# Platypus (*Ornithorhynchus anatinus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/platypus  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a species in the family Ornithorhynchidae, order Monotremata. It has been recorded in 5 countries, most often in Australia, United States and Germany. Its IUCN Red List status is Near Threatened.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Egg incubation | 10 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2 |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Recorded in | 5 countries |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Monotremata
- family: Ornithorhynchidae
- genus: Ornithorhynchus
- species: *Ornithorhynchus anatinus* (Shaw, 1799)

Synonyms: *Platypus anatinus*

## Where it has been recorded

Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF (records in brackets). Recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

Australia (22018), United States (4), Germany (3), Japan (2), Taiwan (1)

## Common questions

### Where does the platypus live?

The platypus has openly licensed sighting records from 5 countries on GBIF. The most records come from Australia, United States, Germany, Japan and Taiwan. These are recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

### Is the platypus endangered?

The platypus is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is close to qualifying as threatened.

### What kind of animal is the platypus?

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) belongs to the family Ornithorhynchidae in the order Monotremata.

## Sources

- [GBIF Backbone Taxonomy](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c), CC BY 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0 1.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base.
- [GBIF occurrence aggregates (CC0 and CC BY records only)](https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search), CC BY 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. GBIF.org occurrence search, country facet counts restricted to CC0 1.0 and CC BY 4.0 records.
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/), Per file, live API 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Licence and creator recorded per file.
- [English Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/), CC BY-SA 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Cite as: Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/platypus