Maybe now the poor platypus will find a home, becasue it just doesn't seem to fit into any one category.
A spur? I watched one of those Animal Planet shows about venemous animals and an Aussie had one attached to his thumb and was supposedly invenomated. If Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd were arguing of "duck season" or "rabbit season" would the platypus qualify as a duck...or would Elmer just become confused...?
in reality (if that situation can in fact be called a reality lol) it wouldn't matter as he'd probably never find one. The platypus much like a lot of Australian species (including people) keep very much to themselves. It is quite rare to see a live platypus in the wild... the wombat is another that comes to mind. And it wouldn't surprise me that Aussie animals would pose evolutionary questions. We have all sorts of weird and wacky's down here from weird beaver ducks to giant spiders and gliding mice... ok so the spiders are only giant when they're sprinting across your windshield... yuk I hate spiders
For me, it's not the varied species, it's the attitude towards them: "I have four funnel web spider nests next to the patio, no worries though, the Aussie Brown Snake nests in the pine trees are much more deadly..have another one, careful where you trip to loo..." Seems like everything in the Lan of Oz, bites, pokes, chews or mauls and is quite deadly... And the poor platypus, what sort of pick up line can they have? "Wanna see my gigantic spur full o venom"?
funnel webs, those things'll chase you... not kidding, aggressive bastards they are... as far as I'm concerned they can have the house
Awww it's just a Huntsman. They're pretty freindly, and they're good for keeping the insect population down.
There's no such thing as just a huntsman. I'm convinced they were the inspiration behind those impregnating aliens in the Alien movies
I don't think so, the huntsman is a bit too hairy. Probably something more like a mouse spider was the inspiration: http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/features/spiders/spiders/MouseSpider.asp
nuh the legs are too stumpy... and I bet they're not as fast... I remember a few years back there was a family in Newcastle(?) that had to move out of their house because it was infested with mouse spiders
I've had the priveledge of watching a mouse spider catch a mouse once. They're quick over short distances, the final pounce was over in the blink of an eye. Pounce, bite then jump back and waited 5 minutes for the poison to take effect and then mosey on in for a leisurely meal (I mean who in their right mind is going to interfere with a ruddy huge spider snacking on a mouse). Bird catching spiders are really cool too, I remember seeing one as a kid on Moreton Island that was an iridescent midnight blue - very spectacular colouring as well as being the size of a dinner plate.
