More Platypi!

After Leigh shattered her personal record in the Burnie Ten today, we drove home by way of Latrobe which claims to be the "Platypus Capital of the World."

They have a Big Platypus to prove their superiority.  (A future blog post might explore the Australian fascination with big objects.)

Nearby, we discovered another platypus feeding in the Mersey River.  Thankfully, the pictures are better than yesterday's.

The platypus is a fascinating creature.  With a bill like a duck, feet like an otter, and a tail like a beaver, British scientists thought the first specimen sent from Australia was a hoax.  However, platypus truth is stranger than fiction.  Adult males even have a venomous spur on the hind foot which can be quite painful.  Technically a mammal, the platypus lays eggs.  It uses electroreception to detect electrical signals from its prey (usually small invertebrates).  What a crazy animal!