Animal Classes

1. Animal Classes

2. Contents reptiles Tuatara reptiles . Tuatara reptile’s lifecycle How Long the egg takes to hatch The Young Mating and Eggs Dangers Cool facts Platypus Mammals Platypus’s lifecycle The Platypus’s body Dangers Food Next Amazing Facts

3. Contents Reptiles are cold blooded air breathing vertebrates. Reptiles have scales and lay eggs(depends). Reptiles include Snakes, lizards Turtles, Tortoises, Alligators and crocodiles. Next

4. Contents Referred to as a "living fossil", the tuatara may look like a lizard but is really a Rhinocephalia, a beak-nosed reptile from the pre-dinosaur time over 225 million years ago, according to the St Louis Zoo. Native to New Zealand, the tuatara lives a amazing time that tops 100 years. Its slow breathing may be the reason why the tuatara lives so long; it breathes every seven seconds and can hold its breath for an hour. Next

5. Tuatara Reptile’s Lifecycle Contents Next

6. How Long the egg takes to hatch Contents For the egg to hatch, it takes 13 to 16 months, depending on the weather. During extremely cold weather, the growth of them may be delayed. The eggs often fall victim to predators such as rats, so very few actually end up hatching. Next

7. The Young Contents Once hatched, the babies must immediately search for food and dig a burrow for safety from predators. They enjoy feeding on insects and often steal bird eggs. Tuataras like to share burrows of a sea bird instead of digging their own. Next

8. Mating and Eggs Contents The tuatara reaches maturity between 13 and 20 years. The reptile continues to grow until it reaches 30 years old, according to San Diego Zoo. Every four years the tuatara will breed. Breeding begins in March. Eight months later, the female tuatara lays up to 19 soft-shell eggs in a nesting burrow of sand. After laying her eggs, the female leaves. Next

9. Dangers Contents Rats and domestic dogs are the main predators of the tuatara. In 1984 the rats drove an entire population of tuataras, which had decreased the population in island of the coast of New Zealand, into extinction within six months. The rats killed adults, young and eggs. Currently the tuatara lives on only 30 tiny islands off New Zealand and is protected by the government. Next

10. Cool Facts Contents Weird fact Fun fact! The Tuatara reptiles has been surviving for more than 200 million years. This is because Tuatara from New Zealand can slice up it’s food by using a ‘Steak knife sawing motion’ when it chews! If the soil is cool, the eggs produce females. Warm soil produces males. Next

11. Contents Mammals are warm blooded air breathing vertebrates. Mammals have hairy bodies, give birth to their youngs and feed them milk. Mammals include dolphins, whales, pandas and also humans. Next

12. Contents The platypus is found in eastern Australia. They live aside freshwater rivers or lakes, and create burrows for shelter and protection. They are active mainly at nighttime hours, and use their webbed feet for swimming. When swimming the platypus has it’s eyes shut. They swim underwater for 2 minutes, before returning to the surface for oxygen. They can however stay underwater for up to 10 minutes, and due to their natural buoyancy, they need to be underneath another object to do this. Next

13. Platypus’s lifecycle Contents Fertilised platypus eggs stay in the mother's body for around 28 days. The egg is incubated by the mother curling around it and keeping it warm and dry in the chamber of the burrow for another 10 days before hatched. Hatchling Lays eggs Young Platypus Adult Platypus Next

14. The Platypus’s body Contents The Platypus has a wooly furred coat and range from 30cm to 45cms in length and the tail about 10 to 15 cms. The wooly furred coat actually has three different layers. The first layer keeps the animal warm, by trapping air, the second layer which provides an insulating coat for the animal, and lastly the third layer of long flat hairs to detect objects close by. These creatures weight on average between 1 to 2.4 kilograms. Next

15. Dangers Contents They have an average lifespan of 12 years. This lifespan may be shortly diminished, as the platypuses biggest threats are snakes, goannas, rats and foxes. Another big threat to the platypus is man, via waterway pollution or land clearing. Next

16. Food Contents Platypuses feed on insect larvae, worms or other freshwater insects. They do so mainly at night, by the use of their bill. They turn up mud on the bottom of the lake or river, and with the help of their electroreceptors located on the bill, find many freshwater insects. They store their findings in special pouches behind their bill, and return to the surface. Next

17. Amazing Facts Contents Amazing Fact: Platypuses can consume their own body weight in food in a 24 hour period! Male platypus are larger than the female. They reproduct by mating which occurs once a year, between June - October. The female lays between 2 - 4 eggs and incubates these for a two week period. When a young platypus is born, they feed from milk from the mother. The mother secretes this milk from large glands under the skin, the young platypus feed from this milk which ends up on the mothers fur. If you thought this was a cute and cuddly Australian animal, well, you are only half correct. The male platypi have a hollow spur about 15 milimetres in length on the inside of both hind legs. This in turn is connected to a venom gland, and the platypus uses this spur to defend itself against predators.  Amazing Fact: The male platypus has venom strong enough to can kill a small dog, or cause excruciating pain among humans. Since only the male platypus has this venomous spur, and the gland peaks during mating season, many suggest it is normally used in aggressive encounters between other male platypus. There is no official name for a baby platypus, but a common suggested name is "platypup".