Monotreme Rant
So I'm a zoologist. I'm watching "Crikey! It's the Irwins" and they said something about monotremes (platypus...platypusses? platypi??... and echidnas) laying eggs IN A POUCH?! Like what the heck? I knew monotremes laid eggs but...in a pouch?! So I googled it and sure enough, the egg is incubated in a pouch til the little baby (which looks like a gelatinous blob) hatches. AND after hatching, the baby stays in the mom's pouch to suckle...ok pretty normal right? NO! The mother doesn't have teats for the baby, it was described as milk patches for the baby to drink...PATCHES?!!! Why the...just why?! That doesn't make sense, how does it...in patches?? My zoologist classes didn't explain this very well apparently cuz like...I'm baffled.













