WHERE TO LOOK FOR A PLATYPUS

WHERE DOES THE PLATYPUS OCCUR IN AUSTRALIA?

Platypus live only in the eastern parts of Australia. There are no populations elsewhere in the world.  In Australia, the animals are found in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland to about as far north as Cooktown.  In South Australia the platypus is now rare and possibly extinct in the wild, apart from an introduced population on Kangaroo Island.

 

Distribution of the Platypus in Australia

Detailed information about where platypus occur along specific waterways is still mostly not known.  Platypus Care is helping to fill this gap in knowledge by collecting information about the species on a catchment-by-catchment basis.

IN WHAT SORT OF PLACES AM I LIKELY TO SEE A PLATYPUS?

Platypus can be found in large rivers and small streams at all elevations - from near the tops of mountains to sub-tropical coastal plains.  While platypus certainly occupy waterways in pristine forests, they have also adapted to many agricultural and urban environments.

Platypus occupy lakes and reservoirs of various sizes, mainly feeding in water that is less than 5 metres deep.  They will also sometimes reside in small man-made water bodies, such as park lakes and farm dams - particularly if these are linked directly to streams or rivers for at least part of the year.

Platypus cannot feed on land and so generally prefer to occupy permanent water bodies.  However, platypus may also be found in billabongs, wetlands and rivers that dry to a string of isolated pools in summer, though their survival may be reduced in some of these habitats.  Similarly, while platypus are normally associated with reasonably fresh water, they are sometimes seen in salty river estuaries.

Platypus are rarely seen travelling or sheltering far from water.  However, displaced animals are sometimes encountered in strange places, such as suburban gardens or at the edge of a road.  This is particularly likely to occur in late autumn, when juveniles disperse from the maternal home range to find territories of their own.

For more information about observing the species in the wild, see the section Hints On Spotting a Platypus.