LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Students will discuss key details in a nonfiction article.
Jim McMahon/Mapman ® (Globe)
Platypuses live in Australia and Tasmania.
In some ways, platypuses seem like normal animals. They have furry brown bodies. They make their homes in burrows by rivers. They swim around and look for food to eat.
That doesn’t sound too strange, does it?
Odd Parts
But platypuses have some odd parts. They are not birds, but they have a bill on their face, like ducks do!
The males also have sharp spikes on their back legs. Venom, or poison, is in each spike. Scientists think the spikes are for fighting.
Odd Way to Have Babies
What else is strange about platypuses? Most furry animals give birth to live babies. Platypuses don’t. They lay eggs, like birds do!
