Maternal care of platypus nestlings (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

Abstract

Maternal care in platypuses has never been rigorously studied due to the difficulty in locating and accessing nesting burrows. Here we describe the maternal behaviour of a captive female platypus and the growth and development of her offspring over 11 breeding seasons. We located a nesting burrow and inserted a camera to record the activity and behaviour of the female and her offspring. We also measured the female's food intake during lactation. The ages of the offspring were assigned to developmental milestones including opening of the eyes and development of pelage. Twins (n = 4) were left alone for periods longer than 24 h by the mother at an earlier age than single nestlings (n = 2). The..