Platypus

The platypus is a small, semi-aquatic mammal native to eastern Australia and Tasmania, one of only a handful of monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, in the world, and among the most unusual-looking animals alive, with a duck-like bill, a flat beaver-like tail, webbed feet and dense waterproof fur. Its bill is packed with electroreceptors that let it detect the faint electrical signals of prey such as insect larvae, crustaceans and small invertebrates while foraging underwater with its eyes, ears and nostrils closed. Male platypuses also carry venomous spurs on their hind legs, an unusual trait among mammals. Platypuses live along freshwater rivers and streams, and although once widespread, the species is now considered near threatened due to habitat degradation, water pollution and the effects of drought.