Adaptations
One adaptation a platypus has is its tail. It uses its tail to store energy as fat. The tail of a platypus also acts like a rudder and helps steer the platypus. Another adaptation the platypus has is its bill. The bill has two nostrils. Platypuses also use their bills to find food. Platypuses don't have any teeth but instead the adult has two horny pads that help grind the food platypuses eat. Another adaption a platypus has is its front paws. They use their front paws to propel through water, and the front paws act like paddles. They alternate to give propulsion. The webbing on the paws go away when platypuses are on land. They also use their paws for digging burrows. Another adaptation platypuses have are eyes and ears. The eyes are right in front of the ears. The eyes are on top of the head and help them see in the water. Neither the eyes nor the ears of the platypus are used for finding food.The hind paws of a platypus are used as rudders when swimming, the long claws on the paws are used for grooming and an anchor when digging. The platypuses hind paws are barely webbed. A male platypus has poisonous spurs on each hind leg at the ankle joint. Platypuses also have pouches on their cheeks. They keep the food they catch in the pouches until they reach the surface of the water.