When the first European scientist saw a duck-billed platypus in 1799, he thought it was a hoax. How could something so strange be real? Although covered with hair like all mammals, a platypus also has webbed feet, sharp claws, and a duck-like bill. These features make the creature look like something out of a tall tale. But the semi-aquatic mammals are as real as you or me—and have proven difficult to study.
Just ask Melody Serena. She has studied platypuses for 30 years. “They’re one of the most interesting and wonderful creatures in the world,” she says. Serena is a wildlife ecologist at the Australian Platypus Conservancy. She works to protect both platypuses and the freshwater rivers and streams where they live. But the animals spend almost no time on land, so she doesn’t have an easy job.
In 1799, the first European scientist saw a duck-billed platypus from Australia. He thought the odd-looking animal was a hoax. It was covered with hair like all mammals, but it had webbed feet, sharp claws, and a duck-like bill. How could something so strange be real?
The marsh-dwelling mammals do exist—but they’re difficult to study. Just ask Melody Serena. She has studied platypuses for 30 years. "They're one of the most interesting and wonderful creatures in the world," she says.
Serena is a wildlife ecologist at the Australian Platypus Conservancy. She works to protect the platypus and the rivers and streams where it lives. But the animals spend almost no time on land. That means Serena’s job isn’t always easy.