CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Mammalogy

The Australian Platypus Conservation Centre, at Healesville Sanctuary on the lands of the Wurundjeri people, hosted a platypus conference in August 2023. This symposium had The Future of the Platypus as its overarching theme and was open to all those working with this very special animal or otherwise interested in its conservation, including researchers, members of community conservation groups, and persons working for government agencies or the zoo industry. National platypus symposia had previously been held in 1991, 1998, 2004, 2008 and 2019, in each case initiated and run by a different group. The platypus’s conservation status was upgraded to Near Threatened across Australia in 2014, underscoring the need for improved communication and effective networking among stakeholders. Along with sharing new scientific information, the conference aimed to connect people, encourage productive collaboration and establish the basis for organising similar gathering at regular intervals into the future. This collection contains original papers, reviews and research notes presented at the conference, covering a broad range of topics including general biology, monitoring techniques and important conservation issues for the platypus.

Last Updated: 11 Feb 2025

AM24029Field Anaesthesia for Platypuses: a proven method and the case for non-veterinarian accreditation pathways

Gilad Bino and Tahneal Hawke

Platypuses are elusive animals, making field research challenging. Building on prior work and following initial veterinary training, we have refined and implemented a safe field-based anaesthesia method for over 500 platypuses across 9 years. This approach enables the collection of vital health and behavioural data, while ensuring animal welfare. We advocate for standardised accreditation pathways for trained non-veterinarians to expand accessibility, enhance research capacity, and support the conservation of this iconic species.

This article belongs to the collection: Recent research on the platypus.

AM24040Translocation of a rehabilitated juvenile platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

Jessica L. Thomas

A rehabilitated juvenile male platypus was translocated into an established population and monitored after release. He mostly rested under vegetation instead of using burrows and moved to a swamp habitat via a drain. The results suggest he was unable to create his own burrows and was displaced by the resident platypuses.

This article belongs to the collection: Recent research on the platypus.

AM24032Factors contributing directly to platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) mortality and implications for conserving populations in the wild

Melody Serena, Geoff A. Williams and Jessica L. Thomas

Photograph of platypus floating in water

Effective species conservation action often relies on knowing what directly drives mortality. To identify factors contributing to platypus mortality, we collated details of more than 400 deaths recorded since 1989. Important causal agents included drowning in fish nets or enclosed yabby traps, predation (mainly by foxes), becoming accidentally hooked by recreational anglers (and then released with line still trailing behind the animal), litter entanglement and being hit by motor vehicles. Photograph by Nicholas Rowlands.

This article belongs to the collection: Recent research on the platypus.

AM24026Platypus fyke-netting methods: a review of recommended field protocols and options for assessing population abundance

Melody Serena, Geoff A. Williams, Chris Bloink and Dana Dekkers

Person checking platypus fyke nets in shallow water

Fyke nets are commonly used for platypus survey or other research purposes in shallow water bodies. We discuss the wide range of factors influencing the frequency of platypus captures, identify issues affecting animal welfare in fyke nets and consider the options available for estimating platypus abundance from fyke-netting data. Photograph by G. Williams/APC.

This article belongs to the collection: Recent research on the platypus.

AM24020Age determination in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) using spur sheath and spur developmental stages: a review

Tom Grant, Melody Serena, Geoff A. Williams and Peter Temple-Smith

Platypus emerging from among river debris.

Male platypuses have a permanent venomous spur on both rear ankles. Their structure changes with age, while females only develop a small rudimentary spur sheath that is lost after their first year of life. Spur or spur sheath changes are used to age males in their first 3 years of life. Females can only be aged in their first 2 years. This age determination is used to age dead or living platypuses in research, veterinary or rescue contexts. Photograph credit: Ian Montgomery