You’ll never forget your first platypus encounter. It’s a magical moment when this strange and adorable creature emerges from ripples in the water.

If you live near a creek or river, find a quiet place on the bank, try to spot a platypus and record what you see.

This spring from September into October, take part in the platy-project and you’ll help researchers understand more about this elusive animal, and how we can better protect it.

get involved

The platypus

With a rubbery duck bill, webbed feet and fur, the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one of Australia’s strangest and most iconic animals. 

A monotreme, the platypus is one of only two mammals in Australia that lay eggs (the other is the echidna) and male platypuses have a venomous spur on their back feet. They really are like no other animal on the planet.

Different groups of First Nations peoples have named the platypus Mallangong, Tambreet, Gaya-dari, Boonaburra and Lar-re-lar.

But platypus numbers are in decline, and this unique creature is now at risk of localised extinction in parts of its range.

Land clearing, dams and drought destroy important platypus habitat, leaving them with nowhere to go. Extreme events like bushfire can put pressure on populations too.

To survive, platypuses need safe habitat to call home.

Image credit: Pete Walsh

 

The platy-project

By recording where platypuses live we can understand more about this incredible creature and help prevent further declines in their numbers.

That’s where you come in. There are places within the platypus’ range where sightings have never been recorded, or where they haven’t been seen for a long time. These are our biggest gaps in knowledge.

You can help researchers fill these gaps by visiting priority areas, looking for platypuses, and uploading your findings to the University of New South Wales’ platypus sighting database.

This year, we are putting a special focus on vital platypus populations in and around the farming communities in the Northern Tablelands and north-west slopes of New South Wales, asking local farmers ‘have you see a platypus on your farm?’ We’re working with farmers to look for platypus in waterways around their farms, because not only are platypus iconic and much-loved, they also tell us a lot about the health of our waterways.

Whether you’re a farmer or someone who just loves platypus and wants to take part, we’d love to have you involved in our platy-project.

Mann River Nature Reserve, New South Wales. Photo: Bette Devine/ACF

Mapping the platypus

Designed and created by platypus researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the platy-project map was created to prioritise the biggest gaps in platypus data.

We know the platypus has a large distribution – from the tropics of northern Queensland to temperate Tasmania – but little is known about which specific waterways platypus inhabit, including whether declines in populations or local extinctions have occurred.

Filling these knowledge gaps is a big job, and the researchers at UNSW need the help of the community to tackle it. The map was created so we can direct our platypus search efforts to the most important areas.

Use the map to identify priority areas near you – then head out to see if you can spot a platypus. Priority areas are places within the platypus’ predicted range where they’ve never been recorded, or where they haven’t been seen in a while.

view the map

Get involved

We’re asking you to head to your nearby river, creek or waterway to see if they can spot a platypus.

Want to experience that magical moment? Sign up for all the resources you need to take part in the platy-project this spring from September into October.

I'll look for a platypus!

If you have already signed up, click here to find all the resources you need to take part in the platy-project.

If you have already spotted a platypus, record your sighting on the platy-project map.

Image: Shutterstock

 

The platy-project is supported by: