BillSoft and bendy. It senses the weak electric signals of prey.
TailBroad and flat. It stores fat.
Front footFully webbed. The front feet do the paddling.
Hind footPartly webbed. The hind feet steer like rudders.
EyeSmall, and shut whenever the platypus dives.
FurDense and waterproof. It keeps the body warm in cold water.
NostrilsTwo nostrils on top of the bill, near its tip.
Ear openingIt sits in a groove behind the eye. The groove closes underwater.
The feet 3
WebbingSkin between the toes, widest on the front feet.
ClawsStrong claws for digging burrows and moving on land.
SpurA horny spur on each ankle of a male. It is joined to a venom gland.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-10-01 and kept only where two independent sources use it. (1) The Australian Museum, Platypus fact sheet, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/platypus/ (bill with electro-receptors; grooves behind the bill that hold the eyes and the ear openings; eyes, ears and nostrils closed underwater; webbed front limbs that propel, partly webbed hind feet that act as rudders; strong claws for burrowing; broad flat tail that stores fat; dense waterproof fur; a horny spur on the ankles of males, joined to a venom gland high in the leg). (2) San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Platypus, https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/platypus (soft, pliable bill; little round eyes; big webbed feet, claws for digging, rear feet as rudders; tail that stores fat; dense waterproof fur; spurs on the rear ankles of males). (3) The University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web account of Ornithorhynchus anatinus, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ornithorhynchus_anatinus/ (two nostrils on top of the bill; eyes and ears on either side of the head; webbed forefeet and partly webbed hind feet; claws; flat broad tail; fur; spurs on the hind legs of males; cloaca). (4) Wikipedia, text only: Platypus, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platypus (bill covered in soft skin; nostrils near the tip of its upper surface; eyes and ears in a groove behind it that closes underwater; webbing greater on the front feet; ankle spurs of the male). Nostrils rest on sources 3 and 4, ear opening on 1 and 4; every other name is in sources 1, 2 and 3. Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
The body parts of a platypus look borrowed from other animals: a bill like a duck’s, a flat tail and webbed feet. The second drawing shows two of the feet close up.
Read the full guide
From above
Numbers 1 to 8 are on the whole animal. The bill is soft, with two nostrils on top near its tip. The eye and the ear opening sit in a groove behind the bill, and the groove closes underwater. The front feet paddle, the hind feet steer, the flat tail stores fat, and the fur is dense and waterproof.
The feet close up
Numbers 9 to 11 are on the feet. Webbing joins the toes and is widest on the front feet. The claws dig burrows. A male has a spur on each ankle.
Only a grown male has spurs: a female loses hers as she matures.
Questions and answers
Is a platypus's bill hard?
No. The bill is soft and bendy, covered in skin. It is packed with sensors for touch and for the weak electric signals of prey, and the platypus finds its food with it underwater.
Where are a platypus's ears?
Just behind the bill, in the same groove as the eye. The groove closes when the platypus dives, so it swims with its eyes and ears shut.
Do platypuses have webbed feet?
Yes. The front feet are fully webbed and do the paddling. The hind feet are only partly webbed and steer. On land a platypus walks on its knuckles, which protects the webbing.
What is the spur on a platypus?
A horny spur on each hind ankle of a male. It is joined to a venom gland high in the leg, so the platypus is among the few venomous mammals.