One of two duck-billed platypus born in Melbourne s Healesville Sanctuary, Australia. (Reuters Picture Archive) The platypus is one of the strangest creatures on the planet. They have a duck-like bill, but also a beaver-like tail. They swim underwater, but they re covered in fur. Oh yeah and they re venomous like a snake! They re a bit of every animal. They have super sensitive bills
(Mick Tsikas/Reuters) When platypuses sink into the water to eat, their senses of sight, smell and hearing turn off. Even their little ears tuck into a groove with their eyes. That s OK, because their bills are so sensitive that they can find their food by sensing sound waves, motion and the electric fields they generate.
Natural Connections: Shining a light on curiosity superiortelegram.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from superiortelegram.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Springhares that glow are the latest members of the fluorescent mammal club courant.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from courant.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Meet the Newest Member of the Fluorescent Mammal Club
The springhare whose coat glows a patchy pinkish-orange under UV light joins the platypus and other mammals with this perplexing trait.
The springhare is yet another addition to the growing list of mammals with secret fluorescence.Credit.J. Martin and E. Olson, Northland College
Feb. 18, 2021
And, breaking news: Two species of rabbit-size rodents called springhares do it. That is, they glow under black light, that perplexing quirk of certain mammals that is baffling biologists and delighting animal lovers all over the world.
Springhares, which hop around the savannas of southern and eastern Africa, weren’t on anyone’s fluorescence bingo card.