks et al. 2000). Not surprisingly, the energy requirements of lactating females increase substantially as their offspring grow. For example, daily food consumption of a mother in captivity was found to increase from around 14% of her body weight in the first month of lactation to slightly more than 36% in the final month of lactation (Thomas et al. 2020).</p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-025d5d12a97990ba6f95dd87ed2a1094">Photos courtesy of <a href="https://www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide/resources/howtouse.htm"><em>https://www.mdfrc.org.au/bugguide/resources/howtouse.htm</em></a> (macroinvertebrates) and Peter Broomhall (platypus eating an elver)</p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0ff9be3aa312eb2913bbe1dbd8502c15"><strong>LITERATURE CITED</strong></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-aae1242c4d0aafae85030f74980505c7"><em>Faragher R A, Grant TR and Carrick FN (1979) Food of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) with notes on the food of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in the Shoalhaven River, NSW. Australian Journal of Ecology 4, 171-179.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6deedcf4cba8082018ed0d67607f5be3"><em>Grant TR (1982) Food of the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Monotremata: Ornithorhynchidae), from various water bodies in New South Wales. Australian Mammalogy 5, 235-236.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-77f9b1eced69c5b68208cf9e9f6dc0ec"><em>Grant TR (1989) Ornithorhynchidae. Pp.436-450 in Fauna of Australia Volume 1B Mammalia (DW Walton and BJ Richardson, eds) Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-886af370e67b8f9c30a57f8b5d5cb724"><em>Harrop CJF and Hume ID (1980) Digestive tract and digestive function in monotremes and nonmacropod marsupials. Pp. 63-77 in Comparative Physiology: Primitive Mammals (K Schmidt-Nielsen, L Bolis and CR Taylor, eds) Cambridge University Press: New York.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-97166ba5f95e34c77822b29a4ec2cbbd"><em>Hawke T, Bino G, Shackleton ME, Ross AK and Kingsford RT (2022) Using DNA metabarcoding as a novel approach for analysis of platypus diet. Scientific Reports 12, 2247.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2806c22d283cd48bdb428576a6ef02b1"><em>Krause WJ (1971) Brunner’s glands of the duckbilled platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). American Journal of Anatomy 132, 147-165.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e8f623c28b75a457067987661a2642ce"><em>Krueger B, Hunter S and Serena M (1992) Husbandry, diet and behaviour of platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus at Healesville Sanctuary. International Zoo Yearbook 31, 64-71.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-340f599e072161a5f0d6140dd9346c91"><em>Marchant R and Grant TR (2015) The productivity of the macroinvertebrate prey of the platypus in the upper Shoalhaven River, New South Wales. Marine and Freshwater Research 66, 1128-1137. </em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4526c5e09c872093eb6cc79fb6d5364b"><em>McLachlan-Troup TA, Dickman CR and Grant TR (2010) Diet and dietary selectivity of the platypus in relation to season, sex and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Journal of Zoology 280, 237-246.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dde8ca3558dc685ffc3a9c2b0b3ab6af"><em>Munks SA, Otley HM, Bethge P and Jackson J. (2000) Reproduction, diet and daily energy expenditure of the platypus in a sub-alpine Tasmanian lake. Australian Mammalogy 21, 260-261.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3482ecf7a4a24e7725640925a60b9c05"><em>Ordoñez GR, LaDeana WH, Warren WC, Grützner F, L</em><em>ó</em><em>pez-Otín and Puenta XS (2008) Loss of genes implicated in gastric function during platypus evolution. Genome Biology 9, R81.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b839c974d8119f0aa707a88ba1103f21"><em>Thomas JL, Handasyde K, Temple-Smith P and Parrott ML (2017) Seasonal changes in food selection and nutrition of captive platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). Australian Journal of Zoology 65, 319-327.</em></p> <p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8b3ebca13c457fb5a9926316211dd6f0"><em>Thomas JL, Parrott ML, Handasyde KA and Temple-Smith P (2020) Maternal care of platypus nestlings (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). Australian Mammalogy 42, 283-292.</em></p> <div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-11445" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://platypus.asn.au/platypus-diet-and-food-consumption/?share=facebook" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Facebook" ><span>Facebook</span></a></li><li class="share-email"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="" class="share-email sd-button share-icon" href="mailto:?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Platypus%20diet%20and%20food%20consumption&body=https%3A%2F%2Fplatypus.asn.au%2Fplatypus-diet-and-food-consumption%2F&share=email" target="_blank" title="Click to email a link to a friend" data-email-share-error-title="Do you have email set up?" data-email-share-error-text="If you're having problems sharing via email, you might not have email set up for your browser. 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