An Overview of Captive Husbandry of The Platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, At Healesville sanctuary.

Abstract

The captive management of platypuses is a specialised field due to the stressful nature of the species and its cryptic habits. Husbandry practices vary from one institution to another with some properties adopting a 'hands-off' approach and others, such as Healesville Sanctuary, conditioning their animals to being regularly handled. This paper discusses the husbandry practices at Healesville Sanctuary in the management of captive platypuses and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of various routines.