Monotremes split off from the mammalian evolutionary lineage before the evolution of placentas, so they retain this distinctly reptilian method of reproduction. When the young (called puggles) finally hatch, they’re only the size of a jellybean. (The four species of hedgehog-like echidna are the only other monotremes alive today, and they too live in Australia as well as New Guinea.) Female platypuses typically lay between 1 and 3 marble-sized eggs, which they incubate for about two weeks in an underground burrow. Platypuses are monotremes, a type of mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. ![]() One of the (arguably) weirdest elements of platypus biology is their reproduction.
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