Shapeshifter
New Member
Today I wondered if there are any mammals that lay eggs, so I did some research, and there actually are! Didn't know that. Didn't know that the platypus is one of them, either. There only are five species of mammals that lay eggs. Thought I'd share that new gained knowledge with you. A few quotes and pictures from the Wikipedia entry:
The Long-beaked Echidna looks really, really weird in my opinion. How very interesting...
I mean Look at it!
While browsing, I also found this blog entry of weird looking animals. Well, well, nature is full of interesting stuff...
Like other mammals, monotremes are warm-blooded with a high metabolic rate (though not as high as other mammals, see below); have hair on their bodies; produce milk through mammary glands to feed their young; have a single bone in their lower jaw; and have three middle ear bones.
Monotremes lay eggs. However, the egg is retained for some time within the mother, who actively provides the egg with nutrients. Monotremes also lactate, but have no defined nipples, excreting the milk from their mammary glands via openings in their skin.
Fossil and genetic evidence shows that the monotreme line diverged from other mammalian lines about 150 million years ago and that both the short-beaked and long-beaked echidna species are derived from a platypus-like ancestor.
The Long-beaked Echidna looks really, really weird in my opinion. How very interesting...
I mean Look at it!
While browsing, I also found this blog entry of weird looking animals. Well, well, nature is full of interesting stuff...