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What kinds of animals do platypuses eat?
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platypus
The duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), or duckbill, is common in the waterways of eastern Australia.
The platypus is a carnivorous mammal that primarily feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates found in freshwater environments.1
Its diet consists mainly of:
* Larval insects1
* Freshwater crustaceans (a favorite food)1
While they forage most actively along the beds of rivers, streams, and lakes, they may also occasionally consume frogs, fish, or insects at the water's surface. To locate their prey, they use a sophisticated electromechanical system of electroreceptors to detect the minute electrical signals generated by the muscles of their prey.1