Ornithorhynchology (PLATYPUSES) with Dr. Tahneal Hawke
Duck bills. Beaver tails. Underground lairs. Eggs. Milk. Venom? A platypus has it all. Scholar, conservationist, and Ornithorhynchologist Dr. Tahneal Hawke is here to run through the baffling anatomy and answer all of our WHAT’S THE DEAL, WHAT EVEN *ARE* THEY questions, and chat about field work, evolution, how to spot a platypus, why you can’t have one in your bathtub, and myths about platypus espionage. Also, a platypus might be sexier than you.
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A donation went to the Platypus Conservation Initiative
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Links to things we discussed:
Nature on PBS: Baby Platypus Caught on Camera
Perry's Best Moments | Compilation | Phineas and Ferb
Platypus vs. Platypus | Battle for Dominance
Electroreceptors in the platypus
Witness a 'Platypus Love Donut'
Platypus Frequently Asked Questions
On the mammary glands of the Ornithorhynchus paradoxus
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) Fact Sheet: Physical Characteristics
Woman Stung By Platypus Venom Says Pain Was “Worse Than Childbirth” | IFLScience
From a Land Down Under | San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Platypus Cam | San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Protecting the Platypus | Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Aussie icon named after Aussie icons | Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Platypus | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants
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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn