Paging Dr. Platypus...

Get ready for yet another AMAZING true fact about the best animal ever:

In addition to all the awesome features already mentioned, the platypus is THE WORLD'S ONLY VENOMOUS MAMMAL!

Yes, that's right, that cute little plat can defend himself too. And I use the pronoun "him" because only male platypi are poisonous. They secrete their toxin from a gland in the thigh called the crural gland, and inject it via a spur on the back of the hind foot:

Ouch! That's gotta hurt! And from all accounts, it certainly does. Platypus venom is not known to be fatal to humans, but it hurts like hell and according to rainforest-australia.com it causes "spectacular localised swelling." Platypus venom is unique among animal poisons in that it acts on pain receptor cells. In other words, this is a poison geared to huuuurt. And, according to the above website, this is a characteristic shared by the chemicals that make chili peppers burn your mouth! What's more, some scientists believe that this unique property should be studied in relation to the creation of new painkillers. Wow!

Due to the fact that venom production increases during platypus mating season, scientists believe that the spurs are for fighting with other males over females-- Think goats ramming eachother, or bucks sparring with their antlers. There are accounts of both hunting dogs and other platypi dying after being spurred, but researchers are not sure if this is due to the damage caused by the spur itself, or the poison. As for humans, platypus hunters back in the bad ol' days used to get spurred, and they probably deserved it. I also read an account of an old Aussie dude who got spurred in the hand and was still having aches and stiffness there 3 months later!

If you are curious to learn more about the venomous platypus boyz, check out these interesting websites: http://rainforest-australia.com/platypus_poison.htm (also gives tips on how to handle plats to avoid being spurred)
http://www.bio.davidson.edu (this is where you can read about the old dude)

Well, the point being, don't mess with that platypus!!! Not only adorable, but boy do they know how to defend themselves!