Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/skiers-find-platypus-in-snow/
A group of backcountry skiers were caught off-guard by an unsuspected visitor: a platypus playing in the snow.
Mark Oates, a Tasmania-based outdoor education teacher, was out on a 4-day snow camping and backcountry skiing excursion when an animal began to approach.
Oates is familiar with the rugged landscape, even in the snow, but even he was surprised to see a platypus sliding on its belly toward him, similar to a penguin.
Oates shared a video of the moment on Instagram, writing:
“Pretty sure this Tasmanian platypus thought it was a penguin! It confidentially slid on its belly down a slope right past Jen and I whilst we were ski-touring the other day.”
He went on to say that he’s seen a platypus “happily foraging in the snow a number of times now and in this area regularly see their webbed footprints in the snow.”
He added, “It is incredible how comfortable they are in such a cold and seemingly inhospitable environment. Definitely one of our highlights of last weekend.”
Speaking with The Dodo, Oates explained:
“We were incredibly surprised that it was heading straight towards us. I always presumed that [platypuses] would make their way down below the snow-line in winter, but here in Tasmania I don’t think this is the case. I certainly had not seen one slide on its stomach like it did. Very cool moment to witness.”
When most people think of the platypus habitat, they picture water. They’re often pictured swimming or near the water’s edge, to be fair. However, as the Queensland Department of Environment and Science explains, “Platypus are found in eastern Australia from the steamy tropics of far north Queensland to the freezing snows of Tasmania.”
So while it’s not unusual that a platypus would be in the snow, Mark’s video and encounter is unusual in that the platypus approached the group! The government site shares that platypuses are shy and have excellent hearing so to see one in the wild, you usually have to be still and quiet.
It’s a pretty incredible thing he got to experience! We’re just glad he was able to film some of it for the world to see.
Check out the video below:
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
