Ornithorhynchus anatinus
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Definition
Noun: * Platypus, Duck-billed Platypus: A small, semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal native to eastern Australia and Tasmania. It is characterized by a unique combination of features: a broad, flat, duck-like bill, a dense, waterproof fur coat, webbed feet, and a flat, beaver-like tail. It is one of the only five extant species of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The Ornithorhynchus anatinus is a fascinating example of evolutionary adaptation.
- Scientists study the venom of the male Ornithorhynchus anatinus.
- Spotting an Ornithorhynchus anatinus in the wild is a rare and special event.
Advanced Usage
- The binomial name is used primarily in formal, scientific, and zoological contexts. In common English, the animal is almost exclusively called a "platypus" or "duck-billed platypus."
- The name is derived from Greek and Latin: means "bird snout" and means "duck-like."
Variants and Related Words
- Platypus (n): The common name for .
- Duck-billed platypus (n): A descriptive common name.
- Monotreme (n): The order of egg-laying mammals to which the platypus belongs.
- Ornithorhynchidae (n): The biological family containing only the platypus.
Synonyms
- Platypus
- Duck-billed platypus
Notes on Meaning
- refers specifically to the biological species. It carries a precise, taxonomic meaning, distinguishing it from all other animals.
- The word "platypus" is synonymous but exists at the level of common vernacular and is not taxonomically precise on its own (as the word originally meant "flat-footed" and can refer to other things).
Noun
- small densely furred aquatic monotreme of Australia and Tasmania having a broad bill and tail and webbed feet; only species in the family Ornithorhynchidae