Despite its odd look, the platypus is perfectly adapted to its environment. It has a furry, otter-like body, a tail the same shape as a beaver's, and a mouth reminiscent of a duck's. In his 1802 book, ...

Why a platypus? Well, with its duck-like bill and beaver-like tail, it seemed a fitting hybrid for a rivalry between Ducks ...

WITH a tail like a beaver, a bill like a duck, and laying eggs like a reptile, it's no wonder that when British scientists first laid their eyes on a platypus, they thought it was a hoax.