i don't think I say it enough these days but the platypus is unquestionably the best animal on earth. no nipples. lays eggs. what has been argued to be the single most painful venemous sting in existence (inb4 the pain index guy didn't test it because 1. he was only doing bugs and 2. the pain has been known to last for years). no stomach, don't need it. delete those genes. use the space for five pairs of sex chromosomes that don't work like the sex chromosomes of literally any other living thing and maybe don't even determine their sex. ability to sense electricity. made scientists angry and confused and excited and have continued doing so to this day. excellent signals for the health of a water ecosystem. cute as FUCK
"the animal of all time" -- zoologist Mervyn Griffiths
#small correction: they do have a stomach but it doesn't secrete acid#which is. a strange situation
...so how do they digest their food?
They have grinding plates in their mouths instead of teeth, so the food is already a fine paste when it enters the digestive system. The stomach apparently secretes mucus to assist in moving things along, but that's about it.










