The Medicinal Poison of the Platypus

There are a lot of strange looking animals out there in the wild, but perhaps the oddest of the bunch is the Australian platypus. This mammal is a creature with a duck like bill and webbed feet, but that's not even the strangest part. Being a mammal, it should give birth to live young, yet it doesn't. It lays eggs. There is only one other egg laying mammal on the planet, and that is the echidna. The platypus lives mostly in the water and looks sort of lizard like, due to its legs that go out and down, just like a lizard's legs.

The platypus is about the size of a small housecat with the females being slightly smaller than the males. They are brown on top and either gray or beige on their belly. Being water animals, they have water resistant fur that insulates them and allows them to swim without becoming water logged. Their tail is somewhat broad, like a beaver's, and is used for stability and as a rudder. It has claws that are used for digging, either for forage or for digging out a den. As if all of these odd traits aren't enough, the males have a spur on the inside of their rear legs. This spur is connected to a gland that produces a poison. Biologists theorize that the poison is not only used against enemies or predators, but can also be used when fighting off other males. During a fight, the platypus can grasp another animal with its hind legs and stab it with the spur, releasing a dose of poison. People are just as easily injected with the poison, which can cause a painful wound.

The platypus lives in Australia and Tasmania in lakes, rivers and streams, and is the only mammal to produce poison. They live in dens dug into the banks of rivers. Their poison is very painful, but it isn't lethal to people, however, it can cause long lasting swelling at the injection site. Researchers have studied the poison and found that it contains a protein that can lower blood pressure. They believe the poison has a direct affect on pain receptor cells, but also contain some proteins that protect against bacteria and other organisms, which might be a method of keeping the venom pure and sterile. Scientists are studying the effects of the poison with the hope that it can be used to treat certain human conditions, such as high blood pressure or as a treatment for chronic pain. They hope the toxin might deaden the pain receptors and thereby give relief to the patient. But whether or not the platypus has beneficial traits, it's still best to give the little animal a wide berth to avoid a possibly painful sting.