Platypus

A nifty little fellow
Webbed feet a ducks bill too
Venom like a wriggly snake
And lays eggs
Yes they do

Mostly underwater
Or, under the ground
They build their nesting burrows
And are most hard to be found

Tasmania’s high plateaus
Along Australia’s Eastern coast
The strangest of little animals
Really loves to coast

Along the shaded hollows
In wild rivers where they
Can catch all sorts of little shrimps
And worms and yes larvae

They are very very sensitive
So hard to pin down
They burrow for thirty metres
They really go to town

At staying very private
That is what they do
They love the reeded rivers
For them that is good and true

No change in their design
From when they first came on this earth
Clearly they were perfect then
And honestly are worth

A great deal more of study
Peculiar quirky souls
And much like the Echidna
With Egg laying mammal roles

Living very solitary lives
Till the female comes on heat
And then the males all congregate
The Echidna train compete

Four or five will chase her
But only one can win
The one who likes her pheromones
Will be taken for his spin

North of Queensland in Australia
In the rainforest thats up there
Platypus can often be seen
On the surface their despair

And being seen is obvious
For danger clearly can
Frighten them they are vulnerable
It can all do down the pan

They prefer the muddy tributaries
And go up creeks to feed
Receptors in their bills
Vibrations can lead

Them to their food precisely
And to females as well
Its quite an attractive courtship
For they dance so I have heard tell

Rolling in the water
Around and around they go
Then back down to their burrow
Where all the love does flow

Maybe three eggs on the way
The miracle of life
And all this action takes place
With very little strife

Remember the Duck Billed Platypus
A quirky little soul
Who if he spreads his venom
It is bound to bowl

You over really for several weeks
Its very painful and
try not to get bitten
If you are you will understand